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Home My WebLink AboutJanuary 02, 2003 - Focus on bluebirds and albinos January 2, 2003 • The Suffolk Times ocus ' on ue lr s . an a lnos y au toulenburgh Often we get calls about � albino animals. Most are � e, '� j ` �` ,�, `� 4{ � ,�� not true albinos; never- ��;� �� _�� ,� �G , � ��,� theless, these mutations �, � ' ' ��A �� °` �� of our gray squirrels '��pi'� �� , �`� ��" �`�_� ��; �, � x' (above) are always inter- fi��'��f ��x�' ��,• estin to see. At left: :.�; `� � �� x�- g � �` Th '' � e blu $ . �.; Y� �. '" �.�`�'��, �� ebird, our state �,_"` s ; bird, is relativel r : � �:� are : bs� 3 .. �,. £.�, Y on Q .��: �: � � � ��` � f;�.� Long Island, but relative- e��` a��'�� ; �� ;i ly common upstate, � < r,� �, -'� where the habitat suits ' y� �� <q �� ,�,_i them better. This one �. ' � t� '�� , � fi' was perched on a � � � '�"r ��a barbed-wire fence that �_ �� .�j �� ; 3� r �z tJ ,N�� g�mo.. �� ` � �x � � keeps the cows in on a �, ��,� 'w > a ��.� �,. � � '� �,� 7 dairy farm. � � � ��a�R W'e'�`("�"�� ` a � s �3� k� a � �, �t �+ '�3 d°`�s r'Sa. Zu s��'rx��` 5 � Z '�ti` �"`5 y`a��, ' . 'Y a .. "�3r{`'a. ,+, - �` r z R- a � � ��"` �-- ��'F�. ;,��c : :"�Y � ` z� 2 � ��,�g �� '�,`�� r -�x "'r } ��+ p ��ja��,j ; �'�� ` s ,r ;��r�� d 3��s'y � �: ��r��,'`:��f t y�� t?'v " �i'ia' i�� .•rlk° :.r.,;,. . a...:. -� 7t,�r��S w'tf"�,��-. AT Txis sysY TitvtE oF year we ue ir s are mem ers of thc thrush = receive many phone calls and letters family,the only member of that family ��' that don't get acknowledged right that builds its nest in a cavity or hole away.One of the most recent ones was �n a tree.This nesting habit has led from Gearge in Greenport,who had people to put up series of bluebird �x`=;, been in Moore's Woods and saw a nice boxes on a particular traiL It could be �� group of bluebirds.We see these along the edge of a woods or in an cheerful blue gems in mid winter, open field,all in hopes of attracting when they survive on berries such as bluebirds. sumac,the �e people in upstate New York F.00u$ whitish poison iv have much better results than we do '� berries,black here on the island.The reason is that �]y greenbrier they have more suitable habitat,open NATU RE berries and oth- country,old overgrown farms and ers.We always dairy farms,offering ideal conditions by Paul seem to get them Stoutenburgh on our Christmas to attract bluebirds.There are a few good examples of bluebird trails in Bird Counts,par- Moriches and the one 1 remember is ticularly out in Montauk.Just this last the one out by the airport in East week my son was working the Hampton.There along the edge of the Montauk Bird Count on Gardiners �,00ds they have attractecl bluebirds Island,and reported they,too,had seen �,ith a series of bird boxes.One of the bluebirds out there. roblems of uttin u boxes to attract bluebirds is that tree swallows,who also like to build in cavities,often take over the bluebird boxes,which results in fewer boxes for the bluebirds. The first bluebird I ever saw was in a bird box that I put up as a kid. Someone had given me a kit to make a bluebird box.It came complete;the pieces were all cut out and there was a Some towns use the white squirre s little bag of nails with it and all was as their claim to fame.One town has neatly packed in a box.It was my 5ome 200 of them and promotes an introduction to using a hammer and annual white squirrel count when how easy it was to miss the nail and hit thc morning(I'm not surc he slept iocals scour the landscape inch by inch my finger! I put it together and hung it much!)he looked outside and,on a to determine population or migration on a tree outside my bedroom window. stump of a tree that had washed trends,much like our bird counts. Low and behold,a bluebird built its ashore,he saw a handsome bald eagle They actually give squirrels the right- nest in it.I don't remember if it with its white head and white rump. of-way on every street and residents fledged its young or not but I can Can you imagine a more rugged,_ are fined if they take one out of town remember it was a bluebird that built adventurous person and all his dedica- with them.The local police wear in that box.That was a long time ago! tion to acquiring knowledge of the patches with a bushy-tailed albino on The first bluebird I ever pho- wor(d around him? He is one of a them. tographed was some 35 to 40 years ago select few who could be called a hero Actually,there are different color at Wildwood State Park.We were in my book. phases of certain animals.There are camping there with friends.Always on Back to telephone calls.A man black animals and birds,the peculiari- the alert for birds,I saw a blue streak called from Flanders telling me he had ty being known as melanism and is fly by me with a grub in its mouth. a white squirrel in his backyard.When actually the direct opposite of With good old detective work I found I questioned him more closely and albinism.It is caused by excessive where it was nesting.It was in a cavity asked if it was all white and if it had deposition of inelanin pigments and as in a tree where a limb had been bro- Pink eyes,he hesitated and said,"No. a result the animal may be black.The ken off.This was an opportunity I It had some black on its back."This is so-called black squirrels are not really couldn't pass up. a mutation of the gray squirrel and is a separate species at all but rather a I backed our station wagon closer t not a true albino.We find these bursts black melanistic phase of the gray the nesting site,then draped a blanket of white in animals and birds alike. squirrel species.In short,there is no over the back of it and from inside I We'll often find a white starling,robin such thing as a black squirrel.We do photographed the comings and goings or other bird.We have this white have people call from time to time of the bluebirds.That was one of the phase showing up in deer also.Seems Who have seen one of these black best opportunities I ever had to photo everyone knows the one down in Bay squirrels. graph bluebirds here on Long Island. View and the one equally well known It brings to mind the starling I saw Another good sighting that my son is the one seen on the Grumman _that was almost all white.Have you reported on his recent visit to property in Calverton.I'm sure there noticed the great flocks of black birds Gardiners Island was that they saw are others.Once again,these are not flying about lately?They are usually eagles on the count.Gardiners Island true albinos unless they have pink made up of starlings or grackles or is always a good place to spot eagles.It eyes. occasionally red-winged blackbirds.I reminded me of the story about Roy remember seeing that white starling in Latham,that great naturalist of Orient. a flock one time.It was easy to pick it One winter day he rowed a boat from out of the flying flock of dark star- Orient to Gardiners Island.There lings.My,those starlings are aggres- weren't any weather forecasters in sive.They swarm in my back pasture those days,and an unexpected snow- and cover every inch of it,turning storm came up that prevented him over every blade of grass.Not a seed fro►n rowing back home that night. is missed.There is safety in numbers. At that time there were a few old Every bird has its eyes alert to danger. seasonal fishermen's shacks along Then if a hawk moves towards them, Bostwick Point,the long flat section they are up and away in a great that makes up the north end of whirling mass,confusing the hawk that Gardiners Island.Since he couldn't get now finds it difficult to pick out one back home,he bunked in one of those bird to strike. shacks for the night.When he woke in