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Sunday, December 28, 2008
Look at this gorgeous little one!
I only see the song sparrows in the winter... this one has been around for a few weeks now!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Bird Photography Weekly
I've been reading the Bird Photography Weekly posts for quite a few weeks now! Figured I may as well share one of my recent shots. This is of a juvenile Cooper's Hawk during the recent ice storms here in Chicagoland. It was taken in my back yard (from inside the house, where it was much less icy!)
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
New Bird!
I've got a new bird in my yard today!
A black capped chickadee!
I've always wanted a chickadee :)
The cool thing about chickadees is that they always look fluffy and bouncy and happy. And they hide seeds all over the place and can remember thousands of hiding places. I saw this guy hide stuff in the brush in my back yard - so hopefully he'll be back!
I have really got to clean my windows and remove my screens! I'm missing good bird shots!!
A black capped chickadee!
I've always wanted a chickadee :)
The cool thing about chickadees is that they always look fluffy and bouncy and happy. And they hide seeds all over the place and can remember thousands of hiding places. I saw this guy hide stuff in the brush in my back yard - so hopefully he'll be back!
I have really got to clean my windows and remove my screens! I'm missing good bird shots!!
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Comment Craziness!
Wow - I've just discovered that people have actually commented on this blog! I have no idea why I'd never been notified of comments over the past year, but this morning I was playing around with the Flock browser, and there's an area where I can configure it to notify me of comments to my blogs. Sure enough, this blog has quite a few comments - comments I have never seen before!
So, my apologies for apparently ignoring everybody! I didn't know you were there, I swear!
This should not be a problem in the future (though I still don't know why Blogger did not notify me, as it does for all of my other Blogger blogs, and the settings here are the same).
Strange!
So, my apologies for apparently ignoring everybody! I didn't know you were there, I swear!
This should not be a problem in the future (though I still don't know why Blogger did not notify me, as it does for all of my other Blogger blogs, and the settings here are the same).
Strange!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Eastern Kingbird
I think I just saw an Eastern Kingbird in my yard!!! Darn it, the birds ate all the food yesterday! Must refill! Maybe I've got a new visitor! Woohoooo first new bird of the summer!
Didn't have my camera handy, unfortunately.
Didn't have my camera handy, unfortunately.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Godspeed, LeRoi
LEROI MOORE 1961-2008
08/19/2008
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.http://www.davematthewsband.com/
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Friday, August 8, 2008
Molting
I'm watching some young house sparrows sitting in the tree in my back yard. They're starting to molt and get their grown-up feathers, and it's funny because the young house sparrows all have markings similar to females, so the male ones start to get their adult feathers and you see the male pattern growing in, so they look like half female and half male. It makes me giggle. There are a few new babies too - looks like at least one house sparrow couple did double-duty on the breeding this summer.
There aren't many finches this year. I think they got wiped out with the awful winter, and I haven't seen any finch babies like I did last year. So sad.
There aren't many finches this year. I think they got wiped out with the awful winter, and I haven't seen any finch babies like I did last year. So sad.
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Friday, June 27, 2008
Happy Birthday, Cookie!
Cookie the Cockatoo turns 75 this month - the oldest animal and the only animal still remaining from Brookfield Zoo's original collection. (The zoo opened in 1934, when Cookie was 1 year old).
Happy Birthday, Cookie!
Happy Birthday, Cookie!
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Springtime
Spring has sprung here (finally!), and we're starting to get some flowers and buds on trees.
The last of the dark eyed juncos finally left about a week ago. I'll miss you, juncos!
The ducks are back! No baby ducks yet, but I love that the mallards come up to my deck. They're like vacuum cleaners, gobbling up all the seed leftovers that even the mourning doves won't touch.
After the horrible winter here that appears to have wiped out 80% of my backyard finch population, there are a few house finches that are still around (4 is the most I've counted, down from upwards of 30). I have yet to see the goldfinches return. I had 4 that wintered here, but haven't seen them since our last deep freeze.
