There seems to have been a push of WHITE THROATED SPARROWS overnight.
There are over twenty excavating on the patio and nearly as many visible around the boardwalk.
Along with the WTs we also got a pulse of FLICKERS.
No other obvious species but I haven't been around the island, either.
Flickers have been displaying and it's a great chance to see where they get their name.
No other obvious species but I haven't been around the island, either.
Flickers have been displaying and it's a great chance to see where they get their name.
When two of them square off they spread their tails wide, clearly showing the yellow shafts of each tail feather.
They also mostly hold their tail steady but occasionally give their tail a strong "flick".
I watched two of the Flickers as they engaged and noted the reaction of other Flickers in the area.
The two "combatants" weren't moving around much, just displaying, face to beak, in one spot.
However, during that couple of minutes I saw 5 other Flickers arrive from as much as 50 yards away.
The non-combatants zipped in to land in the adjacent tall vegetation, some 30-40 feet from the displaying pair.
Their behaviour looked exactly like the response to a predator threat but no other birds offered the slightest concern.
After a brief stop in the tall vegetation, the "observers" trickled away and the displaying soon ended.
There was a trickle of HARRIERS & KESTRELS hunting and moving throughout yesterday.
I watched two of the Flickers as they engaged and noted the reaction of other Flickers in the area.
The two "combatants" weren't moving around much, just displaying, face to beak, in one spot.
However, during that couple of minutes I saw 5 other Flickers arrive from as much as 50 yards away.
The non-combatants zipped in to land in the adjacent tall vegetation, some 30-40 feet from the displaying pair.
Their behaviour looked exactly like the response to a predator threat but no other birds offered the slightest concern.
After a brief stop in the tall vegetation, the "observers" trickled away and the displaying soon ended.
There was a trickle of HARRIERS & KESTRELS hunting and moving throughout yesterday.
The local EAGLE spent most of the day on the island.
By appearance, a 4th year female, she is unwelcomed by the Raven pair but their occasional spats end quickly and she doesn't seem dissuaded from her scavenging or hunting.
She certainly can make the Alcids disappear with a low pass over the island.
She certainly can make the Alcids disappear with a low pass over the island.
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