Lots of changes on the farm the past week. Just late this afternoon, the most
interesting bird of the week showed up, a female Brewer's Blackbird. It was
foraging all by itself in the largest of a few fields of Indian grass that have
been recently burned off. This is the habitat in which I have seen Brewer's
most often on the farm during spring.
On Saturday, Brian Wulker and I dragged the fields of stubble in hopes of
kicking up something of interest, but all we could get were Savannah Sparrows.
By Monday, many more sparrows were present including at least 4 Vespers and a
number of new Chippys, Fields, and D-e Juncos. Today, a Henslow's Sparrow was
singing again in the biggest field I have yet to cut. Several days ago a
Yellow-throated Warbler returned to the yard, and today a Northern Parula was
singing outside the back door.
The American Kestrels that always nest in a box on one of our silos appear to
be incubating. The male attends to the needs of the female during incubation,
occasionally coming in to near the nest with courtship calling and flight
display and food for her. She typically will hear him coming and emerge from
the box to meet him on a nearby perch to take whatever it is he has secured for
her. With the burning off of several of the Indian grass fields, hunting for
the male has been quite easy, and day before yesterday I twice saw him come in
with food, but the female did not appear. Both times he resorted to taking the
prey right to the opening in the box, but I guess he had her all satisfied
because both times he returned to a nearby perch and had to eat the voles
himself!
BPB, Louisville
================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBERS==============
When posting on BIRDKY, please close posts with
your first and last name and your address (city or county).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To post on BIRDKY, send e-mail to:
birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the KOS website at
http://www.birdky.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the KOS Photo Page to view photos of birds recently
sighted in Kentucky:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/kentucky_ornithological_society/pool
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To unsubscribe, send e-mail to:
birdky-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject line.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
BIRDKY List Manager: Gary Ritchison.
E-mail: gary.ritchison@xxxxxxx
