Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!oliveb!oliven!mjm
From: mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: bird begging (plus vagrants)
Message-ID: <46767@oliveb.olivetti.com>
Date: 17 Aug 89 20:32:39 GMT
References: <4529@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <5280001@hpavla.HP.COM> <502@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Sender: news@oliveb.olivetti.com
Lines: 31

In article <502@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>, geek@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Chris Schmandt) writes:
 > 
 > On the road up over the crest of the park (Rocky Mtn.) there is
 > a turnout where Clark's Nutcrackers beg peanuts (and whatever)
 > from travelling tourists.  Of course, the Nutcrackers are pretty
 > birds with their flashing white, and very bold and noisy as well,
 > so it makes a great show.  Personally I disapprove of feeding
 > wildlife, although I do feed birds in the winter.  I guess my
 > attitude is that anything that lives in our cities is barely
 > "wild"-life anymore...

	I've been up there, and I believe that there is a sign that
tells tourists not to feed the birds or animals. However, almost everyone
does it (I have). I think that the concern is that the birds will become
dependent upon the handouts and will have trouble feeding themselves
once the tourist season ends. I seem to recall reading about a study that
was done with these very birds; to determine if this was, indeed, a
problem. If my memory serves me, I believe that the conclusion was that
there was no evidence the birds had any problems finding food on their own.

	On a totally unrelated vein: Since shorebird migration is well
underway, I decided to call the RBA for the first time this season. 
It just so happened that a Mongolian Plover was seen the day before in
the Moss Landing Wildlife Area. I was able to add this to my life list
the next day. Although the view was not that great (from about 250 ft.),
it was acceptable through a 60x Questar. A Red-Billed Tropicbird was also
seen near Pigeon Point, but I didn't even try for this one.

Bring on the vagrants,

Mike