[va-bird] Re: Brown Thrasher in the city
- From: Paula Sullivan <paula.sullivan2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: VA-Bird <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 05:37:20 -0500
On Mar 29, 2004, at 11:59 AM, Brenda Tekin wrote:
With recent spring-like weather (at long last) and thawing of ground,
earthworms of all sizes are emerging and abundant in our small city
residential backyard. Common Grackle have arrived to nest......
VA-Birders,
I viewed Brenda's beautiful Thrasher pictures while still thinking
about an amazing story which appeared in the Washington Post yesterday,
March 29. It came as news to me that earthworms are an invasive species
in this country and they are harming ecosystems in many places. Huh?
How can this be? Supposedly, they were introduced in the last 100
years, as were many invasive plants and insects, by being brought into
the country inadvertently with other imported products. Their primary
fault--they eat too fast. I thought worms were beneficial by churning
up the leaf litter. Now this is supposed to be bad. What did our
American Woodcock eat 200 years ago, I'd like to know? How did they
evolve that specialized bill? Other American birds rely on earthworms
for part of the year, or for part of their diet. Read this
fascinating article at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31789-2004Mar28.html ;
(You may have to register at the Post site.) The article appeared on
page A10, if you are a subscriber.
Paula Sullivan
Alexandria, VA
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