FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Re: The Friday Birders

["Al Warfield" <warfield101@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Irene,

Good writeup. I'll send some pictures tomorrow.

Al
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "IE Ries" <FEATHERCHASER@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2004 11:34 PM
Subject: [va-richmond-general] The Friday Birders


Team Frozen Feet, comprised of Al Warfield and Irene Ries, braved the cold
and iced-crusted snow to spy on the birds at Rockwood Park, once again.
Here's who we saw:
Belted Kingfisher (m) - no fish-swallowing antics this time, sorry
Greenwinged Teal (1 pair)
Northern Shoverler (1 pair)
Wood Duck (3 pair)
Mallard Duck (1 pair)
Hooded Merganser (several pair)
Turkey Vulture
Blue Jay
Northern Flicker*
Carolina Wren*
Redbellied Woodpecker (f)
American Goldfinch*
American Robin
Yellow-rumped Warbler (m)
Great Blue Heron
American Crow
Redshouldered Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee*
Redtailed Hawk (j) - though this might be open to interpretation as a Baldie
due to sheer size
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Ring-billed Gull
Downy Woodpecker (pair)
Winter Wren

The day's amusement this time was when 3 crows perched at the top of a
hardwood tree.  After a few minutes of preening and chattering, the hawk
came streaking in, and landed, as if on purpose, in the same tree, just a
few branches under 2 of the crows.  Squawks of irritation and protest
followed, and the crows intermittently dived at and tried to harry the hawk,
who completely ignored them.  Each stubbornly refused to leave their own
perch, the hawk refusing to be annoyed and the crows purporting to be
completely calm and comfortable.  Finally 2 of the crows flew off to the
left of the tree, and the hawk also did, and landed on a tall stump.  The
crows now used this new opportunity to divebomb and generally rake the
hawk's feathers.  Two of the crows wandered off, but the third continued,
and when it flew up for another round of hazing, was this time met by a
launching hawk...with outstretched legs and talons.  The crow hastily dodged
and darted down toward a little island in
  the marsh and landed (Al and I laughed and imagined the crow
hyperventilating over the close call).  The hawk flew off, probably with a
satisfied smirk.

Key:

f = female
j = juvenile
m = male
* = auditory ID only

Happy Birding.

Irene in southside

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