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Printed From Acorn-Online.com Bird Notes
by Jack Sanders Pair of pileateds “I had a nice surprise one day last week when I was visited by a pair of pileated woodpeckers,” reports Jen Weibel of Redding. “They spent over an hour working over this stump at the edge of my garden, which in the summer supports an array of potted plants. “It was interesting to watch how they angled their heads to hack away like a woodsman with the chips really flying. With binocs I could see how they stopped at intervals to delicately pick out whatever delicious insects they had unearthed. “The top of the stump has had a rotting spot with a developing hole. They enlarged it enough so that one would get inside and all I could see was a tiny bit of the top if its head. “Not only was this a fascinating and happy sight, but earlier that day a Carolina Wren sat singing its heart out on the electric wire near where a pair had nested last year. And not a bird, but..... a gorgeous Red Fox chased a squirrel up a small tree at the back of my garden and then stood with its front legs against the tree in frustration. This was repeated the following day and a squirrel fattened on our sunflower seeds would have made a hearty meal!” Had it been a Gray Fox, it might have gone right up the tree after the squirrel. Osprey time II While bicycling Sunday, friends and I stopped by Calf Pasture Park to see the Osprey nest, and witnessed an unusual — and potentially dangerous — sight. As mentioned here last week, a pair of Osprey has returned to a long-standing nest atop a lighting stanchion used to illuminate a ball field at the seaside park. As we stood near the light pole Sunday, we could see just the head of one bird that is apparently sitting on eggs. The other Osprey was perched nearby. Suddenly it took off, flew around a bit, then swooped down toward that ball field turf and, as if catching a fish in water, grabbed a plastic bag that had been lying in the grass. Bag in claws, the Osprey flew up to the nest and apparently started working the plastic into the sticks and other material. It was a clever, adaptive use of an artificial material for a nest, and is apparently common among Osprey. The problem, however, is that plastic can wind up holding water. An all-natural Osprey nest allows rainwater to drain through the sticks and other vegetation. When plastic is introduced, however, water can puddle inside the nest bowl. Eggs or chicks can wind up sitting in water — often cold water. At least in the case of the chicks, that can be fatal. And, in fact, if recollection serves me accurately, plastic is what led to the death of chicks in this very nest two years ago. Hummingbirds Joan Cullman of Redding reported April 2 that bluebirds were settling into her bluebird house for the first time in several seasons. “Still waiting for the hummers, however,” she added. According to Hummingbirds.net, they’re here. The first sightings in southern New England were April 7 in Rhode Island, April 10 near Cape Cod and April 11 in Connecticut. One was spotted in Rockland County, N.Y., on March 30. So get those feeders out! Coming Up Bird walks with Luke Tiller, mostly Saturdays at 8 a.m.: April 19, Wilton Birding; May 3, Poverty Hollow; May 10, Saugatuck Falls; $10 each; to register, www. sunrisebirding. com/ walks.htm; 203-981-9924, luke.tiller @ gmail.com. Early Morning Bird Walk, with Tait Johansson, Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 to 9:30, Bedford Audubon, meet at Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah, register 914- 232-4806, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org. Cape May Migration, weekend trip, April 25 to 27, Connecticut Audubon, 1-800-996-8747, ecotravel @ ctaudubon.org Dance of the Woodcock, with John Askildsen of Bedford Audubon, Saturday, April 26, 7:15 p.m., Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, register 914- 232-4806, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org. Birding Ice Pond, in Putnam County, field trip with Bedford Audubon, Tuesday, April 29, 9 to 11 a.m., meet at Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah, register 914- 232-4806, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org. Free Bird Walk, from Allen’s Meadows to Schenck’s Island in Wilton, Sunday, May 4, Friends of Allen’s Meadows in conjunction with Wilton Conservation Commission. To register for the walk contact The Friends of Allen’s Meadow via email: friendsofallens@gmail.com Birding Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass. Trip, May 9 to 11, Connecticut Audubon, 1-800-996-8747, ecotravel @ ctaudubon.org. First Sundays, birding at Greenwich Point with Meredith Sampson of Wild Wings, and other guides, April 6, May 4, 9 a.m., meet at the second concession stand, 203-637-9822. Bird walks, first Saturday at 7:30 a.m., free, meet at Wild Bird Center of Norwalk, 335 Westport Avenue (Route 1), www. wildbird. com/ Norwalk, 203-846-BIRD. Copyright (c) 2008 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com. © Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers |
