Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 9 · column 1 of 5 · from the scan, no model involved
By Bruce Jones
Special to the Rappahannock News
We humans think we have busy schedules and important deadlines to meet. They pale when compared to those of our fine-feathered friends.
What our birds have to-do in a very short time, 30 to 45 days, is truly astounding. We observed, sitting on our porch in late June, newly fledged Kestrels, Bluebirds, Catbirds, Titmice, Chickadees, and Orioles, all flying about, getting used to their brand new world. Nesting, incubating, hatching, fledging-all in such a short time. We noted a baby Bluebird fluttering to the ground from one of our dead “snag” trees, probing for an insect or grub on the ground, emulating its Mom’s teaching. How quickly they have learned.
We don’t realize what a short time frame these birds have within which to operate. They arrive here from South America or Latin America, Mexico, or from the very southern parts of the United States, in late April/early May; they have in most cases flown thousands of miles, mainly at night, and they hit the ground here running. Immediately, nest building begins, usually both parents partaking in this duty. With some bird species, only the female builds the nest.
Nesting materials vary widely; the Killdeer that nested near the Rappahannock High School usually
94.6%