Yes, I am enjoying this discussion. I’ve watched young gulls (both Herring and Great Black-backed) doing pretty much the same thing with sticks, especially on a windy day.
Rich Guthrie > On Jun 7, 2021, at 10:00 AM, Peter Post <pwp...@nyc.rr.com> wrote: > > 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: > 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/ --
