Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 10:53:33 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Shaffer Subject: Killdeer behavior I've had a pair of Killdeer that I've been watching at Schoolhouse Pond the last three days. They appear to be displaying or advertising their territory. On several occasions I've seen one of the birds circling repeatedly over the Pond, calling non-stop, perhaps performing the "flight display". On two other occasions, I've seen both birds in close proximity to each other on the ground, shuffling around and fanning their tails, and again calling non-stop. One of the birds seemed to be performing the "scraping" display discribed in the Stokes bird behavior book. The bird repeatedly scratched at a patch in the ground, walked around the area, fanned its tail, and than sat in the "nest". The male Red Winged Blackbirds are also singing and doing their "songspread" display where they fan their wings and spread their tail while calling. I've seen one mail repeatedly perched over an old nest from last year, perhaps staking his claim. Finally, about three weeks ago I saw a House Sparrow carry some nesting material under the gutters of a building in Upper Marlboro. Yesterday, I went by and saw that the nest seems to be completed (in view under the gutter) and the female was perched next to the nest. Interesting stuff! Fred Shaffer Crofton, Anne Arundel fshaffer3@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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================