I for one would like to see more of this sort of thing kn NYSBirds. There are many such observations that go unrecorded. This is a perfect place for it.
Sent from my iPhone > On Jun 7, 2021, at 8:24 AM, Cappello, Adriana R (DEC) > <adriana.cappe...@dec.ny.gov> wrote: > > > I thoroughly enjoyed this thread- thank you for sharing!! 🙂 > > > Addie Cappello > Wildlife Technician, Division of Fish and Wildlife > Pronouns: She/Her/Hers > > New York State Department of Environmental Conservation > 50 Circle Road, Stony Brook, NY 11790 > P: (631) 444-0310 | P: (631) 924-3156 | adriana.cappe...@dec.ny.gov > www.dec.ny.gov | | | > > > > > From: bounce-125688380-83014...@list.cornell.edu > <bounce-125688380-83014...@list.cornell.edu> on behalf of Joseph Wallace > <joew...@gmail.com> > Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM > To: Shane Blodgett <shaneblodg...@yahoo.com> > Cc: Brendan Fogarty <bn...@cornell.edu>; Ardith Bondi <ard...@earthlink.net>; > nysbirds-l@cornell.edu <nysbirds-l@cornell.edu> > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question > > ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments > or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails. > > > Thanks, Shane. I guess that's long been debated (e.g., do cats play?), since > almost all forms of play also have a "practice" aspect. I was telling my > swallow story to a friend in the D.C. area, and he described a pair of foxes > who had a den near his backyard. The kits would come out in the early morning > and play with the balls my friend's family had left in the yard...but the > play was pouncing, chasing etc. So I'd like to believe it can be both. > > Hope it's okay to continue this conversation here. (I find it fascinating!) > I/we can take it private if it's taking up too much space. > --Joe > >> On Sun, Jun 6, 2021 at 11:49 AM Shane Blodgett <shaneblodg...@yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> For birds that catch prey on the wing I wonder if this behavior is just for >> “fun“ or could also be seen as “practice.” >> >> Regards, >> Shane Blodgett >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Jun 6, 2021, at 10:53 AM, Joseph Wallace <joew...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> Thank you all for your replies (here and directly to me) and the references. >> I love that feather-play is a "swallow thing." The one I watched varied its >> game, swooping in from all angles and approaches. Twice it flew almost >> straight upwards until it was perhaps fifty feet off the ground before >> releasing the feather. >> >> I'm intrigued by the fact that one of the earlier reports also specifies a >> large *white* feather; my guess is that, like yesterday's, it was a down >> feather, which would float in the air much more satisfactorily than a denser >> one. >> >> I write essays on nature for a local Audubon Society. I think my next piece >> will focus on bird play! Thanks again-- >> Joe >> >> On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 11:34 PM Brendan Fogarty <bn...@cornell.edu> wrote: >> Joseph and all, >> >> This behavior seems familiar, but I cannot say if I have seen it before in >> person or in media. It is definitely documented; below is an excerpt from >> Birds of the World online. >> >> "In Britain, 3 juveniles were observed apparently playing with large white >> feather while in flight, repeatedly dropping it and catching it before it >> reached the ground (1). Adults are also known to exhibit this same behavior >> (2)." >> >> 1. Thompson, B. G. (1990). Behaviour of Swallows with feather. British Birds >> 83:239 >> >> 2. Turner, A. K. (2004). Family Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins). In >> Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and >> Wagtails (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and D. A. Cristie, Editors), Lynx >> Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. >> >> Best, >> Brendan Fogarty >> >> >> On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 11:23 PM Ardith Bondi <ard...@earthlink.net> wrote: >> That is very cool! This is not exactly the same, but I was photographing a >> Tree Swallow at Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area on Long Island last >> Tuesday with a 500 mm PF lens (think, short and light for a 500mm) on a >> Nikon D850 with a very loud shutter. I suddenly realized that the swallow >> was singing in response to the shutter. The more I pressed it, the more the >> bird sang. I tried a varied pattern to test it. When I finally stopped, the >> bird waited a second and then flew off. I had never experienced that before, >> either. I have watched penguins play in Antarctica. Penguins climb up on >> things and jump off them just for fun. They’ll even do it with a buddy. >> >> Ardith Bondi >> NYC >> www.ardithbondi.com >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Jun 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace <joew...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> >> >>> This is more about bird behavior than rarity, so apologies if it's o/t, but >>> I watched a swallow engage in extraordinary (to me) behavior at Croton >>> Point Park in Westchester today. It started when I spotted something white >>> drifting slowly towards the ground: a large, downy feather. Just as I >>> focused on it, a Barn Swallow snatched it out of the air with its beak. I >>> expected the bird to head off to its nest, but instead it dropped the >>> feather...and then circled and snatched it out of the air again. >>> >>> For the next few minutes, I watched the swallow repeatedly release the >>> feather, do wide loops around it--sometimes feinting in its direction--and >>> then pluck it out of the air. Twice it let the feather land on the grass, >>> retrieving it once while on the wing and once by landing beside it. Finally >>> the swallow did head off, I imagine to line its nest at last. >>> >>> I'd never seen swallows engage in play, but I can't see how this was >>> anything else. Has anyone else here ever witnessed something like this? >>> Thanks--Joe Wallace >>> -- >>> NYSbirds-L List Info: >>> Welcome and Basics >>> Rules and Information >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> Archives: >>> The Mail Archive >>> Surfbirds >>> ABA >>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>> -- >> -- >> NYSbirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> ABA >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- >> -- >> NYSbirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> ABA >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
