FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Re: Active Cardinal nest in mid-August

[Scott Somershoe <ssomershoe2001@xxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin,
    Nests late in the summer aren't common, but then again aren't unusual.  
When working in central MS, I had numerous nests still going into mid-August, 
usually done about this date as it was a lot further south and a lot hotter.  
The dates aren't necessarily comparable, but the late nests were almost always 
successful.  Early nests in the season occur when all the snakes are out, 
parasitism is high, and all the raccoons, etc are hitting bird nests.  Late in 
the summer it appears the predators change focus for their diets, i.e. raccoons 
look elsewhere and snakes are back underground and less active.  Also far fewer 
nests are parasitized later in the season.  In a study site in MS, all first 
Acadian Flycatcher nests fail to parasitism each year, but then (in MS) after 
mid-June, very few nests are hit and nesting success goes way up.  Numerous 
people have confirmed my observations with their own studies.
   In my mind, late nesters have an advantage as long as they can still get 
enough food (presumably not a severe drought).
 
Cheers,
    Scott Somershoe
 
 
State Ornithologist 
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
615-781-6653 (o)
615-781-6654 (fax)
 
"Keeping the rubber side down" - S.G.S. 


----- Original Message ----
From: FreeLists Mailing List Manager <ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tn-bird digest users <ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 1:02:44 AM
Subject: tn-bird Digest V5 #221


TN-Bird Net Digest Messages------------------------------------
tn-bird Digest    Sun, 13 Aug 2006    Volume: 05  Issue: 221

In This Issue:
        [TN-Bird] Active Cardinal nest in mid-August
        [TN-Bird] Bird Banding results at Seven Islands
        [TN-Bird] Western Kingbirds in Memphis- New location
        [TN-Bird] Weekend Birds - 4 Anhingas - 3 Common Terns

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: <ethden@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [TN-Bird] Active Cardinal nest in mid-August
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2006 13:05:15 -0500

13 August, 2006
Nashville-Davidson Co, TN
Over the years we've hosted many Cardinal nests in a deutzia shrub off the back 
porch. We've had several nests in one season in this shrub, but I never recall 
any active nests with chicks beyond mid-July at the latest. This morning I 
heard the sound of recently-hatched chicks in the bush, and to my surprise a 
female Cardinal was feeding what appeared to be two chicks. We're mid-August; 
this seems rather late to me to have an active Cardinal nest-- or any nest for 
that matter. Any thoughts?

Kevin Bowden
Nashville, TN

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