Tony- Thanks so much for keeping an eye on these birds, and for sharing your observations. Here's a couple shots from the fledging day. Ed SchneiderNashville > From: tonylance@xxxxxxx > Subject: [TN-Bird] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher observations - Springfield > (Robertson Co.) > Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2013 20:14:55 -0500 > To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > The pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that I've been watching in Springfield > since May raised four chicks, and the youngsters left the nest this past > Tuesday. I was very lucky to have been there when they decided it was time to > go. When I arrived after work two were already perched on branches above the > nest; the other two were still huddled in it. A short time later the two > laggards joined their more adventurous siblings. All four moved with > remarkable confidence to branches higher up in their nest tree, making short > flights from one perch to another. > > When I checked on them Wednesday morning they had left their home tree > altogether and flown to another one about 80 feet away. I went back to look > for them again late that afternoon and couldn't find them right away. I > listened for their frequent vocalizations and looked for the parents. After > about 10 minutes of driving, looking and listening I found them more than > 200 yards from their nest, perched securely in the upper branches of a tall > locust tree, having crossed a road and a field to get there. I was really > surprised that they were able to fly that far having just left the nest the > day before. > > That same day, while watching the adults fly up and pluck insects out of the > air, I was even more surprised to see another adult male drop by for a visit. > Where had he come from? I've been watching these birds almost daily for the > last couple of months and this was the first time I'd seen a third adult > bird. I suspect he is the pair's sole surviving offspring from last year and > has been hanging around in a nearby field. With his siblings now out of the > nest, perhaps he stopped by to meet them. In any case, he and the resident > male put on quite a show of aerial acrobatics before leaving. > > The adults have displayed fine parenting skills, keeping a close watch on > their chicks and making sure they're well fed. On Thursday and Friday when it > was raining and few insects were flying, the adults plucked ripe blackberries > and fed them to the youngsters. At first the little ones dropped the berries > from their beaks, not showing much interest in non-insect fare. But as time > went on, and perhaps as their hunger increased, they began to eagerly accept > the fruit. As I was watching this behavior yesterday I was startled to see a > Cooper's Hawk make a lightning pass within 20 feet of the chicks only to have > the adults launch into a swift, angry pursuit and chase the accipiter away. > > When I drove by this afternoon the youngsters had moved across the road to > the far side of the field and were high in an oak tree, not easily seen, > being fed by their hard-working parents. > > Tony Lance > Springfield, TN > > > > > ======OTES TO SUBSCRIBER======= > > The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with > first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. > You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds > you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should > appear in the first paragraph. > _____________________________________________________________ > To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: > tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. > _____________________________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, send email to: > tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. > ______________________________________________________________ > TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society > Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) > endorse the views or opinions expressed > by the members of this discussion group. > > Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN > wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > ------------------------------ > Assistant Moderator Andy Jones > Cleveland, OH > ------------------------------- > Assistant Moderator Dave Worley > Rosedale, VA > -------------------------------- > Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan > Clemson, SC > __________________________________________________________ > > Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society > web site at http://www.tnbirds.org > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > ARCHIVES > TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ > > MAP RESOURCES > Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif > Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com > > _____________________________________________________________ > >
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