I think most of us here know that this Prothonotary will probably die of exposure and malnutrition. This is a fate that is the destiny of most of the very late fall vagrants - those Ash-throated Flycatchers aren't going to turn around and make it back to the desert southwest - and in some rare cases actually documented (that dead Western Tanager in NJ that was found a few winters back).
Like the Scott's Oriole, this bird is being an opportunistic scavenger. The lay public aren't going to know any better so will treat it like a sparrow. Any birder or photographer who thinks that bread forms any part of normal Prothonotary diet is a total idiot. Any photographer that is using bread to lure the Prothonotary out is a self-centered moron. Go and pick up the bread. Block the photographer's shot. Tell them to go to a pet store and get some suet. Above all, don't play nice, because a photographer that acts like that is thinking only of themselves. Try and educate them if you want, but I advocate more immediate negative feedback. I personally doubt this bird has much chance, but if it is going to have any, it's going to have to get a better diet. Phil Jeffrey -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
