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Re: Cowbirds

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Amanda Spears

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Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:28:09 -0400

Our summer study of how forest fragmentation affects bird diversity on the Eastern Shore has really been affected. Logging has diminished our biggest surveyed woodlot, in Talbot County, from 200 acres, to around 180. And it is still being logged. A resent census showed that because of the logging activity, wood thrush and ovenbird were not present. It really was sad to hear that even non-area sensitive birds are affect by this. 

Amanda Spears
Queen Anne's County


-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald & Laura Tarbell 
To: 
Sent: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:36 am
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Cowbirds



Wahoooo Gail and Norm now thats what im talking about . Man is the problem .
Saundra and all,
   Yes, Norm and Gail are right. I shouldn't get so worked up when I see
ne of my favorite warblers being victimized. I should learn to accept it,
ike I did yesterday when I didn't cry on top of that mountain. Took it
ell. In fact I'm going to go out right now and hug the first cowbird I see.
   Gosh, I hope I don't hug it too tight. ;-)
    On another note, weather permitting, I am going to go back to Sugarloaf
omorrow and try to locate some more Worm-eaters. If anybody wants to help,
 will be at the main gate ~6 AM. The focus will likely be on the Yellow
rail that skirts the base of the mountain. It's sort of long (7 miles) so
'm not going to try to do it all. I'm not real optimistic because I think
he better habitat is more toward the top(s). I have spare maps so if
nybody shows, they can plot the location of the birds.
   On the subject of habitat up there, somebody criticized the understory
r lack there of. I agree that much of the mountain suffers from "understory
penness" or whatever we want to call it. However there is a lot of stuff
ike Mountain Laurel around and although it is patchy, there is enough to
nterest the birds. And that is mainly where I am finding singing wormeatage
yes, Jerry invents words). Admittedly if there were more of it I would have
ound a Kentucky up there yesterday. I didn't have any Hoodeds either, but I
hink I have heard them back along the section of the Yellow Trail that I
kipped because I stuck with the Blue Trail. Veery are another
nderstory-dependant that seems to be missing on Sugarloaf.
   I applaud the Strong family or whoever it is that made this mountain a
anctuary. They deserve sainthood in my book. But maybe somebody ought to
alk them into permitting a limited deer hunt. Much as the idea of blasting
eer bothers me almost as much as watching warblers feed cowbirds, I have
oticed that where they blast deer, the understory thrives.
   Jerry Tarbell
   Carroll County


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