While I won't argue whether these to sighting mean global warming is or isn't happening, I'd be curious to hear from those with access to long-term records about the former status of each of these species (Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Wren) in southern Minnesota. I recall my father (from Mankato) talking about HIS father (my grandfather) talking about Tufted Titmice at their feeders way back when. While I can't vouch for my grandfather's bird ID, I do know he spent a fair amount of time out of doors, and I'd argue that Titmice are a bit difficult to MIS-ID if you have them at a feeder. I have no idea if this was a constant occurrence or basically just a few sightings. My understanding of them in Ithaca, NY, is that while Titmice are a bit hardier, both expand and contract ranges locally with the severity of the winter, implying that Ithaca is right on the edge of their ranges.
Anyone here with access to records care to shed light on these? Bill, it will be interesting to see if your pair of Wrens survive the winter... Jesse Ellis Seattle WA (by way of Saint Paul and Ithaca, NY) At 1:03 PM -0600 11/27/06, Bill Bruins wrote: >About 12:15 today, a Tufted Titmouse twice visited our feeder which >is just out-side the kitchen window. > >The last we saw the Carolina Wrens was just after 8 AM Friday. One >started singing and I was able to whistle them both in to the burr >oak. > >I taking these sightings to mean global warming has reached NE Rochester. > >Bill > > >O. William Bruins >1538 11th Avenue NE >Rochester, MN 55906-4213 >[email protected] >507-281-1607 - home >507-261-6837 - cell (not always turned on) > > >_______________________________________________ >mou-net mailing list >[email protected] >http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net -- Jesse Ellis, Ph. D. candidate Neurobiology and Behavior [email protected] 111 Mudd Hall Cornell University Ithaca, 14853
