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July 2010

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From:
Andy Sewell <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Andy Sewell <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 7 Jul 2010 17:01:57 -0400
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It's highly unlikely that the 1831 sighting was of European Starlings, as they were not successful introduced to North America until 1890. Perhaps it was not the physical appearance of the birds that so offended the author of the 1831 letter, but their association with Native Americans, as it was all the rage in the nineteenth century to disparage anything associated with Native Americans. Remember, at the time of the letter writer, there were still Shawnee in Ohio and Indian conflicts were still in living memory for some Ohioans! Perhaps in some distant time, a researcher will come across our modern disdain for starlings and House Sparrows, and scratch their head at our disgust for such handsome birds...



Andy Sewell



-----Original Message-----

From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Al La Sala

Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 4:24 PM

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] More osprey nests, purple martins



I can't imagine anyone cursing purple martins.  Martins are beautiful birds.  Whoever wrote that article in an 1831 Columbus paper may have seen European Starlings going in and out of improperly cared for martin boxes.





---- Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 

> I've got expert confirmation of natural osprey nests in two more 

> counties: Trumbull and Summit. Clearly, these birds are settling in and 

> 'branching out' on their own. As for purple martins, the following 

> comments were included a letter to a local Columbus newspaper on 

> 9/22/1831: "I certainly do not know of any other way in which so much 

> additional beauty may be given to Columbus, as by merely taking down all 

> the martinboxes. The martin is a savage bird, beyond all question, and 

> to retain him among us may justly be compared as a badge of barbarism, 

> for we find that the Indians have always been fond of him.” So there.

> Bill Whan

> Columbus

> 

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