[Bristol-Birds] Brown-headed Cowbird Orphan

Following up on Don Holt's cowbird commentary:   a fledgling appeared in our driveway in late May, and joined the family for 4 days.  It stayed in close proximity to Leslie or me and snapped up any plump insects that it found, including one from the palm of my hand.  If we walked down to the Pumphouse Branch for a while, it would soon fly down to join us.  When we returned to the house, it would reappear shortly in the dooryard.  

It followed me along the driveway to the workshop one day, entered behind me, then when I walked out, it tried to exit through a window.     It panicked and flew around, crashing against other windows.  I caught it and released it outside.  From that point on, it kept some distance away from us, and the next day, it was gone.  Of course, we were a bit disappointed since we had bonded with the bird.  And now, nest parasitism by the species seems less like an abomination, and more like a practical strategy.

Michael Sledjeski

Del Rio TN