Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Deborah Shapiro]

We underestimate the mental capacity of birds. While I don’t recall that she 
discusses playful behavior, Jennifer Ackerman’s book The Genius of Birds gives 
many examples of bird cognition that are fascinated and unexpected. 

Great discussion. 

Deborah 

> On Jun 7, 2021, at 9:46 PM, Joseph Wallace  wrote:
> 
> 
> Thanks, everyone for the ongoing conversation. This is all so fascinating. 
> Corvids and parrots have been known as game-players (and tricksters) for a 
> long time, and it doesn't surprise me that gulls, already adept at a creative 
> kind of tool-using (stationery rocks to drop clams on), might also turn 
> objects into toys. But swallows did surprise me...and made me wonder what 
> other species/families might engage in play.  Warblers? Gnatcatchers? It's 
> hard for me to visualize, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. 
> 
> Thanks again for making such thoughts possible--Joe
> --
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Deborah Shapiro]

We underestimate the mental capacity of birds. While I don’t recall that she 
discusses playful behavior, Jennifer Ackerman’s book The Genius of Birds gives 
many examples of bird cognition that are fascinated and unexpected. 

Great discussion. 

Deborah 

> On Jun 7, 2021, at 9:46 PM, Joseph Wallace  wrote:
> 
> 
> Thanks, everyone for the ongoing conversation. This is all so fascinating. 
> Corvids and parrots have been known as game-players (and tricksters) for a 
> long time, and it doesn't surprise me that gulls, already adept at a creative 
> kind of tool-using (stationery rocks to drop clams on), might also turn 
> objects into toys. But swallows did surprise me...and made me wonder what 
> other species/families might engage in play.  Warblers? Gnatcatchers? It's 
> hard for me to visualize, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. 
> 
> Thanks again for making such thoughts possible--Joe
> --
> 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!
> --

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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Joseph Wallace]

Thanks, everyone for the ongoing conversation. This is all so fascinating.
Corvids and parrots have been known as game-players (and tricksters) for a
long time, and it doesn't surprise me that gulls, already adept at a
creative kind of tool-using (stationery rocks to drop clams on), might also
turn objects into toys. But swallows did surprise me...and made me wonder
what other species/families might engage in play.  Warblers? Gnatcatchers?
It's hard for me to visualize, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

Thanks again for making such thoughts possible--Joe

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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Joseph Wallace]

Thanks, everyone for the ongoing conversation. This is all so fascinating.
Corvids and parrots have been known as game-players (and tricksters) for a
long time, and it doesn't surprise me that gulls, already adept at a
creative kind of tool-using (stationery rocks to drop clams on), might also
turn objects into toys. But swallows did surprise me...and made me wonder
what other species/families might engage in play.  Warblers? Gnatcatchers?
It's hard for me to visualize, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

Thanks again for making such thoughts possible--Joe

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[nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC - Mon. June 7, 2021: Great Crested Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing

[Deborah Allen]

Central Park NYC
Monday June 7, 2021
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, m.ob. 

Highlights: Great Crested Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing.

Canada Goose - 5
Mallard - 10
Mourning Dove - 5-10
Chimney Swift - 5-10
Double-crested Cormorant - 3-5
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 3
Barred Owl - continued
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
Downy Woodpecker - 4
Northern Flicker - pair Humming Tombstone
Great Crested Flycatcher - 1 Summer House
Eastern Kingbird - 1 Turtle Pond
Warbling Vireo - 4
Blue Jay - 3-5
Barn Swallow - 1 Balcony Bridge
American Robin - 20-30
Gray Catbird - 10-20
Cedar Waxwing - 8-12
House Finch - 4-6
Baltimore Oriole - 3-5
Red-winged Blackbird - 5-10
Brown-headed Cowbird - juvenile Maintenance Field
Common Grackle - 8-12
Northern Cardinal - 4-6

Deb Allen

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[nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC - Mon. June 7, 2021: Great Crested Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing

[Deborah Allen]

Central Park NYC
Monday June 7, 2021
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, m.ob. 

Highlights: Great Crested Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing.

