Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 13:51:06 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Jim Felley Subject: Tidal Basin drama MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The only migrants I came across during a tour of the Tidal Basin were some Blackpolls, and I'm assuming that I should now move from 'migrant hunting' to 'candid birdwatcher' mode (catching birds in the act of being themselves). I caught some local breeder drama at the bridge between the Tidal Basin and the Potomac River. As I gazed out over the Potomac watching fishes (tail-waving carp and surfacing long-nosed(?) gar) I saw a crow flying towards me. An Eastern Kingbird noticed it too, intercepted it, hopped on the crow's back and began trying to pluck it! The crow tried to brush off the kingbird by using me as a basketball 'pick-man', to no avail (they flew within arm's reach of me). Then the crow dropped down below the bridge on the Tidal Basin side to hide underneath the abutments, and the kingbird returned to the Potomac side of the bridge. However, now the big colony of Common Grackles that nests in the pine trees around the bridge became agitated, as did the Barn Swallows that nest under the bridge, and they began flying about, low over the bridge, making all sorts of noise. And most amazing of all, all this ruckus and activity attracted the attention of some tourists! I have rarely seen tourists take note of our local fauna, but a group stopped to see what was causing all the upset. Finally the crow left, and everyone calmed down again (me included). Jim Jim Felley Smithsonian Institution irmss668@sivm.si.edu ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================