Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 11:44:58 +0000 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: GREG FUTRAL Subject: A Cat tale Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Imagine our disappointment last spring near the Darlington Eagle's nest when the Eagle slowly descended to about 30 feet above the cat with talons down, only to not go through with it. My word, we thought we were going to have the cover shot for Cat Fancy Magazine. I think cats are not just a neighborhood problem. There are in excess of 50 at Conowingo. A couple of years ago I photographed a male Orchard Oriole without tail feathers there. Could a cat have gotten it? Tried to photo a junco in the snow, and before I could compose the shot, a cat figured out what I was doing and chased it away. Although people do feed the cats, it can't be good for the birds. The cats seem to be everywhere-numerous on Aberdeen Proving Ground and Edgewood Arsenal. My Audubon book sez Great Horned Owls have been documented as eating cats. This morning at 4:20 AM a Screech Owl serenaded for about 5 minutes. Something I enjoy here in Baltimore City, and I wonder why I don't hear them that often. Could it be that? a) It IS Baltimore, and I am usually sleeping at this hour? b) It's mating season? c) There's some insomniac wise guy down the street with a tape? or d) None of the above. Greg Futral Baltimore g_futral@hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================