[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Paul-the-other on 08:18:14 08/08/07
In Reply to: Reporting Summer Sightings for NAB/FFN posted by John Boyd
Last week at dusk I was watching a brown thrasher working through the detritus and leaf litter under a hamelia when there was suddenly a burst of commotion with the bird jumping around and eventually running after something that was moving in short spurts. It took about 20 seconds for this chase to emerge into an area that was close enough for positive identification. Whatever it was the thrasher sure wanted to eat it. Turns out it was a lubber! I didn't think anything in the world destroyed lubbers except car tires and nasty little boys that lived along the banks of New River in the 1940's.
The chase went on for about a minute. The lubber tried to get up higher into a myrsine tree but the thrasher would grab it and pull it back down. Eventually the chase disappeared from view into the dark cover of the tree. I would have liked to see if this was a food hunt or just a "hunt and destroy."
Do thrashers feed upon lubbers? I can't draw that conclusion but I can say that they will persistently pursue and attack them.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]