Canada Goose - 5
Mallard - 10
Mourning Dove - 5-10
Chimney Swift - 5-10
Double-crested Cormorant - 3-5
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 3
Barred Owl - continued
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
Downy Woodpecker - 4
Northern Flicker - pair Humming Tombstone
Great Crested Flycatcher - 1 Summer House
Eastern Kingbird - 1 Turtle Pond
Warbling Vireo - 4
Blue Jay - 3-5
Barn Swallow - 1 Balcony Bridge
American Robin - 20-30
Gray Catbird - 10-20
Cedar Waxwing - 8-12
House Finch - 4-6
Baltimore Oriole - 3-5
Red-winged Blackbird - 5-10
Brown-headed Cowbird - juvenile Maintenance Field
Common Grackle - 8-12
Northern Cardinal - 4-6

Deb Allen

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RE: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[rcech]

Anyone interested in this species should read Bernd Heinrich’s “Ravens in 
Winter,” a monumental field research triumph.

 

These are fascinating and complex birds,

Rick Cech

 

From: bounce-125691097-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
 On Behalf Of Naomi Lloyd
Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 4:25 PM
To: Joseph Wallace ; NYSbirds-L@cornell.edu
Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

 

I've watched a pair of Ravens engage in "the stick game" - one drops a stick or 
pine cone in flight, the other catches it then gains elevation and drops it to 
their partner, accompanied by lots of vocalizations. Probably has pair-bonding 
aspects but it sure looks like they enjoy it.

Naomi Lloyd
West Sand Lake



On June 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace mailto: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

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RE: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[rcech]

Anyone interested in this species should read Bernd Heinrich’s “Ravens in 
Winter,” a monumental field research triumph.

 

These are fascinating and complex birds,

Rick Cech

 

From: bounce-125691097-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
 On Behalf Of Naomi Lloyd
Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 4:25 PM
To: Joseph Wallace ; NYSbirds-L@cornell.edu
Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

 

I've watched a pair of Ravens engage in "the stick game" - one drops a stick or 
pine cone in flight, the other catches it then gains elevation and drops it to 
their partner, accompanied by lots of vocalizations. Probably has pair-bonding 
aspects but it sure looks like they enjoy it.

Naomi Lloyd
West Sand Lake



On June 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace mailto: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

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[nysbirds-l] Syracuse area RBA

[Joseph Brin]

RBA
 
*  New York
*  Syracuse
* June 07, 2021
* NYSY  06. 07. 21
 
Hotline: Syracuse Rare bird Alert
Dates(s):
June 01 to June 07, 2021
to report by e-mail: brinjoseph AT yahoo.com
covering upstate NY counties: Cayuga, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) (just outside Cayuga County),
Onondaga, Oswego, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Herkimer,  Madison & Cortland
compiled: June 07  AT 6:00 p.m. (DST)
compiler: Joseph Brin
Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org
 
 
#756 
Tuesday June 07, 2021
 
Greetings. This is the Syracuse Area Rare Bird Alert for the week of 
May 25, 2021
 
Highlights:
---

LEAST BITTERN
GREAT EGRET
PEREGRINE FALCON
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
RUDDY TURNSTONE
WHIMBREL
WILLET
MARBLED GODWIT
LAUGHING GULL
FORSTER’S TERN
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
SEDGE WREN
PHILADELPHIA VIRE0
PRAIRIE WARBLER
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
NELSON’S SPARROW
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
ORCHARD ORIOLE


Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC)
 

 6/2: A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen along the Wildlife Drive.
 6/4: An ORCHARD ORIOLE and 2 RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen along the Wildlife 
Drive.
 6/5: A LEAST BITTERN was seen along the Wildlife Drive. 
 6/6: 2 CERULEAN WARBLERS, a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and an OLIVE-SIDED 
FLYCATCHER were seen in the forested area of Armitage Road.


Onondaga County


 6/2: A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was seen at Muskrat Bay on Oneida Lake.  A 
LEAST BITTERN was found at Three Rivers WMA north of Baldwinsville. An ORCHARD 
ORIOLE was seen at Green Lakes State Park.
 6/4: At least 3 LEAST BITTERNS continue to call at the Ladd Road swamp 
near Oneida Shores Park. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen at the Dewitt Marsh 
and Landfill.
 6/5: A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen at Green Lake State Park and on Shakham 
Road in the Morgan Hill State Forest.A CERULEAN WARBLER was seen on the River 
Walk nature Preserve west of Brewerton.
 6/7: A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was again seen at the south end of Cross Lake.