This week, 4 white crowned sparrows have taken to visiting my feeders. One is out there right now. I had 2 come by over the winter, so I'm really glad to see these guys. A male and female cardinal stop by every so often, and of course the grackles and red-winged blackbirds have returned.
I've cut back on the offering of cheap bird seed, putting it only in 1 feeder now. The mourning doves and sparrows gobble it up, but so do the grackles and brown headed cowbirds. Oy. So I've been introducing safflower seed in one of the feeders. I also have nyger and sunflower hearts and year-round suet, and occasionally I'll put out the fruit and nut songbird mix (though the grackles usually mog that, too). I don't mind the grackles - it's just that they come here and eat EVERYTHING. I have 6 feeders, and filling them all used to last all day - but now that the grackles are back, they'll plow through it all by noon! So I've got to find something the grackles don't like.
I added a couple new birds to my life list a couple weeks ago, with a visit to Renwick Lake and to Lockport Prairie.
I met with double crested cormorants:
and blue winged teals:
Also saw the herons nesting, which was pretty cool.
There's a strange bit of green ivy-like leaves growing as sort of a blanket under the tree in my back yard. It's growing up some of the brush and twigs as well. I just noticed that it's only under my tree, and not all along the brush down the creek. A few of the same little leaves have sprouted up under my feeders. It must be something from the bird seed, growing! I wonder if it'll turn into any pretty flowers or anything. They look very green and lush right now.
That's all my news. We've got thunderstorms on tap all day today, so I put out minimal seed. It's been raining all morning, and while the birds had a little bit of a break just now, the rains are back and they've flown for cover in the tree. They're still singing, which is so nice to hear!
The last of the dark eyed juncos finally left about a week ago. I'll miss you, juncos!
The ducks are back! No baby ducks yet, but I love that the mallards come up to my deck. They're like vacuum cleaners, gobbling up all the seed leftovers that even the mourning doves won't touch.
After the horrible winter here that appears to have wiped out 80% of my backyard finch population, there are a few house finches that are still around (4 is the most I've counted, down from upwards of 30). I have yet to see the goldfinches return. I had 4 that wintered here, but haven't seen them since our last deep freeze.
This week, 4 white crowned sparrows have taken to visiting my feeders. One is out there right now. I had 2 come by over the winter, so I'm really glad to see these guys. A male and female cardinal stop by every so often, and of course the grackles and red-winged blackbirds have returned.
I've cut back on the offering of cheap bird seed, putting it only in 1 feeder now. The mourning doves and sparrows gobble it up, but so do the grackles and brown headed cowbirds. Oy. So I've been introducing safflower seed in one of the feeders. I also have nyger and sunflower hearts and year-round suet, and occasionally I'll put out the fruit and nut songbird mix (though the grackles usually mog that, too). I don't mind the grackles - it's just that they come here and eat EVERYTHING. I have 6 feeders, and filling them all used to last all day - but now that the grackles are back, they'll plow through it all by noon! So I've got to find something the grackles don't like.
I added a couple new birds to my life list a couple weeks ago, with a visit to Renwick Lake and to Lockport Prairie.
I met with double crested cormorants:
and blue winged teals:
Also saw the herons nesting, which was pretty cool.
There's a strange bit of green ivy-like leaves growing as sort of a blanket under the tree in my back yard. It's growing up some of the brush and twigs as well. I just noticed that it's only under my tree, and not all along the brush down the creek. A few of the same little leaves have sprouted up under my feeders. It must be something from the bird seed, growing! I wonder if it'll turn into any pretty flowers or anything. They look very green and lush right now.
That's all my news. We've got thunderstorms on tap all day today, so I put out minimal seed. It's been raining all morning, and while the birds had a little bit of a break just now, the rains are back and they've flown for cover in the tree. They're still singing, which is so nice to hear!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
A Bufflehead!
