[birdky] Feathers for Swallows & Misc. Observations
- From: "Scott Freidhof" <sialia67@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 May 2009 16:07:59 -0500
The girls and I plucked the soft fuzzy body feathers from a turkey carcass
this morning and let them drift in the wind towards the tree swallow nest
box. The female snatched the feathers in the air and off the lawn and
deposited them in her nest. The male did the same a couple times, although
she did not seem to appreciate his assistance. If I recall correctly from
some tree swallow research, nestlings fledge sooner from nests with lots of
feathers compared to nests with fewer feathers.
Bobolinks - three males have been perching on a barbwire fence each morning
about a mile from the house. I notice them on the drive to work (May 4th -
Rowan Co).
Red-headed woodpeckers - numerous red-headed woodpeckers were calling and
"drumming" on a farm in eastern Bath County. The woodpeckers were active
along the top edge of a 35-acre woodlot adjacent to the Licking River (April
29th - Bath Co).
Cooper's hawk nest - I inadvertently bumped into a cooper's hawk nest on the
same Bath County Farm as described above. I heard the call and looked up to
see an adult leave the nest. It flew towards me at treetop level and then
veered away when it saw me. A second adult landed at the nest after the
first left. When I moved again to exit the area, the second adult left as
well (April 29th - Bath Co).
Scott Freidhof
Rowan County
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