[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Having a ball with Toast:
- To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Having a ball with Toast:
- From: "William McDavit" <osprey1@mindspring.com>
- Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 11:56:53 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Dear C'Birders:
Don't know how interesting to you all, but I am having much fun observing
"our" Cinnamon Teal these days, so thought I'd share with you:
As I mentioned a week ago, and my husband observed a few days ago, Toast is
spending the greater part of every day near our dock, as opposed to earlier
in the winter. I attribute it to:
We used to have a lot of ducks and he seemed to prefer his own company, at
least most of the time, so perhaps he was intimidated by the overwhelming
numbers. Now there are fewer every day, so he is staying near us where the
other ducks used to.
First it was on the fringes of the remaining widgeons and gadwalls. Most of
them left. Then the Green-winged teal pair started spending almost all day
just at the edge of our property so Toast got real interested in them. They
left and a family(?) of 3 Blue-winged teal arrived on migration north: an
adult male and female and an immature male. Our lonely Toast decided they
looked even more like his own so he really has attached himself,
figuratively, to the female, and even chases the male a little.
I can't help but be reminded of the children's book, "Are You My Mother".
( I think that's the name.) Although his interest is probably not exactly
maternal. Anyway he is very easy to see these days near our lot. And he is
as gorgeous as ever.
Can't help but wonder if his reluctance to migrate means he was really
bred in the east, or perhaps he will leave when the Blue-winged teal leave.
The latter sometimes are in greater numbers and one year several wintered
and perhaps bred up in the swamp. Those of you who have birded this area
for years know we used to have a bunch of "planted" mallards, Muscovies and
exotic geese. We got a farmer to come and live trap them all a few years
ago, and since then what you see have all been wild.
On our 3+ inches of rain day, lots of Blue-gray gnatcatchers filled the
trees.
Good Birding,
Mary McDavit, 910-579-2446, Sunset Lakes, osprey1@mindspring.com