Bird Notes, Part 5, v662
Page 117
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Terry could not have seen the enemy from his position in the cage. Archie could have seen him, I am reasonably certain, only for a minute fraction of a second, since his only possible view was through a window less than 3 feet square in the back of the cage. April 1st. This is the anniversary of Rhody's first having brought his mate here and starting of the first nest last year. 2:20 P.M. He is performing as usual today: No singing, but working in leisure fashion on nest 2-36, visiting the cage and loafing. Brownie continues to tag me about. He is outside looking in at me longingly. 5 minutes ago, while I was inside the cage, he was hanging to the wires and walking on the roof to get at me. Just before that when I went to see if Rhody was working (he was) Brownie tagged along too. At lunch time he made regular trips between his nest and the table. Julio says that when I was away a few hours this morning B came into the house looking for me. 2:25. Just now I went to the shop, and his feet were heard on the obscure glass of the sky-light. When I came out, he was at me at once. April 2nd. 7:45 A.M. Just as I sat down to write this note a "blue-bird chirp sounded behind me--Brownie for more worms. Less than 3 minutes ago I was inside the roadrunner cage giving worms to the youngsters and he claimed his share through the wire netting. (Here he is back again. In the time to write the few above lines he has made a trip to the nest and return, a distance one way of about 150 feet). At 7:35 I was talking over the fence to Rhody, already working on his nest, and Brownie found me there. Rhody continued to work, but, when in the nest, answered me with whines. His whine is thinner than A and T's ma-a-a-a. As I approached the cage A and T greeted me with their G-C chord. (Brownie back again for more worms). At 8:40, as I approached the cage again, a roadrunner darted from the open into the bushes and I was unable to find it after a 10 minute search. (Not including the two nests). This was not like Rhody's behavior; it acted like a stranger. Absent from 9 A.M. until 3 P.M. Julio informed me that Rhody had not been at the cage often, but twice had gone up and sat for several minutes in the glass house in the dormitory tree--a small affair never intended for so large a bird. Rhody appeared at the cage about 4 P.M. with a very small alligator lizard, added meat to his burden, and at once, began his tail wagging, etc. He worked gradually toward the nest, which, from his starting point was about 25 yards. I approached very carefully, and from a considerable distance, could see that he was alone. He saw me at once and whined from the nest, later joining us at the cage, making no attempt to attract the young birds. They in turn were indifferent to him, being more attentive to Brownie climbing up and down the wires to get at me inside. Incidentally, Rhody, perhaps from observing Brownie, has learned that he can get worms from me through the wire netting of the roof.