Start the New Year Right

Whoa! I just realized I haven't posted anything here since we went to Florida in November. What's been going on? Well, try volunteering, taking care of raptors at RROKI, Grandma duty, bad weather, or preparing for the holidays. I know, excuses, excuses. I'll try to do better in 2014. On New Year's Eve, I drove out to a Shelby County, KY, farm looking for Short-eared Owls. Saw them at this location several times last year, but last night I only saw one Kestrel and some Mourning Doves. The sunset was beautiful though, and gas at the local Kroger's was only $3.05 before a $.45 discount, so the trip wasn't a complete loss! In Louisville, gas costs $3.45 right now.

New Year's morning sped by as we took down all the decorations and packed them away till next year. Dick and I headed out to the Anchorage Trail for a walk in the sunshine and a little birding. The single Mute Swan who lives at the lake came over looking for a handout...

...while a trio of Green-winged Teal stood in the shallow water, looking in all directions.

Dick's sharp eye found this Red-Shouldered Hawk perched in a tree.

It seemed to be looking for prey at first, then watched for dogs walking under the tree.

Finally it looked directly at me and my camera! I think they hear the motor on the lens as I zoom.

Yes, definitely too many dogs, so it flew closer to the lake.

Allowing me to get this wonderful closeup. I'm always amazed that a bird this big has such a small beak.

The first time we walked by the lake we thought it was odd not to hear the Belted Kingfisher as we walked by.  But the second time around, we heard two of them calling back and forth as they flew over the swampy area at the head of the lake. I don't often get nice photos of Kingfishers since they don't sit still very long!

Rough Legged Hawks!

Well, you know what the weather has been like this winter. First it snows, then it melts for one day of mud, then it snows again. Very few sunny days have blessed us. But today the sun shone. The sky was blue. It's Saturday, and time to go BIRDING! My friend Ryan who works at the landfill (see his blog and great photos) has seen both dark morph and light morph Rough Legged Hawks out there for months now. My first attempt to find them a few weeks ago was unsuccessful, but I'm determined to find this life bird today.

Ryan says to watch for the white rump that spreads to the top of the tail. As I pulled into a muddy road along the front of the landfill, but away from the actual dumping, I saw just such a bird right in front of my car. What luck! But, you guessed it, by the time I stopped the car and got out with the camera, it had landed to eat its prey on a hillside, then took off and disappeared again. Not to be dismayed, I got out my spotting scope and started scanning the horizon. The landfill builds a barrier hill so the dumping cannot be seen from the road, and this hill forms a horizon about half to three-quarters of a mile from my position. OK with the scope, but not close enough for good photos, even with my 24x zoom lens. Here's what I could see with full zoom, but no Photoshop magnification at all. Unlike the Brownsville, TX, landfill (which is on the Texas Birding Trail), the local company doesn't allow people to come inside where the birds are. Sometimes both Red Tailed and Rough Legged Hawks would perch on the ventilator pipes (or whatever they are) sticking up out of the ground. Lacking trees, you use what you can find when you need a rest. Large long-winged birds would glide just above the horizon, then dip down over the other side, out of sight. Some were vultures, of course. Others had shorter wings, and close examination showed Red Tailed Hawks in abundance. At one time I had four in sight, as they dove down at each other. Is it almost time for Red Tail mating season? Then one bird turned sideways showing that distinctive white rump again. Of course, clouds of Starlings rose and fell on a regular basis. A helicopter buzzed us, but the birds seemed unimpressed. One little Kestrel looked over the hunting grounds too.

Ryan said that Rough Legged Hawks breed in the Artic, and the barren landfill provides plenty of rodent prey in an open area similar to the northern tundra. I don't think we see them on a regular basis here in Kentucky. This winter birders have reported Rough Legged Hawks, Short Eared Owls, and Scoters in this area - none of which are common around here. Flying in a mixture of birds, I had some trouble telling this hawk from the Vulture, until the light hit the tail right. This is the light morph, but other pictures I've seen of the dark morph can resemble a Turkey Vulture, the body is so dark, and Rough Legged Hawks will hold their wings in a slight dihedral like Vultures. I think I may have seen the dark morph, but don't have any photos to verify it even to myself. I especially enjoyed watching these large hawks flapping to hover over a given spot, watching for a rat, no doubt. Sometimes they seemed to kite, just staying in place without flapping at all. Sounds like a lot of work for a bird with a 56" wingspan. Too cool! Vultures are so co-operative! They glide slowly and circle back to the same spot so you can try again if you missed the first time. No hurry - the dead animals aren't going anywhere. Vultures are much easier to focus on than speedier hawks. While enjoying the break in the weather, I saw birds other than these hawks, but I wanted to post about them first. I'll be back later with the water fowl I found today, plus a wonderful hike in the country with a dear friend.

Raptor Romance

This morning we joined the Beckham Bird Club for a late winter bird walk at the Falls of the Ohio. It seemed to be the time for raptor romance, which is appropriate considering that today is also Valentine's Day. We saw a pair of Red Shouldered Hawks climb and soar through the clear sky, oblivious to anything else. Oblivious, that is, until a much larger Red Tailed Hawk dive bombed them. Not sure what that was all about - territory? Jealousy? Sounds like there might be a soap opera episode in the making here. A littler farther down the levy, we saw a pair of Cooper's Hawks, also enjoying the stiff morning breeze.

The Black Vultures didn't seem to be interested in romance, just finding a good thermal. Every time we saw a large soaring bird, we examined it closely in bins and scope, hoping to see a Bald Eagle or two, but it ended up being a Vulture every time.

When I got home, I was surprised to see a For Rent sign on our big Oak tree. We removed a limb years ago, and now there is a nice big hole, just right for an 0wl to nest in. Someone finally put up a For Rent sign trying to attract an owl. I just hope it works. I've always wanted to have an Owl close by.

You can see that the hole is in move in condition. No remodeling necessary. The backyard plants are showing signs of spring too. The Verbena has nice fuzzy buds, and the Pachysandra buds are swelling. The Red Winged Blackbirds are making an appearance, so spring must be getting closer. Everyone is tired of winter, and I hope that our wishes all come true!