A minor addition to Joe Coleman's report for the Blue Ridge Center in Loudoun
County yesterday 23 June. My wife Lynn Rafferty and I arrived late. I don't
know how, but we completely missed seeing the LWC organized group; but we had a
nice walk nonetheless.
Nothing to add to Joe's species list, but one behavioral note. We located a
White-Eyed Vireo by song, then found it actively foraging and coming in and out
of view. Finally it got hold of a large green caterpillar, and proceeded to
kill it, which took a long time. The Vireo stayed perched on a horizontal
branch, held the caterpillar by one end, and repeatedly whacked it on the
branch.
The vireo's "wild-eyed" look, and its violent behavior, suggested to me a
possible voicetrack: "Die, darn you, die!!"
Since we did not see the caterpillar wiggle or squirm the whole time, we
guessed maybe the Vireo was trying to beat it (literally) into submission to
make it easier to feed it to its young. It flew off with the victim, without
eating any.
- Steve Johnson & Lynn Rafferty
Fairfax, VA
