Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 15:20:05 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Walter Ellison Subject: Re: Atlas questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi All (and Jack), These are Solomonic questions indeed, unfortunately I am not Solomon, but I will give them a shot. Q1: The Prairie Warbler question is the tougher one of the two because it deals with issues of objective truth. Presumably one Prairie Warbler defending a territory in two quarterblocks but should it be counted twice? I have a strong distaste for counting data twice, pseudoreplication to statisticians. Although the warbler had territory in both blocks I'm certain it's nest (if one there was) was in only one. My approach would be to count the bird in the quarterblock that had the most habitat because that is likely where the nest was. If the habitat is extensive enough I would redouble my efforts in ensuing field work to locate an unequivocal second territory in the neighboring quarter. Q2: Young male oriole with a female, perhaps its parent but no obvious behavioral connection other than close association. The trouble with this sighting is being able to properly establish the young male's relationship with the female. The female could be unrelated and he's keeping an eye on her to find the next well fruited tree or shrub. So I'd say without any obvious begging by the youngster or feeding by the presumptive parent (the female might be a juvenile too) you can't get a confirmation out of this sighting. Fortunately a winter visit to your block will almost certainly locate the used nest (UN code). Thanks for the testing questions. Good Atlasing, Walter Ellison MD/DC Atlas Coordinator - MOS 23460 Clarissa Rd Chestertown, MD 21620-3645 410-778-9568 rossgull@crosslink.net "A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast." - E. B. White ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack and Julie Saba" To: Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 1:13 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Atlas questions > Q1: Several weeks ago I found a singing Prairie Warbler just to one side of > the quarter-block line in my atlas block. Two weeks later, I found a singing > Prairie Warbler just to the other side of the line, perhaps 100-150 feet > away. I'm assuming this was the same bird, since it's the only one I found on > either trip. > > But...in which quarter-block should I record it? The question is clearly > relevant for birds found stradling a block boundary. The breeding territory > apparently extends into both QBs, and I think it should be recorded for both, > but there is some question about this, since only one bird was found. > > Q2: On July 16 at Lake Artemesia, I found one female Baltimore Oriole > accompanied by an immature male with mottled orange/yellow chest. No other > BAOR were apparent in the area. There has been at least one singing male > around most of the summer, but I have not seen or heard as many as in > previous years. The immature was not begging or being fed, but it was > following the female closely. I'm inclined to count this as confirmed for the > block, but am wondering how likely it is that the birds wandered in from a > nearby block. Do BAORs wander after fledging, or do they stay on territory > 'til they begin migration? > > Jack Saba > > -- > J. L. Saba > Prince Georges County, Md > jlsaba@capu.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================