As I crossed the bridge from the parking lot toward Fuller Wetlands, I found the remains of a turtle nest that had been under the bark mulch trail. Something -- skunk, raccoon, mink, etc. -- found it, dug it up, and pretty thoroughly shredded the 12+ eggs. I took a couple pics with the iPhone just for documentation (nothing too artsy here, so not planning to post). Herpetologists may want to go out to ID the species before the shells dry.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO seems to be defending territory between Fuller and the Lab bldg as it has been actively singing for several days now. LEAST FLYCATCHER was che-beking loudly yesterday and heard again today in the same area (north Wilson trail). (I also heard and saw a singing BROWN CREEPER near Sherwood yesterday). I only had time to make the north Wilson loop but as I walked back by the pond I stopped at the opening by the outlet to scan and found a GREEN HERON sitting prominently 20' up on the horizontal branch of the big willow. It was calling and preening, calling and preening, so I iPhone recorded a few calls (Tascam makes a free recorder app). During that sequence, another heron called from closer to the Lab. I didn't think it sounded at all like Great Blue (which of course were present) or this Green, so had hopes for maybe a Black-crowned or Egret or something, but that did not pan out. The Green Heron on the willow had bright orange legs. As I took a last look from the dock before going into work, I spotted activity on the island and saw another Green Heron, this one with yellow legs, but not calling. Did not see any other 'croakers' (and no, it was not a Bullfrog, though there are some monsters this year in the pond!). Then I spotted the MINK swimming from the lab shore out to the island: very able and swift swimmer. At one point, a Red-winged Blackbird dove at it, so it submerged and popped up a few feet later. It crawled onto the island where some upset female Common Grackles and RWBBs started hopping around on branches. After only a minute or so, a group of male COGRs (6-8) came hurriedly over from the feeding station area and along with the female birds starting low-level strafing attacks on the mink which was now leaving the island, swimming rapidly to the north shore, this time with a BULLHEAD (fish) clamped firmly in its jaws. While some of the birds got very close, I never saw an actual strike and the mink disappeared from my view under the bushes at pond's edge, apparently with catch still intact. ______________________ Chris Pelkie Research Analyst Bioacoustics Research Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
