I was at Salt Point taking bad photos when I saw a chipmunk crossing the dirt road near its dead end at the concrete blocks on the North side. The chippy was heading toward the base of the big scrubby juniper on the east side of the road, and suddenly out of the tree a Robin came streaking down, hit the chippy so hard it tumbled head over heels. The bird chased it back into the brush across the road, with continuing scuffling sounds. The Robin came back to the tree; the scene was repeated twice more in the next 5 min or so. Finally the Robin began marching back and forth on the road like an armed guard in front of a palace, and thereafter no more sign of the chipmunk. The attacks happened so fast that I failed to get a decent photo. I think of chipmunks as pretty quick on their feet, but this one was no match for the Robin, it got nailed every time. Needless to say, the Robin does have nestlings in that tree.
Other birds to mention- at least two singing Willow Flycatchers; E. Kingbird seems to have moved in- I see one regularly; Mourning Warbler heard as Jay reported in the ravine across the tracks from the north end; Green Heron on the creek; at least two singing Yellow-throated Vireos- one seen near the RR bridge; fly-over Wood Duck, heading for the creek upstream of the RR bridge. --John Greenly -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --