HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rsl@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (randolph.little)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: bird song ID in Ohio
Summary: Carolina Chickadee
Date: 18 Aug 92 18:58:06 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <Bt564L.GFG@zoo.toronto.edu>, tony@zoo.toronto.edu (Anthony L. Lang) writes:
> Sue Saari writes:
> 
> >bird calls I didn't know. There is one bird call which I hear in my
> >backyard, a somewhat wooded area, that isn't covered in the tapes.
> >It sounds like someone whistling "yoo hoo" with a high short squeak
> >in between the two tones. The tones are approximately a minor
> >third apart. It repeats the same yoo-sqeak-hoo over and over. Anybody
> >have a guess what bird it is?
> 
> I would guess Carolina Chickadee.  Its song fits that description,
                ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^
                                     Yes, Carolina Chickadee!
> but I don't know if it makes it as far north as you.  See if
                      ^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^
                                                       Yes, Columbus OH
is definitely "Carolina" range; only a few Black-caps get that far south
in central Ohio.
> you can borrow the Peterson Eastern Bird Songs from the library.
                     ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^
                                                  Excellent advice,
particularly if you want to hear what any given species sounds like.
> -- 
> Anthony Lang
> Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Toronto
> tony@zoo.utoronto.ca

Tony's identification and advice are right on!  -- Randy
    <rsl@bonasa.att.com (Randolph S. Little)>
From: sandee@Think.COM (Daan Sandee)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: birding in scotland
Date: 13 Aug 1992 22:00:14 GMT
Organization: TMC
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: telecaster.think.com

In article <l8llfnINNiu@news.bbn.com>, lmadden@bbn.com (Leslie Madden) writes:
|> 
|> 	i will be visiting scotland in september. i will be in edinburgh for
|> 	most of the visit - but may be going to the island of skye. can
|> 	anyone recommend books for identifying birds in those areas?

Several good field guides for Europe.
Ferguson-Lee,Willis,Shamrock :"Shell Guide to Birds of Britain and
      Ireland" (1983). Just for British Isles.
Also recommend, Redman&Harrap: A Guide to Bird-finding in Britain.
Best bird-finding guide I've ever seen.

ABA sells Ferguson-Lee but not Redman&Harrap. Try LA Audubon Society,
213-876-0202, Tu-Sat 10-3, they take phone orders.

Skye in September is great on the rare moments that there's no rain or 
gale-force winds.

Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
Thinking Machines Corporation
Cambridge, Mass 02142                                 (617) 234-5044
From: psjmt@frodo.cc.flinders.edu.au (<J.Tizard> Psychology x2420)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Possible Blk-Shouldered Kite?
Date: 20 Aug 92 23:50:18 GMT
Organization: Flinders University

In article <WVENABLE.92Aug20085039@algona.stats.adelaide.edu.au> wvenable@algona.stats.adelaide.edu.au (Bill Venables) writes:
>
>>>>>> "Paul" == HYD  <HYD@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>
>Paul> While on vacation in Eastern Wyoming, earlier this August, I had an unusual
>Paul> sighting. The bird was a medium to small sized raptor with long thin wings, a
>Paul> slight body and an elongate tail. In addition, it was over-all white in color
>Paul> with black carpal patches on the underside of the wings. As far as I know the
>Paul> only raptor which fits this description is the Black Shouldered Kite....
>
>As a curious footnote, there is an Australian Black Shouldered Kite that
>fits this description perfectly.  This is not a international species, like
>the peregrine falcon and the osprey, is it?
>
>Bill.
>
>--
>___________________________________________________________________________
>Bill Venables, Dept. of Statistics, | Email: venables@stats.adelaide.edu.au
>Univ. of Adelaide, South Australia. | Tel: +61 8 228 5412  Fax: ...232 5670

Yes, I think it is. I've certainly seen a photo of one in Kenya. There are one
in (northern) Europe though...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 _--_|\        James Tizard                             
/      \       Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory
\_.-*._/       Psychology Department                    
      v        Flinders University of South Australia   
               psjmt@cc.flinders.edu.au
From: andrewt@watson.ibm.com (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: birding in Paraguayan Chaco
Keywords: bird  Chaco
Date: 20 Aug 92 22:36:46 GMT
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM

In article <1992Aug19.011009.29770@u.washington.edu> wrightdb@pigsty.dental.washington.edu writes:
>I am going to the Chaco this Fall (for mammals, of all things). I want to  
>check out the birding while down there, but can't locate a field guide for the region.

There is a field guide for Argentina. Its title is I think "Las Aves del Argentinas". As the Chaco extends
well into Argentina I would assume it would cover almost all of the birds you will meet.
However, the plates are awful - the worst of any field guide I have ever seen.  The text is very basic
and in Spanish. So its not a great book but good enough to make idenitifcations.

It could be worse I spent several months in Brazil, Peru and Ecuador with only de Schaunesee's Birds of
South America which has no plates!. I reckon I saw ~ 1000 species but I identified only ~300.

For contrast, if you can afford several kilos, you could take the volume one (are any more out yet?)
of Ridgley & Tudor's Birds of South America. A beautiful book. Guy Tudor's plates are the best I've seen.

If you have time I'd recommend a side-trip to the Iguassu Falls. The falls are wonderful and there is
excellent birding in the rainforest around the falls on the Argentinian side.

Andrew Taylor
From: norman@cc.und.ac.za (Jennifer Norman)
Subject: Re: Possible Blk-Shouldered Kite?
Organization: University Of Natal (Durban)
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 10:41:50 GMT

> "Paul" == HYD  <HYD@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>
>Paul> While on vacation in Eastern Wyoming, earlier this August, I had an unusual
>Paul> sighting. The bird was a medium to small sized raptor with long thin wings, a
>Paul> slight body and an elongate tail. In addition, it was over-all white in color
>Paul> with black carpal patches on the underside of the wings. As far as I know the
>Paul> only raptor which fits this description is the Black Shouldered Kite....
>
>As a curious footnote, there is an Australian Black Shouldered Kite that
>fits this description perfectly.  This is not a international species, like
>the peregrine falcon and the osprey, is it?
>
>Bill.

I was wondering the same thing, as here in South Africa we also have a Black
Shouldered Kite that fits that description.

Jenny

-----------------
Jennifer Norman,  Computer Services, Univ. of Natal, Durban, South Africa
                  E-MAIL: norman@cc.und.ac.za
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: toby@milton.u.washington.edu (Toby Bradshaw)
Subject: Re: DEET, binoculars, and human skin
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 16:29:15 GMT

>Personally, I find DEET so caustic to the skin, much less 
>inorganic surfaces,
 ^^^^^^^^^
Rubber is organic in the chemical and "popular" senses of the word.

>that I never use the stuff.  This is
>despite the numbers of mosquitoes, blackflies, horseflies,
>deerflies, and no-see-ums that we get in most areas of Canada
>that exceed even the levels encountered in Florida
>(I am drawing from personal experience).  I just
>cover up no matter how hot it is.  On hot days I wear cotton made
>out of a blend too tight for bugs to bite through. 
>Aside from DEET's immediate effects on skin, I shudder to think
>of the long term effects of applying hydrocarbon derived
                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>industrial organic molecules on my skin.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Be sure not to use glycerin soaps, then :)

>I guess that means the rubber armouring on my binoculars
>will last a good long time.
>-- 
>Anthony Lang
>Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Toronto
>tony@zoo.utoronto.ca

Toby Bradshaw
Biochemistry and Forest Resources
University of Washington

Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: tony@zoo.toronto.edu (Anthony L. Lang)
Subject: bird song ID in Ohio
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 19:00:20 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

Sue Saari writes:

>bird calls I didn't know. There is one bird call which I hear in my
>backyard, a somewhat wooded area, that isn't covered in the tapes.
>It sounds like someone whistling "yoo hoo" with a high short squeak
>in between the two tones. The tones are approximately a minor
>third apart. It repeats the same yoo-sqeak-hoo over and over. Anybody
>have a guess what bird it is?

I would guess Carolina Chickadee.  Its song fits that description,
but I don't know if it makes it as far north as you.  See if
you can borrow the Peterson Eastern Bird Songs from the library.
-- 
Anthony Lang
Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Toronto
tony@zoo.utoronto.ca
From: saari@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Susan J Saari)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: bird song in my backyard
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:50:05 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University


I have just purchased "Birding by Ear" and have been learning many
bird calls I didn't know. There is one bird call which I hear in my
backyard, a somewhat wooded area, that isn't covered in the tapes.
It sounds like someone whistling "yoo hoo" with a high short squeak
in between the two tones. The tones are approximately a minor
third apart. It repeats the same yoo-sqeak-hoo over and over. Anybody
have a guess what bird it is?

