[Birdtalk] Revenge -- forwarded message

[Utah Birds]

  From:
 "Mark Stackhouse" <westwings at sisna.com>
  To:"Bird Talk" <birdtalk at utahbirds.org>
24 Nov 2008

 Many of you, with whom I've had the pleasure to bird, know that I
frequently use pygmy-owl calls to attract small birds. Often, this also
attracts the owl itself. Judging from the response, I'm fluent in Northern
Pygmy-Owl, Mountain Pygmy-Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Colima Pygmy-Owl,
Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl, and Central American Pygmy-Owl, at least.

While my children were initially duly impressed by the response I was able
to generate, they quickly turned against the practice, labeling it pure
harassment, and completely siding with the "poor birds." My pleas that it
was part of my job fell on deaf ears. The fact that I've been able to get
some nice bird photos in the process didn't help. Their standard response to
viewing my bird photos, from various pygmy-owls staring at me with murderous
eyes to a photo I have of a Mountain Chickadee with a gaze worthy of any
Hollywood psycho-killer is, "what did you do to that poor thing?"

They will be happy to know that at 5:00 this morning a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
got his revenge. He was calling loudly and incessantly from the mango tree
right outside my window.

Now I'm used to getting up early, and at 5:00 A.M. on many days I would
already be in the field. But today I had the day off, and was looking
forward to "sleeping in" until 6:30, when, according to my habit, I get up
to enjoy a cup of coffee at the garden table while watching the birds in my
new yard. I rolled over in bed and asked Eli if she heard the owl. She
mumbled something in the affirmative, and went back to sleep. Later she told
me that when she first heard it, she thought it was me, out in the yard
"harassing birds."

The owl persisted, and although I can sleep through most disturbances,
calling birds is the one thing that always wakes me. I gave in, let the owl
have his little revenge, and got up to start my day.

My kids will be pleased.

Side note on the birds in my new yard: An Orange-crowned Warbler foraging in
the bushes this afternoon was bird number 75 on my yard list - not too bad
for 5 weeks in the house. I've had three owl species, in addition to the
pygmy-owl, there have been Mottled and Barn Owls almost nightly. The local
hummingbirds (Cinnamon and Broad-billed) are completely clueless when it
comes to hummingbird feeders. There's been a female-type migrant hummingbird
(probably a Black-chinned or a Ruby-throated) trying to come to the feeder,
but hasn't been able to stay long enough for me to identify it,
because a Cinnamon
Hummingbird has claimed my yard and the large flowering tree there (I can't
remember what type it is), and keeps chasing the interloper away.

I've attached a photo I managed to get this afternoon of the Cinnamon
Hummingbird with it's face buried in one of the flowers. Someday, I hope,
it'll figure out the feeder.

Link: http://www.utahbirds.org/Temp%20Photo/Cinnamon_HB__083.jpg


Good birding!

Mark
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdtalk/attachments/20081126/ea9d6f27/attachment-0001.htm