From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Fri Jan 14 22:35:13 2005 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id j0F6XOGp022546 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:33:25 -0800 (PST) Received: from sccrmhc12.comcast.net (sccrmhc12.comcast.net [204.127.202.56]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id j0F6W8Af022499 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:32:08 -0800 (PST) Received: from Joint (c-24-6-171-54.client.comcast.net[24.6.171.54]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc12) with SMTP id <20050115063207012000qv2ae>; Sat, 15 Jan 2005 06:32:07 +0000 From: "Michael Pollack" <[[email protected]]> To: <[[email protected]]> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:32:09 -0800 Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 Subject: [SBB] Roadrunner in Alviso, again. (story) X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5b1 Precedence: list List-Id: South Bay Birding List-Unsubscribe: , List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Errors-To: south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Hello All, After searching for the GREATER ROADRUNNER at the Alviso Marina this morning at around 10am without success, I decided to try again at about 1pm. I was rewarded with excellent views of the bird and was also able to witness some interesting behavior. Thanks again to Mike Rogers for advising me on where to look for the ROAD. When I first found the ROAD, it was within 30 ft of the cement steps which lead up from the temporary parking lot to the levee path. The ROAD foraged along both sides of the levee path for a while and demonstrated its insect-hunting prowess. At one point, it moved rapidly to grab an orange butterfly out of mid-air. On the slough side of the levee, the ROAD caught 4 or five snails, smashing the shells against small rocks to reach the edible portions inside. Later, and for no immediately apparent reason, the ROAD hunkered down low in the grass and remained completely still. I wondered why it changed its behaviour so suddenly. Was it tired? Was it concerned about my following it? I looked up at a RED-TAILED HAWK perched on a telephone pole and wondered if it was worried about being attacked. The hawk had been there for a while -- had the ROAD not seen it earlier? While pondering the situation, a PEREGRINE FALCON made one close pass over the head of the RTHA. A few minutes later, the RTHA took flight and the mystery was solved: within 2 seconds the ROAD was up and moving again, looking for more to eat. Throughout this entire time, the ROAD pretty much ignored me. But after at least 45 min of hunting in my presence, it came up with its catch of the day on the slough side of the levee: the ROAD caught a sizable rodent. (A vole, perhaps? I guess I need a rodent field guide!) The ROAD slammed the unlucky rodent against the ground a few times before running down the trail rapidly away from me. It paused as soon as it was out of my sight due to the curvature of the trail. I approached it slowly, but as soon as it saw me, it took off running again until it was just out of view. I was clear to me then that whatever tolerance the ROAD had for my tagging along had vanished when it caught its prize. Subsequentlyb I caught a final glimpse of the ROAD as it suddenly crossed back over the trail into the thick reeds. I really wanted to see the ROAD attempt to swallow this relatively large prey item, but it was obviously indicating that it wanted its privacy, so I called it a day. I have posted some pictures from this encounter here: www.untamedimages.com/recent/gallery1-1.shtml Thanks for letting me share this memorable bird watching experience. Michael Pollack www.untamedimages.com _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. south-bay-birds mailing list ([[email protected]]) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/options/south-bay-birds/south-bay-birds-archive%40plaidworks.com This email sent to [[email protected]]