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mobbing, et al



hi y'all,

while doing field work this a.m. in Georgetown Cty, SC (always lovely this
time of the year,) my point location apparently fell too close for comfort
to a pair of Summer Tanager. As Ms. started her beratement of me, Mr. came
down from his somewhat loftier perch and echoed her sentiments. In just a
few seconds, I became the target of at least a half-dozen avian hecklers;
chickadees, titmouses, brown-headed nuthatches, a towhee, a foul-mouthed
Carolina wren, even a Hooded Warbler came from its soggy summer home to
chide me for my intrusive behavior...and i was just doin' my job. pretty
cool though, to think that for at least a cpl of minutes, the birds might've
thought they were in charge of the forest.

as i filled the feeders this eve i heard a call that has been absent from
the neighborhood for the past 3 summers. A Northern Bobwhite! a neighbor
said he counted seven in his backyard this morning. too very cool...

lastly, came home yesterday eve to find a pint-sized Yellow-billed Cuckoo in
a hummer trap. no kidding, it was a juvie YBCU (it didn't get in there on
its own...long story.) at any rate, it was plenty spunky and while being
transported to a capable surrogate parent, uttered the neatest miniature
cuckoo sounds...then it occurred to me what the mini-cuckoo was sayin' was
"somebody feed me, dang it!"

i know, i'm in way too deep...

;-)

gary phillips
conway, sc
sunset zone 31

"...where is the person, I ask, who, on observing this glittering fragment
of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and turn his mind with
reverence..." (J.J. Audubon)