This past Sunday at the Bass Ponds, (where Ike's creek empties into Long Meadow Lake), I saw several birds transporting large white feathers, mainly Tree Swallows, but I also saw a Great Crested Flycatcher with one. I'm sure they were taking these for use in their nest building / insulating. I have some links to some shots I got.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fisherkingbat/51202676402/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/fisherkingbat/51203599638/in/dateposted-public/ I am not sure if this would be a swan feather? I found the site in the marsh grasses where they were getting these feathers, looks like an old kill / feeding site. I saw no carcass, but a few large white feathers still laying there and many smaller white feathers. The thing that strikes me here is the method by which this swallow appears to be conveying this feather--it does not appear to have the feather in its beak, but hooked in the crook of the wing at the shoulder, perhaps so that some of the feather barbs are hooked under the wing and the rest of the feather draped over the wing. I have some other photos from underneath and behind as the bird flew by, though not as sharp. The feather stayed in place during flight, this bird flew past with this feather and did not drop it. In none of my photos does it appear the bird has any of the feather in its beak. I am not sure if this is a known behavior or not, where birds will carry objects but not in their beak or talons? Can anyone shed any light on this? Very interesting, something I've not seen before, and I wonder if it's a known behavior or not? Thanks in advance for any thoughts, Brian T. St. Paul MN ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