Oswego County


 6/2: 10 species of shorebirds including MARBLED GODWIT, WILLET and 14 
RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen at the outlet of Sandy Pond on Lake Ontario. A 
NELSON’S SPARROW was seen on Depot Road in Mallory.
 6/3: 6 RUDDY TURNSTONES were see from Brietbeck Park in Oswego.
 6/4: A LAUGHING GULL was seen at the Outlet of Sandy Pond. A CLAY-COLORED 
SPARROW was seen on Rome Road in Pulaski.
 6/6: An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER continues on Gray Road south of Oswego. A LEAST 
BITTERN was seen on Depot Road in Mallory. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at 
Selkirk Shores State Park in Lake Ontario.
 6/7: A MARBLEd GODWIT continues at the outlet of Sandy Pond. Also seen 
were 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 4 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS among 9 shorebird 
species. A FORSTER’S TERN was also found. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was again seen 
on Gray Road south of Oswego.


Madison County


 6/2: A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen at the SMHT Leland Preserve south of 
Hamilton.
 6/4: A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was seen on Ditchbank Road north of 
Canastota.
 6/5: A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen on Ingalls Corners Road south of 
Canastota.
 6/6: 2 GREAT EGRETS were seen in the Great Swamp Conservancy north of 
Canastota.


Oneida County
-

 6/1: A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at the Adirondack Bank in Utica,
 6/2: A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen on Lakeshore Road north of Sylvan 
Beach.


Herkimer County


 6/4: An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen in Salisbury Corners north of 
Dolgeville.
 6/7: A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was seen in Salisbury Corners.
     

  




-End Report


Joseph Brin
Baldwinsville, NY
Region 5
     

    


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[nysbirds-l] Syracuse area RBA

[Joseph Brin]

RBA
 
*  New York
*  Syracuse
* June 07, 2021
* NYSY  06. 07. 21
 
Hotline: Syracuse Rare bird Alert
Dates(s):
June 01 to June 07, 2021
to report by e-mail: brinjoseph AT yahoo.com
covering upstate NY counties: Cayuga, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) (just outside Cayuga County),
Onondaga, Oswego, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Herkimer,  Madison & Cortland
compiled: June 07  AT 6:00 p.m. (DST)
compiler: Joseph Brin
Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org
 
 
#756 
Tuesday June 07, 2021
 
Greetings. This is the Syracuse Area Rare Bird Alert for the week of 
May 25, 2021
 
Highlights:
---

LEAST BITTERN
GREAT EGRET
PEREGRINE FALCON
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
RUDDY TURNSTONE
WHIMBREL
WILLET
MARBLED GODWIT
LAUGHING GULL
FORSTER’S TERN
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
SEDGE WREN
PHILADELPHIA VIRE0
PRAIRIE WARBLER
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
NELSON’S SPARROW
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
ORCHARD ORIOLE


Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC)
 

 6/2: A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen along the Wildlife Drive.
 6/4: An ORCHARD ORIOLE and 2 RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen along the Wildlife 
Drive.
 6/5: A LEAST BITTERN was seen along the Wildlife Drive. 
 6/6: 2 CERULEAN WARBLERS, a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and an OLIVE-SIDED 
FLYCATCHER were seen in the forested area of Armitage Road.


Onondaga County


 6/2: A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was seen at Muskrat Bay on Oneida Lake.  A 
LEAST BITTERN was found at Three Rivers WMA north of Baldwinsville. An ORCHARD 
ORIOLE was seen at Green Lakes State Park.
 6/4: At least 3 LEAST BITTERNS continue to call at the Ladd Road swamp 
near Oneida Shores Park. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen at the Dewitt Marsh 
and Landfill.
 6/5: A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen at Green Lake State Park and on Shakham 
Road in the Morgan Hill State Forest.A CERULEAN WARBLER was seen on the River 
Walk nature Preserve west of Brewerton.
 6/7: A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was again seen at the south end of Cross Lake.


Oswego County


 6/2: 10 species of shorebirds including MARBLED GODWIT, WILLET and 14 
RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen at the outlet of Sandy Pond on Lake Ontario. A 
NELSON’S SPARROW was seen on Depot Road in Mallory.
 6/3: 6 RUDDY TURNSTONES were see from Brietbeck Park in Oswego.
 6/4: A LAUGHING GULL was seen at the Outlet of Sandy Pond. A CLAY-COLORED 
SPARROW was seen on Rome Road in Pulaski.
 6/6: An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER continues on Gray Road south of Oswego. A LEAST 
BITTERN was seen on Depot Road in Mallory. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at 
Selkirk Shores State Park in Lake Ontario.
 6/7: A MARBLEd GODWIT continues at the outlet of Sandy Pond. Also seen 
were 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 4 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS among 9 shorebird 
species. A FORSTER’S TERN was also found. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was again seen 
on Gray Road south of Oswego.


