On the subject of being run into by birds:
Besides being attacked by the killer magpies along side the
Randwick Racecourse, when I was delivering newspapers in the states as a
kid I would invariably be attacked by a Northern Mockingbird.
Mockingbirds will take on almost anything that's bigger than they are:
crows, osprey, dogs, cats, raccoons, snakes, people, etc...
I've also been attacked by gulls, but that was on a nesting
island. We would hold sticks over our heads for them to dive at so we
would avoid direct hits. On the same island was a colony of nesting
Leach's Storm petrels, who would run into you if you accidentally stood
in front of their burrows when they were retuning to them on a dark
night. We were told that they usually find their own burrows by smell,
not sight. I still wonder though, how did they avoid hitting the trees?
Never accidentally stumble onto a northern goshawk's nesting
territory, they can do real damage. The sight of a large, angry,
red-eyed goshawk comming after you screaming is enough to make even the
most stalwart birder turn and run. Fortunately I'm a lot shorter than
most other people, so she went after the tall ones.
The magpies have now fledged at least one chick, which visits our
backyard daily. We can hear its whining begging call all morning long.
Should I be looking out for black and white B52's after another nesting
attempt?
good birding!
Katie Bertsche
|
