NYC Juvenile RTH Caught in an Air Shaft Since Before the Blizzard and What Made Thousands of Birds Fall to the Ground When in Flight?

Photo courtesy of CNN

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/03/what-made-thousands-of-birds-fall-from-the-sky/

Above is the back story from CNN from Robin of Illinois.
Below the New York Times article in from Bill Walters of NYC.

U.S. | January 04, 2011
4,000 Dead Birds Drop From the Sky
By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Scientists are trying to determine why, on New Year's Eve, red-winged blackbirds rained on Beebe, Ark.

If you haven't been following the story do check them out for the sake of discussion.

As of yesterday, authorities said they thought that as the birds appeared to have trauma to the breast, internal bleeding and blood clots that the Redwings had been flushed from a large roost by the fireworks and as the fireworks were above them they flew too low and ran into houses, trees, and the like in the dark.

Normally when a bird hits a building it breaks it's neck and drops to the ground dead or it bounces off and if alive is grounded but I thought perhaps some might have been so full of adrenaline that they were able to take off again but died in flight. Hmmm.

The reports speak of breast hemorrhaging and blood clots but were they checked for broken necks? A broken neck comes from impact. Hemorrhage might have other causes besides an impact.

BUT, look at the above photograph. They are lying in a roadway many have dropped there where there are no obstacles to speakd of . What is going on?

Then today, once again the news delving Robin of Illinois, sent in a report of another episode of 500 Red-winged Blackbirds (and Starlings) in Louisiana, who appear to have met their demise in the same manner a the Beebe birds, whatever that is--

Robin says,

Okay, back to the drawing boards. If the Beebe birds were shocked into flying into solid objects, causing death, what is the reason this time?

As one commenter wrote: If it starts raining frogs, I'm getting the hell outta here.

Here's the link for the Louisiana story--

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/04/birds-fall-from-sky-louisiana_n_804196.html

Also a video link from Robin-

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/01/04/dnt.la.bird.deaths.wafb?hpt=T2

PLUS BIG NEWS TODAY ABOUT A GREAT SAVE FROM THE NYC RAPTORS GROUP, PERSONIFIED BY BOBBY HORVATH AND JAMES O'BRIEN ON-SITE.

HURRAY! THE GOOD GUYS DO IT AGAIN!

Here is a rescue update from wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath explaining what happened after a concerned resident contacted NYC Audubon and thereby The NYC Raptor Group, about a hawk who had been trapped in a small airshaft for over a week--

Ok here's the longer version for anyone interested .

After hearing the particulars from the apartment owner I thought maybe this was possible with the use of my 18 foot long nets by 2 rescuers . I stand 6 ' so including the net I can reach about 25' off the ground or if I lean over the roof I can reach down about 22' down. Once I climbed thru this little 3' by 2' hatchway in the basement to get into the air shaft I hear James , who's already there telling me from the shadows-- this doesn't look good. The bird was on a window sill on the 4th floor , exactly where we have no access from either below or above so we thought of a new plan.

The bird could fly from the front of the building to the rear locked in this shaft but couldn't get enough height to get out. Just as I got to the apartment the caller tells me its right on the sill behind a locked window. It spooked as soon as I walked into the room..

There was a smaller pane next to the closed one that could open but I couldn't fit any net thru it so we opened it anyway and waited for James to disturb the hawk enough till it flew back to the sill . I hid blindly to the side of this opening and waited on James' directions when to lunge at the window and it worked.

I'm sure he didn't have many more days left in him with no food or water and would have eventually ended up grounded and possibly too late to save.

I'm pretty sure its a boy and as Cathy [Bobby' wife and fellow rehabilitator. D.B.] will tell you that's the sex we seem to get in the most this time of year. Of the 8 redtails we've gotten in the past month, 6 were juvenile males. She strongly believes that all "silly" males ,animal and human alike, get into trouble without their mom, and the young females do much better on their own early on. She may have a point. I cannot win this argument and I cannot vouch for other rehabbers numbers either. In any event we'll do our best and hopefully this one can go back but it probably won't be released until it molts because of the damaged primaries, due to confined space.

