Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 15:25:30 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Walter Ellison Subject: Re: Patagonia Picnic Table Effect? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Everybody, The "Patagonia Picnic Table Effect" (aka Roadside Rest Effect) refers to a little roadside rest area along Sonoita Creek south of Patagonia, AZ that had a big sycamore tree across the road hosting a nesting pair of Rose-throated Becards for a number of years in the late 60s to mid 70s. After the becards were found folks would go to the spot to "twitch" them and in the process birders found a parade of impressive rarities in the area including the first U.S. Five-striped Sparrow, and nesting Thick-billed Kingbirds. Since the 1970s the area has deteriorated, the sycamore died (I believe) and the land across the road was posted and fenced by the dude ranch that owned it. Nowadays when birders speak of the "Patagonia Picnic Table Effect" they are saying - whenever one notable rarity is found in a location others inevitably follow due to the number of alert birders that inhabit the place while the rarity remains there. Good question, a sub-culture that forgets its history is a less interesting sub-culture than one that does. Good Birding, Walter Ellison 23460 Clarissa Road Chestertown, MD 21620 phone: 410-778-9568 e-mail: rossgull@crosslink.net "A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B. White (in "Stuart Little") ----- Original Message ----- From: "Denise Ryan" To: Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 1:25 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Patagonia Picnic Table Effect? > What is the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect? Please enlighten me. > > Denise Ryan > Washington, DC > > -----Original Message----- > From: Scott Crabtree [mailto:crabtree@MYSHORELINK.COM] > Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 12:35 PM > To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM > Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] SI Rufous/Allen's hummingbird > > > I've noticed a number of reports from birders looking for the hummers, > and coming up with a number of other interesting sightings, much as > Jim's, below. It's the "Patagonia Picnic Table Effect!" > > Scott Crabtree > Chester, MD > crabtree@myshorelink.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================