Subject: [Tweeters] Silly Junco Notions
Date: Mar 30 21:35:34 2012
From: jeff gibson - gibsondesign at msn.com



Rob

Is there anything more gratifying to a teacher than an apt pupil?

Although typically classified as generally being "dim bulbs", birds learn! At least that was my take away from a season working at the Palomarin Station of the Point Reye's Bird Observatory back in 1980.

By the time I arrived there, they had years of data about the local breeding bird populations. One factoid that I remember is that birds got better at hiding their nests with experience. First time nest owners would often place their nest in some totally stupid place which would result in, like, FAILURE !, due to predation. Them birds that lived long enough learned to hide their nests better, and so bred successfully. To succeed as a ground-nester like a Junco must take some talent.

Jeff Gibson
Everett Wa





> From: nwnature1 at gmail.com
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:40:29 -0700
> Subject: [Tweeters] Silly Junco Notions
>
> There is an ornamental tufty sort of grass at the edge of the path to my
> house. Yesterday I watched a junco carrying material under that grass. I
> walked out and stood next to it and the little hooded builder perched in the
> Apple with a beakfull of grass wagging around as if impatient. I bent over
> and lifted up the grass in front of the agitated bird. Look here I said,
> This is DUMB place for a nest, you are going to be constantly flushing every
> time somebody walks by, and when I mow the lawn your going to freak. Having
> done my higher brain duty I walked back to the porch. To my surprise, the
> junco started carrying grass somewhere to the side yard. Gosh, maybe they
> are smarter than I thought. At least they listen to my advice, unlike my
> kids.
>
> Rob Sandelin
> Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
> Snohomish
>
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