[Tweeters] Delia and I share "our finest hour"--watching birds shower on Butyl Creek this May; the 2.5 min Movie

[Ed Newbold]

Hi All,
The music for this year's bathing-Warbler movie out of Butyl Creek, Beacon Hill, Seattle is the old Blondie hit "Picture this." Other than the line, "I will give you my finest hour, the one I spent watching you shower," the song seems devoid of bathing-Warbler references, and goes on about it being freezing cold and December, which is a big turn off for migrating Warblers.  But I love the song and the shower reference is good as all the birds are into showering and not just bathing, they create their own spray with a wing-fluttering movement, and the alternative was "Splish Splash I was taking a bath" by Bobby Darin. Maybe next year.
The Warbling Vireo is shown intensely interested in figuring out how it will take a bath, but its bath, which is a rapid down-and-back dive, is not shown. According to what little I've heard about Bird systematics, Vireos and Flycatchers arose in South America while Warblers and the rest arose in North America. The South American birds won't sit and bathe, which I explain by pointing out the existence of Morlitz Crocodiles (Crocodiles can discern any animal activity even in turbid waters, using water-pressure-sensitive receptors on their skin, as was discovered by a woman Prof from Florida state) of all sizes throughout South America. Of course I have no idea if that explanation is remotely true or not.


Here's the link:

Ed Newbold | Our finest hour, the one we spent watching them shower…




Thanks all, Only four Warblers today, MacG, Wilson's, O-c and Yellow, plus Swainson's Thrush and Western Tanager.

Cheers,
Ed Newbold (and Delia Scholes, who took some of the videos)  residential Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA ednewbold1 at yahoo.com
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