Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Bird Brain on March 22, 2011, 03:38:44 PM

Title: And so the head pecking begins!
Post by: Bird Brain on March 22, 2011, 03:38:44 PM
:shock:

Hi everyone.  I was walking around Lake Aquitaine today from 10:15am - 11:45am.  A male RWBB flew in my face, I said "Shoo!" so he flew behind and pecked the back of my head.  Then he laughed!  Bugger!  Unfortunately, I had just run out of shelled peanuts so couldn't distract him with food.  Lots of male RWBB's all around the lake, trilling up a storm!  

Other sightings:

Blue Jays
Canada Geese
Cardinals
Chickadees
Grackles
Gulls
House Sparrows
Mourning Doves
Robins - including one with long grass in it's bill, flew to a nearby tree.  

Lake Aquitaine:  SE corner of Glen Erin Dr./Aquitaine Ave., behind the Meadowvale Community Centre.
Title:
Post by: dbellilo on March 22, 2011, 03:50:47 PM
Jo-Anne! You're living the wrong way! Next time, punch that bird! That's what I do! Yes yes! If you see anyone punching blackbirds, you'll know it's me!
Good luck
David B.
Title: Headshots
Post by: Howieh on March 22, 2011, 07:18:59 PM
Jo-Anne, I think you should be honored - you're obviously very high in the pecking order! :)
Title:
Post by: ravynne40 on March 22, 2011, 08:45:20 PM
Oh goodness! I hope he didn't draw any blood...evil buggers they are, they were all over Sam Smith today too,..untill the Hawk did a fly by, I just chuckled to myself and thought..serves them right!
Title: Re: Headshots
Post by: Bird Brain on March 22, 2011, 10:19:56 PM
Quote from: "Howieh"
Jo-Anne, I think you should be honored - you're obviously very high in the pecking order! :)
 :lol:  Good one Howieh!  They like me, they really like me!  :wink:

David ... someone wants Blackbird pie?   :shock:   (hopefully you're just joking!)

Irene ... not this time.  I was wearing a fairly thick Winter hat today.  Usually it just feels like a ping off the back of one's head but one guy got me really good (bad) a couple of years back - felt like a Horse Fly had bitten my scalp (Ouch!) then when I reached back to feel it, there was blood on my fingers.  My eyes were actually watering from this peck.  I asked my mom to take a look at it and she said "Yep, something took a chunk out of you".  Then we saw the male RWBB sitting low on a nearby branch, looking at me and laughing.  Geez.   :o

I blame it on the Pantene shampoo and shiny hair.   :lol:
Title:
Post by: Howieh on March 23, 2011, 12:20:16 AM
Has it come to this?? Oh well, take your choice!

http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/cata ... head.shtml (http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/catalog_safety_head.shtml)

At least your mother didn't laugh at you (or did she?!). My mother would not have been very sympathetic at all!!

Btw, last week I was looking for photo subjects in Edward Gardens when I lost my balance and fell forward while holding my 50D with the 100-400 lens. I went down on one knee and fell on my left hand (the knee's a mess and the hand is bruised) but managed to keep the gear from hitting the ground (probably the most athletic move I've made in the past twenty years!). A family of chickadees was feeding nearby and they went absolutely nuts, I kid you not...but I guess being laughed at by a bunch of chickadees is better than having a blackbird take a divot out of your head! :)
Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on March 23, 2011, 06:14:22 PM
Quote from: "Howieh"
Has it come to this?? Oh well, take your choice!

http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/cata ... head.shtml (http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/catalog_safety_head.shtml)
That is hilarious!  :lol:  I just need to make sure to have lots of shelled peanuts available!  

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At least your mother didn't laugh at you (or did she?!). My mother would not have been very sympathetic at all!!
At first she was concerned, then I said "Great, just what I need - another hole in the head" and we both laughed!  

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Btw, last week I was looking for photo subjects in Edward Gardens when I lost my balance and fell forward while holding my 50D with the 100-400 lens. I went down on one knee and fell on my left hand (the knee's a mess and the hand is bruised) but managed to keep the gear from hitting the ground (probably the most athletic move I've made in the past twenty years!).
Yikes!  :shock:  I hope that you are going to be OK!  Sounds painful.  

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A family of chickadees was feeding nearby and they went absolutely nuts, I kid you not...but I guess being laughed at by a bunch of chickadees is better than having a blackbird take a divot out of your head! :)
 Ha Ha re: divot!!!   :lol:  Great description!
Title:
Post by: Howieh on March 23, 2011, 06:54:27 PM
Quote from: "Bird Brain"
Quote from: "Howieh"
Has it come to this?? Oh well, take your choice!

http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/cata ... head.shtml (http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/catalog_safety_head.shtml)
That is hilarious!  :lol:  I just need to make sure to have lots of shelled peanuts available!  

snip

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Btw, last week I was looking for photo subjects in Edward Gardens when I lost my balance and fell forward while holding my 50D with the 100-400 lens. I went down on one knee and fell on my left hand (the knee's a mess and the hand is bruised) but managed to keep the gear from hitting the ground (probably the most athletic move I've made in the past twenty years!).
Yikes!  :shock:  I hope that you are going to be OK!  Sounds painful.  

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A family of chickadees was feeding nearby and they went absolutely nuts, I kid you not...but I guess being laughed at by a bunch of chickadees is better than having a blackbird take a divot out of your head! :)
 Ha Ha re: divot!!!   :lol:  Great description!


Plugging the holes with shelled peanuts, what a novel idea! Ok, seriously, do the blackbirds like shelled peanuts? and does that mean the bluejays go hungry?

Thanks, I'll be fine, just too embarrassed to tell you that the bird that caused the fall was (almost a $3k) junco, and he didn't even wait around to have his picture taken. :)
Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on March 23, 2011, 07:06:01 PM
Quote from: "Howieh"
Plugging the holes with shelled peanuts, what a novel idea!
Geez.  :P

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Ok, seriously, do the blackbirds like shelled peanuts?
Yes, they do.  Toss them a 1/2 shelled peanut and it keeps them busy eating instead of head pecking!  

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and does that mean the bluejays go hungry?
:lol: No.  I feed them too! ... and the Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Mockingbirds ... sometimes Robins will come have some too.  I also feed all the squirrels.  

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...Thanks, I'll be fine, just too embarrassed to tell you that the bird that caused the fall was (almost a $3k) junco, and he didn't even wait around to have his picture taken. :)
 You'd like to at least blame your fall on a Bald Eagle or Red-tailed Hawk or something of significant size.   :wink:
Title:
Post by: Howieh on March 23, 2011, 07:13:21 PM
Quote
...Thanks, I'll be fine, just too embarrassed to tell you that the bird that caused the fall was (almost a $3k) junco, and he didn't even wait around to have his picture taken. :)
 You'd like to at least blame your fall on a Bald Eagle or Red-tailed Hawk or something of significant size.   :wink:[/quote]

Well, ok, it was really a great white shark swimming in the stream but I knew nobody would believe THAT! :)
Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on March 23, 2011, 07:33:50 PM
Quote from: "Howieh"
Well, ok, it was really a great white shark swimming in the stream but I knew nobody would believe THAT! :)
"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water!"  :twisted: