PHAINOPEPLAS
Tom's Phainopepla Drawing Ugh.jpg
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Dr.
Walsberg,
August 9, 2011 10:18 AM
This is Tom Cole
speaking. I'm Jerry Cole's son, and I took
your Natural History of Arizona class years
ago.
I've written a bird
book about my 1063 trips to the corner of
Elliot and Cooper Roads in Gilbert and the
13,318 birds I recorded there over 17 years.
I had a question
that I hoped you could be kind enough to help
me with. It's quite simple.
I recall in the
class that when the Phainopepla left a
mistletoe seed on the bark of a mesquite tree,
the tree excreted sap to protect itself by
raising the seed. The seed set forth a shoot,
and the tree excreted more sap to raise the
seed and the race was on. If it rained before
the shoot rooted itself in the bark, the tree
won. If not, the mistletoe would begin to grow
on the limb.
A couple of months
ago, I threw out my notes. I wondered if my
recollection of this curious drama was
correct.
Thanks very much,
Tom Cole
From: Glenn
Walsberg
Sent:
Thursday, August 11, 2011 2:23 PM
To: Thomas
Cole
Subject: RE:
Phainopepla and Mesquite Tree
Hi Tom,
Yep...you
recall the story correctly. It's
based upon observations by the late
Raymond Cowles.
My apologies
for the delay in replying; I've been
up in our place in the northern part
of the state and e-mail - or anything
relying upon Qwest - is fairly
problematic.
Cheers,
glenn
Glenn E.
Walsberg
Professor
Emeritus
School of
Life Sciences
Arizona
State University
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