What a story!!  I met up with a black bear under somewhat similar
circumstances.

I haven't been able to report to VTBIRD for some time because there's some
malfunction that says that I have an attachment, --which I DO NOT.

Anyway, I wanted to share my story about finding a 2-foot (female?) garter
snake engorging a phoebe fledgling.  Not a pleasant sight.  The bird
(without fluff) was slightly larger than a golf ball and somehow the snake
had gotten two thirds of it into its mouth by the time I arrived on the
scene.  The other fledgling on the ground was better hidden and somewhat
larger.  There appears to be at least one more still being fed at the nest.

In addition, our chipping sparrow hatchlings have disappeared and the nest
is in disarray.  Apparently another attack of some sort.

If it seems appropriate, you might want to post this for me.  I've tried to
contact VTBIRD, but in vain, because they don't accept mail with so-called
"attachments"
-- mythological or otherwise.

Adelheide
of Townshend

Thanks for listening
----- Original Message -----
From: "C and R STEWART" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 10:45 PM
Subject: [VTBIRD] heartstoping moment


> Mon night I was out at 8:30pm setting out cardboard squares for an acid
> rain study I conduct in conjuction with data collection about Birds in
> Forested Landscapes for Cornell.   My study site is off a secondary
logging
> road about 1/2 mile into the forest.  As I walked in I was totally tuned
> into the sounds of the forest, the full moon rising and the cool
> temperatures.  I poured my 1 liter water on the cardboard and placed it on
> the leaf litter.  I then did my 20 paces south and was bent over pouring
> the water onto the second cardboard when I heard a high pitched scream
with
> gutteral sounds from behind me where I had just walked.  I stood up and
> turned around and froze.  Suddenly a deer came crashing wildly right at me
> - zig zagged by in a panic and was gone.  I could hear rustling noise not
> far away.  My mind is whirling - do I make noise and scare whatever is
> there?   Do I keep quiet and hope to witness some event unfolding?   Am I
> in danger?  I wait a few seconds.  I move a little.  Not more than 30'
from
> me in the road I see a coyote - big, more black than brown.  It senses me
> and moves away slowly and warily.  When I step out into the road, I see
the
> prey - a fawn - very young - maybe only a couple of weeks old.  Not more
> than 40'-50' from where I was!  Less than 5 min. earlier I had walked by
on
> the road where the kill occurred.   Where were the prey and preditor
> then?   I heard nothing of note but the Veery,  Wood Thrush, Scarlet
> Tanager  --- until the death cry.    I don't think I will ever forget this
> encounter with Mother Nature at her most basic level.
>
> Ironically,  I had seen a doe and fawn earlier in the day in another area
> where I was chasing butterflies.
>
> Ruth
>
>
> Charlie & Ruth Stewart
> E. Dorset, Vermont
> U.S.A.
>