And apparently there are some interesting checklist changes afoot (all this
in the same day amazingly).
Details here: http://blog.aba.org/2011/04/aba-checklist-changes.html

On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 8:07 PM, Charles Swift <chaetura at gmail.com> wrote:

> Very cool observation Mike! Coincidentally did you note the discovery of a
> new hummingbird species in southern California? Details here:
> http://smbasblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/new-hummingbird-species-discovered-in-los-angeles-county/
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 7:56 PM, Mike & MerryLynn <m.denny at charter.net>
> wrote:
> > Hello All,
> >
> > Just wanted to share an interesting observation I made this last week
> while
> > on the job. I was walking along the Touchet River in an open area
> carpeted
> > with salt grass and tight bunches of creosote bushes that stood about a
> > meter and a half high. Out in the salt grass carpet were several
> > shallow burrows created by badgers or coyotes digging out rodents over
> the
> > last few weeks. As I approached one of these excavations and its pile of
> > soil I heard an odd noise emanating from down in the burrow that I did
> not
> > recognize. It could have been rodent or an insect. So I walked around
> this
> > burrow staying about twenty-five feet away as I continued to hear
> > this strange call coming from the burrow. Slowly I moved in from the down
> > wind side. Just as I was getting near the burrow a shadow shot over me. I
> > looked up only to see a lone adult Black-billed Magpie land on top of
> a near
> > by creosote bush. I now got down on my hands and knees and crawled closer
> to
> > the burrow opening. Then it dawned on me that whatever was down in that
> > burrow was now in danger of being predated as I was being watched by a
> > magpie. A bird so intelligent that it thinks circles around many humans.
> So
> > I backed off and decided to wait out the magpie and test his span of
> > attention and interest in what I was doing. As I sat down I heard a call
> > that was almost familiar, but not right on. After a few minutes the
> magpie
> > seemingly lost interest in what I was doing and drifted off to the east
> over
> > the Touchet River. I now crawled back towards the burrow entrance and
> > quietly looked down into it. Just as I was making out what the animal was
> > down in the dark hole a very loud calling Killdeer swooped in and ordered
> me
> > away from this site. I got up and walked away some fifty feet and watched
> > the site. The defending Killdeer now circled on foot the burrow entrance
> > calling constantly. >From somewhere deep in the ground came a now very
> > familiar call. Soon an adult Killdeer emerged from the burrow slightly
> > dusted, but no worse for ware. I was stunned as this adult female moved
> > closer to the loudly calling male bird. Then I was blown away when out of
> > nowhere the magpie re-appeared and in an instant the adult female shot
> back
> > down into the burrow with no hesitation. This was a first for me. Has
> anyone
> > else ever heard of Killdeer nesting in an underground burrow? I
> apparently
> > did not recognize the calls coming from underground as they were
> distorted
> > by the burrow. While crawling back to the burrow I apparently pulled my
> leg,
> > hopefully not yours.
> >
> > Thanks Mike Denny
> >
> > *******************************************************
> > Mike & MerryLynn Denny
> > Birding the beautiful Walla Walla Valley
> >
> > "If you haven't birded, you haven't lived"
> > _______________________________________________
> > Inland-nw-birders mailing list
> > Inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu
> > https://lists.uidaho.edu/mailman/listinfo/inland-nw-birders
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Charles Swift
> Moscow, Idaho
> (north-central Idaho, 80 miles SE of Spokane, WA)
> 46?43?54? N, 116?59?50? W
> email: chaetura at gmail.com
> skype: charles.swift
> google voice: 208-991-2473
>
>
>


--
Charles Swift
Moscow, Idaho
(north-central Idaho, 80 miles SE of Spokane, WA)
46?43?54? N, 116?59?50? W
email: chaetura at gmail.com
skype: charles.swift
google voice: 208-991-2473
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