Perhaps it is trying to dissapate heat. It is awfully warm today.
On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 1:07 PM, Chris Pelkie <chris.pel...@cornell.edu>wrote: > I just took a brief lunchtime walk on the northern part of Wilson Trail at > SSW. > I saw a small bird flit to a low shrub only 10-12' from me, got on it and > ID'd it as a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. > > Then, it flew down to the bark mulch in full sun, spread its wings and > wing feathers as wide as possible, pressed its belly to the mulch and > flattened its wings on the mulch, fluffed up all its back feathers, opened > its mouth wide. Sat there for 15 seconds or so. Hopped up into a bush for > 15 sec or so, then repeated the spreadeagle (spreadgnatcatcher, I guess) in > a different spot. > > I thought the first time it might be 'anting', the behavior I've heard of > (correct me if this is an old wive's tale) of some birds letting ants bite > them to get the formic acid rush which either repels parasites or feels > better than the parasites themselves. > > But when I walked forward I saw no ants or anthills or holes at the spots > the bird had just used. > > No other birds obviously nearby so not apparently a display. > Ideas? > ______________________ > * > * > *Chris Pelkie > Research Analyst > Bioacoustics Research Program > Cornell Lab of Ornithology > 159 Sapsucker Woods Road > Ithaca, NY 14850* > > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail > Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> > !* > -- > -- asher -Never play it the same way once. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