Thanks,
Sue
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: ka1gt@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (robert.m.atkins)
Subject: Geese, Ducks: Natural History: Foie Gras
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 14:34:25 GMT

I hope this is not an inappropriate posting for this newsgroup (which I 
regularly read, but as yet have little to contribute to). I just received
my monthly copy of Natural History (as a member of the American Museum of
Natural History) and was shocked to find an article by Raymond Sokolov
extoling the delights of Foie Gras and expressing approval for the practice
of force feeding geese (by raming food into a metal tube placed down their
throats) until their livers swell up to 7 or 8 times normal size. Natural
History is normally a great magazine and I was amazed to find this stuff in
it. Take a look if you get a chance and let the AMNH know if you don't like
what you see. I'm not an animal liberationist, or even a vegetarian, but this
practice is just too much for me to tolerate.

===============================================================
Bob Atkins  AT&T Bell Labs  email (direct)  att!clockwise!rma
===============================================================
From: rhh@alice.att.com (r hardin)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: burning birding questions 09/92
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:20:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: alice.23481
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill NJ



>You are quite correct in suggesting that this mechanism
>would not work for social parasites, like cowbirds, although we still
>do not know "how ... baby cowbirds know that they are cowbirds."  It
>is assumed that the cowbirds' species recognition is genetically
>based, that is, innate.

That's the trouble, ornithologists don't take the trouble any more
to learn etymology.  It can't be innate.
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: ehle@leland.Stanford.EDU (Robert Ehle)
Subject: Endangered birds of the world
Keywords: conservation, ecology, birds
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 02:15:12 GMT

Someone responding to my post on the new book "Birds in Jeopardy" has
asked that I forward this message:

Return-Path: <sspenny@teaching.cs.adelaide.edu.au>
Subject: birds
To: ehle@leland.stanford.edu
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 9:49:39 CST

        Hi, if was able to post this i would,..but we have had this
privilage disabled..anyway...seeing you work for a
publisher.....myself
a keen bird watcher and conservationist...is their any publications
on endangered birds of the world....could you post up a notice on the
net in rec.birds asking if anyone knows of any such books...also that
i'm keen to hear from anyone in the US or EUROPE who breeds australian
parrots...

thanks any help would be appreciated
shane.a


-- 
		
				Rob Ehle
				Stanford University Press
From: YSAR1111@VM1.YorkU.CA (Rick Broadhead)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: A Unique Bird????
Date: 15 Aug 1992 12:01:07 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Many apologies for the delay in getting this answer out.

Several weeks ago I wrote:

> A Ripley's Believe It or Not book claims that when it rains, the color
> in the plumage of this species of bird runs.  I'm not going to
> identify the bird yet.  Read on....

> Of course, I found this hard to believe, so I telephoned the Ornithology
> Department of our city's museum.  The receptionist took my name, and
> promised to have someone call me back.  Less than an hour later, I
> received a call from someone in that department who told me she had
> researched the bird, and had found no reference whatsoever to this claim
> of Ripley's.  Furthermore, she checked with several of her colleagues,
> none of whom had ever heard that the color of this bird runs in the
> rain!

> The next stop was Ripley's Believe It or Not.  Their executive offices
> are right here in Toronto, so I called them up and asked them to
> substantiate their claim.  They offered to fax me their file on the
> bird, which I was told would contain their source for the cartoon.  I
> was skeptical right from the start, so I was looking forward to
> receiving the fax.

> I received the information the next day, and believe It or not, it's
> true!!!  Apparently, a French naturalist discovered
> the unique property of this bird's plumage when, after a
> rainshower, he held one of these birds, and found his hands were
> stained red.


Congratulations to Carla Dove who correctly answered that the birds with this
unique property are _turacos_.

