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From: Chris McCreedy
Date: 18 Aug 2006
Time: 10:47:21 -0400
Remote Name: 209.221.205.174
Attached are photos of three Willow Flycatcher nestlings ready to fledge, and two Dusky Flycatcher nestlings which need another four or five more days in the nest. They are the last two nests of the season, and the latest nests I've monitored on the project. The Willow Flycatchers are in what was the female's fifth attempt - the other four attempts failed because of Brown-headed Cowbirds. If this last nest fledges young, 3 out of 11 Willow Flycatcher nests will have fledged young in 2006. Five females will have produced 7 young, a C+/B- year. Not spectacular, but the best since 2003. All eight of the failed nests were lost due to Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism. This is somewhat disturbing, because we have no grazing and no agriculture here - all of our cowbirds are subsidized by people's feeders, at restaurants, at campgrounds, etc. in Lee Vining. One female fledged a chick for the first time in her four summers here. Another pair fledgd chicks for the sixth consecutive year. Thank you to the ESAS, the Inyo NF, the Mono Basin Chautauqua, and the Grand Family for their support of our work!
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