Subject: [Tweeters] odd flycatcher behavior
Date: Sep 17 11:41:43 2006
From: Marv Breece - mbreece at earthlink.net


I once observed an American Dipper perform a similar behavior on a mountain stream in Alaska. When I spotted the bird, it was perched on a rock at the water's edge. It held a bright red berry in it's bill. It dropped the berry. Waited a few seconds. Next it flew into the water, retrieved the berry, and returned to the rock. A few seconds passed. Once again, the dipper released the bright red berry and watched it drift away. And once again, it retrieved the object and returned to the original perch. This went on for several repetitions. The bird seemed to be having fun. I know I was.


Marv Breece
Seattle, WA
mbreece at earthlink.net
----- Original Message -----
From: washingtonbirder. Knittle
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 10:14 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] odd flycatcher behavior


Sat. I helped on the Klickitat Fall Migrant Count in the Trout Lake area and
noted an Olive-sided Flycatcher which at first seemed to be chasing a yellow
butterfly. This flycatcher would chase and catch a yellow leaf and take it
back to his perch on a small tree left in a fresh clearcut. Then he would
drop it and briefly look away then dart out and recatch the leaf. This was
repeated many times. It was just playing with the leaf.

Anyone else see anything like that where it seemed just for the fun of
chasing something like a cat with a dead mouse batting it around.

Ken Knittle
Washington Birder newsletter
2604 NE 80th Street
Vancouver, WA 98665
mailto:washingtonbirder at hotmail.com


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