[va-richmond-general] Re: James R Birdcount (a little more excitement!)

Thanks to everyone this morning for making the count allot of fun, and
breakfast such a treat!  I enjoyed seeing Mary and Larry again (thanks for
hosting breakfast), and meeting other folks from RAS (and fooling you with
my veggie patties).

As I was driving home from Mary and Larry's neighborhood, I turned onto a
street and saw something in the middle of the road.  I slowed to a stop, and
realized it was a bird picking at something which had gotten (unfortunately)
hit and killed on the road.  I looked closer and realized this was no crow,
but a female red shouldered hawk!

Like a good feather chaser, I pulled the car over immediately and watched
the bird.  It tried to carry off the squashed prey, but reconsidered and
instead flew up onto a tree in the yard of a home in the 1600 block of
Buckhill Drive.  I whipped out my binoculars, conveniently handy from our
count this morning.  There were two of them...the other had been sitting
there all along and I just now saw him up there.

They began clicking and vocalizing softly to each other, and then I got an
eyeful when the male flew down to the female and they enjoyed a few minutes
of amorous avian frolicking up there on their branch.  They preened one
another and seemed to huddle up together, and after a few minutes, the
female flew to a large oak at the back of the same property, and started
moving dead tree branches around in what appeared to be the beginnings of a
nest!  The male called out to her after a bit, and then flew several yards,
perching in another tree.

[I took the opportunity to remove the squashed prey to the side of the road
in order to prevent any other animals from being injured or killed while
going to investigate it. The dead animal turned out to be a large rabbit
which was very likely a domestic rabbit.]

After a little while, the female emerged from her nestmaking operation and
joined him on the tree where he was perched.  It took only a matter of
minutes for the crows to spot them and for the customary dive-bombing
campaign to begin...

[Here Irene kicks herself for the Nth time for not having a working camera
with her!]

Enjoy ;)

IE Ries




----- Original Message -----
From: "Al Warfield" <warfield101@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Audubon Listserve" <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 1:46 PM
Subject: [va-richmond-general] James R Birdcount


Nine birders participated in the count, which was held later than usual this
year: between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m., Saturday March 1, 2003. This was several
people short of the level needed for all the usual areas to be covered.
There was no wind at 6:30 a.m., and the temperature started out at about
30°F. Despite the low people count and the presence of foggy, cool, damp
conditions, 52 species of birds were reported. As always, thanks to Mary
Arginteanu and Larry Robinson for coordinating the event, providing the
coffee, and allowing the use of their house. And thanks to everyone who
brought the delicious breakfast goodies. Yum!
Highlights of the count were:  Osprey, Sharp-shinned and Red-shouldered
Hawks; a Barred Owl in a hole previously occupied by a raccoon in the
Wetlands; a Brown Creeper; huge numbers of American Robins, including one
albino robin; and a Rusty Blackbird.


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