Madison County


 6/2: A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen at the SMHT Leland Preserve south of 
Hamilton.
 6/4: A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was seen on Ditchbank Road north of 
Canastota.
 6/5: A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen on Ingalls Corners Road south of 
Canastota.
 6/6: 2 GREAT EGRETS were seen in the Great Swamp Conservancy north of 
Canastota.


Oneida County
-

 6/1: A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at the Adirondack Bank in Utica,
 6/2: A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen on Lakeshore Road north of Sylvan 
Beach.


Herkimer County


 6/4: An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen in Salisbury Corners north of 
Dolgeville.
 6/7: A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was seen in Salisbury Corners.
     

  




-End Report


Joseph Brin
Baldwinsville, NY
Region 5
     

    


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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Nancy Jane Kern]

I have seen this Raven activity too.

Nancy


From: bounce-125691097-44613...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Naomi Lloyd 

Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 4:25 PM
To: Joseph Wallace ; NYSbirds-L@cornell.edu 

Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question


I've watched a pair of Ravens engage in "the stick game" - one drops a stick or 
pine cone in flight, the other catches it then gains elevation and drops it to 
their partner, accompanied by lots of vocalizations. Probably has pair-bonding 
aspects but it sure looks like they enjoy it.

Naomi Lloyd
West Sand Lake


On June 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace  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
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Nancy Jane Kern]

I have seen this Raven activity too.

Nancy


From: bounce-125691097-44613...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Naomi Lloyd 

Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 4:25 PM
To: Joseph Wallace ; NYSbirds-L@cornell.edu 

Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question


I've watched a pair of Ravens engage in "the stick game" - one drops a stick or 
pine cone in flight, the other catches it then gains elevation and drops it to 
their partner, accompanied by lots of vocalizations. Probably has pair-bonding 
aspects but it sure looks like they enjoy it.

Naomi Lloyd
West Sand Lake


On June 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace  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 
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--
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Rules and 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Naomi Lloyd]

I've watched a pair of Ravens engage in "the stick game" - one drops a stick or 
pine cone in flight, the other catches it then gains elevation and drops it to 
their partner, accompanied by lots of vocalizations. Probably has pair-bonding 
aspects but it sure looks like they enjoy it.

Naomi Lloyd
West Sand Lake

On June 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace  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

--



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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Naomi Lloyd]

I've watched a pair of Ravens engage in "the stick game" - one drops a stick or 
pine cone in flight, the other catches it then gains elevation and drops it to 
their partner, accompanied by lots of vocalizations. Probably has pair-bonding 
aspects but it sure looks like they enjoy it.

Naomi Lloyd
West Sand Lake

On June 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace  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:



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Surfbirds



ABA



Please submit your observations to eBird!



--


--

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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:
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Jennifer Wilson-Pines]

On the subject of play, I've seen young squirrels playing with small
sticks, tossing them in the sir, catching them, rolling around with the
stick, and I can't really think of a practical application to squirrel life
skills for that behavior other than fun.  And we've all seen the video of
the crow sliding down the snowy roof on a plastic lid "sled" (and if you
haven't, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn0OjCneVUg  )

Jennifer Wilson Pines

On Mon, Jun 7, 2021 at 10:00 AM Peter Post  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 | [image: 13898AF0]  | [image:
> 48545E7E]  | [image: F510F3C]
> 
>
>
>
> [image: F73604AA]
>
>
>
>
> --
> *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 
> *Cc:* Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi <
> ard...@earthlink.net>; 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 
> 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  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  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  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 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Jennifer Wilson-Pines]

On the subject of play, I've seen young squirrels playing with small
sticks, tossing them in the sir, catching them, rolling around with the
stick, and I can't really think of a practical application to squirrel life
skills for that behavior other than fun.  And we've all seen the video of
the crow sliding down the snowy roof on a plastic lid "sled" (and if you
haven't, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn0OjCneVUg  )

