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
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