[tn-bird] Re: Egg comparisons


Van -
The ground color of the cowbird is white to grayish white, that of the 
cardinal is described as grayish, bluish, greenish white. So if there's 
any bluish-greenish tint to the eggs, that would lead you toward cardinal.
The cowbird has evenly dotted brown spots, often with heavier markings 
at the large end. cardinals are blotched or spotted with browns, grays, 
purples, sometimes so heavily it's hard to tell the ground color.
Cardinals also sometimes lay a clutch of 2, although it's commonly 3-4. 
Shape and size are too close between the two to call.
Typically the cowbird lays one egg per nest, and prefers a nest with at 
least one egg already in it.
Without seeing it, I'm tending toward a small, or not yet completed 
cardinal clutch. Some tools recommended if you are poking about in birds 
nests, and this is for the benefit of others on the list:
- a small mirror on a swivel shaft, usually available in auto parts 
stores for looking behind engine blocks or under valve covers. This can 
be rubber banded onto a telescoping rod. Keep your eyes open in parking 
lots for a broken off car antenna.
- a field guide to bird nests. Peterson's, if still in print is 
excellent for the United States.
- moth balls in a zip-lok bag. Feral cats and other predators tend to 
follow human scents, just to see what you're up to and you could lead 
them to a nest unless you, while backtracking, obliterate your scent on 
the trail with moth balls. Crystals would probably work as well. If I go 
up through the woods on a winding path to the north 4 to enjoy the 
evening, even if my cats don't see me go, within about 5 minutes I'll 
see them following my trail until they catch sight of me. Of course the 
mirror on extension keeps you from taking your scent all the way to the 
nest. I make it a point to do nest investigation on my own property only 
with binoculars, unless it's starlings.
James Brooks
Jonesborough, TN


PYRPYRFECT@xxxxxxx wrote:

>A cardinal has built a nest in a cedar tree in our yard.  So far, there are 2 
>eggs.  Both eggs look remarkably similar to a cowbird egg that we confiscated 
>from a prothonotary warbler nest earlier in the season.  Short of DNA 
>profiling, is there any way to tell the eggs of the two species apart?
>
>Van Harris
>Millington, TN
>
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------- 
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
    TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
        jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx      (423) 764-3958
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