Turacos owe their uniqueness to two pigments that are found only in the
turaco family - turacin and turacoverdin.  Turacin, which gives turacos their
red color, apparently dissociates in dilute solutions of ammonia, which
explains why the red color of these birds runs in the rain.  The green color in
turacos is due to turacoverdin, a green pigment.  The information I have notes
that turacin is unique because other pigments in the animal kingdom are
colorfast.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to send me their guess:

Carla Dove <mnhvz069@sivm.bitnet>
David G. Shappirio <David.G.Shappirio@um.cc.umich.edu>
Beatriz <beatriz@pine.circa.ufl.edu>
John Pendleton <penjohw@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu>

--
Rick Broadhead  -- Please note that I am not a subscriber to BIRDCHAT, nor a
                   regular reader of rec.birds on Usenet.

<ysar1111@vm1.yorku.ca>
<ysar1111@yorkvm1>
From: ejohnson@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (Liz Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: DEET
Date: 13 Aug 92 21:55:21 GMT
Organization: Indiana University

In article <BsxvEu.7Cw@zoo.toronto.edu> rising@zoo.toronto.edu (Jim Rising) writes:
>scientist who worked with testing products (an entomologist from 
>Univ. of Guelph in Ontario) essentially said that DEET had been
>very thoroughly tested and had never been found to be dangerous (if
>you don't drink it, etc.).  

Actually, I believe a study was done that showed DEET to be harmful to
young children, but, of course, I can't remember details about it.
Also, be careful about applying it to clothing (someone else suggested
that). My husband's lycra shorts have holes in the front where he
wiped his hands on them after applying DEET to his skin. I'd assume
that cotton could withstand it, but synthetics might have problems.

Liz
From: skaamjm@ucl.ac.uk (Matthew Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: attack on RSPB in "CountryFile" special ed
Date: 17 Aug 92 14:07:55 GMT
Organization: Bloomsbury Computing Consortium

Did anyone see "CountryFile" special edition (Sunday, BBC1)?

They had a report on activities of the RSPB, which has the power to
insist on prosecution, and seems to use these powers in a high-handed
and arrogant way. Ten cases were examined, and in most the conduct of
the RSPB was outrageous. They seem to be trying to stop anyone but
themselves from doing things like monitoring birds, looking after sick
birds, and in several of these cases have effectively stopped people
from doing things they have done for years.

One man who was prosecuted _used_ to run a licensed sick bird
hospital. Even the RSPB used to refer birds to him. Then they found an
excuse to prosecute, and he doesnt do it any more.

Of course, it might just be that the BBC were out to "get" the RSPB,
but from the interviews with RSPB staff, they came over as
selfrighteous, arrogant and uncaring. 

Anyone else see the programme, or have alternative information to
offer?
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: dgraham@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (David Graham)
Subject: Re: birding in scotland
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 00:47:39 GMT

In <16em1eINN11h@early-bird.think.com> sandee@Think.COM (Daan Sandee) writes:

>In article <l8llfnINNiu@news.bbn.com>, lmadden@bbn.com (Leslie Madden) writes:
>|> 
>|> 	i will be visiting scotland in september. i will be in edinburgh for
>|> 	most of the visit - but may be going to the island of skye. can
>|> 	anyone recommend books for identifying birds in those areas?

>Several good field guides for Europe.
>Ferguson-Lee,Willis,Shamrock :"Shell Guide to Birds of Britain and
>      Ireland" (1983). Just for British Isles.
>Also recommend, Redman&Harrap: A Guide to Bird-finding in Britain.
>Best bird-finding guide I've ever seen.

>ABA sells Ferguson-Lee but not Redman&Harrap. Try LA Audubon Society,
>213-876-0202, Tu-Sat 10-3, they take phone orders.

Another suggestion: "Where to Find Birds in Scotland", by Mike Madders
and Julia Welstead. Helm, 1989. I've used it only a small bit, but it
seems fairly good, tho' it has nothing on Skye, curiously, despite
having stuff on Mull, Tiree and Islay.

>Skye in September is great on the rare moments that there's no rain or 
>gale-force winds.

>Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
>Thinking Machines Corporation
>Cambridge, Mass 02142                                 (617) 234-5044
-- 
David Graham, Dept of French & Spanish ** dgraham@morgan.ucs.mun.ca 
Memorial University of Newfoundland  *-/-*  dgraham@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo)
Subject: Why do birds make an especially loud clatter when the sun rises?
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:12:26 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

 Why do birds make an especially loud clatter when the sun rises?
 I notice that around 5am or when the sun rises the birds seem to
 be louder than usual.  Is this just my imagination or is it true?