Jennifer Wilson Pines

On Mon, Jun 7, 2021 at 10:00 AM Peter Post  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 | [image: 13898AF0]  | [image:
> 48545E7E]  | [image: F510F3C]
> 
>
>
>
> [image: F73604AA]
>
>
>
>
> --
> *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 
> *Cc:* Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi <
> ard...@earthlink.net>; 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 
> 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  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  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  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 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Richard Guthrie]

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  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) 
>>>  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 
>>  on behalf of Joseph Wallace 
>> 
>> Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM
>> To: Shane Blodgett 
>> Cc: Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi 
>> ; 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  
>> 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  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  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  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  wrote:
 
 
>>> 
 This is more about bird behavior than rarity, so apologies if it's o/t, 
 but 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Richard Guthrie]

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  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) 
>>>  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 
>>  on behalf of Joseph Wallace 
>> 
>> Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM
>> To: Shane Blodgett 
>> Cc: Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi 
>> ; 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  
>> 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  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  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  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  wrote:
 
 
>>> 
 This is more about bird behavior than rarity, so apologies if it's o/t, 
 but 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Mine Torne Rd. still closed?

[Deborah Allen]

Hi Andrew, 

You can find several recent posts about Mine Torne Road on the Mearns Club 
(Orange Co.) list here:

http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY09

Deb


-Original Message-
From: Andrew Block ablock22...@yahoo.com
Sent: Jun 6, 2021 11:31 PM
To: NYS Birds nysbirds-l@cornell.edu
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Mine Torne Rd. still closed?


Does anyone know if Mine Torne Rd. at West Point is still closed to the public? 
 I assumed it was since I haven't seen mention of it since then many moons ago. 
 I'd love to go there again and see the goodies I used to over the years.  I 
rarely left the road since there was so much to see along it, plus I always 
wanted to avoid meeting up with military people.
Andrew
Andrew v. F. Block
Consulting Naturalist
20 Hancock Avenue, Apt. 3
Yonkers, Westchester Co., New York 10705-4780 
www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
--

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2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
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--


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
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ARCHIVES:
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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Mine Torne Rd. still closed?

[Deborah Allen]

Hi Andrew, 

You can find several recent posts about Mine Torne Road on the Mearns Club 
(Orange Co.) list here:

http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY09

Deb


-Original Message-
From: Andrew Block ablock22...@yahoo.com
Sent: Jun 6, 2021 11:31 PM
To: NYS Birds nysbirds-l@cornell.edu
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Mine Torne Rd. still closed?


Does anyone know if Mine Torne Rd. at West Point is still closed to the public? 
 I assumed it was since I haven't seen mention of it since then many moons ago. 
 I'd love to go there again and see the goodies I used to over the years.  I 
rarely left the road since there was so much to see along it, plus I always 
wanted to avoid meeting up with military people.
Andrew
Andrew v. F. Block
Consulting Naturalist
20 Hancock Avenue, Apt. 3
Yonkers, Westchester Co., New York 10705-4780 
www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
--

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/

--


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
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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/

--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Peter Post]

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) 
>  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 
>  on behalf of Joseph Wallace 
> 
> Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM
> To: Shane Blodgett 
> Cc: Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi ; 
> 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  
>> 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  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  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  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  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 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Peter Post]

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) 
>  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 
>  on behalf of Joseph Wallace 
> 
> Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM
> To: Shane Blodgett 
> Cc: Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi ; 
> 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  
>> 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  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  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  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  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 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Robert Paxton]

Another element to the white feather game. Swallows (especially tree
swallows, but perhaps barns too) habitually decorate their nests with white
feathers.
   Bob Paxton

On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 10:04 PM Joseph Wallace  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*
> *!*
> --
>

--

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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/

--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Robert Paxton]

Another element to the white feather game. Swallows (especially tree
swallows, but perhaps barns too) habitually decorate their nests with white
feathers.
   Bob Paxton

On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 10:04 PM Joseph Wallace  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:
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/

--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Cappello, Adriana R (DEC)]

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 | [13898AF0] 
  | [48545E7E]   | 
[F510F3C] 



[F73604AA]




From: bounce-125688380-83014...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Joseph Wallace 

Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM
To: Shane Blodgett 
Cc: Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi ; 
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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Barn Swallow question

[Cappello, Adriana R (DEC)]

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 | [13898AF0] 
  | [48545E7E]   | 
[F510F3C] 



[F73604AA]




From: bounce-125688380-83014...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Joseph Wallace 

Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 12:07 PM
To: Shane Blodgett 
Cc: Brendan Fogarty ; Ardith Bondi ; 
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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 
mailto: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 

[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC 6/3 thru 6/6 - Prothonotary & 16 add’l. warbler spp., etc.

