Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 08:43:45 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Jim Felley Subject: Re: Unusual bird behavior... Comments: To: warblerick@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Regarding the Green Heron behavior: in the Gulf of Mexico, Great Egrets fly behing shrimp boats, waiting for the bycatch (trash fish) to be tossed overboard. They pick up fish on the wing, and do seem to briefly hover when the do so. I have seen Great Egrets following the boats, but have not noticed any other herons (but then I only saw this once or twice). Jim Jim Felley irmss668@sivm.si.edu Rick Sussman wrote: > > Hi all, > I witnessed two unusual behaviors yesterday, both from rather common > species, here at our little pond in Ashton, Montgomery County ,MD. > > The first was in the AM as I walked our dog around the pond. A pair of > Killdeer raised (only) one young at the pond this spring (a first), and it > was the juvenile that I watched as it swam across the water, towards an adult > on shore.The young bird is now getting its adult-like plumage, but it's a bit > duller looking and not quite so crisp as the parents. I know that shorebirds > do swim, but I have never before seen a Killdeer do this. Had the water been > shallower as it was earlier in the week before the rains, I would have > thought it was walking in the water, but the water is now sufficiently deep > that it was indeed swimming! > > The second observation also occured while walking the dog, this time after > work about 6:15 PM. There was an adult Green Heron standing along the edge of > the pond, and as we approached, it flew. Before it got ten feet out over the > water however, it pulled in its wings, dropped to the waters surface, and > caught a small fish (which must've been right at the surface) with its bill, > while its feet dangled in the water. The heron never really lost a wing beat > as it caught the fish (it actually seemed to hover, albeit briefly), and then > continued to fly across to the other side of the pond! I have never witnessed > a heron do this! > > Comments/questions? > > Rick Sussman > Ashton,MD > warblerick@aol.com > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================