Nest Visits, Eggs, Branch Watch, and DST

With all these happenings, can spring be far behind?

Rosie and Bobby are visiting nest and look to be close to laying. As are Big Red and Ezra. Decorah has 3 eggs already, and MN Bound has one so far. E4 is getting reading to do some branching. Still no word if we will have a cam at WSP.

We will miss you, Orla

In loving memory of Oemurr ...
Thank you, Violet, Bobby, and Pip
We all met viewing their nest, perched high on a ledge on the 12th floor of Bobst Library. We watched and waited, wanting so badly for one of Violet's "doomed" eggs to hatch. And then the impossible happened. Pip hatched! We watched her grow, and as she did, so did our friendships. And then Paula E. built us our own cozy "nest" and, perhaps impossibly, too, we became a real community. With Orla's passing, we have lost one of the kindest people we could ever hope to meet. Rest in peace, friend.

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.