Today's front page (bird-related stuff)

[killdeer43]

Finally got the word out and a reporter on the site yesterday.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/07/02/1509492/caspian-terns-crowding-into-pulp.html

Good things could come out of this!

Maybe a tern for the better,
Joe

 

[AlohaJoe]

Interesting... I hope that site works out for them.

I saw a strange sight just now (middle of the afternoon, very nice day). I've been here 13 yrs and never saw anything like it. There was a huge commotion of crows... we hear them chasing and yelling at eagles once in a while but usually there are less than a dozen or so. This time there were at least a hundred crows, circling and yelling. The commotion was so loud people were coming out of their houses to stare. It was amazing! There didn't seem to be any particular focus of their concern. They just swirled and circled, came together and dispersed a bit and then came together again squawking and yelling for 10-15 minutes and then dispersed and all was quiet again.

What the heck were they up to?
- Joe W

 

[yettoblaster]

I wish our local newspaper was more like that.

 

[killdeer43]

Interesting... I hope that site works out for them.

I saw a strange sight just now (middle of the afternoon, very nice day). I've been here 13 yrs and never saw anything like it. There was a huge commotion of crows... we hear them chasing and yelling at eagles once in a while but usually there are less than a dozen or so. This time there were at least a hundred crows, circling and yelling. The commotion was so loud people were coming out of their houses to stare. It was amazing! There didn't seem to be any particular focus of their concern. They just swirled and circled, came together and dispersed a bit and then came together again squawking and yelling for 10-15 minutes and then dispersed and all was quiet again.

What the heck were they up to?
- Joe W

That's possibly an incident of crow behavior known as "mobbing." Whether it's an aerial mobbing of a Red-tailed Hawk (as was the case over my place this morning) or if they discover something like an owl on their turf. They will mob the perceived 'intruder' and cause it to seek quiter places! Works for me!

Otherwise, they could just be catching up on all the local gossip! :wink:

It's birdy out there,
Joe

 

[adorshki]

I saw a strange sight just now (middle of the afternoon, very nice day). I've been here 13 yrs and never saw anything like it. - Joe W

I TOLE ya they were gettin more aggressive lately!