HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: srh3@Ra.MsState.Edu (Steven R. Hollis)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Owl Spotting
Date: 27 Aug 92 19:47:45 GMT
Organization: Mississippi State University

CB#1@lafibm.lafayette.edu (CB#1000) writes:
>During daylight hours owls can be located by following the sounds
>of crows and jays mobbing them. Corvine alarm calls and crows
>flocking in from all directions usually indicate that an owl has
>been found. Great horneds are favorite guests of honor. With a
>slow, careful approach you can often get quite near, as both
>crows and owls have other things on their minds at the time  

This is not just for owls.  Other large raptors, such as hawks also fall 
victims to the crows antics.

.
--
===============================================================================
Steve Hollis--Your friendly neighborhood zoology major
srh3@ra.msstate.edu
===============================================================================
From: sandee@Think.COM (Daan Sandee)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Hurricane Adrew, etc.
Date: 31 Aug 1992 23:23:22 GMT
Organization: TMC
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: telecaster.think.com

In article <1992Aug31.222120.29469@sci.ccny.cuny.edu>, christ@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Chris Thompson) writes:
|> 
|> Can't say what happened to the ones that stuck around, but I can
|> tell you that there was a Roseate Spoonbill in New York City a
|> couple of days ago.

It's been there for some weeks, since before the hurricane, in fact.


Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
Thinking Machines Corporation
Cambridge, Mass 02142                                 (617) 234-5044
From: steve@zoo.toronto.edu (Stephen Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Owl spotting.
Date: 28 Aug 92 18:14:02 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <92Aug28.123730edt.47898@neat.cs.toronto.edu>  writes:

>In article <27AUG92.11048271.0011@lafibm.lafayette.edu> CB#1@lafibm.lafayette.edu (CB#1) writes:
>>Owls can often be found in daylight hours by following the sounds
>>of rioting crows and jays. Corvine alarm calls and crows flocking
>>from all directions toward a single spot in the woods indicate,
>>more often than not, that a lynch mob is gathering around one of  ...

>    Does anyone know why owls and crows/jays hate each other so much?  It's
>kind of unusual to see two species which are not in a direct predator/prey
>relationship, or compete for the same food being antagonistic towards each
>other.  Do they seriously attack each other, or is it just harassment?

I don't know how often the interactions between crows and Great Horned Owls
come to blows, but I have seen evidence that they on occasion do. Last
Spring I found a recently fledged GHO 30 feet up a large white pine. After
it decided that it didn't particularly like being watched, it flew off,
leaving me to poke about beneath its perch in search of evidence of its
more recent meals. Along with several pellets and a couple of pigeon tail
feathers was the quite fresh head of a crow. So, at least one crow had at
least reasonable cause to be unappreciative of a neighbourhood GHO.
---
-- 
+==========================================================================+
+     Stephen Smith  ||  Department of Zoology. University of Toronto      +
+             email  ||  steve@zoo.utoronto.ca                             +
+==========================================================================+
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: jessie@IASTATE.EDU (Brent Danielson)
Subject: Re: Radio tracking of birds: help me!
Reply-To: jessie@IASTATE.EDU (Brent Danielson)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 16:42:41 GMT

In article <15540014@hpspdla.spd.HP.COM>, billg@hpspdla.spd.HP.COM (Bill
Gingras) writes:
> 
> I'm not at all an expert in the field, but my hunch is that electronics
> have yet to become so compact that you could build a transmitter small
> enough to attach to a passerine bird.  Small electronic "tags" exist
> that can be implanted under the skin, but these are for identification
> only, not tracking.  You have to pass a sensor very close to the bird in
> order to pick up the signal from the tag.
> 
> - Bill G
> 
Actually, I just spent part of this summer chasing radio equipped Bachman's
Sparrows around South Carolina.  Yes, it can be done quite easily.  There are
several approaches, and most of the bigger telemetry outfits can provide the
equipment if you've got the $$$.  There are also a number of small companies
that may be a substantially better deal fiscally and performance-wise, but that
will take some additional research.

The biggest problem we have is attaching the transmitter.  Super Glue Gel works
very well if you only want the radio to be attached for a say 5-15 days. 
However, if you want it on for longer periods of time, there are other
techniques discussed in the literature.

I'm hardly an expert at this, but it can be done, and there are people that have
been doing this quite a lot (speak up out there!!).

Brent J. Danielson
From: zoetrope@cup.portal.com (Devan DzM MacFarlane)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Why do birds ... -- The dawn chorus
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 21:00:56 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: world
  <WVENABLE.92Aug22113941@algona.stats.adelaide.edu.au>
  <1992Aug24.000810.28605@sserve.cc.adfa.oz.au>

Bob McKay Writes:

Mmm, trouble is, if they're singing at the time of peak feeding, it's
also the time of peak cost to them if they're being distracted by singing???
<<<stuff deleted>>>
This hypothesis would be dead in the water if any nocturnal birds sang at 
dawn, but I can't think of any that do.

---

It is my humble opinion that they are waking themselves (and eachother) up
(getting the metabolism going).

And to quote a friend; "They're morning creatures. They like mornings."

DzM
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: zoetrope@cup.portal.com (Devan DzM MacFarlane)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Looking for breeders
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 17:34:01 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: ba

I'm looking for a San Francisco Bay Area breeder that has an adult male
Violet Necked Lorie. If anyone on the net knows of one please drop me
email or call me at (408) 244-4145.

Thanks;

DzM
From: del_col@ab.wvnet.edu
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Penguins
Date: 31 Aug 92 13:58:48 GMT
Organization: Alderson-Broaddus College

In article <1992Aug29.144941.24158@mlb.semi.harris.com>, mwp@ms9.mis.semi.harris.com (Mark W. Poole) writes:
> Hello,
> 
> I'm not sure if this is the right group to post to or not,
> but I'm trying to determine if a penguin is a mammal.  I believe
> it may be, but am not certain.  The underlying question is
> "is there a bird that is also a mammal?"  My brother-in-law
> believes there is such a thing.




Penguins are not mammals.  No birds are mammals.  There has been some
discussion that birds may be the remnants of the dinosaurs, but the suggestion
that any bird might be a mammal is absurd.  The anatomical differences
between mammals and birds are dramatic and obvious; any basic biology book
will point them out in plenty of detail.

The monotremes(platypus and echidna) are egg-laying mammals, but they are
definitely not birds.

J. Del Col
From: fease@dkas.enet.dec.com (Andrea Midtmoen Fease)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: dawn chorus
Date: 26 Aug 92 17:56:46 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Marlboro MA


     On a related note, why is it that several times last winter we heard birds
chirping away ... at 3AM!?!  Dawn wasn't until around 7AM at that point.

					- Andrea
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: troach@netcom.com (Tom Roach)
Subject: More on spotting owls
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 03:57:42 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Distribution: na
Keywords: owls spotlight

I have been on organized and unorganized owl spotting trips. Organized
trips usually consist of someone with a tape of an owl. The owls can
respond to the calls and in some cases come up to you.  My friend used
to go out by himself and one night nearly got his skull ripped when
the owl took offense at the call and swooped down near his head.

The trips I went on were usually a bust. I can hear Western Screech
Owls nightly right out on my porch. There are also several Great
Horned Owls living nearby. I often see them perched in trees nearby.
Not being very subtle I have both a 400,000 and 800,000 candle power
lamp (battery operated) which I train on the owl for brief periods of time
when he is sitting nearby. One night I did this on and off for almost
four hours. Didn't seem to bother the owl at all.  While I hear the screech
owl almost every night, I have never seen it. The Great Horned Owls (a new
pair of immatures I suspect) have a most unusual call. The mature Great Horned
Owl has a very easy to recognize lower pitched hoot.

I have spent hours looking for owl pellets in the woods next to the house
with no luck.  When I was a child I used to find these owl pellets
easily (Pound Ridge, New York).  

Good luck to all finding the owls.  

Tom Roach
San Jose, CA 
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: christ@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Chris Thompson)
Subject: Re: Hurricane Adrew, etc.
Organization: City College of New York - Science Computing Facility
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 22:21:20 GMT

In article <9208241949.AA09084@vesta.physics.uiowa.edu> grd@VESTA.PHYSICS.UIOWA.EDU (Grant Denn) writes:
>
>HOwdy
>
>   So what happens to south florida bird life during a hurricane?  
>to they have the sense to move out of there previous to a large storm?
>or will heron feathers be falling for weeks?
>
>
>grant

Can't say what happened to the ones that stuck around, but I can
tell you that there was a Roseate Spoonbill in New York City a
couple of days ago.

Chris Thompson

-- 
(Help!  I've fallen and I can't reach my beer!)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: CB#1@lafibm.lafayette.edu (CB#1000)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Owl Spotting
Date: 27 Aug 92 15:17:16 GMT
Organization: Lafayette College
Originator: news@lafcol

During daylight hours owls can be located by following the sounds
of crows and jays mobbing them. Corvine alarm calls and crows
flocking in from all directions usually indicate that an owl has
been found. Great horneds are favorite guests of honor. With a
slow, careful approach you can often get quite near, as both
crows and owls have other things on their minds at the time.
From: gls@hare201.udev.cdc.com (gl sprandel x4707)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: spotting owls
Date: 27 Aug 92 21:18:46 GMT
Reply-To: gls@udev.cdc.com (gl sprandel x4707)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Control Data System, Inc.

Another technique is too look for holes in trees (usually toward the
 top) and then take a stick and rub it gently at the base of the tree.
 SOmetimes a bird if roosting or nesting will stick its head out and 
 have a look. 
 This usually works best with at least 2 people, so one can rub the tree
 and the other can watch.   Be sure not to disturb the bird to long or
 too often.
 If the hole is occuppied, it may be a reliable site to find the owl.
 I was lucky enough to see a Saw-whet owl with this technique this spring, 
 in Northern MN. 
 This technique will also work sometimes for woodpeckers. 
 
 - In MN Snowy Owls may often be found reliability along the grain 
   elevators in Duluth. 
 - For SHort-eared owls if you can find fields/marshes where they have been
   seen they will often return to the same field.  They are evening feeders.
-- 
Bird of the week: Common Nighthawk (Arden Hills)
Gary Sprandel  gls@.udev.cdc.com      Telephone <612> 482-4707
Control Data Systems, Inc. ARH215, 4201 N. Lexington, Arden Hills MN, 55126
From: CB#1@lafibm.lafayette.edu (CB#1)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Owl Spotting
Date: 27 Aug 92 15:13:47 GMT
Organization: Lafayette College
Originator: news@lafcol

Owls can often be found in daylight hours by following the sounds
of rioting crows and jays. Corvine alarm calls and crows flocking
from all directions toward a single spot in the woods indicate,
more often than not, that a lynch mob is gathering around one of
the larger owls. A slow, careful approach will often get you
pretty close, as both crows and owl have other things on their
minds. Great horned owls are a favorite guest of honor at these
soirees, and this is one of the best ways to find them during
daytimes.
From: tfisher@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Tom Fisher)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: How can I keep ants off of my hummingbird feeder?
Date: 3 Sep 92 14:18:41 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University

From article <1992Sep3.005225.19330@pony.Ingres.COM>, by boba@Ingres.COM (Bob Andrews):
> Background: I work in Alameda California, just across the Bay from San
> Francisco.  We have mostly Anna's hummingbirds here.  We also have
> sugar ants.
> 
> I put up a small Perky Pet feeder outside my new office window.  Within
> a week it was discovered and drained!  I then bought a larger,
> Rubbermaid feeder (inverted bottle drains into base that has holes on
> upper surface).  As I was replacing the feeder the hummers were
> chattering at me to hurry up.  The new feeder was an immediate hit.
> 
> A few days later, however, the hummers stopped feeding, yet I could see
> there was still plenty of fluid.  I went out to see if the base wasn't
> filling only to discover that the entire feeder was covered with sugar
> ants!
> 
> The feeder is currently hanging from a tree branch using a foot length
> of coat hanger wire with a hook at each end.  Is there some other
> arrangement (monofilament? ant-guards?) that will keep the ants off the
> feeder?  The last thing I want to do is use insecticide, as hummers are
> so susceptible to poisons.
> 
> Does anybody have any suggestions (preferably from experience) of how
> to keep the ants off of the feeder so the hummers will return?
> Thanks.
>
I had this problem a long time ago.  The solution I used (I
forget where I heard about this) was to pour vegetable (cooking)
oil on a section of the branch between the tree trunk and the
feeder.  I forget how long this lasted before I had to re-do it,
but it did work - the ants wouldn't cross the vegetable oil.  I
think the ants finally "learned" to go away.  I obviously don't
have this problem any more.

