[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Bryant Roberts on 15:34:13 11/12/12
During a visit to Enchanted Forest Park this morning to look for the Nashville Warbler seen there on 11/8 I found Eastern Phoebes, Orange-crowned Warblers, Northern Parulas, Magnolia Warblers, a Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warblers, a Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warblers, Palm Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, an American Redstart, Worm-eating Warblers, an Ovenbird, a Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-throated Vireos, Blue-headed Vireos, and plenty of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers but alas, no Nashville Warbler. All were seen between the stable area and the west picnic pavilion.
A half hour visit to J. U. Lloyd State Park to check for offshore migrants turned up a dozen or so mostly adult Northern Gannets heading south and an unexpected near shore drama. When I reached on the south jetty I noticed some commotion over the north jetty which turned out to be a Peregrine Falcon with a bird in its talons which looked to me based on the size, shape, and color of a trailing wing to be either a Royal or Sandwich Tern. The falcon appeared to struggle to stay above the wave tops as it flew seawards into the wind with its prey until it was several hundred yards offshore was able to start gaining altitude. It then turned back towards land where it circled until it could land on the top of one of the large buildings north of the inlet with its prey. I have seen Peregrine Falcons make passes at birds as large as Laughing Gulls over open water but this was the largest successful kill that I have observed.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]