ML99409871

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

1048: perched near raised hill.

Observation details

Little or no activity observed before 0730. Lots of activity seen later in the survey; NRWS seen or heard in flight at least 23 times. Around 0855, while making an announcement for a VESP recording, I saw an intense, apparently aggressive aerial interaction between 2 NRWS, voice noted transcribed here. For about 30 seconds I observed them in an extremely close chase, so close that it looked like they kept making contact with each other; certainly very close to each other at least. Flight almost bat-like, darting; about 2x shrub height, pretty much over the stream. They passed by me and continued ca 80 m downstream, then separated from each other. At roughly 0920, I saw 2 NRWS perched within a few m in a dead alder in the W part of reach 3. At 1010, 3 seen at once in low flight near the stream just a bit upstream of the constructed wetland, then continuing farther upstream. At 1023, saw 1 perched for ca 1 minute in a small shrub snag 10 m S of the stream at WIFL Flats; there was a notable lack of high vertical banks nearby. Ca 1046, observed NRWS activity at the vertical bank near the raised hill, where probable checking out of nests seen last week. This time, 2 perched ca 2-3 m apart along the bank, then i saw 1 take off and hover a bit, and I noted that the flared outer edges of its white undertail coverts were visible from above. That individual then made a circle or two, then perched within 30 cm of the other individual on a Rosa protruding from the vertical bank. In photos, this suspected male is the nearest bird. After ca 30 seconds, both took off. At 1337, observed 2 NRWS in flight over the W part of reach 3; saw them turn and face each other in midair twice, for approx 1 second each time, hovering ca 1/2 a wingspan apart. Apparently aggressive interaction? At 1340, noted 1 NRWS briefly fly to a ca 1.5 m high bank in reach 3, ca 100 m E of the diversion; it then flew on. At 1342, saw 5 NRWS in the air at once, making twists and circles at ca 1-2x shrub height over the stream in the W part of reach 3.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P900

ISO

400

Focal length

357 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/160 sec

Dimensions

4608 pixels x 3456 pixels

Original file size

6.11 MB