Jame's observation [of a second juvenile in the area D.B.] means there most likely is a nest nearby but it would be a tough one to find unless somebody points it out.

There was a kestrel nearby and there is a nest as well about 2 buildings away that a fledgling was rescued from this summer. Though it seems unlikely, its a good spot for raptors proving city birds are quite adaptable.

They said the park is close by but is it big enough space wise and prey wise to support all these birds? I would think they are hunting elsewhere as well . It all went very smoothly and I am very happy how things worked out today. I just wanted to share the whole story with you once I had time.

Of the 2 recent redtails rescued from the Wall Street area the confirmed poisoned one is beginning to make improvement but months away from knowing its outcome but the more recent one is outside today in the flight cage and might be able to go back soon. I don't know of a release site there unless there is a park close by as I think getting 2 from the same spot they must be resident youngsters but it doesn't mean they must go back to the same spot if it isn't in their best interest .

The other issue is releasing birds in the winter is not always recommended and we do regularly over winter certain birds but they need to be cage space willing. The last batch of birds we did release were all in perfect shape, getting really antsy, and were picked to go as the best decision before they injured themselves or caused major feather damage.

Bobby

NEXT TODAY'S OTHER RESCUE PARTICIPANT FROM NYC RAPTORS WAS FAST MOVING JAMES O'BRIEN WHO IS ONE OF OUR LOCAL NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND A WILDLIFE BLOGGIST. TO READ JAMES' ACCOUNT AND TO SEE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HAWK, THE CONCERNED RESIDENT, AND THE SUPER OF THE BUILDING, ALL WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE RESCUE AS WELL , HIT THE LINK FOR JAMES' BLOG BELOW--

http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/

AND VERY SORRY TO SAY, STILL NO WORD OF A GLIMPSE OF LOLA FROM CENTRAL PARK HAWKWATCHERS.

Donegal Browne

PLUS COMING SOON-Singer Brian Dougherty (he's an amazing tenor), has a NYC mystery raptor sighting, and a double opossum night during a snow storm in Wisconsin...just LOOK at those tracks. Oh dear, I do hope he isn't going to break the serving bowl from my mother's 2nd best china. Oops.

Willow Street Red-tailed Hawk, Banding Birds, Polar Bears Take on Spy Cams, Pale Male's Mate Lola, Plus the Franklin Red-tails are Back!

Photo by Mitch Nusbaum

In from Mitch Nusbaum, The Willow Street Villa Percher.
I must admit this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk is certainly giving Mitch and his new camera "the look".

Next, What's Your Opinion About Banding Wild Birds?
There has been a conversation going on amongst some of the NYC Hawkwatchers about the pros and cons of the banding of healthy Red-tailed Hawks as is sometimes done when it comes to young birds on or off the nest or even adult birds who can be caught for a few moments when they fly into a net or grasp a foot trap set by banders.

In the case of the foot trap it isn't like those nasty metal things with teeth. The hawks are lured down by a non-native bird in a box, often a pigeon or starling, (which they can see but, don't worry, they can't actually get to. It just wouldn't be fair, now would it?) and then the hawk's feet are caught in netting that is on the box, they're banded, and then released.

I think the conversation started because of the Old Gal, and the information that was garnered about her due to the fact that she had been banded before she was a year old. If she hadn't been banded, we'd never have known how old she was and how well she'd done over all these many years.

Wildlife Rehabilitators Bobby and Cathy Horvath band all the birds that come under their care before they are released and no bird has ever been harmed in the process. They are very caring and experienced.

You ask, what about others?

Banders do have to be licensed by the government or work under the banding license of a Master Bander who oversees their work. They also must be licensed to possess/collect as they do hold a bird for a few minutes who is healthy and not in the throes of being rescued due to illness, injury, or dangerous circumstances.

A momentary time out here. Let me reiterate, as sometimes there is confusion, any citizen may lay hands on a bird who is injured, ill, or in jeopardy in order to help it.

A bird in jeopardy is removed from the danger, say like a fledgling in the middle of the street, and released in a safe spot.

As for the other two categories, injured or ill, the bird must be taken to a licensed wildlife rehabber or a vet for care.

Okay, back to the main event. This matter of banding--

What is your opinion about healthy hawks being banded with those little metal ankle bracelets with the numbers?

Hit the Contact Me button on the right column of the page to send me an email with your opinion.

Next up from Robin of Illinois, a wonderful video about what Polar Bears do when they spy a Polar Bear Spy Cam---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT0O2RyxnkY

And from Hawkwatcher Jackie Dover of Oklahoma with news on the Red-tailed Hawk pair who nest right outside a window of the The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA-

Hi, Donegal--

Della Micah reports that renovations are underway--

http://sunnydixie.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year!

Jackie Dover, in Oklahoma

Thanks for the news everyone!

LOLA UPDATE-

As of January 2, 2011, Pale Male's mate Lola has still not been sighted in Central Park. Hawkwatcher Emma Cale reports that Pale Male appears to be watching for Lola's return.

Pale Male and Lola are often seen sky dancing by mid-January. Observations of the first copulation of the year range from the last week of January through the first week of February.

Donegal Browne

John Blakeman on the Boston Train Station Hawk With A Good Capture Method, Plus Video-The Hawk Gets Knocked Out

Photo by Donna Browne Juvenile Cooper's Hawk

The second post of yesterday involved a supposed Red-tailed Hawk who'd flown into a Boston Train Station and was perched up top in the rafters considering the situation. Scroll down if you've not read it and seen the video. Sally of Kentucky, caught it first.... Oops that's no Red-tail that's a Cooper's Hawk!

I also found this news story, seems that the Coop had been up there for a week already by December 5th.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/26026847/detail.html

Here is what Ohio Red-tail expert John Blakeman had to say about the matter--
Donna,

The Boston hawk is a Cooper’s Hawk, not a red-tail. The plumage is all wrong for a red-tail, and a red-tail would never get itself perched way up on the interior beam this bird was photographed on.

Cooper’s Hawks are famous for getting inside buildings like the one shown. I’ve dealt with a number like this. They shoot easily and naturally under and through open doors, right into the interior relative darkness. This matches exactly what they do when shooting through woodlots, dashing under limbs and downed trees in search of birds. But in a forest, there is always an opening on the other side of the "entrance." Not so in buildings.

And the falconer shown briefly with a mouse-baited "bal-chatri" trap (pronounced "ball-shot-ree") is unlikely to capture the hawk. Cooper’s Hawks seldom drop down to the ground in pursuit of mice. They are primarily a bird hawk. The trap should have been baited with freshly-caught house sparrows, which when properly handled will dash back and forth inside the cage, luring the hawk down to the apparently injured sparrows inside.
The trap is covered with small nylon snares that enclose around the hawk’s legs and toes when the hawk attacks the lure animals inside. The hawk is uninjured in any way.

But the Cooper’s Hawk won’t come down to a pair of white mice, especially in a busy train station.

–John Blakeman

Thank you John for sharing your experience and knowledge of the species with the rest of us. Here is another link for a piece of video, from WDEF, Boston, as The Animal Rescue League attempts to rescue the Cooper's Hawk in the train station.

http://wdef.com/news/dramatic_hawk_rescue_and_students_get_urkeled/12/2010#comment-310840


On a lighter note, in case there was any doubt about the ancestors of birds being dinosaurs, here is Quicksilver doing an imitation of his many times Great Grandfather.

Donna Browne

Blakeman on Red-tails vs Great Horned Owls, Defining Haggard, Plus Shakespeare and The Taming Of the Shrew

Photo-Donegal Browne
Rose at on a roof at Fordham preparing a meal for a nearly fledged eyass.

In the previous post down, there was a report about an interaction between Rose with a brown-tail for back up (yearling Red-tailed Hawk) and the Great Horned Owls of the New York Botanical Garden. I asked Ohio Red-tail expert John Blakeman to comment. He was unaware at the time that Rose had lost her mate Hawkeye some months ago.

Donna,

Weird, from several points.

But first, the red-tail haggard would not attack the owl. She knows better. Contrary to the presentation, the tiercel owl was bigger than the formel hawk. The owl weighs more, and is really much stronger than the hawk.

I'm certain that all of this is territorial. This is just the time of year when nesting red-tails are booting out of their territories all of the unwelcomes. Usually, they can't displace great horned owls, just as was seen here. The big owls just hunker down and let the hawks flap about and get their blood pressure up. But no red-tail will (more than once, anyway) attack one of these lethal Tigers of the Night Sky.

But what about the immature red-tail participating in this territorial dance? Under normal circumstances, this immature bird should be no more welcome in the adults' nesting territory than the owls themselves.

Here's my only explanation, but it's pretty speculative.

I think the formel haggard would allow the incursion of the immature red-tail only if the pair bond with her normal mate were either dissolved or weakened. Has the haggard tiercel red-tail died? Has he moved off somewhere else? In either case, the formel can allow the incursion of a new potential mate within a day or less. This is one reason that mated, nesting red-tails do so much flying around in January throughout the entire breeding season, continually signally to the mate that "I'm here, all is well."

In this case, perhaps the tiercel haggard is not there, or not well, which prompted the formel to allow the immature to come in and strut his moderate stuff.

There are a few records of immature red-tails pair-bonding and nesting with full adults.

This was not any pack hunting. Red-tails simply do not do this in any deliberate or practiced manner. This was just the immature finding what was to him an un-mated adult with a territory that he might be able to take up residence and begin nesting.

But, if the immature was a formel herself, all of this falls apart.

Nonetheless, the owls are safe, regardless of the red-tails' show of the flag (well, the flared feathers).

--John Blakeman

Here are Mr. M (top) and Mrs. M (bottom) two haggards of Wisconsin.

If you'll remember photographer Francois Portmann and I were discussing the female pronoun used as the universal pronoun in hawks when one doesn't know their sex. Francois had included a link to an essay which spoke about the "she" pronoun issue, but also gave a definition of haggard supposedly used in falconry which didn't match up with the way John Blakeman used it.

This is the definition from the essay--
"Haggard is the falconer’s term for a bird whose training came too late, leaving her inclined to take off on her own, ignoring his whistle to return, and so causing him hours of worried effort, perhaps losing her altogether to the wild."

This was used with a reference to Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew which as I trained and worked as a Shakespearean Actress, and had I run across this during my character research would have colored my performance of Kate with a bent to her being purposely uncooperative and kind of a jerk. Not that Petruchio doesn't deserve it you understand but it does make her less likable.


Here is John Blakeman's definition--

Donna,

No, this is not a generally-regarded falconer's definition of a haggard. Too complicated, and not useful, either for falconers or raptor watchers.

Simply, a haggard is an adult raptor. For a red-tail, it's a bird gaining or possessing a red tail. Purely, in falconry usage, a haggard has never been trained for falconry. A falconer may be flying a 5-yr old bird that was trapped in its first migration. It's now an adult, but will never be a haggard. Haggards are always wild birds. Falconers never trap or attempt to use a wild-trapped (there is no other kind) haggard.

Now here's another falconry term, which has no usage for hawk watchers. We falconers talk about the age of our bird by referring to how many molts it's been through in the falconer's care. When the bird is carried through a summer molt, it is said to be "intermewed." The 5-yr old bird would be said to be 5x-intermewed.

Wild hawks are not "intermewed." They pass the molt on their own, without a falconer's assistance, so the term has no use among hawk watchers.

--John Blakeman

Therefore plainly, a haggard is a wild bird, plain and simple. She is not tame. There has never been an attempt to tame her and therefore she has not failed in any way, been incompetent, uncooperative with the program or just plain jerky. She in short has been herself. And a hawk being herself is a great thing of beauty.


I then went off to research the etymology of the word haggard in regard to hawks. (Sorry my OED is in NYC so I had to make do with the available Internet sources.)


Merriam-Webster
Main Entry: 1hag•gard
Pronunciation: \ˈha-gərd\
Etymology: Middle French hagard
Date: 1567
1 of a hawk : not tamed

Ah ha! The original usage taken from Middle French in 1567, is an untamed hawk, i.e. a wild hawk. As Shakespeare lived from 1564-1616, had noble relatives on his mother's side of the family that may have been falconers, and Shakespeare spoke French, ( He wrote several scenes in French in Henry V.) we can surmise with some confidence that his definition of haggard was the original, i.e. a wild hawk.

Therefore the take on playing Kate in Shakespeare's play would be that Kate in her wild free fierceness is being what she is naturally is, an unrestrained creature of beauty and will. She is not being uncooperative, she is not failing in training, she is being herself. A beautiful unrestrained formel.

But wait! Look what happens around 1913 to the definition of haggard--

-
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Haggard \Hag"gard\, n. [See Haggard, a.]

1. (Falconry) A young or untrained hawk or falcon. [1913 Webster]
2. A fierce, intractable creature. [1913 Webster]
I have loved this proud disdainful haggard. --Shak. [1913 Webster]


The above definition prefaces its definition with (Falconry) which could mean it is a word used by falconers for a wild hawk, i.e., a haggard.

Then other dictionaries pick up this definition and bend it a bit further--

hag•gard

ADJECTIVE:
1.
a. Appearing worn and exhausted; gaunt.
b. Wild or distraught in appearance.
2. Wild and intractable. Used of a hawk in falconry.
NOUN:
An adult hawk captured for training.

Suddenly instead of falconers using the word haggard for an untamed wild hawk, it is about "of a hawk in falconry", a hawk that is human held and therefore likely in training. And look at what haggard as a noun has become--An adult hawk captured for training ???

It completely skewers the original meaning and getting back to Shakespeare if you are a modern actor or director researching the play it skewers the play as well. Part of the reason Taming of the Shrew is considered in modern times, rather a "problem play", is not only for Petruchio's treatment of Kate but for that inexplicable last speech where Kate goes down on her knees and seems to recant her previous behavior to Petruchio. Often done these days with a wink and a nod on Kate's part towards the audience, as if she is just humoring him and keeping him from embarrassment in public, which doesn't really quite work.

But what if the original definition of the word haggard were used to color the play. Ordinarily Kate is a wild hawk, fierce and free but Petruchio instead of being played as a falconer who can't make her cooperate by not feeding her, etc. and must take her by force. obviously Kate doesn't bond with him, but let's say for yayas, that Petruchio is played as a tiercel at some point along the way, a tiercel who has invaded Kate the formel's hawk territory, taking the prey she regards as hers, zooming through her territory as an interloper, she would take after him and rebuff him but with his continued attentions she begins to be wooed , in her last speech Kate talks about Petruchio putting himself in danger for her, defending her, feeding her as teircels do for formels in courting and keeping her safe--- as a mate would--- that speech becomes the moment in which she makes a pair bond with Petruchio, she accepts him as her bonded mate, in RTH parlance her talons drop and she accepts him, the food he offers, and the ensuing sexual favors, and they will then live life as a team, a duo in cooperation.

My apologies for going on about this for those of you who don't know the play. (Read it or get it on DVD, it's wonderful even if not exactly played these days likely as the Bard had in mind.) But for me to see the transition in meaning of a word Shakespeare uses in the play for Kate, was an epiphany as to possibly being able to put what Shakespeare actually had in mind back in the play so that it works like it should.

Boy oh boy, would I love to try it.

Now from the sublime to people who just haven't a clue how dangerous what they are doing is...and with three little kids right there with them. Watch this video that Robin of Illinois sent in. I've also sent the link to John Blakeman who I know he will have a few choice words to say about it--

Over 30 Eagles in the back yard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZJKmPa42PM

The father says the reason the immatures are so close is because "they have something to prove". Something to prove, my great Aunt's pajamas, the immatures are often hungrier and less well fed due to inferior hunting skills than adults and they haven't learned a healthy fear of people yet...healthy for them but also healthier for the people who are being dopes. And their hunting skills are not being honed they are just being taught to be beggars dependent on people.

Besides Eagles are famous for snatching food from each other and from all kinds of other species including bears who are much bigger than we are.

And as my Great Aunt used to say, "Och, the loonies, Saints preserve them!"

Donegal Browne

Brett Odom Finds the Date, Pale Male and Lola, NYTimes Nature News, Plus the Tulsa Red-tails: How to tell Kay from Jay from Thunder

Photograph Donegal Browne
4/22/08 Lola waits for Pale Male to rise from the bowl of the nest.

Southern Central Park and Downtown Hawkwatcher Brett Odom, did yeoman's duty and searched though the Spring, 2008 archives of www.palemale.com/ searching for the reference to the unattended nest episode. Here is Brett's report--

I scoured Lincoln's archives and found the exact date. It was March 29th and PM & Lola left the nest unattended for 11 minutes according to the posting (not sure what time of day it was). Lincoln does not state why. Going back over each day of his archives does reveal a lot with regard to their behavior. There are several instances where he says that Lola sits on the nest for hours without a break or food being brought by PM. Perhaps during some of those instances Lola had to leave the nest unattended to feed herself.

Brett B. Odom
brettodom@mac.com




Photograph courtesy of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
January 7, 2009,
After the Holidays, Still on the Lam
By Sewell Chan AND Jennifer 8. Lee


(Sent to the blog by long time reader and contributor Bill Walters.)





FOR MORE FOLLOW THE LINK--


http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/a-stray-turkey-on-central-park-south/?emc=eta1
I believe there are several Central Park Turkeys and beyond those mentioned in the article there is also Hedda Gobler up in Morningside Park. (It is north of Central Park.) She is a neighbor of Isolde and Norman, who's Red-tail territory includes Morningside Park.



Photograph courtesy of Peter Kayafas




A Red-Tailed Tableau at Bethesda Fountain




"Oh, my God!”




The tour guide leading two dozen high school-aged visitors through Central Park on Thursday morning stopped dead in mid-narration at Bethesda Fountain. There, on the right hand of “Angel of the Waters,” perched a red-tailed hawk. It looked as if it were naturally part of the sculpture — except for the radiant glow of its plumage against the statue’s muted bronze.


FOR MORE FOLLOW THE LINK--http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/a-red-tailed-tableau-at-bethesda-fountain/?emc=eta1


I particularly like the last line. .

Stage Manager and avid newspaper reader Bill Walters discovered this April 3, 2008, story in the New York Times archive. I'd certainly like to see that hawk's belly band to see if it was Lola for certain. But as it is April, and breeding season with the territorial boundaries harden, it could be Lola. In winter that area and the Ramble across the Lake are destinations for any number of Red-tailed hawks that fly in from their usual residences to partake of Central Park's deep prey base.







HOW TO TELL THE TULSA KJRT TV HAWKS, KAY, JAY, AND THUNDER APART

Many thanks to Tulsa's Cheryl Cavert for the use of her very helpful photographs, and to "Other Donna" of the Tulsa Forum for gleaning the shots that showed the mid-sections of the birds, and sending them on to me.


1/01/09 Kay


Notice her belly band, her "ankles", and a female's slightly larger beak. Because of the angle her belly band appears quite low on her torso. The band appears here as jagged streaks.

The particular head position that shows the length of the beak can be quite helpful as a possible clue to the sex of the bird but not completely definitive except for a very few infallible raptor experts such as Hermione Parry-Jones.

Kay
And the angle here makes her belly band appear further up her breast.
The wind is ruffling her anterior feathers. Note how suddenly they appear more dot like and less streaked.


Kay
We're back to streaks as there is no wind, and here you can see the shoulder wash of color.

12/19/08 Kay
Here the shoulder wash isn't visible, there is a mixed streak and dot pattern, and because of the different light, here here belly band appears paler than before. Even taking into account the varying light, her band is darker than either Thunder's or Jay's.

12/24/08 Kay from the back. Note the eyebrow is visible but nearly as light as Jay's .

Jay has a slightly smaller beak, fluffier feathers on his head, and skinnier ankles if you could see them.

He is in bright sunlight so his already light belly band appears next to nonexistent.

Jay

It's often hard to tell individuals apart by their backs but look at how light Jay's eyebrow is compared to Kay's, one photo up. Yes, Jay's head is lighter, than Kay's and he is slightly smaller but unless they were sitting together it would be difficult to positively ID them from those characteristics without direct comparison.

11/18/08 Thunder

We know that Thunder being a juvenile has lighter eyes than the other two but it is not apparent in the photo. Therefore check the tail. Not rusty red and just discernible--the horizontal stripes of a juvenile.


Thunder's belly band has a tendency to appear more often dotted than streaked even without the ruffling of wind. Her band is darker than her father's and lighter than her mother's.



12/25/08 Thunder


Check out the saturation of color between her head and back. Juveniles have more of a tendency for the head, neck, and back to appear matched. Though by no means a cut and dried field mark for a young bird.






Christmas Eve
Kay and Jay have very similar posterior coloration and pattern.


How sweet is this? Bonded pairs do spend time together in the off season. These two are even touching as they perch.

Which is which?

In this case as we can see both bird's brows and the light is just right, we've got the answer. Jay is top and Kay is bottom.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THROW IN THE POT IN REFERENCE TO POSSIBLE BEHAVIOR OF KAY AND JAY IF A CAMERA ADDITION IS MADE AT THE KJRH NEST
AN UPDATE ON MAMA AND PAPA'S NEST SITE MOVE IN 2008
From Jeff Kollbrunner, www.jknaturegallery.com/ Jeff and his wife Anna have watched this pair for 14 seasons. (I'm betting Mama and Papa do do interviews with Anna and Jeff.)


Donna,

I had read your update today and want to offer some additional information and clarity as to why Mama and Papa selected a new nest site this past nesting season.

Mama and Papa did use the same building as the previous season that was monitored by Hawkcam. They started using a newly constructed nest on the South side of the building on a similar window air conditioner unit on the same floor as the previous years nest which was located on the North side of the building that the hawkcam monitored. This past season Mama had started using that new nest on the South side of the hawkcam building for about a week when a prolonged period of intense media coverage started for a local trial. There were countless media trucks with their satellites fully extended every day, photojournalists and reporters on rooftops and large loud protests all day long with bull horns in constant use and the like in the immediate area of their nest. All of this being in such close proximity to Mama and Papa's new nest they decided to abandon it, luckily, just prior to laying eggs. Mama and Papa had constructed three nests that year, two on this building and one in a cemetery White Pine tree just East of these other two nests. They elected to move to the Pine tree nest, Mama had three eggs shortly after relocating to the Pine tree where they had three very large and very healthy fledglings.

Mama and Papa typically construct a new nest every year for the past 14 plus years we have been observing them. They have re-used a single location once but had to rebuild that nest from scratch as the Coop board had their previous seasons nest removed when that nesting season was completed. Mama and Papa routinely return to favorite vantage points on tall buildings that have been otherwise disturbed by construction activity or maintenance work. They don't seem bothered by this at all except they will stay away from these favorite vantage points if there is constant maintenance work in progress each day. They will return to these sites when the workers leave for the day and activity at the location ends. They are not disturbed by the scaffolds that are left in place as long as the work crew is gone for the day. When all the equipment is removed and the workers are gone for good Mama and Papa resume their typical use of these vantage points.

All the best,
Jeff


It just occurred to me anew, how the network of Hawkwatchers has grown each year, as has all of our knowledge as we share what we know, surmise, test, and see, every season.


Bravo! Brava! To Hawkwatchers every one.

Donegal Browne

CATHY HORVATH'S THEORY OF PAIN MEDS, MISSING KAY OF TULSA, H3 HAD A NAME, AND BARN SWALLOW FAMILY

Astoria Park's Atlas, relaxes while doing sentinel duty.

