So I noted yesterday that I observed a lot more activity with
Dickcissels flying about the hayfield more yesterday than I had observed
when I have checked on them daily this week as well as at least 4
separate chases during about an hour and half. Interestingly
Birds of North America (BNA) online discusses how
males behaves around females as follows:
- "Male begins almost continuous
singing as soon as he is on territory, and when a female settles on his
territory, he spends most of his time accompanying her as she forages
and inspects nest sites. This close attentiveness persists through
nest-building, egg-laying, and incubation, but wanes rapidly after
hatching. " [Temple, Stanley A. 2002. Dickcissel (Spiza americana),
The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab
of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/703]
So
it seems plausible that the difference I observed was because the
females had just arrived and the males were, like the ones I observed
with the females, engaged in accompanying them flying around the field
as she 'forages and inspects nest sites.' Note today I was not able to
get out to watch them until later this
evening so add any additional observations at this time. I wonder if
anyone else has observed similar behavior with Dickcissels?
I do hope the
females pick sites near the fence or other locations that will not be
mowed as there is no way they will have time to nest before this field
is cut down.
SeEtta Moss
Canon City
http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com