Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2001 11:14:47 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Les Roslund Subject: Re: Nature Takes its Course MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This morning from at least 7:30 to 8:30, two Yellow-billed Cuckoos lingered in the region of the grapevine-covered cedar tree - calling and calling and calling. The call they were using was always repeated just four times in the sequence. Fairly gutteral, it was (to my ears) phonetically somewhere between "cluck" and "kuh". During that period, they were within 30 feet of the site where the Cooper's Hawk had dropped his Yellow-billed Cuckoo prey last evening. I do not know the total duration of their calling ritual. They were calling when I went out, and they were still calling when I left. Interesting, moving, and somewhat sad. And I do hope the Coop stays away. Also along the driveway this morning I found - a Swainson's Thrush - a Common Yellowthroat - all three mimics - and still have a Blue Grosbeak singing in the field near by. Yesterday morning there were two Redstarts and a Black & White Warbler. Les Roslund/Talbot MOS Hotline Lroslund@bluecrab.org Talbot County Easton, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================