[wisb] Golden Eagle Survey - La Crosse County - a hilarious experience

From: "Dan Jackson" <DanJackson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "WisBirdN" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:43:14 -0600
I took part in the Golden Eagle survey today by surveying the north half
of La Crosse County.  I was excited to find 1 Golden Eagle in La Crosse
County.  I also saw 12 Bald Eagles, 17 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Rough-legged
Hawk, and 2 American Kestrels.  Other highlights included 3 Snow
Buntings, 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers, and a small flock of Eastern
Bluebirds.  However, the real highlight of the day was the hilarious
experience that I had with a Ring-necked Pheasant.
 

As I was driving down a county highway, I saw 3 pheasants on the
opposite side of the road.  I stopped to take pictures out of my car
window and realized that the pictures weren't going to work because I
was shooting into the sun.  I slowly pulled forward in hopes that I
could get a better angle without flushing the birds.  When I moved
forward, the 1 rooster in the group started to move alongside of the car
instead of staying put or heading into the ditch.  After I had driven
about 30-40 feet past the hens, the rooster ran in front of my car and
stood there.  I got out of my car in hopes that I could scare the bird
off of the road and out of my way.  As soon as I got out, the bird ran
up to me  and started to attack my boots.  It made some really funny
sounding clucking / purr call, puffed up its wings, put its head down,
and started circling my feet.  If I moved my feet, it pecked and spurred
my toes.  The bird was so focused on my feet that I finally just reached
down and grabbed it.  Once I had a firm grip, I tossed the bird up in
the air toward the embankment on the side of the road.  The bird
fluttered down in surprise and stood there at the top of the embankment
for several seconds.  It then turned and headed down the embankment and
back toward me.  I took a couple of pictures, jumped in the car, and
started down the road before it reached the road.  However, once the car
started moving, the bird once again ran alongside of my vehicle for
about 30 yards before it finally stopped.  I am sure that at that point
it figured that it had done its job and chased away the big bad birder
man.  I am guessing that shortly afterward it headed back to tell the
hens about just how tough it was.  I sure hope that they were impressed.

 

You never know what you will see when you are out birding!! 

 

Enjoy the birds (even the crazy ones),

 

Dan Jackson,

Chaseburg, Vernon County, WI (near La Crosse)

 


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[wisb] Golden Eagle Survey - La Crosse County - a hilarious experience

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