A bufflehead duck visited my pond today!
Not the best picture, as it kept diving underwater so I just wanted to get any shot I could before it swam out of view! I'm excited, as Buffleheads are on my list of birds I most want to see, and I didn't even have to leave home to see one!
This is either a female bufflehead, or a first winter male (though I'm thinking female based on the shape of her white cheek mark).
Hoorah! According to Cornell's page about buffleheads, they'll likely be heading out of here shortly, as they winter around here and then fly north to nest. Maybe this one is on its way back home.
Not the best picture, as it kept diving underwater so I just wanted to get any shot I could before it swam out of view! I'm excited, as Buffleheads are on my list of birds I most want to see, and I didn't even have to leave home to see one!
This is either a female bufflehead, or a first winter male (though I'm thinking female based on the shape of her white cheek mark).
Hoorah! According to Cornell's page about buffleheads, they'll likely be heading out of here shortly, as they winter around here and then fly north to nest. Maybe this one is on its way back home.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Turn off the lights for an hour
Turn off your lights for an hour on Saturday, March 29th, from 8-9pm.
Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.
This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm March 29, 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.
On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.
This year, Earth Hour is a global event.
Make a difference. Turn off your lights. Support Earth Hour.
Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.
This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm March 29, 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.
On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.
This year, Earth Hour is a global event.
Make a difference. Turn off your lights. Support Earth Hour.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Duck Story
This is what happens when you sit in one place on the ice for too long:
Hmmm, there seems to be a puddle forming.
QUACK! The ground has dissolved beneath my feet! Get me out of here!
I can haz solid ground now pleez? K thx bye.
Hmmm, there seems to be a puddle forming.
QUACK! The ground has dissolved beneath my feet! Get me out of here!
I can haz solid ground now pleez? K thx bye.
Red-tailed hawk
A red-tailed hawk, perched across the pond. He's (she's?) pretty far away, so it's a bit of a grainy shot, but he didn't sit still long enough for me to get the scope on him. I just love their tails, and their dark faces. Just gorgeous!
Monday, March 17, 2008
FeederWatch Mar 14-15
| Weather and Effort: March 14, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| When did you watch your feeders? | Day 1: morning Day 2: afternoon |
| Estimated cumulative time: | 1 to 4 hours |
| Daylight temperature: | -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) low 1 to 10° C (33 to 50° F) high |
| Daylight precipitation: | None - - |
| Total depth of ice/snow cover: | - - |
Checklist for FeederWatch Illinois Birds
| Mallard | 4 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 18 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 2 |
| American Robin | 2 |
| European Starling | 38 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 2 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 13 |
| Northern Cardinal | 1 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 8 |
| Common Grackle | 2 |
| House Finch | 5 (0 with eye disease) |
| American Goldfinch | 1 (0 with eye disease) |
| House Sparrow | 10 |
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Why We Need Bird Conservation
Read up: Why We Need Bird Conservation by Birdfreak.com
and pass it on (PDF file - send it to all of your friends, neighbors, co-workers, politicians, etc!)
and pass it on (PDF file - send it to all of your friends, neighbors, co-workers, politicians, etc!)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Rumblings of Spring
The red-winged blackbirds came back March 2nd. The robins came back March 6th.
On March 10th, their grackle buddies showed up, and on March 11th, the mourning doves started cooing again.
Spring is in the air!
On March 10th, their grackle buddies showed up, and on March 11th, the mourning doves started cooing again.
Spring is in the air!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
FeederWatch Mar 7-8
| Weather and Effort: March 7, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| When did you watch your feeders? | Day 1: morning Day 2: afternoon |
| Estimated cumulative time: | 1 to 4 hours |
| Daylight temperature: | -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) low 1 to 10° C (33 to 50° F) high |
| Daylight precipitation: | None - - |
| Total depth of ice/snow cover: | Under 5 cm (under 2") |
Checklist for FeederWatch Illinois Birds
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 20 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| American Robin | 8 |
| European Starling | 4 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 5 |
| Song Sparrow | 1 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 12 |
| Northern Cardinal | 1 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 4 |
| House Finch | 5 (1 with eye disease) |
| American Goldfinch | 1 (0 with eye disease) |
| House Sparrow | 10 |
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Look who stopped by
Look who stopped by today!
Woohooooo!! C'mon, spring!!!
The first robins of 2008!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Red-winged Blackbirds Return
The red-winged blackbirds have returned! They arrived in my yard on March 2, 2008.
I finally pulled the pictures off of my camera, and holy cow, I'm in love! I'm so glad they're back!! I swear it's the same one that came back first last spring. They're my "spark bird" - the bird that got me into birding. He's so handsome!!!
Click the photo to see more - there are a handful of pics of him up on my Flickr.
I heart the red-winged blackbird!!
Please, spring, come soon!
I finally pulled the pictures off of my camera, and holy cow, I'm in love! I'm so glad they're back!! I swear it's the same one that came back first last spring. They're my "spark bird" - the bird that got me into birding. He's so handsome!!!
Click the photo to see more - there are a handful of pics of him up on my Flickr.
I heart the red-winged blackbird!!
Please, spring, come soon!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Project FeederWatch Feb 29 - Mar 1
| Weather and Effort: February 29, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| When did you watch your feeders? | Day 1: morning Day 2: afternoon |
| Estimated cumulative time: | Less than 1 hour |
| Daylight temperature: | -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) low 1 to 10° C (33 to 50° F) high |
| Daylight precipitation: | None - - |
| Total depth of ice/snow cover: | Under 5 cm (under 2") Snow cover is patchy (less than 50% cover). |
Checklist for FeederWatch Illinois Birds
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 12 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| European Starling | 8 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 3 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 12 |
| Northern Cardinal | 3 |
| House Finch | 4 (0 with eye disease) |
| American Goldfinch | 1 (0 with eye disease) |
| House Sparrow | 8 |
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Story of Stuff
I've traditionally been content to take the "ignorance is bliss" approach to the footprint I leave on the environment with my consumption and disposal of goods, but since I've started watching birds and interacting a bit more with my natural environment, I'm beginning to see the importance of the natural resources and the environment around me, with all its wildlife and beauty.
This isn't your typical "go green" propaganda video. It paints a very clear picture of how we got to where we're at, and the core of why we need to change. It's worth 20 minutes of your time. I promise.
The Story of Stuff
This isn't your typical "go green" propaganda video. It paints a very clear picture of how we got to where we're at, and the core of why we need to change. It's worth 20 minutes of your time. I promise.
The Story of Stuff
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The House Finches
The House Finches are still absent. There are 3 that visit daily now, down from the 24 that used to come every day. Two males and a female. I'm afraid the rest of their flock didn't make it. We had another deep-freeze last night, with a 50 degree drop in temps in a matter of hours. I've seen the three finches today, so they're still ok.
Canada Geese have taken their place. There were close to 150 geese on the pond yesterday. There are probably a hundred that spent the night on the ice island last night. Now, half of them are sleeping on the ice and half are up on the lawn of the golf course, foraging around and honking.
That's a lotta geese!
A Canada Goose reflects
Airborn
Canada Geese have taken their place. There were close to 150 geese on the pond yesterday. There are probably a hundred that spent the night on the ice island last night. Now, half of them are sleeping on the ice and half are up on the lawn of the golf course, foraging around and honking.
That's a lotta geese!
