Hawks

[walkin jack]

It seems as though we have now settled into the winter doldrums for 2018. Day after day of gray dreary skies and very little of interest to view from our dining room bay window.

But one thing does seem to occur more often at this time of year is that we are visited by some of the hawks that we suspect are nesting in the large city park behind our house. Perhaps we see them more because the trees are bare and anything perched in one of them would be totally visible.

We have several species that we see regularly and the majestic and glorious Red Tailed Hawk, although not indigenous to these parts, have visited with us (hunted our bird feeders more like it) twice that we've seen in the 39 years we've lived in this house.

We are witness to numerous occasions every year where hawks have taken squirrels and birds in our yard and one thing seems to stand out is that hawks are solitary hunters. Only one time have we ever seen two hawks at the same time and they were juvenile and obviously siblings. They were on the fence on the south side of our yard. We have a bird book but we were unable to determine what species these birds were.

But yesterday and today we were visited by a pair of young Harrier Hawks and we easily identified them using out bird book. Sometimes the illustrations in books get the color wrong or some of the markings unclear but in this case there is little doubt. Not only were we able to determine the species but also that they were both female. Male Harrier Hawks are colored and marked much differently.

Yesterday they were on our back fence for over an hour, moving around on the fence occasionally but usually 10' to 30' apart and sometimes facing the same direction and sometimes facing opposite directions

Today they were here for nearly 5 hours and for most of that time they were facing us and wing to wing, almost touching.

My cell phone camera has no zoom and I haven't even seen my real camera in about 3 years. Even if I could find it it would need new batteries and re-programing. I got a shot of them together facing away from us with my phone but it's just too far away. Even expanded the picture is not very good. Pam got a great shot on her i-Pad but it is a Mac and my laptop is a Windows 10 and ne'er the twain shall meet.

She emailed the pic but I am unable to email or post the image for some reason.

I know this mudst all be a visit to dullsville for y'all but it added some interest to and other wise dreary day for us. I'm bored nearly to tears so I have plenty of time to pester y'all.

I'm still working on ways to get that pic to post and if I do I'll come back and attach it. We've all seen pics of hawks but I've never seen a pic of two hawks sitting wing to wing on a fence.

Think I'll go out in the garage and paint something. Then I can pop a top on a cold one and watch it dry. That should be fun.....

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

For many years, there was a pair of horned owls that lived at the Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces, NM. They roosted in the rafters above the main entry and where a main attraction for visitors since they readily availed themselves for photos.

Several years ago, one of the birds, the female, was shot and killed by a local teen. The male went without a mate for a couple of years. Last year a very young female appeared. The male totally ignored her. She tried in every way to befriend him. He refused to let her roost near him. She would try over and over to side up to him but he would just move a few feet away. This routine continued for months but she was relentless.

On our last visit, they were roosting side by side. Aint love grand.

 

[WuzzFuzz]

It's almost spring time...Love is in the air.....Well on the tree branches anyway...I've see a couple of red tailed hawks out in the back of my place...I saw them making Whoopie. so they've got to be setting up house keeping somewhere out there. But that I haven't spotted yet. I've been looking, sure would like to be able to find where they're going to nest, so if possible, put up a camera near, so I could watch the progress, from building their nest, to seeing eggs, and even young as they grow...Here's hoping!!!!

Seems kind of early though for mating...first of Feb, it's warm around here, but still, it seems early....I don't know?????


WuzzFuzz

 

[WuzzFuzz]

http://www.galesburg.com/news/20180201/roseville-vet-comforts-feeble-eagle

I ran across this today, in a paper in Illinois....Not exactly a Hawk....But still...hope this turns out ok for the eagle.

Not too long ago, I read about a eagle in Nebraska, that got tangled up in some power wires, and the electricity apparently burnt off the feather on it's neck...Someone found it took it to a repatarian (sp) place and they did a skin graft on the eagle, got it healed, and set it free just a few weeks ago. Those birds are just magnificent.


WuzzFuzz

 

[shouldazagged]

I love all the raptors, but my favorites are barn owls, red-tailed hawks, and the lovely little kestrels or sparrow hawks. The kestrels' colors are subtle and beautiful, and it fascinates me endlessly to see them hovering, watching for a mouse or vole to move.

For some years now we've had several pairs of peregrine falcons nesting here, and those gorgeous birds are the F-16's of the avian world. I had one fly level with me on an Interstate until he got bored. Then he engaged full afterburner and left me like I was chained to a tree.

 

[6518John]

Jack—I beleive you mean "Harris'" Hawk instead of "Harrier" Hawk.

Harris' are bad boys—communal hunters like velociraptor

Harris's Hawk, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

[jrm53]

We have two that grew up here where we live and you can tell them as far as you can hear them. They seem to be very tame and not afraid of us and we had one taking a bath in our bird bath he was almost to big but it was hot here last summer, they are fun to watch. Jeff

 

[Fishinfool]

I have always had a soft spot for birds of prey. Beautiful and deadly, perfect in form and function. Red Tail Hawks predominate here in central PA.

Red Tail Take Off by Larry, on Flickr

Red Tail Hawk on her nest by Larry, on Flickr
Red Tail Hawk on its kill by Larry, on Flickr

Hawk waiting for lunch by Larry, on Flickr


Larry

 

[soFlaNative]

Red Shouldered and some sort of kestrel show commonly in these parts.
I watched a hawk while I was stuck at a RR crossing herd a flock of pigeons.
Easily a hundred plus winged rats the raptor would circle then swoop then gain altitude while the flock jigged. Repeatedly the hawk would make the flock change direction and never did it attempt to make a kill while I watched.


