Barred Owls Hunting!

OK, so my wife and I just spent the last 20 minutes watching the 3 immature Barred Owls attempt to catch a squirrel that was feeding on the ground under our bird feeders. At first the squirrel seemed to pay no attention to the one owl that was about 12 feet off the ground and right next to our deck (about 20 feet from the squirrel). We watched the owl watch the squirrel. Eventually the owl swooped out of the tree and down after the squirrel. He missed. Then he tried again from a different spot. Then the second owl made his attempt and also missed. By this point the third owl is in the mix and they attempted to "corner" the squirrel on the tree. Honestly they never really got that close with the exception of the very first attempt. You can tell they are still a bit awkward in flight compared to the adults, but they were trying their best. :)

We were watching these owls learn how to hunt! How cool is that?!

Right after all three attempted to corner the squirrel the each in turn landed on a downed tree on the ground. I just took these shots a few minutes ago. They are both taken at ISO 3200/f5.6 and 1/30 of second hand-held. They are heavily cropped, pretty noisy, and definitely blurry. However, this was a really cool moment for both my wife and I and it's worth sharing here. I hope you all enjoy it as well.

The Three:


The Two:



Here's another shot I took this morning:

American Redstart

Well I had a bit of time today so I made run to Carlos Avery and to be honest, didn't have that great of a day. The highlight though was a pair of American Redstarts that I was able to spend quite a bit of time with. They sure do flit around a lot though making for some tough photos. Here is one of the shots that I got.

American Redstart:

Yard Birds

Well, we have had a number of new birds in our yard over the last couple weeks. We have had an Indigo Bunting show up 3 times which has been quite a treat and we have also had a Three-toed Woodpecker. We get a lot of woodpeckers on the suet log and when he showed up, we weren't sure what it was. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera for either of these birds. However, I did get some shots of 2 of the 3 Barred Owl owlets:

Barred Owl:

Cranes and Warblers

Last week I went to Carlos Avery with my Mother and Father for about 3 hours. We saw quite a few birds and had a really nice time. My father got to see his first Common Yellowthroat which was pretty cool. There were quite a few Yellow Warblers, a Catbird, and a pair of Sandhill Cranes that were the closest I have ever had to my car at Carlos Avery. We were driving down the road and I spotted just the head of a crane sticking out of the tall grass about 15 feet off the road. We stopped and he stayed. I expected the brid to just walk off like they normally do but I was able to pop my head out of the sun roof of the car and take quite a few shots. I liked this one in particular:

Sandhill Crane:


The Yellow warblers were quite cooperative and I took this shot which I liked because of it's bright color in the photo. Generally when I take shots I like to fill the frame with the bird, but in this instance I liked the overall look with a wider angle. I think it helps to see the photo larger so click on it and you can see a larger size on Flickr.

Yellow Warbler:

Tree Swallows

OK, since it's been a while I thought I would add another post and photo. I watched this Tree Swallow fly in and out of the holes on this tree for about 15 minutes. It would have food in it's mouth when it went in and none when it came back out. It's hard to be 100% positive because I couldn't hear or see young, but I would bet this was a Tree Swallow on the nest. Either way, it was pretty cool to watch.

Tree Swallow:

Green Heron

So it's been way to long since my last post. I've been getting out now and then to bird and take photos, but just haven't had a lot of time to get through all the photos and pull a few out for the blog. I should be posting on more regular basis again with photos from the last few weeks. Anyway, I took this photo of a Green Heron about 2 weeks ago up at Carlos Avery.

Green Heron:

Today at Carlos Avery

Well today was a pretty good day at Carlos Avery. It started out with a pair of Scarlet Tanagers, a number of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a few of Common Yellowthroat and a single Baltimore Oriole. I also had a great view of an Eastern Kingbird. Here's some pictures from today.

Eastern Kingbird:


Rose-breasted Grosbeak:


I have a pretty good guess of what this bird is but I sure would appreciate a few more opinions:

A new Yard Bird!

