[TN-Bird] Rainy day feeding frenzy

From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 19:49:01 EDT
The morning started out with a great thrill today as a great blue heron flew 
languidly and low over my deck from the Cumberland River area to the Northeast 
heading toward the Richland Creek area to the Southwest.  Since I do not 
actually live on the water, such sightings are the kind of event that just tugs 
at 
my heartstrings.

Right now, it is raining, and the deck is covered with all kinds of birds in 
a feeding frenzy before nightfall.  Recently fledged young "birdlings" are 
everywhere and eating everything in sight.  With SEVEN families of cardinals 
coming to feed equaling some 30+ cardinals at a time, the sunflower seed is 
going, 
going, almost gone.  Must buy more tomorrow.  One pair of cardinals nested in 
a very thorny rose bush just outside the picture window of my living room.  
You should have seen those little babies gobble down the grape jelly and orange 
that the parents fed them early on before going to the sunflower seeds.  They 
even fed them a little peanut butter and LOTS of yellow cake.  Chickadees, 
Carolina wrens, doves, jays, titmice, grackles and of course, my three 
mockingbird families are nearly always here along with far too many house 
finches and 
starlings with babies galore.  Unfortunately, the ravenous rock doves are in 
constant attendance.

Crested flycatchers are nesting down the street, and I can hear them up at my 
house, but they have not come to visit.  I see them when I drive off in the 
direction of the river,

One day, I watched the absolutely brutal dispersal of the young birds by one 
pair of my mockingbirds.  The parents had the well fledged and able-to-forage 
young birds at the feeder for what was apparently their last meal at "home."  
After they schmoozed and fed, Mama & Daddy became terrors of torment as they 
mercilessly chased their babies across my yard, a neighbor's yard and on over 
to the right of way of the interstate.  They stayed in a neighbor's tree for 
much of the day defying the young ones to return.  That set of parents are now 
rid of theirs, and seem to be preparing for another brood.  I could not help 
but shed a tear as I saw the little ones being noisily chased away to fend for 
themselves.

One of my blue jays is crazy about yellow cake or just doesn't like 
starlings.  It practically pecked the head off an adult starling that dared to 
try to 
get some crumbs.

Although I don't get a chance to get out and see any of the really exciting 
things, my deck can be a pretty exciting place to watch as the families come to 
feed.  How I wish I could get to West Tennessee when some of the birds which 
would be lifers for me are there.  I have so few lifers left to get, but about 
a dozen of them do get to that area at certain times of the year.  I can't 
get away for overnight and can never seem to catch up with anyone who is making 
a one day trip.  I have never had the opportunity to bird the Mississippi 
River except from New Orleans south to Grande Isle one fine Mardi Gras week 
about 
40 years ago.

Happy birding to all,

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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[TN-Bird] Rainy day feeding frenzy

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