FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] New Scissor-tailed FC - nest on President's Is./Plus Western Kingbird Update

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

June 23, 2007
President's Island
Shelby Co, TN
 
This story is like the battery rabbit, it just keeps going and  
going................
 
Earlier in the season, the male Scissor-tail showed up on the exact pole  
where there had been a nest for the 3 previous years. When first discovered and 
 
the subsequent year he was paired with a hybrid S-t/Western Kingbird female.  
This year a full blooded Scissor-t female showed up at the nest site and 
started  a nest but then the hybrid showed up and drove her away. The male set 
up 
house  keeping again with the hybrid and was attentive until a couple of weeks 
ago when  he disappeared.
 
The hybrid female hatched 4 youngsters and through last week had raised  them 
all and they were almost ready to leave the nest on my last visit.  Today, I 
found her feeding a single bird about 200 yards from the nest. I also  think 
she had other birds in a Pine Tree nearby as she disappeared into it a  couple 
of times but I could not get close enough to see other young birds.
 
While cruising around about a half mile away, I saw a long tailed male  
Scissor-tail and pulled over to see what he was up to. It appeared that he was  
just feeding on his own but suddenly he sailed up high and intercepted a  
Mississippi Kite and escorted it out of the area. I knew then that he had 
either  
young or another nest around. After 20 minutes of scanning likely spots, sure  
enough there was a nest with a female, pink sided, semi-long tailed female. It  
looks like this female Scissor-tail had not given up the fight and  stole the 
male away from the hybrid female after all.
 
I'll post photos of this new pair at the nest. Start at:  
_http://www.pbase.com/image/81032499_ (http://www.pbase.com/image/81032499) 
 
Also one of the 2 hybrid females paired with a Western Kingbird in North  
Memphis was seen today feeding young. Both the hybrid female and the male  
Western Kingbird delivered insects to the young. The other hybrid female is  
still 
sitting on the other nest.
 
At Ensley, I photographed 3 Western Kingbirds. After watching them through  
the scope, I realized that one was a fledged young of the year, and this group  
is probably from the pair that nested north of the steam plant. The female 
was  seen placing nesting material on a telephone post crossbar so maybe there 
will  be a second nest. This is probably the pair seen last week feeding from 
the tall  metal towers in front of the TVA Steam Plant. Try: 
_http://www.pbase.com/image/81032502_ (http://www.pbase.com/image/81032502)  
 
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that  lifts my heart to the heavens.



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