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Index of Subjects Yes Joan, I can see this play on words could go downhill....fast. since it is not "P.C.", I thought I might have to run and duck for cover. cheers, Gary Murray Bedford NS 902 832 1727 http://garyamurray.blogspot.com/ http://www.pbase.com/pgns/gmurray http://www.allcanadaphotos.com/index.cfm?/search_EN ----- Original Message ----- From: <joancz@ns.sympatico.ca> To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 12:22 PM Subject: Re: Re: [NatureNS] Re:Note on Pishing > Great note. Thanks, Andy. I'll look for the Pete Dunn book, Richard. I > love the style in which he writes. > Gary, I can see that this play on words could turn into the "One good Tern > deserves another" thread we had here a few years ago. Cheers, all! Joan >> From: Andrew Horn <aghorn@dal.ca> >> Date: 2008/07/08 Tue AM 09:16:26 EDT >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> CC: Bob Farmer <farmerb@dal.ca> >> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Re:Note on Pishing >> >> Hi all, >> >> Funny how things come up; this thread on pishing started up just as I >> was about to thank Bob Farmer, a grad student at Dal, for sending me >> the abstract of a recent scientific paper on pishing, which I've >> pasted below. >> >> The abstract is well nigh unintelligible, but after a couple reads I >> think they're suggesting pishing works because it sounds like the >> scolding calls given by the chickadee family -- calls which many >> species within the range of that family are clued in to. >> >> Cheers, >> Andy Horn >> Halifax >> >> Author(s): Langham GM (Langham, Gary M.), Contreras TA (Contreras, >> Thomas A.), Sieving KE (Sieving, Kathryn E.) >> Source: ECOSCIENCE Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Pages: 485-496 >> Published: 2006 >> Times Cited: 0 References: 55 >> Abstract: Pishing is a term used for the "psshh" noise made by bird >> watchers to elicit close approaches by small birds. Pishing usually >> attracts multiple species when used in Holarctic habitats, but it >> produces limited responses in other regions. We propose that responses >> to pishing occur most often because the sound mimics predator scold >> calls of species in family Paridae, whose members are resident >> primarily in the Holarctic. Using both field playback of recorded >> alarm calls and pishing and bioacoustic analysis of calls, we tested >> three hypotheses: (1) a generalized mobbing response to parid scold >> calls has evolved among forest birds in the Holarctic region; (2) >> pishing generates overt predator mobbing behaviour in diverse avian >> taxa; (3) pishing generates mobbing behaviour because of its acoustic >> similarity to parid scold calls. In playback trials in northern >> California, scolds of local and exotic parids and pishing elicited >> more vigorous mobbing responses than did the alarm calls of local >> non-parid species. Parid scolds shared two frequency metrics distinct >> from non-parid calls, and pishing shared one frequency metric with >> parid calls that was distinct from non-parid calls. We provide support >> for a generalized (mobbing) response elicited in Holarctic bird >> communities by parid scolds that could explain similar close-approach >> responses to pishing and provide evidence that scold call structural >> similarity with pishing may underlie the shared behavioural responses. >> This is the first test of mechanisms underlying pishing responses that >> also yields an explanation of the geographic variability in strength >> of response. >> >> On Jul 8, 2008, at 9:48 AM, Richard Stern wrote: >> >> > Hi, >> > >> > There's even a book, with the rather amusing title "The Art of >> > Pishing" by Pete Dunne, complete with a CD (you can buy it on-line, >> > but I saw it a while back in the bookstore in the Greenwood Mall), >> > that explains it all - including the art of mimicking Screech Owls >> > to attract birds - something tha Fulton is very good at, but I >> > wasn't (but at least for me it still doesn't attract birds). >> > >> > Richard >> > >> > On Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 9:28 AM, <joancz@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: >> > Hi, Gayle- To pish is to make a soft "Pisssh!pisssh!" sound through >> > your teeth and somewhat puckered lips to attract a bird. I learned >> > it from Charlie Allen (CRK Allen, one of the founders of the NS >> > Bird Society. Charlie would stay in the car, roll down the window, >> > and make very loud "PISH,PISH,PISH" sound, and the birds would >> > come. Phyllis Dobson, another founding member, would roll down the >> > window on her side of the car and ever so softly, say >> > "pish,pish,pish" and the birds would come. However you do it, there >> > are several theories why it works- curiosity, territorial defence, >> > distraction,etc. And many birds will not come to pishing.Please >> > don't go tramping around after a reclusive bird. (Try the next day >> > earlier in the morning.) >> > There are a few "rules of pishing" I would like to suggest for >> > beginners. Others may wish to add or delete: >> > Pish ONLY if you are not going to cause stress to the birds; >> > Pish only until the bird shows itself; >> > Pish on a field trip only if the leader invites you to do so; >> > Stand quietly while someone is pishing; keep hands still; >> > Pish only if you need to see the bird for ID purposes. Try to learn >> > the songs and calls. (I struggle with this) or just wait quietly >> > until the bird shows itself. >> > Happy birding! Joan >> > > From: Gayle MacLean <duartess2003@yahoo.ca> >> > > Date: 2008/07/08 Tue AM 05:32:58 EDT >> > > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> > >> > ################### >> > Richard Stern, >> > 317 Middle Dyke Rd. >> > Port Williams, NS, Canada >> > B0P 1T0 >> > >> > rbstern@ns.sympatico.ca >> > rbstern@xcountry.tv >> > sternrichard@gmail.com >> > ################### >> >> >> > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.4.6/1540 - Release Date: 7/8/2008 > 6:33 AM > > >
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