[Tom Fiore]

New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Governors Island & Randall’s IslandThursday thru Sunday, June 3rd thru 6th:One of many photos made of the singing male Prothonotary Warbler in Central Park on Sunday, at the Pool (near W. 100-103 Streets) is archived in the Macaulay library (thanks to U. Mitra) & may be viewed here:  https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/345831701  There were multiple observers present for this bird, which would be especially interesting were it to linger for some time.A singing male Blackburnian Warbler was found Saturday in Central Park during one of the walks celebrating Black Birders week (globally), with thanks to C. Cooper and enjoyed by many other observers there.  Of 2 singing male N. Parulas in Central Park before the weekend, one at the Ramble area there was seen & heard by many on Friday, after having been found there Thursday, & that individual at least continued thru the weekend.Additional warbler species in the county in the period of this report all with multiple observers have included: Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Wilson’s, Canada, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, & Black-and-white Warblers, as well as N. Waterthrush, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.  A Prairie Warbler at Inwood Hill Park (A. Barry) was quite late for the county on Friday.  There was still at least one Bay-breasted Warbler lingering to (at least) June 3rd in Manhattan, and with the poss. exception of these last 2 species, all of the rest of the warbler species noted were seen in Central Park, with a good many also elsewhere.A few Yellow-billed Cuckoos were still passing through Manhattan to Sunday, and some Empidonax [genus] flycatchers still being found included Least, Yellow-bellied, Acadian, & Willow Flycatchers all giving some vocalizations at times.On Governors Island in particular, Common Terns are being seen regularly and often in excellent numbers; the species is otherwise less regular in (seen from) most of the county.  Both Yellow-crowned & Black-crowned Night-Herons have been on Randall’s Island lately, with only the latter species being at all regular elsewhere in the county.Many birds are now nesting all around, even as some of the last of northbound migrants continue to pass thru, and it is for the good of the birds to use all restraint and common sense near nest sites as well as around fledgling birds. good birding to all,Tom Fioremanhattan

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[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC 6/3 thru 6/6 - Prothonotary & 16 add’l. warbler spp., etc.

[Tom Fiore]

New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Governors Island & Randall’s IslandThursday thru Sunday, June 3rd thru 6th:One of many photos made of the singing male Prothonotary Warbler in Central Park on Sunday, at the Pool (near W. 100-103 Streets) is archived in the Macaulay library (thanks to U. Mitra) & may be viewed here:  https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/345831701  There were multiple observers present for this bird, which would be especially interesting were it to linger for some time.A singing male Blackburnian Warbler was found Saturday in Central Park during one of the walks celebrating Black Birders week (globally), with thanks to C. Cooper and enjoyed by many other observers there.  Of 2 singing male N. Parulas in Central Park before the weekend, one at the Ramble area there was seen & heard by many on Friday, after having been found there Thursday, & that individual at least continued thru the weekend.Additional warbler species in the county in the period of this report all with multiple observers have included: Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Wilson’s, Canada, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, & Black-and-white Warblers, as well as N. Waterthrush, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.  A Prairie Warbler at Inwood Hill Park (A. Barry) was quite late for the county on Friday.  There was still at least one Bay-breasted Warbler lingering to (at least) June 3rd in Manhattan, and with the poss. exception of these last 2 species, all of the rest of the warbler species noted were seen in Central Park, with a good many also elsewhere.A few Yellow-billed Cuckoos were still passing through Manhattan to Sunday, and some Empidonax [genus] flycatchers still being found included Least, Yellow-bellied, Acadian, & Willow Flycatchers all giving some vocalizations at times.On Governors Island in particular, Common Terns are being seen regularly and often in excellent numbers; the species is otherwise less regular in (seen from) most of the county.  Both Yellow-crowned & Black-crowned Night-Herons have been on Randall’s Island lately, with only the latter species being at all regular elsewhere in the county.Many birds are now nesting all around, even as some of the last of northbound migrants continue to pass thru, and it is for the good of the birds to use all restraint and common sense near nest sites as well as around fledgling birds. good birding to all,Tom Fioremanhattan

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