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Posted by Jim Duquesnel (Jim Duquesnel) on 17:24:45 05/29/06
A fine Memorial Day - the weather is perfect. Before putting fillets and corn on the grill, we got to watch other families using our yard. A red-shouldered hawk flew by carrying what appeared to be a black bird, which explains the seven grackles in pursuit. Two red-bellied woodpecker families have apparently decided our paradise tree holds enough fruit for all, territory disputes have all but ended and the race is now on to see who can carry away the most fruits the fastest. A mockingbird tried his hand at this, conquering one fruit. He picked a ripe one and brought it down to the lawn, then stood over it raising his wings in triumph at least a dozen times before pecking it into submission. Cardinals and Great-crested flycatchers are scouring the big strangler fig for the few fruits that remain of that crop - a continuous bounty since Wilma. Common Grackles work the lower parts of the yard, one pair with noisy chicks in tow, the other pair leaving two quiet fledglings stashed in a thorny tangle of wild lime. The capper was the trio of chimney swifts that arrived by 3:45 and stayed chittering until after 4pm. Alternately swooping and gliding over our home, two apparently in pursuit of the third (a parent with two chicks?). Can anyone tell me, do swifts commonly breed in the Keys?
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