pianoman
duck and diver, bobolink and weaver
Hi all
Was doing some survey work this week in the north west - (our targets were Hen Harrier and Merlin) but was treated to a sideshow right in front of me involving a pair of cuckoos and two meadow pipits. The male fended off the two unfortunate and absolutely irate mipits while the female repeatedly jumped from a heather clump to the grass behind and back up.
There was a cacophony of calls from the pipits, the male cuckoo repeating the three-note "excited" version of his call, and the female bubbling furiously. This was the first time I'd heard a female call, let alone seen such closeup action. Could I have witnessed a nest parasitisation in progress? Or were the mipits just mobbing them because of their resemblance to raptors?
Resisted the temptation to go poking around for the nest; the MPs had been through enough.
Anyway it brought home the advantages of sitting in the same spot for a long time; the drama eventually comes to you. Another highlight for me (apart from the harriers) was seeing ravens perform their courtship flight - they're so much cooler than your ordinary crow.
Andrew |=)|
Was doing some survey work this week in the north west - (our targets were Hen Harrier and Merlin) but was treated to a sideshow right in front of me involving a pair of cuckoos and two meadow pipits. The male fended off the two unfortunate and absolutely irate mipits while the female repeatedly jumped from a heather clump to the grass behind and back up.
There was a cacophony of calls from the pipits, the male cuckoo repeating the three-note "excited" version of his call, and the female bubbling furiously. This was the first time I'd heard a female call, let alone seen such closeup action. Could I have witnessed a nest parasitisation in progress? Or were the mipits just mobbing them because of their resemblance to raptors?
Resisted the temptation to go poking around for the nest; the MPs had been through enough.
Anyway it brought home the advantages of sitting in the same spot for a long time; the drama eventually comes to you. Another highlight for me (apart from the harriers) was seeing ravens perform their courtship flight - they're so much cooler than your ordinary crow.
Andrew |=)|
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