Our resident Clapper Rail was a few feet in front of me, just across a bit of open water in the middle of the marsh, clapping away. In fact, I would never have described the sound as 'clapping' but something more like 'checking' -- i.e. "check-check-check-check-check". This bird kept up its substantial calling bouts for as long as I was standing there; at times, it seemed almost underfoot but I never caught even a glimpse or the slighest movement of the Spartina grass that would given away its actual location. Since this call is supposed to be typical during breeding season, it is still difficult to know what it indicates about nesting. I'll keep watching.
No sign of the Hummingbird. I'm really afraid that the nest has failed. A neighbor reports that he saw a hummer in his yard but he was unsure if it was a male or female. This is not very close to the nest site but it's possible that the bird could travel at least that far looking for flowers or other sustenance.
The male Pine Warbler -- a handsome bird still in its bright breeding plumage -- was trilling away as it traversed the treetops, both pine and otherwise. These birds always seem to stay up high and the nest is equally high and difficult to see. As a result, I have never been able to confirm that our local birds do indeed breed. The fact that they are quiet for a spell and then resume singing is suggestive however.
Eric Salzman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment