Subject: Killer Robin
Date: Jun 28 21:16:49 1996
From: "Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney" - festuca at olywa.net


Hi folks,

Just talked with a non-birder who, nevertheless, watches birds. He just =
told of watching a fledgling Steller's Jay near Onalaska a few days ago. =
The youngster was just barely able to fly, and its parents were nearby. =
Apparently, the corvids got too near a nest of Robins, because the =
Robins began scolding and flying at the chick and at the adults.

The chick was flushed by the agressive behavior of a Robin, and flew =
weakly away. "As it flew away, another Robin came out of a tree and hit =
the jay in a cloud of feathers, and knocked the jay to the ground." The =
Robin then landed and began pecking and clawing at the downed fledgling. =
When the man approached, the Robin flew off. The young jay had large =
tears in the skin at the head and neck. The guy picked up the jay, =
placed it in a cardboard box, and sopped up the blood, but it did no =
good and the bird died soon after.

Y'ain't gonna catch *me* going near those nasty killers of the poor, =
helpless jays. No siree....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net