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May 04, 1995 - New Songbirds & the 'Tigers of the Woods'10A • The Suffolk Times + May 4, 1995 New Songbirds &the `Tigers of the Woods' By Paul Stoutenburgh One can't help noticing the activity going on outside our homes at this time of the year. Robins are chasing intruders out, redwings are in hot pursuit of fellow clansmen who stray into their future nesting site and mockingbirds are even more protective of their territories than ever before. Even rabbits and squirrels are seen chasing their competitors around. All have rivals and battles that must be fought to show who has the right to mate and Focus on raise their off- spring without Mature interference. These mock bat- tles hardly ever end in fatalities as they sometimes do with humans. Birds seem to know when enough is enough and the score is settled by the weaker flying off in hopes of finding a less powerful adversary some- where else. This aggression sometimes takes the form of a mirrored reflection in a window where the defender, such as a robin, sees himself and, thinking someone is trying to take over, batters away at the reflection in the window unmercifully. This attack can be quite disturbing to the occupants of the home and I often get calls about what to do with this "crazy bird." The best solution I've found is to have a cloth pinned up over the window for a week or so (sometimes longer) until the bird finds other challenges elsewhere. This usually works but the length of time you have to keep the "laundry" up to discourage the bird varies with the deter- mination of the defender. Moving Right In As we talk about rivalry in our back- yards I want to relate the results of ri- valry that probably took place back in January when great horned owls were setting up their territories for nesting. Owls are not dependent on a food supply that comes with spring like other birds. They nest and raise their young during the late winter months. Once they pair up and set up their territory, the female starts laying her eggs in late February or early March. They do not build a nest as Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh GREAT HORNED OWL YOUNG —The egg of this young owl was prob- ably laid in February or early March. By now the young owls are fully fledged and ready to be on their own. other birds do but rely on an old, desert- ed hawk's or crow's nest = almost any- thing will do. I once saw a pair using a broken -off tree as a nesting site. Because of their early nesting habits, they are often caught in a snowfall and I've seen pictures of great horned owls with snow covering their backs as they quietly incubate their eggs. Proof of this early nesting were two fully fledged owls a group of us found just the other day. They were almost full grown and could fly and, of course, once they flew and exposed themselves from the pines where they were roosting, crows moved in from all around the neighborhood to harass them. There's nothing more a group of crows likes to do than to bom- UAMV� 1 —AA V = AAL 75 Years Ago April 30, 1920 Real Estate Transfer: N. Hubbard Cleveland and others, as trustees, to the Board of Education of Union Free School District No. 5, one -half acre on Oaklawn Avenue, adjacent to school property, Southold. Long Island News of the Past Week: At a special parish meeting the Congregational parish at James - port voted to sell the Mechanics Council a small tract of land for $300. The Mechanics have bought the old Laurel Presbyterian Church and will later on move the building to Jamesport, where it will be converted into lodge rooms and an amusement hall. 50 Years Ago May 4, 1945 Peace Is Just a Rumor: San Francisco stated early Saturday evening, April 28, shortly before 9 p.m. that Himmler, acting for Hitler, had offered to surrender to the Anglo Americans. This caused a general excitement throughout our nation and most communities were affected, Suffolk County being no exception. At 10:30 p.m. President Truman, through the press, broad- cast a statement that there was no foundation for the report. He further stated that when he gets official confirmation he bard and scream at an owl — their arch- enemy. It is thought this hate relationship comes from the fact that great horned owls, usually hunting at night, just might pick up a crow that has settled down in its roost. This picking off of roosting crows and other birds is probably why you see owl decoys sold to scare away birds that might otherwise be unwanted, such as on boats, docks, office buildings, etc. I call these owls the "tigers of the woods" for almost anything is fair game; mice, rats, rabbits, birds and even fellow owls fall prey to these silent hunters. Our little screech owl is often a victim as it moves about at night. Great horned owls stand about two will read the proclamation over the four networks. The Baseball Thrill: (Editorial) The American men and boys are very keen over baseball. Millions of them are thrilled when the news of their favorite sport and of the league contests appears in the newspapers. In countless places where men have spare time, their radios are turned on for the play -by -play stories of these games... It is a healthful interest for men. It takes their minds away from the difficulties and anxieties of wartime. It emphasizes the value of athletics and physical development, and sug- gests that effort and persistence bring rewards. The boys overseas will be keenly interested in the progress of the Warns at home. The country is glad that the game can con- tinue in wartime. 25 Years Ago May 1, 1970 Broom Hockey Takes Off: Broom hockey is fast becoming a popular sport with the younger members of the community. Sponsored by the Burton Potter Post No. 185 of the American Legion in Greenport, broom hockey is played with a utility broom and a volleyball by youngsters on skates. Richard Walker, manager of the American Legion Hall, thought of the idea and hopes to interest other commu- nity organizations in sponsoring teams for competition. feet tall and their big yellow eyes and their feathered - looking ears, which aren't ears at all, make them a formida- ble- looking foe. They fly on specially designed wings with soft feathers that make no sound when gliding in on their prey and by then it's too late as the pow- erful talons seek their mark. There's no struggle, a quick bite on the back of the head and death is almost instantaneous. In the woods where we found -the young owls were the telltale pellets of regurgitated fur and bones. Like hawks, owls do not chew when they eat but rather swallow their food whole — bones, fur and all. Inside the powerful stomach the bones are broken up and the nutrient removed. Then the fur and feathers are upchucked in a neat, clean package. Waste is deposited in the usual manner of bird droppings. Pellets are a unique characteristic of owls and hawks and, if found, are an indicator of the use of the area by these fierce predators. May Warblers Arriving Another day, this time a gloomy Sun- day morning, but not gloomy enough for a group of fellow birders that want to explore the lower Carman's River in Yaphank for early- spring bird arrivals. The month of May starts the great flight of migrating warblers that are the high- light of this time of the year. These early arrivals have followed the seasons northward, utilizing the insects as they emerge from their winter's sleep. As the leaves fill out and the woods green up, they move north to find a mate and think about nesting. Nests are built, eggs laid and the arduous daylong exer- cise of feeding begins. � Gall oWIS We walked I the LIRR from the "tigers the end of a dead -end road of the until we came to the river. If WOOS there were any new arrivals for almost from the south, they'd be here anything is along the river- side and its fair game.' nearby wet- lands. There must have been 10 of us with binoculars, all eager to see the first hint of move- ment. Art's sharp eyes spotted the first, a beautiful solitary vireo, its white eye ring showing up clearly against its bluish -grey head. It was nice to see this early visitor from the south where it spent the winter as far away as Nicaragua. As we moved along, more and more eyes were brought into action and we found pine, prairie and yellow - rumped warblers, birds that can bear the cold more than others and are therefore found first. Catbirds, red - winged blackbirds, win- ter wrens and a song sparrow moved about us. Even a pair of wood ducks flew in, showing us these tree nesters were utilizing the area. Then someone spotted a phoebe, a small flycatcher, showing us the temperature was up enough to hatch out the flying insects they live on. It wouldn't be long before mosquitoes and flies would be pestering us. It was good to be out with friends again, good to see the wave of migrating birds about to start. During our drive home Barbara and I both agreed it was especially good to be back home again on our East End. As the saying goes, "One of the last great places."