Well, we had a Swainsons Thrush, Redstarts, YR Warblers, and what I initially thought was a Hermit Thrush in the yard this weekend. What I had incorrectly ID'd as a Hermit Thrush (a guess in the field since I still haven't seen one of these), is actually an Ovenbird. A new lifer for me!

Ovenbird:

Scarlet Tanager and Warblers

We had a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers and this Scarlet Tanager move through the yard this morning. I was lucky enough to be able to run back in the house, grab the camera, go back outside and get this photo. I'm surprised he stayed long enough for that, usually when I go back to get my camera the birds fly away about the time I pull the camera up to shoot.

Scarlet Tanager:

Springbrook Nature Center Part 2

I really did have a great time at Springbrook yesterday. There weren't a lot of people, so I was able to walk quietly and see plenty of birds. I have to admit that as much as I like photographing birds I missed quite a few shots yesterday just watching. I guess that's a pretty good sign that I was having a good time! Here are a couple more shots that I took:

Yellow Warbler:


Brown Thrasher:


There were plenty of Swallows as well . . . including one rubbing his head on his perch:

Tree Swallow:


I had initially ID'd this as a Tree Swallow, thanks to those that helped me correctly ID this bird.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Rubbing his head:

Springbrook Nature Center

I was able to leave work early yesterday and I made a run up to Springbrook Nature Center. I had a really good evening and was able to get shots of a number of birds, including 2 new birds for my photography life list (Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Brown Thrasher). I would also like to thank Ivars for his help in locating this Red-winged Blackbird on the nest. Thanks Ivars! I'll be posting more photos of my evening over the next couple of days.

Red-winged Blackbird on the Nest:

A bit of sad news . . .

Well, the Red Shouldered Hawks have not been present on the nest for about the last 5 days. It appears they have abandoned the nest and have started to build a new one. On Sunday I saw both hawks soaring above my house and calling vehemently. I also noticed that they were carrying sticks and pine branches. My hope is that despite their first attempt going wrong, they are trying again and are building a new nest. I haven't located it yet, and I'm not sure that I will, but if I do, I will post to the blog. I hope that they are successful and am a bit saddened that we won't get to see the nestlings this year.

Birds on the Nest

I recently found a Sharp-shinned Hawk nest at park near where I work. I was able to get a few shots of the hawk standing on the nest but the lighting wasn't that great and the nest is pretty hard to get a good look at. Anyway, I'll be going back there periodically to take more shots. I also took a shot of a Canada Goose on the nest at Carlos Avery last week. Getting photos of birds on the nest has really become an interest of mine. I think mainly because it's difficult to get a good shot while still being respectful of the bird on the nest (which is very important to me). Here are the shots of the birds:

Sharp-shinned Hawk:


Canada Goose:


By the way, here's link to a great shot of Red-winged Blackbird on the Nest over at Ivar's Birds.

Warblers & Cranes

I went to Carlos Avery after work today and had a decent day. I saw a lot of Yellow Rumped Warblers, about 7 Sandhill Cranes and a number of Canada Goose on nests. Other than that, it was pretty uneventful. Here are a few of the photos from today:

Sandhill Crane:


Sandhill Crane Pair:


Yellow-rumped Warbler:

Going through my photos . . .

I was going through my photos and keywording them. I had a few birds that I hadn't identified previously. The only bird that I'm really having trouble with is the bird below. I took the picture last year in Carlos Avery. It was a quick shot, and when I took it, I thought it was a female Red Winged Blackbird since there so many of those around at the time. Once I got home and looked it more I realized it wasn't that, but didn't know what it was. So if you know, or have a guess, as to what this might be, I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

PS: There isn't much to report on the RSH's right now. They are sitting on the nest all the time. Hopefully around the first week of May or so, we'll be seeing the young as well. Stay Tuned!

