rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kehaar) (03/05/90)
Netbirders:
Now that spring has officially sprung (as evidenced by the increasing
numbers of migrants), it's time I brought out a couple of stories our favorite
migrants, the Robins. The first concerns a pair of rather stupid Robin
fledglings. A friend of mine related the story of how, one morning, he
awoke to the sound of screaming. Going outside and looking around, he
quickly discovered the source: a pair of new Robin fledglings had fallen
into a window well and couldn't get out. So, he removed the reluctant
Robins placed them a safe distance from the well, and went back inside.
Meanwhile, the Robins, thinking "that was fun, let's do it again" promptly
jumped back into the well, and immidiately started screaming again. My
friend came back out rescued the Robin twins again, and covered the window
well. A little later, he returned to find the Robins trying to jump back
into the well, and making a mess of the cover in the process! This is why
he now says that Robin fledglings are quite stupid--earlier he rescued a
Cardinal fledgling from the same well, and _this_ bird did not return--knowing
better, said my friend.
The other story is brief. This morning, I was out with Champaign
Audubon, and we were watching an adult Robin in a tree, near some singing
(and fighting) Slate-Colored Juncos. Suddenly, one of the Juncos peeled
off and started attacking the Robin! The poor thrush immidiately took off,
followed by the pugnacious Junco, who seemed to know just where to attack,
nipping the poor Robin in the undertail coverts. The Robin, with badly wounded
dignity, finally landed in a nearby tree, while the Junco continued on, singing
all the way. That poor Robin slunked down on his perch, and didn't sing again
all morning. Talk about having one's reputation ruined!
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R. Cody Buchmann ^.^
"Kehaar"
email: rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu "Now I fly for you..." - Watership Down
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