FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: May 18, 2004

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx]

Mark Monroe and I were out in the field yesterday.

We tried to figure out if the Sinclair WMA Mississippi Kite(s) are nesting
(I saw one back at the suspected area on May 6th), but only saw single birds
twice and were not able to view any evidence of breeding (carrying of food
or sticks, courtship, etc). Elsewhere at Sinclair we saw several Northern
Harriers including a pair dive-bombing a male turkey, and Mark inadvertently
kicked a Henslow's Sparrow off a nest w/ 4 eggs.

We saw mostly common species of shorebirds at a few spots, but nothing
unusual. Biggest and most diverse group was at Peabody Camp #9 in Union
County and included over 100 Semi Sandpipers, at least 5 White-rumped, a
Black-bellied Plover, and a Dunlin.

Our visit to the Henderson "Audubon" Great Blue Heron nesting colony was not
as "peaceful" as Robert Dever's on the previous day . . . we were watching
the nesting herons and TWO chicks in the eagle nest, when one of the adult
eagles flew in and landed in a tree about halfway between the eagle nest
tree and the edge of the heron nesting area. The eagle sat there for a few
minutes before taking off and flying directly towards the Great Blue nests.
This move was accompanied by the loudest, most frantic-sounding alarm calls
I think we've ever heard from Great Blue Herons and we soon realized why . .
. the eagle flew up directly onto one of the nests and snatched a half-grown
youngster right off the top of the platform and returned to its own nest
where it proceeded to prepare the meal by means of which I don't believe
most of you would want to hear about!  Birdwatching is supposed to be a
pleasant experience :o(  . . . witnessing such goings on is always a bit
disconcerting but you have to realize that's what is really going on out
there . . . not just a bunch of pretty birds sitting there singing and
preening in the sun.

bpb/msm, Louisville
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