Did the cicadas have an impact on acorn production?   

The woodcocks were at UMBC last night, also heard and saw 2 fox sparrows,
along with a white-throated sparrow.  Unfortunately no luck with the wood
ducks.

Heard a catbird in the yard this morning.  

Wendy Olsson
Baltimore, MD


-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of SHIRLEY FORD
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 7:12 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Acorns, red-headed woodpeckers, was absent jays

Last fall the acorns from the oaks around my house and in the woods were
almost nothing compared to the fall the year before. I have been noticing
more years when there were very few acorns from my trees. I can remember
when every fall I was raking a large amount out of the yard.
It will be interesting to see if the trend continues.
Shirley Ford/Emmitsburg, Md.
  


> [Original Message]
> From: Patricia Valdata <>
> To: <>
> Date: 3/16/2005 9:36:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Acorns, red-headed woodpeckers, was absent jays
>
> We saw an unusually high number of migrating red-headed woodpeckers at the
> Turkey Point Hawk Watch this past fall, along with hundreds and hundreds
> of blue jays, so maybe they all did leave for better foraging grounds.
>
> It would make sense that an oak's production of acorns would vary from
> year to year. If they do depend on a dry spring season, then having had
> two very wet springs in a row may have resulted in the low yield last
fall.
> We had a mast year around here just a few years ago--I can't remember
> if it coincided with a bad drought or not.
>
>
> --Pat
>
> Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
> "The natural function of the wing is to soar upwards
> and carry that which is heavy up to the place where dwells the race of
gods.
> More than any other thing that pertains to the body
> it partakes of the nature of the divine." --Plato