Yesterday morning while puttering in my yard a male and female robin came
gliding in for a landing and began stalking worms in the grass. Immediately
Mr. and Mrs. Towhee hopped out of the Shrubbery. Mr. Towhee then flew over
towards Mr. Robin, stopping about 3 feet in front of him, and Mr. Towhee
bowed down and spread out his tail, showing off his lovely white tail
markings. In response to this affront, Mr. Robin stood up quite straight,
and raised up the feathers on his head and back of his neck. Uh oh, looks
like trouble.... Mrs Robin began to earnestly cluck at her mate, perhaps
encouraging him to be reasonable with these poor, non-migratory waifs. The
two males did a stare down for a full minute, then Mr. Towhee, perhaps
remembering he really didn't eat worms anyway, began to poke about in the
grass, obviously fake foraging as he slowly made his way back towards his
mate and the comforts of the shrubbery. Mr. Robin, looking very fierce
indeed, continued to stand very still and stare, until finally his mates
calls turned somewhat shrill behind him. He finally turned around to face
his mate and glared at her and she shut up and peace was restored in the
yard, at least for the moment. As she jumped back into the bushes, Mrs.
Towhee made an exagratted movement with her tail, which I took to
mean....Hurrumph, tourists!


Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
><((((?>`?..?`?..?`?...><((((?>...?`?..?`?...><((((?>.?`?..?`?...><((((?>.?`
?..?`?...><((((?>?.. ><((((?>
?`?..?`?...?..?`><((((?>.?`?..?`?...><((((?>.?`?..?`?...><((((?>..?`?..?`?..
.><((((?>?.. ?`?..?`?....?`?..?`?...><((((?>


--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.5.1/326 - Release Date: 4/27/2006