A Canada Goose reflects
Airborn
FeederWatch Feb 8-9
| Weather and Effort: February 8, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| When did you watch your feeders? | Day 1: morning Day 2: morning |
| Estimated cumulative time: | 1 to 4 hours |
| Daylight temperature: | -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) low -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) high |
| Daylight precipitation: | None - - |
| Total depth of ice/snow cover: | Under 5 cm (under 2") |
Checklist for FeederWatch Illinois Birds
| Canada Goose | 26 |
| Mallard | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 16 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| European Starling | 14 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 3 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 13 |
| House Finch | 3 (0 with eye disease) |
| American Goldfinch | 2 (0 with eye disease) |
| House Sparrow | 3 |
Saturday, February 2, 2008
FeederWatch Feb 1-2
| Weather and Effort: February 1, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| When did you watch your feeders? | Day 1: morning Day 2: morning afternoon |
| Estimated cumulative time: | 1 to 4 hours |
| Daylight temperature: | -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) low -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) high |
| Daylight precipitation: | Snow 1 to 3 hours |
| Total depth of ice/snow cover: | 5 cm to 15 cm (2" to 6") |
Checklist for FeederWatch Illinois Birds
| Northern Harrier | 1 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 12 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| European Starling | 7 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 3 |
| Song Sparrow | 1 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 22 |
| House Finch | 5 (1 with eye disease) |
| House Sparrow | 14 |
Where are the finches?
I'm worried about the house finches in my area. They're usually here in droves, and this is the 3rd day that I haven't seen more than a couple at a time - and I've only seen males, no females.
I wonder if they didn't survive last week's deep freeze. :(
I wonder if they didn't survive last week's deep freeze. :(
Baby Great Horned Owl (Owlet!)
Found this on birdfreak.com -
This video is of one of the three Montgomery family Great Horned owlets (the other two and mother were nearby). The family nested on the Northern Illinois University Campus in DeKalb, Illinois.
This video is of one of the three Montgomery family Great Horned owlets (the other two and mother were nearby). The family nested on the Northern Illinois University Campus in DeKalb, Illinois.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Dark Eyed Junco
I love the slate colored dark eyed juncos that visit me every day. A poofed-out junco hopping around can warm even the coldest of days. With their "hoppy" mannerisms, they always seem to be upbeat, even in dreary weather.
The dark eyed juncos spend most of the year up in Canada, and come down to the US only in the winter, earning them the nickname "snowbirds."
I love my little snowbirds, and not being a fan of winter, at least I've got their visits to look forward to.
The dark eyed juncos spend most of the year up in Canada, and come down to the US only in the winter, earning them the nickname "snowbirds."
I love my little snowbirds, and not being a fan of winter, at least I've got their visits to look forward to.
Red Tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl
It was a big day in the back yard!
I thought the Northern Harrier was back, but it was actually a Red Tailed Hawk! I was able to get a second chance to practice focusing when taking in-flight bird photos. While I didn't get any good shots of the hawk's underside, my focus was much better than yesterday's attempts. I cannot help but marvel at this bird. It's so amazing to watch!
Then came the big surprise: A Great Horned Owl! I've never seen an owl in the wild before, and to have one visit my own back yard - I was beside myself! It stayed for a good hour, and I was able to get a bunch of photos with the Rebel, as well as digiscope a few with the point-n-shoot.
I thought the Northern Harrier was back, but it was actually a Red Tailed Hawk! I was able to get a second chance to practice focusing when taking in-flight bird photos. While I didn't get any good shots of the hawk's underside, my focus was much better than yesterday's attempts. I cannot help but marvel at this bird. It's so amazing to watch!