Just looked like it was having fun.

 

[vonn]

A few years ago I was bass fishing at Lake Fork about this time of the year when a Bald Eagle swooped down and grabbed a large Crappie about ten feet away from me and landed in a large tree close by. Scared me at first but was maybe one the most amazing wildlife encounters I have ever had.Very exciting.

 

[walkin jack]

Jack—I beleive you mean "Harris'" Hawk instead of "Harrier" Hawk.

Harris' are bad boys—communal hunters like velociraptor

Harris's Hawk, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

John, Actually I DO mean Harrier Hawk. We also have Harris Hawks but that is a bird of a different feather if you'll pardon the pun. Google Harrier Hawk for the full story on them but briefly they winter in the lower United States pretty much from coast to coast.

 

[6518John]

Jack I think you may mean Northern Harrier. It is the only harrier in North America, the rest are in Africa and Asia. The behavior you describe does not sound like a Northern Harrier, but they well may be. I wish I could see a photograph. They hunt by gliding—"Northern Harriers fly low over the ground when hunting, weaving back and forth over fields and marshes as they watch and listen for small animals. They eat on the ground, and they perch on low posts or trees. On the breeding grounds, males perform elaborate flying barrel rolls to court females."

Northern Harrier, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

[walkin jack]

John, Just google "Harrier Hawk". This will give you what jibes with my bird book.

 

[soFlaNative]

I was outside and heard blue jays in the neighbor's behind me oak tree pitching a fit. I wandered out back, couldn't see anything and because the beer was tasty that day decided to mark my fence line. While occupied I heard a "pop" like someone had clapped with cupped hands. Looked to my right and Mr. Red had just nailed a dove out from the tree and passed me by within spitting distance.


He struggled a bit to clear my roof but made the trunk of the palm tree I topped. The blue jays were relentless. They chased to bird to another oak where my wife managed to get a not too great picture. The last I saw the hawk was south bound with a crowd of blue jays following it tree to tree.

 

[6518John]

Brad—you have some of the best birding in North America in the Everglades. Swallow-Tailed Kite, White-Tailed Kite, and the Snail Kite. The Snail Kite is only found in the US in the Everglades. With thier curved bill, they pull the snails right out of thier shells—it's amazing to watch.

Your local kestrels are American Kestrels.

Florida Everglades Birds of Prey | WanderWisdom

 

[LostintheOzone]

I love watching birds. I feed an assortment in my backyard and have plenty. On the subject of hawks and bird feeders, we have a few bird assassin's around here. I have a lot of doves feeding and Sharp Shinned hawks killing them. Maybe one a week.

I'm not a very good photographer but wished I were. I've seen their missile like attacks. Mostly they miss but sometimes a dove (or smaller bird) makes a bad move and they're dinner.

None of this bothers me as I was a hunter for many years myself and doves are very respectable flyers in their own right.

 

[BearBio]

Living at the foot of the Cascades in eastern WA, we get the best of both worlds. Eagles abound during the migration and ospreys are increasing. I've seen peregrines, merlins, kestrels, "Coops", ferruginous, harriers, golden eagles, burrowing owls and even a snowy owl.

 

[the ringo kid]

I love watching birds. I feed an assortment in my backyard and have plenty. On the subject of hawks and bird feeders, we have a few bird assassin's around here. I have a lot of doves feeding and Sharp Shinned hawks killing them. Maybe one a week.

I'm not a very good photographer but wished I were. I've seen their missile like attacks. Mostly they miss but sometimes a dove (or smaller bird) makes a bad move and they're dinner.

None of this bothers me as I was a hunter for many years myself and doves are very respectable flyers in their own right.

That's one of very few things I miss about living in Houston and Austin-is the varieties of birds that were in the area we never get here-or VERY very rarely see here. I did one time-a few years ago--see a Red Jay here-that's about as fancy as we get here.

 

[walkin jack]

That's one of very few things I miss about living in Houston and Austin-is the varieties of birds that were in the area we never get here-or VERY very rarely see here. I did one time-a few years ago--see a Red Jay here-that's about as fancy as we get here.

One thing occurs to me as I travel around Texas and some of the rest of the good ol' US of A, it's quite possible that birds don't know what their ranges and/or territories are...like they don't read the bird books and their momas don't tell 'em where they're 'posed ta be.

Every where we go we see birds that are not supposed to be there. And as for here we see some species every year that should not be here. Not very many of any one species but a straggler does happen by from time to time.

A few examples:
Indigo bunting
Painted bunting
Baltimore oriole
Scissor tail

Just to name a few.

And some how there have been some permanent changes. Used to see hundreds of morning doves. One years we had a small flock of white wings and the morning doves were in decline and white wing doves on the increase until the morning doves are gone and the trees are full of white wings.

Used to have many red-wing black birds but not in the last 6 or 7 years. Use to have house finches too but they haven't been here in several years either.

We still have cardinals although they seem to be in decline also and may soon be gone. We have grackles, Blue jays and the squawking, cat and dog bombing mocking birds and sparrows.

Starling sometimes and Robins too. Several species of hawks and a rather exotic looking bird called a yellow crested night heron. Almost for got about the woodpeckers. We have a couple of varieties; Ladder back and Shrike (aka butcher birds)

In short, there's never a dull moment out our bay window.

 

[soFlaNative]

Your local kestrels are American Kestrels.

THAT'S IT !
Blue / Grey topper and the tear streaked eyes.
Thanks, pal