I attended the Seminar on Crows at the Lab of O and enjoyed it very much. When Kevin related the information about the chipmunk eating baby birds, I was reminded of an incident I witnessed in PA a few years ago. (I think I posted it to the Cayugabirds list.) From my dad's kitchen window, I saw a chipmunk attack and kill a female cardinal who was nearby, pecking at seeds fallen from the feeder. The chipmunk grabbed the cardinal and in the struggle, her neck was broken. We should have just watched, I guess, but we rushed outside and the chipmunk raced off, scolding. We put the dead cardinal on a nearby stump and went out on an errand for a short time. When we returned, the cardinal was gone. Don't know if the chipmunk came back and dragged her away or if a neighborhood cat had come by. In any case, we learned that chipmunks are tough!
Kathleen Kramer Newfield On 5/29/14 10:54 AM, Donna Scott wrote: > Thanks for reporting this interesting sighting, John. > When Kevin McGowan gave part of the recent Lab of O. Seminar on Crows, > he remarked on some reasons some people do not like crows. > One reason was "they eat baby birds from the nest". > To which he replied (paraphrased here), "Well you want to know what > else eats baby birds?! > - Cute little chipmunks!" > Then he showed a photograph of the 'cute little chipmunk' with his > face in a bird's nest eating a nestling. > That Salt Pt. Robin knew what it was doing when it attacked the chipmunk! > Donna Scott > Lansing > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* John Greenly <mailto:j...@cornell.edu> > *To:* CAYUGABIRDS-L <mailto:cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> > *Sent:* Monday, May 26, 2014 1:06 PM > *Subject:* [cayugabirds-l] Robin ferocity- Salt Point > > I was at Salt Point taking bad photos when I saw a chipmunk > crossing the dirt road near its dead end at the concrete blocks on > the North side. The chippy was heading toward the base of the big > scrubby juniper on the east side of the road, and suddenly out of > the tree a Robin came streaking down, hit the chippy so hard it > tumbled head over heels. The bird chased it back into the brush > across the road, with continuing scuffling sounds. The Robin came > back to the tree; the scene was repeated twice more in the next 5 > min or so. Finally the Robin began marching back and forth on the > road like an armed guard in front of a palace, and thereafter no > more sign of the chipmunk. The attacks happened so fast that I > failed to get a decent photo. I think of chipmunks as pretty > quick on their feet, but this one was no match for the Robin, it > got nailed every time. Needless to say, the Robin does have > nestlings in that tree. > > Other birds to mention- > > at least two singing Willow Flycatchers; E. Kingbird seems to > have moved in- I see one regularly; Mourning Warbler heard as Jay > reported in the ravine across the tracks from the north end; > Green Heron on the creek; at least two singing Yellow-throated > Vireos- one seen near the RR bridge; fly-over Wood Duck, heading > for the creek upstream of the RR bridge. > > --John Greenly > -- > > 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/ > > -- > > -- > *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/>!* > -- -- 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/ --
