next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
libri&quot;,sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;&l
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org=
/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"><html xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/1999/xht=
ml"><head>
<meta content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8" http-equiv=3D"Content-Type=
"/>
=20
<style type=3D"text/css"><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-fa=
mily: Batang; }
@font-face {font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
@font-face {font-family: Calibri; }
@font-face {font-family: "\@Batang"; }
/* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:=
0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: "Times New=
Roman",serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: #0563C1; text-decoration: underline;=
}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: #954F72; text-decoration:=
underline;}
span.EmailStyle17 { font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; color: #1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1 { margin: 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1 {}
--></style>
=20
</head><body style=3D"">
=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Well Lance, around horses and cows in t=
he old</span>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">days there was no shortage of Insects a=
nd other Anthropods during</span>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">the sparrows breeding season!<br/></spa=
n>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">At times people complain to me about Bl=
ack Flies, Mosquitos<br/></span>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">and so on - I hardly notice them. Well =
conditioned to them am I!<br/></span>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Enjoy November - insect free!<br/></spa=
n>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Paul<br/></span>
</div>=20
<div>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"> </span>
</div>=20
<blockquote style=3D"padding-left: 10px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-co=
lor: blue; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; position: rela=
tive;" type=3D"cite">
<!-- [if gte mso 9]> -->
<!-- <![endif] -->
<!-- [if gte mso 9]> -->
<!-- <![endif] --> On November 20, 2015 at 11:26 AM "Laviolette, Lan=
ce" <lance.laviolette@lmco.com> wrote:
<br/>
<br/>=20
<div class=3D"WordSection1">=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hi Peter,</span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">There are undoubtedly a number =
of factors contributing to the decline of House Sparrows. However one facto=
r which has been pointed out by studies in the UK is a reduction in the abu=
ndance of insects for nestlings. Whatever the cause in the decline in insec=
t numbers (pesticides, predators, climate change, etc.), the hypothesis goe=
s that less insects mean less protein for the young which results in less h=
ealthy young fledging from the nest. These less fit birds don=E2=80=99t sur=
vive very well in harsher, winter conditions. </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The reason European Starlings a=
re not declining may be attributed to their diet also. From the Birds of No=
rth America accounts:</span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">House Sparrow - Insects and oth=
er arthropods during breeding season.</span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">European Starling - Extremely d=
iverse diet that varies geographically, with the age of individuals, and wi=
th season. Unusual abundances of food items=E2=80=A6 garbage, livestock fee=
d, etc. are also exploited.</span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The diverse diet of starlings g=
ives them a big edge when trying to survive and fledge healthy young in are=
as where no one food type is sufficient by itself.</span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As Paul mentioned, House Sparro=
ws used to be seen closely associated with cows and horses and they still a=
re. However most of the large animal operations have now been replaced with=
intensive agricultural crop raising farms. I=E2=80=99d call the resulting =
corn and soya fields deserts compared to the diversity rich pastures and =
=E2=80=98wild=E2=80=99 hay fields that used to be common even 20 years ago =
except deserts are much richer in diversity. House Sparrows have gone from =
being abundant and wide-spread to being locally common over that time. In m=
y area in summer they are now focused almost exclusively around the few hor=
se stabling operations that we have. In winter they show up at my feeders.<=
/span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"&g