Then came the big surprise: A Great Horned Owl! I've never seen an owl in the wild before, and to have one visit my own back yard - I was beside myself! It stayed for a good hour, and I was able to get a bunch of photos with the Rebel, as well as digiscope a few with the point-n-shoot.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
FeederWatch Jan 25-26
| Weather and Effort: January 25, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| When did you watch your feeders? | Day 1: morning afternoon Day 2: morning |
| Estimated cumulative time: | 4+ to 8 hours |
| Daylight temperature: | -18 to -10° C (0 to 14° F) low -9 to 0° C (15 to 32° F) high |
| Daylight precipitation: | None - - |
| Total depth of ice/snow cover: | 5 cm to 15 cm (2" to 6") |
Checklist for FeederWatch Illinois Birds
| Northern Harrier | 1 Confirmed |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 18 |
| Great Horned Owl | 1 Confirmed |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| European Starling | 17 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 4 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 18 |
| Northern Cardinal | 1 |
| House Finch | 24 (1 with eye disease) |
| American Goldfinch | 1 (0 with eye disease) |
| House Sparrow | 8 |
Don't blame wild birds for H5N1 spread
Reuters UK reports: Don't blame wild birds for H5N1 spread: expert (bird flu)
and
Thanks for the tip on this article goes to 10,000 birds!
There is no solid evidence that wild birds are to blame for the apparent spread of the H5N1 virus from Asia to parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, an animal disease expert said on Wednesday.
There was also no proof that wild birds were a reservoir for the H5N1 virus, Scott Newman, international wildlife coordinator for avian influenza at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, said at a bird flu conference in Bangkok.
and
"We recognize that poultry production, trade, both legal and illegal, and other bio-security issues are probably more important as far as being a mechanism that promotes the sustaining and spread of H5N1," he said.
Thanks for the tip on this article goes to 10,000 birds!
Northern Harrier
Another lifer! (It's not hard to find a lifer for me, as my list is only up to 22!)
Yesterday, what appeared to be a large hawk was sitting in the tree in my back yard. I have a small back yard that backs up to a long pond separating me from a golf course. Twiggy brush lines the slope down to the pond, and there is one tree amidst the brush. Within a mile of here, there are several wooded nature preserves and there's a large prairie not far from here.
I get frequent visits from Cooper's Hawks and have seen the occasional Sharp-shinned hawk in my yard, but this hawk was different. It was perched on the far side of the tree, just watching the smaller birds as they flew back and forth from my feeders (near my deck) to the tree. The perching wasn't the strange part; the fact that the smaller birds were ignoring the hawk was the strange part! When a Coop flies in and perches, all of the smaller birds disperse immediately and fly away. Yesterday, though, the cardinals, juncos, house finches, and house sparrows were just ignoring the hawk in the tree.
I watched with amazement, trying to tell the birds telepathically (from inside my house), "Turn around! There's a hawk RIGHT THERE!" but they weren't listening :)
After a good half hour or so of perching in the tree, the hawk took flight and treated me to some awesome maneuvers. As soon as the hawk took flight, the smaller birds flew away. The hawk hung low over the brush, making long laps back and forth and back and forth. It seemed to glide, hovering over the trees, searching for a meal. I've never seen anything like it.
I was able to snap a few photos, which I then tried to use for bird ID purposes. The tail of this hawk in flight was nothing like the shape of the Cooper's or Sharpie. But alas, I couldn't figure out what bird this was, and had to leave for an appointment.
I posted a photo to the Bird ID Help Group on Flickr and left for the night. As I was driving, I thought to myself, some of the photos looked like the bird had an owl face. I figured I might come home to find out that I'm the laughing stock of the bird world, as I posted the photo as "Mystery Hawk" - but what if it really was an owl?! I'd certainly look like a dufus!
When I got home, the owner of Birdfreak.com had replied with an ID of Northern Harrier. Sure enough, that was it! Wow!
What a cool bird! (I was relieved to read of the harrier's "owl-like facial disk" - I wasn't crazy after all!)
The IL Raptor Center web site lists the northern harrier as endangered in Illinois because very few nest here. Has it always been this way, or were there once more northern harriers here? Is the northern harrier an unusual bird to see around here? The Sibley guide lists it as a year-round resident, but the IL Raptor Center web site said that most sightings here are during migration.
The northern harrier was in my yard again this morning - again, just perching in the tree while the other birds went about their business of eating. It flew away without any of the spectacular show it had given me yesterday, but I was glad for the visit anyway. Now, if only it would perch on the near side of the tree so I could get a good look at it!
Here's a link to the photos I was able to capture. I have yet to master the art of focusing on flying birds, but I'm glad I've got these shots to remember the event by!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phlyersphan/sets/72157603796609182/
Yesterday, what appeared to be a large hawk was sitting in the tree in my back yard. I have a small back yard that backs up to a long pond separating me from a golf course. Twiggy brush lines the slope down to the pond, and there is one tree amidst the brush. Within a mile of here, there are several wooded nature preserves and there's a large prairie not far from here.
I get frequent visits from Cooper's Hawks and have seen the occasional Sharp-shinned hawk in my yard, but this hawk was different. It was perched on the far side of the tree, just watching the smaller birds as they flew back and forth from my feeders (near my deck) to the tree. The perching wasn't the strange part; the fact that the smaller birds were ignoring the hawk was the strange part! When a Coop flies in and perches, all of the smaller birds disperse immediately and fly away. Yesterday, though, the cardinals, juncos, house finches, and house sparrows were just ignoring the hawk in the tree.
I watched with amazement, trying to tell the birds telepathically (from inside my house), "Turn around! There's a hawk RIGHT THERE!" but they weren't listening :)
After a good half hour or so of perching in the tree, the hawk took flight and treated me to some awesome maneuvers. As soon as the hawk took flight, the smaller birds flew away. The hawk hung low over the brush, making long laps back and forth and back and forth. It seemed to glide, hovering over the trees, searching for a meal. I've never seen anything like it.
I was able to snap a few photos, which I then tried to use for bird ID purposes. The tail of this hawk in flight was nothing like the shape of the Cooper's or Sharpie. But alas, I couldn't figure out what bird this was, and had to leave for an appointment.
I posted a photo to the Bird ID Help Group on Flickr and left for the night. As I was driving, I thought to myself, some of the photos looked like the bird had an owl face. I figured I might come home to find out that I'm the laughing stock of the bird world, as I posted the photo as "Mystery Hawk" - but what if it really was an owl?! I'd certainly look like a dufus!
When I got home, the owner of Birdfreak.com had replied with an ID of Northern Harrier. Sure enough, that was it! Wow!
What a cool bird! (I was relieved to read of the harrier's "owl-like facial disk" - I wasn't crazy after all!)
The IL Raptor Center web site lists the northern harrier as endangered in Illinois because very few nest here. Has it always been this way, or were there once more northern harriers here? Is the northern harrier an unusual bird to see around here? The Sibley guide lists it as a year-round resident, but the IL Raptor Center web site said that most sightings here are during migration.
The northern harrier was in my yard again this morning - again, just perching in the tree while the other birds went about their business of eating. It flew away without any of the spectacular show it had given me yesterday, but I was glad for the visit anyway. Now, if only it would perch on the near side of the tree so I could get a good look at it!
Here's a link to the photos I was able to capture. I have yet to master the art of focusing on flying birds, but I'm glad I've got these shots to remember the event by!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phlyersphan/sets/72157603796609182/
Thursday, January 24, 2008
One more minute
Non-Birding Bill filled in on the Birdchick.com blog and cracked me up with this gem from I Can Has Cheezburger:
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Homemade Peanut Butter Suet
I've been wanting to make some homemade suet for the birds, but wasn't keen on some of the recipes I've seen. I found one that looks perfect, thanks to Corey at 10,000 Birds:
Homemade Peanut Butter Suet
Check out Corey's post, as it includes pictures and the story behind this recipe :)
Homemade Peanut Butter Suet
1. Melt 1 cup shortening (crisco or bacon fat). Add 16-20 ounces of crunchy peanut butter. Heat and stir until melted.
2. Add 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of black oil sunflower seeds, 6 cups of cornmeal and 4 cups of flour.
3. Spoon into a 13X9 pan. Chill until it is hard. Cut into chunks for suet feeders (or stuff into cracks and crevices in logs).
Check out Corey's post, as it includes pictures and the story behind this recipe :)
Digiscoping for Beginners
Stokes Birding Blog has a great little digiscoping tutorial for beginners. I sure wish I'd have had this when I started digiscoping! It's all basic stuff, but it includes photos and explains the process well. I had to visit 10 different web sites and piece together info from this one and that to figure out this much!
Digiscoping: Beginner Tips
Digiscoping: Beginner Tips
Monday, January 21, 2008
Bad news
The finch I rescued didn't make it. :(
Thank you to Willowbrook for trying to save this bird. The people at Willowbrook were kind and understanding. They provide an invaluable service to the community through wildlife education and rehabilitation.
Thank you to Willowbrook for trying to save this bird. The people at Willowbrook were kind and understanding. They provide an invaluable service to the community through wildlife education and rehabilitation.
Who knew?
Who knew we had pigeons this far into the suburbs?
I wasn't sure these were pigeons at first, as I couldn't find ones that looked quite like these in my field guides. Then, I found the PigeonWatch page, which describes a variety of the pigeon color morphs. It looks like I've got some checker pigeons here, with a few spreads and a couple whites.
I took a drive down to Gougar & Laraway Roads this afternoon. I've driven past the farms there dozens of times, and always think to myself that it would make a good photo. I'm not sure I captured what I see in my mind's eye, but at least I have proof of existing wide open space, until the land gets sucked into the vacuum of residential and commercial development.
I've got my camera set to capture in Adobe RGB 1998 again. Recall my experience over the summer, where I thought the colors were too muted. However, if I'm capturing more color data with Adobe RGB, then that's the way I want to go. It seems silly not to. I'm exporting as PhotoPro RGB, which is supposed to be an even larger color gamut. Exports in sRGB still look more vibrant to me, but not much different from PhotoPro RGB. This color management thing is quite frustrating, because it seems you need to export in one profile for viewing on a monitor (sRGB) and another for printing (PhotoPro). What if you want to be able to do both? You either suffer mediocre results on one medium or the other, or have to export everything twice, in two different formats. If anybody has figured out the path to color management enlightenment, please let me know, as I'm still struggling with it.
Seeing the smoke billows in the winter cold always make it seem colder outside.
Snow makes it seem colder, too.
As do dead twigs.
Fly away, pigeons. It will be warm again someday.
I wasn't sure these were pigeons at first, as I couldn't find ones that looked quite like these in my field guides. Then, I found the PigeonWatch page, which describes a variety of the pigeon color morphs. It looks like I've got some checker pigeons here, with a few spreads and a couple whites.
I took a drive down to Gougar & Laraway Roads this afternoon. I've driven past the farms there dozens of times, and always think to myself that it would make a good photo. I'm not sure I captured what I see in my mind's eye, but at least I have proof of existing wide open space, until the land gets sucked into the vacuum of residential and commercial development.
I've got my camera set to capture in Adobe RGB 1998 again. Recall my experience over the summer, where I thought the colors were too muted. However, if I'm capturing more color data with Adobe RGB, then that's the way I want to go. It seems silly not to. I'm exporting as PhotoPro RGB, which is supposed to be an even larger color gamut. Exports in sRGB still look more vibrant to me, but not much different from PhotoPro RGB. This color management thing is quite frustrating, because it seems you need to export in one profile for viewing on a monitor (sRGB) and another for printing (PhotoPro). What if you want to be able to do both? You either suffer mediocre results on one medium or the other, or have to export everything twice, in two different formats. If anybody has figured out the path to color management enlightenment, please let me know, as I'm still struggling with it.
Seeing the smoke billows in the winter cold always make it seem colder outside.
Snow makes it seem colder, too.
As do dead twigs.
Fly away, pigeons. It will be warm again someday.
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