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Green-Billed Skeet LbNA #41035 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Sheba
Plant date:Oct 9, 2007
Location:
City:Philadelphia
County:Philadelphia
State:Pennsylvania
Boxes:2
Found by: Janila (2)
Last found:Oct 27, 2007
Status:FFr
Last edited:Oct 9, 2007
**note 8/06/08 be alert for hornets nesting in the trail just north of the original Skeet box location.


#5 in the Non-Existent Birds series

The story of the skeet is a sad one. Time was that the marshes of what is now southeastern Pennsylvania were home to great flocks of skeet. In fact, early American settlers identified 57 different varieties of these pleasant and harmless birds. 57 varieties--think of that! But the settlers were wasteful of this great bounty. They discovered that although skeet could fly, once in the air they were physically unable to change direction. This of course made them vulnerable to target shooters eager to practise their marksmanship, and brought about the virtual extinction of the skeet as a species.

However, on rare occasions there are skeet sightings. Consider these excerpts from a local ornithologist's notebook:

"October 9--Walked my normal 2-hour route around the pond. Observed the usual herons, gulls, geese etc, also the usual bikers & dog walkers. However, near the intersection of the t rolley bed trail and the cross dike, I was startled by a small, plump bird with gray-green plumage. Its distinctive green bill leads me to believe that this was in fact a green-billed skeet (also refered to as the "pickle-billed" skeet)! It appears to be nesting in a section of rusted pipe, approximately a foot tall, on the pond side of the trail. **

The bird did not appear to be bothered by the noise of the nearby highway and jets. However, it startled when some construction equipment emerged from another trail. Hopefully it will not leave its nest due to this disturbance.

**(Note: June 12--Observations confirm that skeet is no longer nesting in this location. It is unclear whether it has been eaten by a predator or simply moved its nest.)

This sighting was to be the highlight of the day, but I also visited one of the benches south of the observation deck. This backless bench (the only one of its kind on the loop) seems to have a magnetic attraction for some of the smaller creatures. **

**(note--11/09--small creature is missing)

[....]

August 5--Still no sign of skeet at original nesting locstion. I continued east to the bench beside Pond Nesting Box 01. As I approached, another skeet emerged from beneath the bench and darted across the trail into the woods. This skeet is almost identical to the first, but I believe it is a different specimen. Its nest appears to be situated between two decaying logs, under a few pieces of brick."


(Note: Visitor Center open 8:30-4, trails open dawn to dusk.)