Third try.
From: loonp@xxxxxxxxxxx <loonp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2020 5:13 PM
To: 'wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx' <wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Bird oddities
This is my second attempt to send this. If duplicate, please accept my
apologies.
Good morning all
We have a cottage in Marquette County where this past week I observed two
oddities I have never seen before.
First, we have a small martin house six compartments which is usually
shared with a pair of tree swallows. But this year it is totally martins,
which are busy bringing in nesting materials. One afternoon three grackles
showed up, and took turns either harassing the martins or sticking their
heads into the nesting compartments. I assume they were looking for an easy
meal of eggs or nestlings, but none of them emerged with anything, as I
think the nest building is still going on and egg laying has not yet begun.
Secondly, I checked out a wood duck box which had not been looked at for
over a year. It had an abandoned clutch of 13 eggs, apparently from last
year. The odd thing was two of the eggs were half enclosed in a larger
half-egg shell. These half-shells were obviously larger, and whiter. I have
no idea what these egg shells were nor where they came from. What bird would
be small enough to enter a woodie box but still lay eggs big enough to
partially encase a woodie egg?
In addition, Friday afternoon I did a birding walk, about ½ hour, through
good birding habitat and saw not even one bird. Saturday, through the same
area, birds were everywhere.
I would be interested in any opinions on the above.
Thanks.
Kurt Petersen
Sheboygan County
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