Birders-
 
Last Monday (sorry for late post) I observed some unusual behavior displayed by 
some Canada Geese on not one, but two seperate and unrelated occasions.  
First, I was driving along I-35 through Ankeny by the Mill Pond retirement 
facility.  As I drove South, I noticed a Canada Goose seemingly hovering over 
one of the buildings (which I believe was 3 stories tall).  I did a double take 
as it gently landed on the roof of the building at the peak.  As intrigued as I 
was, I felt that steering my car straight going 70 in 3 lanes of traffic was 
probably more important, so I was only able to see this well for a few seconds.
Secondly, I met Bob Cecil in Des Moines who kindly showed me an area that had 
lots of the Phragmites grass I have been searching out (thanks to all for their 
replies on that by the way!).  
As we were leaving there, we looked up in a large tree (cottonwood I think), 
and saw a pair of Canada geese sitting in a crotch of the tree with one of them 
peering into the end of a large broken limb.  I do have a couple of pictures of 
them sitting there on the limb, which must have been 30 feet up or so.  I do 
not yet have any evidence that they were nesting or attempting to do so, but I 
just found it very interesting.
Bob was able to find a couple of references of Canada's cavity nesting; have 
any of you seen this type of behavior, whether it be nesting or just seeing 
these birds in these somewhat peculiar circumstances?  Is there some biblical 
event about to take place or was it just unusual to see unusual behavior twice 
in one day?  (Do 2 unusuals make 1 usual?)  Or did I add something unusual to 
my coffee that morning without realizing it?
 
Unusually yours,
 
Art Check
Nevada

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