Bird Notes, Part 3, v660
Page 567
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
visit was inspired by curiosity and a desire to repeat former pleasurable experiences. I let him into the magpie cage to see what he would do about it. He became frightened, watched the magpies closely, avoided them and kept himself in a defensive attitude with bill pointed to- ward them. All three became restless and Rhody wanted to get out, but could not find the way. Finally all of them calmed down and Rhody discovered the door. I thought he would bolt after his un- pleasant experience and be shy for a day or two, but as soon as he was outside the door he was completely normal, saw the mirror lying flat on the ground, flirted about it a little, then came over to me at the camera and ate meal-worms placidly. A mouse which I offered him did not interest him. When I placed the mouse and a worm on the ground beside me, he deliberately chose the worm. For the next half hour or so his time was divided principally between the mirror and the interior of the temporary cage where he again became absorbed in watching the birds and trying to get in with the magpies again. At 1:30 when I went out there again, he was near the cage and again repeated his earlier actions, except that this time he was not allowed to go in with the magpies. He did not touch the meat, would have nothing to do with the mouse, but he did pick up a kinglet that I found dead this morning and left in the cage. He picked the larger feathers off and swallowed it before I could get a photographic record of the action. Nov. 3rd. The usual early morning thrasher singing; also customary activities throughout the day, followed by B's going to sleep in the nest for the night, under the new roof. Rhody's behavior normal, included his mirror dance, which he evi- dently looks forward to. Nov.4th. More singing during the early morning hours than has occurred for