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From: geek@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Chris Schmandt)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: nemesis birds
Message-ID: <5053@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Date: 30 Jan 91 04:05:55 GMT
References: <50258@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>
Reply-To: geek@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Chris Schmandt)
Organization: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA
Lines: 27

In article <50258@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> mjm@oliven.olivetti.com
  (Michael Mammoser) writes (in another nice posting about chasing
  after birds):

>	I wondered: considering the ease with which I found these
>birds and their cooperative behavior; why were they so difficult to
>find in this same area on all those other occasions? Then I realized
>that this is just the way of nemesis birds.

Now, Mike's seen a whole lot more birds than I have, but it's funny
how easy these ones were for me.

Northern Saw Whet Owl (this is Aegolius acadicus?) on a trail in the
White Mtns. (New Hampshire), late afternoon, on a branch about 5 feet
from the trail and head height.  My 3 companions had walked right by
it.  Me too, but something made me stop and look again.

Pileated Woodpecker.  One came to a white pine outside my kitchen
window in the winter, 3 days running, at 9:30 AM (I have the fortune
of not needing to commute rush hours).  Invited a birder friend over
for breakfast and a view on the 4th day, but it never showed again.
He's still never seen the bird (5 years later).  I've still got
the hole in my tree as a souvenir.  Next time I saw one was
also very close, with my then 3 year old.  She was very impressed
and told mommy we'd seen "Woody".

chris