Wednesday 28 June 2017

Re: [cobirds] Re: Dickcissel plant associations

Thanks, Mindy.  I forgot about yellow sweet clover but now that you and Zach mention it, yes, a favored plant (the place where I remember them being in it was east of Kim many years ago).


Dave




From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Mindy Hetrick <prairiepal7@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2017 5:31 PM
To: Colorado Birds
Subject: [cobirds] Re: Dickcissel plant associations
 
On Monday, June 26, 2017 at 12:08:12 PM UTC-6, Dave Leatherman wrote:
> I would be interested in hearing from COBIRDS folks about their observations of the dominant plant(s) in the areas where Dickcissels seem to be territorial (lots of singing on multiple days).  Of course, alfalfa has always been a crop that seems to attract
>  Dickcissels, presumably because of the sulphur and white butterfly caterpillars found in these fields, and probably a lot of other insects like grasshoppers.
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> During this year when the Colorado prairie and foothills are lush with plant life due to much needed moisture over the last couple years, Dickcissels can exist in our midst and they seem to have choices.  Which choices are they making?  In addition to alfalfa
>  fields, I have also seen them in salt-cedar/tamarisk (of all things, in this case near Nee Noshe Res south of Eads (Kiowa)) and in wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) north of Nunn (Weld).
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> What other plants are you seeing Dickcissels favor?
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> Thanks,
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> Dave Leatherman
>
> Fort Collins

I first discovered them within the last 5 years at RMA NWR in vast stands of yellow sweet clover, which were transitory and small permanent shelterbelts that included four-winged saltbush.

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