Tom Fisher
From: christea@dhhalden.no (CHRISTER ANDR JAKOBSEN)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Birding in Europe
Date: 1 Sep 92 10:24:04 GMT
Organization: Ostfold College

In article <1992Aug31.092357@cs.utwente.nl> deby@cs.utwente.nl (Rolf de By) writes:

>Well,

>There is something called EuroBirdNet, which was set up to keep birders
>here in Europe informed about what is/was happening in other countries.
>We have contributors from Great Britain, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany
>and the Netherlands. It is a simple, email-based, thing, with country
>representatives dispatching the news locally.

>In fact, there are a few European birders reading News (rec.birds) regularly,
>and when it comes to discussing the albinistic variation in plumages of the
>Great-tailed Grackle we are obviously all ears, but little mouth.

Is this EuroBirdNet a mailing list? What's the e-mail address?

Christer
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: andrewt@watson.ibm.com (Andrew Taylor)
Subject: Re: UK News
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1992 01:03:13 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Keywords: August Highlights

In article <25821@dog.ee.lbl.gov> wander@csa2.lbl.gov writes:
>The month began in great style with Britain's second Red (Rufous) Necked Stint
>at Cley in Norfolk for a couple of days. The bird (like the first at Blacktoft
>Sands, Humberside) was in full summer plumage and much appreciated by many

About the same time, a Red-Necked Stint also in full summer plumage was
found on Long Island. A Little Stint was found at the same location that
afternoon. They will be, I believe, respectively the first and second accepted
records for NY state. 

Last I heard the Red-Necked Stint was still here but no longer in summer
plumage. Having seen thousands of both I didn't bother going to see
either (the ennui of the well-travelled birder). I did go out to
the turf farms on Long Island for my life Buff-Bellied Sandpiper.
Now where are the Eskimo Curlews?


Andrew Taylor
From: sandee@Think.COM (Daan Sandee)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Penguins
Date: 29 Aug 1992 15:10:30 GMT
Organization: TMC
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: telecaster.think.com

In article <1992Aug29.144941.24158@mlb.semi.harris.com>, mwp@ms9.mis.semi.harris.com (Mark W. Poole) writes:
|> I'm not sure if this is the right group to post to or not,
|> but I'm trying to determine if a penguin is a mammal.  I believe
|> it may be, but am not certain.  The underlying question is
|> "is there a bird that is also a mammal?"  My brother-in-law
|> believes there is such a thing.

1. Mammals (Class Mammalia) and birds (Class Aves) are mutually exclusive
   classifications.
2. Penguins are birds (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae).
3. If you want to beat him over the head with even more cleverness,
   use the Platypus (a nocturnal, aquatic Australian animal), which
   lays eggs but is still classified as a mammal because it suckles its
   young.

Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
Thinking Machines Corporation
Cambridge, Mass 02142                                 (617) 234-5044
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: deby@cs.utwente.nl (Rolf de By)
Subject: Re: Birding in Europe
Organization: University of Twente, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 07:23:57 GMT

Well,

There is something called EuroBirdNet, which was set up to keep birders
here in Europe informed about what is/was happening in other countries.
We have contributors from Great Britain, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany
and the Netherlands. It is a simple, email-based, thing, with country
representatives dispatching the news locally.

In fact, there are a few European birders reading News (rec.birds) regularly,
and when it comes to discussing the albinistic variation in plumages of the
Great-tailed Grackle we are obviously all ears, but little mouth.


-- 
Rolf A. de By
Vakgroep Informatiesystemen			Tel   : +31-53-893753
Faculteit der Informatica			secr. : +31-53-893690
Universiteit Twente				Fax   : +31-53-339605
Postbus 217, 7500 AE Enschede			Email : deby@cs.utwente.nl
The Netherlands
From: del_col@ab.wvnet.edu
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Giant extinct New Zealand Raptors
Date: 1 Sep 92 13:21:18 GMT
Organization: Alderson-Broaddus College


	In the October 1990 issue of NATURAL HISTORY Jared Diamond 
mentions a study of two gigantic extinct raptors that once lived in
New Zealand, a 7 pound goshawk and a 30 pound!!! eagle.  He refers to a 
study by Richard Holdaway that discussed these gargantuan raptors.  I have
not been able to track down this study.  Can anyone provide me with its title?