Unidentified Bird has been identified as Female Brown Headed Cowbird:

RSH, GHO, and Crows

During the rain today, I noticed a bit of movement outside, so I grabbed my binoculars and spotted a Great Horned Owl that has be visiting our yard over the last month. My wife and I spent some time looking at the bird and enjoying the moment. The rain had let up a little bit, so I thought I'd take a chance at getting a shot. So I grabbed my camera, and went outside. As I rounded the corner of my house the owl got up and flew back farther into the woods. At that point the Red Shouldered Hawk was calling and came flying through the woods right past the spot the GHO had been sitting. I didn't feel like standing in the rain so I went back inside. As soon as I got in I heard a few crows calling repeatedly back in the area the GHO had landed. So being curious I walked back outside and into the woods a bit. The crows were sitting in the tree with the owl and incessantly calling at it. I walked back a bit farther and the owl got up and flew with the Crows hot on its tail. As soon as the birds took off the Hawk started calling and chased all three birds over the marsh and into the woods. It was a pretty interesting exchange considering the birds involved. Last year I saw a similar exchange with the RSH and about 20 or crows in our yard. The crows just land in the tree all around the hawk and called at it. Anyway, I didn't get any shots of this mobbing behavior, but I thought I'd pass it on.

She's not leaving the nest much . . .

So there isn't much to report on the Red Shouldered Hawks as of late. The female has barely left the nest for the last week which I'm guessing means she's sitting on her eggs. Pretty much the only time she leaves the nest is eat when the male brings in food and to periodically switch out with the male. She's a very diligent mother! Here is a picture of the pair making a switch in duties.

Sandhill Cranes and Bufflehead

Well I had a great time at Carlos Avery today. I saw a lot of birds including Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, Sandhill Cranes, Northern Harrier, and host of others. I took photos of the Bufflehead but the birds were so far away it was hardly worth it. Here are a few picks from the day:

Dancing Cranes:


Mallards in Flight:


Northern Harrier in Flight:

RSH eating a bit of lunch . . .

Well the current cold snap appears to have slowed down birds as whole, but the hawks appear to be doing just fine. They continue to mate, although there appears to be a direct correlation between the presence of my camera and when they chose to "frolic". Anyway, the female (I presume) appears to be spending quite a bit more time on the nest and the male seems to be bringing in food. The female calls (for minutes at a time) for the male who eventually shows up with food. He lands on a branch near the nest, and waits for the female to fly over to him to grab the food. She then eats it, and heads back to the nest. The pictures below are of the female eating a rodent.

It's a bit hard to see in this photo, but there is a rodent in the hawks claws:

Keep on buildin' . . .

Nest building continues every day. The size of the nest has grown quite a bit with sticks and live evergreen branches. You can see the size change in the following 2 photos:

This shot was taken on March 21, 2007:


This shot was taken on April 2, 2007:


The hawks are active every day working on there nest and mating. I missed the mating shots but I did get to witness it a couple times which was quite cool. Here's another shot I got today that I really liked:

Rain . . .

The weather over the last few days has been pretty dismal and I haven't gotten out, so I thought I'd post another photo that I took at Springbrook. Maybe we'll get a bit of break in the weather this weekend and I can get out for a bit.

Cardinal (male):

Fox Sparrow

Well Monday was 80 degrees or so and I had to get out! Carlos Avery still has its gates closed so I walked the south section right near the entrance to the Wildlife Science Center. The first 20 minutes I didn't see anything but after that things got a lot more interesting. I saw a number of birds: Trumpeter Swans, Hooded Mergansers, Fox Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting. Here's a few pictures from the day.

Fox Sparrow:


Sandhill Cranes:


I should probably know this one, but I'll be honest any help here would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all that replied.
ID = Song Sparrow:

Red Shoulder Hawk Habitat

I have received a number of phone calls and emails about the RSH's in my yard and it has been great to talk with so many people from the MOU. One question I was asked was about the type of woods that these hawks are in. So I thought I would post a few shots of my yard and the woods that surround it. The woods consist mainly of mature oak and maple trees. There is a bit of marshland in area, but it typically does not contain much standing water, although enough to produce a good amount of mosquito's.

The woods (in the fog):


Here is a wide angle shot of the nest and tree. You can see the nest about a 1/4 way down the crook of tree in the center of the shot. The nest is quite a bit bigger now since they continue to work on it every day. To give a bit of perspective, I estimate the nest is around 50' up from the ground.

