Purple Martins

[Lakal]

Since this is the 'nightlife' section I am posting my question here.

We love to see the purple martins as they return to Bomb Island each evening. Each year the newspaper tell us how many birds are now roosting there.

Now, here's my question, probably a stupid one, but.....how exactly do 'they' count them and who is 'they'?

(Please don't give me the same answer Mr. Lakal provided - he said they count the wings and divide by two!)

[swampfox]

Mr. Lakal is correct, if an accurate assessment is desired.

The counts are of course approximate. Initially you might count the number of birds per acre and multiply by the number of acres in which they nest. After that you compare this year's apparent population with the previous year's.

There is a standard method of counting some animals in a given area, such as fish, say. You net as many as you can, count them and mark each one with a special dye, then release them. Later you come back and catch as many as you can and count how many of those have the dye. If it's 20%, say, then you multiply the number of the initial catch by 5 to get the total number of fish in the pond, lake, etc. It's approximate but fairly accurate considering how easy it is.

[Lakal]

Thank you

[cuebald]

I think they ought to go to bar coding and scan them when they come in to roost.

[SouthernBoy]

No, No, No, Swamp Fox. Hunters blast them out of the sky before they get to the island and then count them. They figure there are hundreds of them so they subtract the ones they shoot! That's how they know how many there are roosting on Bomb Island.

[Lakal]

No, No, No, Swamp Fox. Hunters blast them out of the sky before they get to the island and then count them. They figure there are hundreds of them so they subtract the ones they shoot! That's how they know how many there are roosting on Bomb Island.

For an awful moment I thought you wrote 'roasting' on Bomb Island

[cuebald]

They are tasty...

[Lakal]

Shame on you, Cuey, shame!

[Captain Worley]

They tatse a lot like Spotted Owl...delicious.

[Lakal]

Bad boys! Cuey & Captain!

[swampfox]

I have tried to teach both of those boys about the sanctity of all life except for mosquitos and disease-causing germs. But how can you get the attention of young people anymore?

Beats me.

[Captain Worley]

Those purple martins and spotted owls can't help it that they're so durn tasty.

[SouthernBoy]

Try grilling one of those Ospreys that is nesting out on the lake. The younger they are the more tender. If you can get a hold of some of osprey eggs and make a scrambled egg sandwich, it is mmmmm good!

Course I won't mention what a bald eagle taste like. Someone told me it was illegal to kill them. Darn thing sqawks to much when you eat it while its alive.

[Lakal]

No doubt about it - this thread is for the birds!

[swampfox]

I would like to personally apologize on behalf of my colleagues.

Be sure, however, to check out my new book, Cooking With the Endangered Species. In it you'll find such rare bits as Sea Oat Biscuits, Passenger Pigeons en Croute, Candied Saluda Spider Lilies and Condor Croquettes, all in a handy spiral-bound spill-resistant volume that the whole family will love.

There's even a special section on how to prepare currently unknown species for any occasion including big family holiday meals.

With a special foreword, entitled "Why Wait?", by someone very well-known to cooking enthusiasts.

[cuebald]

Candied Saluda Spider LILLIES?????

Now I know what I did wrong.