For the birds

[johnb]

I was fishing Thurs eve in PI Sound. I had been attracted by the activity of some terns at the top end of the incoming tide. They got it right, first fish I've caught in the sound in weeks. Just 3, one at 20", one at 16", and a micro. Oh well, better than nothing. But on this night, I witnessed the terns doing a behavior that I have never seen before in my 11 years of fishing this river/bay system (I've logged alot of hours). One tern would catch a bait fish (perhaps 1" long), and then that term would land on the water and be joined by another. There was a very polite, quiet, handoff of the bait from one bird to the other. This was not a competitive thing. It seemed mutual - as if the birds were cooperating to feed the family??? I would have dismissed it, but I saw it happen at least five times, and once or twice of those was out over the sand bars at Sandy Point (where I caught another micro). Anyone else ever seen this?? I am going to run it by a friend who knows alot more about birds than I do. Will post what/if I find out.

[johnb]

this must be my week for crazy bird tricks. i work out of my house. was sitting at my desk doing email and saw a beautiful hawk alight on the electrical line. not a type i've ever seen (up close) before. he promptly relieved himself and then did a swan dive down to my driveway. i had watered the lawn earlier in the day, and there were some puddles left. he climbed in and started to bathe!!! unbelievable. my son and i watched in amazement cursing the fact that all the cameras in the house had dead batteries, and my camera was in my trunk from fishing last night and to go out and get it would surely spook the intended subject matter. so he stayed probably 15 minutes, and we looked out to check and he was gone. about a half hour later, i'm on the phone with a client, and my son comes upstairs and motions to the driveway and holds up 2 fingers. Now there were two hawks doing the bath thing in my driveway. Crazy!! So they stayed probably another 20 minutes and then were gone. at which point i promptly went out and got my camera, and sprayed some water in the driveway hoping to bring them back. no luck. maybe tomorrow. i have a couple of bird books, and we determined that they were almost certainly broad-winged hawks. i have avery wooded lot, with woods all around. i had seen these guys speeding through the canopy before, for years, usually at dusk. they were always too fast and too well camoflauged to ID. not today. what a treat!! a new bird for the life list.