Back Yard Bird Paradise?

I've been working hard to help the back yard birds this snowy and frigid winter. Have 5 seed feeders and numerous suet feeders. I'd say I'm going through 20 pounds of seed a week. (I think the suet is frozen!) But it seems I've attracted the attention of a sharp-shinned hawk. It's the first time I've seen this raptor! (My red-tails have not been around much this winter.) Kind of sad ... it's one thing when we see hawks go after mice and rats. Poor goldie! Apparently songbirds are these raptors food of choice. The hawk is a beauty, though. Quite small, I'd say half the size of a red-tail?

Sharp-shinned hawk gets a goldfinch. (Click to enlarge)

Teamwork!

Ozzie and Harriet on the Southwest Florida eagle cam are quite the team. They both are helping to reinforce the crib rails as their eaglets grow by leaps and bounds. And, both help to shelter the babies in an early evening rainstorm. Quite a difference from Phoebe, who had to incubate, feed, and raise her babies all on her own!

Building crib rails, 1/10/14

Ozzie and Harriet shield E3 and E4 from the rain, 1/10/14

In Honor of Phoebe

In honor of Phoebe, a wonderful hummingbird we have followed, who has been missing since Jan. 8. Her current brood is in the care of an experienced rehabber. This screen shot is from earlier last year (March 15, 2013).

Phoebe feeds her babies on 3/15/2013. Click to enlarge.

Crows vs Snake

Backyard birds have been pretty scarce. But the crows are ever-present. Today I saw a couple of crows wrestling a snake. The crows won. I don't like that they harass my hawks, but they can catch and eat as many snakes as they wish!

A montage of the fight. Click to enlarge.

Nature: Earthflight

TV ALERT: Tonight at 8 (EDT) on PBS—What would it be like to see the world from a bird’s perspective? State-of-the-art technology and sophisticated camera techniques have now made it possible to do just that and more as EARTHFLIGHT, A Nature Special Presentation takes viewers on a breathtaking aerial adventure over six continents. Check out a preview here.

UPDATE: Didn't realize this is a six-part series. Should air every Wednesday. In case you didn't catch it or record, first part is already available online at the PBS site.

WE KNEW THAT!  Read an interview with the filmmaker. Love the last question and answer:
What do you hope EARTHFLIGHT viewers will take away from the series? 

I hope that people will discover that birds are clever and adaptable creatures often with a complex social life not so different from our own. They have an unrivalled knowledge of the life of the planet and through their remarkable journeys they bring countries and continents together in ways that are constantly surprising.

Migration Musings

I read a nice editorial in the New York Times this morning: Empty Barn-Rafters 

Phoebe this morning

As if on cue, shortly afterward my Phoebe made a rare visit to my backyard (she usually stays in the front and side yard, nearer her nest). Perhaps she was saying ‘so long?’ But not yet, perhaps. The phoebes are one of the first songbirds to return in the spring and the last to leave in the fall. Cool fact: In 1804, the Eastern Phoebe became the first banded bird in North America. John James Audubon attached silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe's leg to track its return in successive years.

And, this afternoon, the sun finally came out after a gray, rainy weekend. I spotted both Desert Hawk and Sky Hawk (my neighborhood Red-tails) for the first time in a long while, soaring on the thermals. I wonder if “our” hawks (NYC, Philly, Cornell) have begun their journeys south?

A not-very-good photo of my hawk!

Hawk Mountain, in eastern PA. conducts annual raptor migration counts. To date, they have spotted 466 raptors, 47 of them Red-tailed hawks. Interesting site. http://www.hawkmountain.org/

The beautiful and mysterious monarch butterflies also make an incredible migration each year. I noted that on the Hawk Mountain site, they cancelled a program, “Tag your own monarch,” due to the lack of monarchs this year. 

Butterflies on 9-13-2012

I’ve observed this in my own yard … have seen only a few, while last year, my butterfly bush was inundated with them. You can find many articles on the Web on the sharp decline of the monarch butterfly. Click here for one. 

(Click to enlarge photos.)

 

In Case You Missed It

WSP Hawks: NJ30, a banded juvenile, showed up at the park. Many assume it is one of “ours,” possibly Kiku. Stories and photos at Roger_Paw and Urban Hawks. Also, a lovely essay by BrightWings may be found here. (http://carolesbooktalk.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/kikus-journey-ii/)

FI Hawks: Peanut was successfully rehabbed and released away from the nest area. Read about it at Sunnydixie’s excellent Hawkwatch blog.

Cornell Hawks: Sadly, two of their fledgings have died. Read about it here (http://rth-nestcam-cu.blogspot.com/) and here (https://www.facebook.com/birdcams) The third fledgling is fine, hunting and soaring around campus.

PaleMale: One of his fledglings had a collision with a rooftop pool dome on the Upper West Side. Cathy and Bobby Horvath rehabbed him and released him back to the park. Video available on their WINORR site. (And a photo of the kid catching his own meal the next day!)

Calgary Falcons: I don’t have much news, but as far as I know, all 3 fledged successfully and are well. Let me know if you have any other details or updates.

Sydney Sea Eagles: This lovely pair had two eggs, but both seem to be unviable. The researchers there plan to remove the eggs on Monday and perform tests. (There are toxins in the river where they hunt near the nest.) I have been hoping for a “miracle” hatch (like our dear Pip) in vain. It is unknown if they will have another clutch.

Black Eagle

Speaking of second clutches, I just heard about an African Black Eagle cam. The pair — Emoyeni (mom ... believed to be over 40 years old!!) and Thulane (dad, her third mate), laid two eggs in late April. The eggs were unviable and Emoyeni eventually removed them from the nest , which sits on the edge of a cliff, near a waterfall in Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Johannesburg, South Africa. After a few week’s absence, she returned and it has been confirmed that she has laid two new eggs. The outcome is uncertain, as it is very late in the breeding season, and the new chick will endure hot summer temps and may not have the required time to learn to survive on its own before being chased out of the area.
Watch the cam at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/africam-black-eagle

Emoyeni’s nest in the botanic garden