 And if true, why is it so?

-- 
Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
From the beautiful and historic Mid-Hudson Valley area of NY state
From: andrewt@watson.ibm.com (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: side-effects from DEET
Date: 20 Aug 92 22:46:41 GMT
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM


Sunday's New York Times (Business section) had a small piece on DEET. NY State Health dept. officials
want to (have?) ban repellents which are more than 30% DEET. They say repeated heavy applications of DEET
can cause problems especially in young children (as can swallowing it). The side effects mentioned
were skin irritation and minor neurological problems. They made some suggestions which included:
washing the repellent off when you go inside and not applying it under close-fitting clothing.

Andrew Taylor
From: tfisher@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Tom Fisher)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: bird song in my backyard
Date: 17 Aug 92 16:34:07 GMT
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University

From article <CMM.0.90.2.714066605.saari@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, by saari@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Susan J Saari):
> 
> I have just purchased "Birding by Ear" and have been learning many
> bird calls I didn't know. There is one bird call which I hear in my
> backyard, a somewhat wooded area, that isn't covered in the tapes.
> It sounds like someone whistling "yoo hoo" with a high short squeak
> in between the two tones. The tones are approximately a minor
> third apart. It repeats the same yoo-sqeak-hoo over and over. Anybody
> have a guess what bird it is?
>
I vote for a whippoorwill.

Tom Fisher
From: lmadden@bbn.com (Leslie Madden)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: birding in scotland
Date: 13 Aug 92 21:36:55 GMT
Reply-To: lmadden@spcink.bbn.com (Leslie Madden)
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com



	hello all,

	i will be visiting scotland in september. i will be in edinburgh for
	most of the visit - but may be going to the island of skye. can
	anyone recommend books for identifying birds in those areas?

				thanks,

				leslie
From: fauvel@IRO.UMontreal.CA (Sylvain Fauvel)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Need info on bats
Date: 18 Aug 92 19:22:15 GMT
Organization: Universite de Montreal


Hello all,

	I know this Rec.birds but there is no Rec.bats and this
    is the closes thing i could find.  Does anyone know if
    "bats conservation International" still exist.  I ordered
    bat houses plans there several years ago.  I wrote to the
    the old address several weeks ago and han no response.
    I will apreciate any information.  Thanks,


					Sylvain Fauvel
Newsgroups: rec.birds
From: tony@zoo.toronto.edu (Anthony L. Lang)
Subject: DEET, binoculars, and human skin
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 15:21:03 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

Daan Sandee comments on the following posting:
>
>In article <1992Aug10.201750.12916@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>, ditch@prefect.uucp (26217-ditch) writes:
>|> 
>|> I see a lot of Zeiss and Elite binoculars in use here in New Jersey,
>|> and have been surprised to see the armor on them not standing up to
>|> hard core use.  On the Zeiss binoculars, the rubber armor separates
>|> from the area near the focus wheel, resulting in a 2 inch square that
>|> flaps around and is in the way of your fingers.  On the Elites, the
>|> armor material has broken off in chunks where the user grips the
>|> barrels.  This is disconcerting in an expensive binocular.  Have
>|> others seen this happen?
>
>On all binoculars I have used lately, the armor (the gooey stuff they slap
>on top of the metal) is not resistent against DEET. As birding in Florida
>is accompanied by the application of large quantities of DEET to self,
>the armor is practically gone after some years of use. Note : these are
>not Elite class binoculars, bit it could be the same problem.
>
>Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
>Thinking Machines Corporation
>Cambridge, Mass 02142                                 (617) 234-5044
>

Personally, I find DEET so caustic to the skin, much less 
inorganic surfaces, that I never use the stuff.  This is
despite the numbers of mosquitoes, blackflies, horseflies,
deerflies, and no-see-ums that we get in most areas of Canada
that exceed even the levels encountered in Florida
(I am drawing from personal experience).  I just
cover up no matter how hot it is.  On hot days I wear cotton made
out of a blend too tight for bugs to bite through. 
Aside from DEET's immediate effects on skin, I shudder to think
of the long term effects of applying hydrocarbon derived
industrial organic molecules on my skin.
I guess that means the rubber armouring on my binoculars
will last a good long time.
-- 
Anthony Lang
Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Toronto
tony@zoo.utoronto.ca
Newsgroups: rec.birds