Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 08:34:11 -0800 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Lynette Fullerton Subject: Re: Snow eating/drinking In-Reply-To: <001401c2d706$84930b40$d5703bd0@cable.rcn.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I saw a lot of that happening this weekend - the juncos especially were perching on the branches of the lilacs right outside the house, scooping up the snow. I'd never seen that before either. It's rather timely (? maybe not the best word, but I'm tired!) that the Great Backyard Bird Count just happened to be this weekend - I wonder how skewed the results will end up being, since there will probably end up being higher concentrations of some birds. I had several Song Sparrows this weekend, and one White Crowned - I've never seen White-Crowneds before, and only a few Song Sparrows. Also lots of White-throateds, Juncos, dozens of Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Grackles, Starlings (but not so much to be a nuisance - I couldn't begrudge them a few sunflower seeds, could I?). A very curious Carolina Wren kept sitting in the window frame and peeking through the window at me - sounds crazy, but it really seemed like it was looking right at me! He did it a few times. The last time he did it, though, one of the cats noticed and scrambled to the window - it didn't come back after that! One thing that really worried me, though, was the almost complete absence of House Finches. I have only seen a few this season, but I thought that the snow would drive them to my feeders. I saw two this weekend, I think. Has anybody else noticed that? Lynette Fullerton Odenton, AA Co., MD l_fullerton_1999@yahoo.com --- Jason Waanders wrote: > > A female Hairy Woodpecker was working on a trunk > right on the edge of Beach Drive (just past the > gate, closed to cars today). After posing nicely > for a minute, she flew to a neighboring tree, > paused, and then reached over and ate some snow off > the top of a branch. I guess it shouldn't have > surprised me to see a bird get water this way, esp. > since Hairies range into parts much colder than > here. But still interesting to see. > > Jason Waanders > NW DC > jwaanders@starpower.net > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to > listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff > mdosprey > ======================================================================= ===== "The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware--joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware." --Henry Miller __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day http://shopping.yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================