BTW, the speculation is that the eagle preyed on moas, a suitable target for
the biggest hawk ever to have lived.

J. Del Col
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 09:42:21 EDT
From: <PXF3@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Birding in Europe

Does anyone know how the seabird colonies on Runde, Norway, fared the past
three years?  I was there in 1989 and the populations were down because of
overfishing of the herring.  Have things improved since then?  Thanks very
much for any info you may have.  Paula
--
Paula Ford   | Internet: pxf3@psuvm.psu.edu  | PO Box 674
"Snaefridh"  | Bitnet:   pxf3@psuvm          | Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended
up where I needed to be.  --Dirk Gently
Xref: sparky rec.birds:1403 rec.hunting:1429
From: J.M.Spencer@newcastle.ac.uk (Jonathan Spencer)
Newsgroups: rec.birds,rec.hunting
Subject: falconry: common buzzard vs. hedgehog
Date: 26 Aug 92 14:25:05 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

A couple of weeks ago, I had a common buzzard (Buteo buteo) dropped in
my lap (er, so to speak, not literally :-) by a bloke who decided he
didn't want her any more. Since then, she has been sitting under a pine
tree in my garden on a bow perch. She is located near to a compost heap.

This morning, at about 04:30, I was woken to the sound of some small
animal squealing in distress, a squealing croaking noise. It didn't
sound like anything I'd heard before, not like a rabbit, nor a weasel,
nor anything. But it was obviously something in fear of its life. The
buzzard makes similar noises when I feed her. "Oh my God, something's
got the buzzard!" I thought. (We have urban foxes here.)

I switched on the floodlight to see that it was the other way round.
The buzzard had got something! I thought it might be a rat or weasel.
It turned out that she had been woken by a young hedgehog (see below)
and had footed it in the head. It was curled up in a tight ball on its
back, the buzzard's foot disappearing into a forest of prickles. I
picked the hawk up, and (fortunately) she dropped the hedgehog. The
hedgehog stopped screaming, and started spitting (like a cat), still
tightly curled up. I don't think it was badly injured, and I couldn't
really tell. After a few minutes, it scuttled off into the darkness,
talking to itself.

For those who don't know, a hedgehog (L. Erinaceus europaeus) is a
small mammal which is a little like a porcupine in that it is covered
in spines. An adult is probably 2-3lbs and will measure 10" diameter
when curled. They make a lot of snuffling and grunting noises when
foraging. That is what will have woken the hawk. I think the hedghog
was probably looking for worms in the compost heap.

A friend's goshawk once ate a hedghog, spines and all. I've also known
golden eagles to take them.

--Jonathan
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: christ@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Chris Thompson)
Subject: Re: Penguins
Organization: City College of New York - Science Computing Facility
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 22:25:38 GMT

In article <17o416INNkoo@early-bird.think.com> sandee@Think.COM (Daan Sandee) writes:
>In article <1992Aug29.144941.24158@mlb.semi.harris.com>, mwp@ms9.mis.semi.harris.com (Mark W. Poole) writes:
>|> I'm not sure if this is the right group to post to or not,
>|> but I'm trying to determine if a penguin is a mammal.  I believe
>|> it may be, but am not certain.  The underlying question is
>|> "is there a bird that is also a mammal?"  My brother-in-law
>|> believes there is such a thing.
>
>1. Mammals (Class Mammalia) and birds (Class Aves) are mutually exclusive
>   classifications.
>2. Penguins are birds (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae).
>3. If you want to beat him over the head with even more cleverness,
>   use the Platypus (a nocturnal, aquatic Australian animal), which
>   lays eggs but is still classified as a mammal because it suckles its
>   young.
>
>Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
>Thinking Machines Corporation

Consider these additional characters of the platypus:

1.  It has fur.  (Mammal)
2.  It has a bill (Bird)
3.  It has no teeth (Bird)
4.  The structure of the jaw and pelvis of the platypus is like
	nothing else at all.

Chris Thompson

-- 
(Help!  I've fallen and I can't reach my beer!)