Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 21:40:10 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Paul Subject: Another Mont. Co. Bobwhite report MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Since we're on the subject of Bobwhites, I thought I'd pass along to the list a secondhand report. My brother heard a Bobwhite in his backyard in Germantown about 2 weeks ago. He lives off Brink Rd., and has never heard them there before (he's lived there for c.5 years). There are still enough open fields in the area to harbor a small population, but I doubt it will last long given all the houses going up in that area (which could have driven the bird to his backyard). He said he also heard another Bobwhite somewhere in the area, but couldn't remember where. I like Dave Mazurkowitz' suggestion of turning a few random data points into fact. How about this: all the recent Bobwhite "sightings" are due to post-breeding dispersal. The young have fledged, and now they're searching for their own territories. Given the dearth of viable breeding areas, they wind up in places like Kenilworth, Oxon Run, and backyards in Germantown. And while they may not be looking for a mate now, they could be testing the waters to see if they've found themselves in another bird's territory. If that sounds too farfetched, then perhaps they're calling more frequently now as a way to form fall coveys (safety in numbers and all that). What do you think? Paul Pisano cheep@erols.com Arlington, VA ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================