Springbrook Nature Center

I went to SNC yesterday with my wife and had a really nice day. There was a fair amount of activity in terms of birds with weather being as nice as it was. We really had a nice walk and it's a birding spot that I'm sure I'll go back to again. Carlos Avery still has the gates shut so this was a nice alternative for me. Here is a shot of a female Cardinal that I took. It's probably the nicest shot of a female that I've taken.

Cardinal (female):

Hawks in the Fog

Well, today's fog made photos difficult, but I guess it worked out in the end. Not much to report on their activity today. They continue to build the nest up each day. One thing of note for today though was that I was able to watch as one of the hawks worked to break a branch off a tree for the nest. The hawk stood on the branch, flapped it's wings and applied pressure down with one leg, and up with the other. Each time the bird flapped it's wings I would hear and see the branch break a little more. After a few tries the branch would snap and the bird would fly back to the nest with it. Here is a photo of that happening (a video of this would have been great, but I don't have a video camera).

Breaking a branch:


A shot through the fog:

The Building Continues

Each morning, the hawks continue to work on building their nest. The nest size has grown, both out and up. I've seen them carry in some pretty large sticks to work with, many times dropping them to the ground just as they come in to land. So they just turn around and fly out to get more. Perseverance is definitely something we can learn from these birds.
Red Shouldered Hawk Factoid:
"The Red-shouldered Hawk is divided into five subspecies. The four eastern forms contact each other, but the West Coast form is separated from the eastern forms by 1600 km (1000 mi). The northern form is the largest. The form in very southern Florida is the palest, having a gray head and very faint barring on the chest."

Today's shot of the bird on the nest. I tried more shots of them in flight, but it's overcast today so those shots turned out a bit blurry.

The Nest has been selected . . .

So it appears that the Hawks have selected their nest. We've been watching them bringing in nesting material to build with. Again they continue to call back and forth. Today though, the female (again I presume this) is sitting on the nest waiting for the male to drop off branches. Once he drops them off, he leaves and she continues to form the sides and bottom of the nest. She'll fly off periodically, but generally stays near the nest and waits. Here are today's shots.

Here they are, one on the nest and the other taking off to find more branches:


Here's the male flying off to find more branches:

Oh Yeah, they're back!

So today, the hawks continue to call back and forth so much I wonder if they are going to lose their voices. The female (at least I presume the female) has been carrying nesting material to at least 2 different locations this morning. It doesn't appear as though a final nesting location has been determined yet. She just keeps flying back and forth with branches and leaves to a couple different locations. I know which one I would pick, the one closest to my driveway so that I can continue to shoot more pictures with a relatively unobstructed view. However, I don't think my opinion carries much weight in her decision. Here she is again, perched near possible nest site #1.

The Red Shoulders are Back!

Well, the Red Shouldered hawks that we had nest in our yard last year a back again. The have been flying around and calling to each other almost non-stop for about 5 days now. The first time we saw them, it was a single bird sitting on a nest, or so I thought. Now, a few days later, the hawk was sitting on a different nest, or at least that's what it appears like. I guess she's trying out a few different homes to see which is the most comfortable. :) As far as I can tell there are at least 4 relatively new nests in our yard from past years. Here's a shot a just took a few minutes ago, and a shot from last year. I'm sure more will follow as the days go on.

Red Shouldered Hawk - Spring 2007:


Red Shouldered Hawk - Spring 2006:


Here is a link to the post I made last year about the hawks in our yard:
Last Years Post

Gettin' ready . . .

Spring is almost here! The snow was melting, the temperature was up, and the sun was shining. I had to get out, so I made a drive through Carlos Avery today, but it didn't yield much in way of birds, not that I expected much at this point. However, in a month or so, there will be plenty to look at when the migration starts getting into full swing. I'm really looking forward to it this year. Anyway, it had been a while since I posted so here is pretty much the only decent shot from today.

Black Capped Chickadee: