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Re: Dead Babies! Klumsy Kidnappers?



Wind reports/esitmates were up to 60 mph in many locations... not to mention the large hail stones falling from the sky.  Golfball sized hail will trash your car, not to mention an unprotected nest.  Good call, James.
 
-- 
Dave Snider
Meteorologist (AMS)
dave.snider@news14.com
 
News 14 Carolina / Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville
An AOL/Time-Warner Newschannel
2505 Atlantic Ave., Suite 102
Raleigh, NC  27604
(919) 882-4075
 
 
 
James Coman wrote:
 
> Tomm, and carolinabirds:
>
> Given the winds of yesterday afternoon, which gusted up to 45 mph here in
> Alleghany County, could these young unfledged birds have been simply thrown
> from nests being wildly whipped by wind? I was speculating about this late
> Saturday while watching leaves and small branches coming off trees around my
> house.
>
>
> James H. Coman, III
> Executive Director
> Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust
> P.O. Box 2557
> Boone, N. C. 28607
> Farm Office 336-359-2909
> Fax 336-359-8643
>
>
>
>
> on 6/1/03 4:12, Tomm Lorenzin at skytomm@1000plus.com wrote:
>
> > On a 2km walking route this morning, I counted a dozen altricial, totally
> > featherless birdyoung DOR (dead on the road).  This must be a small part of
> > the total nestling dead that aren't as easily seen in the adjacent
> > shoulders, scrub, lawns, and woods. Since these babies obviously didn't walk
> > to their final resting places, I must assume that they were dropped from
> > above.  After predatory birds (Jays, Grackles, Crows, etc.) napped the
> > kiddies, they either dropped them or lost them in an aerial contest with
> > another predator. My question is this: Why are the droppees not recovered or
> > assumed by other predatory birds?  I know that this is the height of the
> > mating/nesting season, and that the casualties are to be expected and
> > more-than-made-up-for by nestling numbers and multi-brooding. But, I do not
> > recall seeing dead nestlings in such great numbers before, and I have been
> > caused to wonder at the source of the apparition.
> >
> > BTW, is anyone else experiencing great numbers (greater than in past years)
> > of Brown Thrashers and House Wrens?
> >
> > ALSO, I witnessed a female Brown-headed Cowbird chasing/harassing a Grackle.
> > Because such harassment is not-at-all uncommon, it took a few moments for
> > identity of the chaser to sink in.  What is a BHCO protecting?  Certainly
> > not her own nest...
> >
> > Cheers!
> > Tomm "naughty boy" Lorenzin
> > Mooresville (Lake Norman), NC
> > SkyTomm(a)1000plus.com
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > So he stood in his shoes
> > And he wonder'd,
> > He wonder'd,
> > He stood in his
> > Shoes and he wonder'd.
> > ~ John Keats
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Visit me at: http://www.1000plus.com/Cataract/
> >
> >
>