At Myers Park, flying down Salmon Creek at 5:30 this evening was a
kingfisher with a Ring-billed gull in hot pursuit. The kingfisher flew
into a tree where the gull couldn't follow. It took a swift turn & came
back towards the tree, joined by another gull. The kingfisher stayed
put, well out of reach & the gulls went back upstream to sit on a log.
Wonder what caused such behavior?
On another note ..........
Ten min. or less after I put two mouse traps side by side inside the
bluebird box on the east clothesline arm on Mon., I caught the miserable
killer, male house sparrow. He had already destroyed at least one
bluebird egg in another box & was a constant plague to the tree swallows
in the west clothesline box to the point that they seemed about to
abandon the nest. He had no mate but was making sure no other birds
could use the box he was in. I feel sure he would have destroyed the
eggs or killed the swallow mom & babies just because that's his nature.
Needless to say, he won't be destroying anymore eggs or killing anymore
moms or babies. I am only 30 ft. from the boxes so can keep close watch.
Had seen the male going in & out. No other bird had been near for
several days so rather than struggle to put the commercial bird trap
inside on the door I used mouse traps, deciding to watch but to remove
them when I had to go elsewhere.
Another pr. of sparrows had built in another box. On Mon. I removed 2 of
the 3 eggs there. Will soon check on the box to continue to remove all
but one egg or to put 2 mousetraps in that box. Yes, it seems mean &
heartless but when you see as many destroyed eggs & dead babies & moms
as I have, you decide to take drastic measures against invasives. The
male sparrows go into the boxes to destroy the eggs or to peck the moms
& babies to death. It's a pitiful sight to see their scarred heads.
Only one male bufflehead duck remains on Mill pond in Union Springs.
Seems late. Saw the eagle on the new Aurora nest this evening.
Fritzie.
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