I received an update about the Tulsa hawks which reported that no one seemed to have seen Kay for possibly a couple of weeks. This concerned the reporter, me, and any number of readers so Tulsa Hawkwatcher Cheryl Cavert headed out to try and track Kay down.

FROM CHERYL, MAJOR OBSERVER AND PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE TULSA RED-TAILS--

Great news Donna -

I spotted Kay this evening. She is back!!!!!! I had checked back over the posts and the last possible spotting had been around July 1st. In fact I saw all 3 of them this evening, at the same time - and it was a thrill. I do not know yet if I got any decent pictures.I just had to share the good news!-Cheryl

Excellent!!! Whew, we've lost enough hawks for one season. (Knock wood.)

WHAT ABOUT PAIN MEDICATION FOR THE REHABBING HAWKS?

After the publishing of the frounce photos. we all saw what a dreadful disease it was, and how painful it must be. Readers asked whether these hawks could have or were getting pain medications. I shot off an email to wildlife rehabilitator Cathy Horvath and she shot one right back.

hey donna ,

pain management is huge for me. i feel that the pain over rides the will to live when they are so very sick. they might not show pain on the outside because then they are vulnerable to become prey, but eating just becomes such a chore and sucks the rest of the life out of them.

they can just linger on for quite some time without eating . it is just too sad. the most important thing to do when i get a patient in is to make sure they are warm. even the older animals , not just babies. they cannot digest their food if they are cold. then comes the pain meds. i use a liquid called metacam . everyone gets pain meds. my method has worked pretty well for me so i won't be changing anything.

i can't say how happy i am that everyone is doing so well. i feel pretty proud right now.

one last note ... i named the youngest houston baby dante . in latin it means everlasting . that is where he will be in my heart. i am so heart broken that i was unable to save him . thanks again to all , i hope to only have good news to tell from now on !!! sorry about all the lower case letters...sadie is sitting on my lap and i can't really shift with one hand . talk to you soon...cathy Horvath

And many thanks to caring Cathy Horvath. Great intuition on her part and analysis of why pain medication is so extremely important in recovery for Man or Beast.

One of my favorite things in Wisconsin is the propensity of Barn Swallows, Hirundo rustica. (By the way they are our only swallow that has a swallow tail.) They're beautiful, eat insects, and are downright cheeky. I like their nests too. And this year with all the rain they've been able to get just the right consistency of mud for lovely nests.

Here is the nest itself. Perched under the aluminum roof of a sideless pavilion. It's a touch dim up there and these guys are fast so not the easiest of subjects.

I think this might be Dad. Hard to tell as both male and female are colored similarly. But whoever it is, the bird is far beyond the next largest Barn Swallow I've seen. He's huge compared to the species norm.

See what I mean? Both parents swoop in every minute or so with another catch of insects. The chicks are young and so not much is ever visible of them beyond a beak and partial head as yet.

The other bird leaves and this bird flies in. Even though the light isn't optimum for it, you're still able to see some of the iridescence of the feathers of this species.

The moment a parent lands on the edge of the nest little tips of beaks appear and gape. Then begins some of the fastest rapid fire feeding in birdland. And look at how far her head goes down the chick's throat.

Then Mom gives me a don't-even-try-it look and takes off for another beakful of mosquitoes, flies, and other tasty human annoyances.

Oh, a bit of Wisconsin folk wisdom which everyone believes to be quite true. Lightning will never strike where Barn Swallows nest.

Do they know something we don't? If they can figure it out, lack of being struck by lightening seems an excellent criteria for the nest placement list.

There is more than enough of rain this season and so the wildflowers are lush this year. Here are what is called in Wisconsin, Brown-eyed Susans.

The wild Black Raspberries are coming on. I picked a gallon bucket full today. But as there is no free lunch, I also have two little bites on my right middle finger which seem particularly poisonous as my finger has swollen up so much I can't bend it and it rather throbs. It wasn't a hornet as I didn't feel a sting, perhaps a spider?

Many of the small roadside slopes which are difficult to mow are covered with the Susan's and Tiger and Day lilies.

There was a gorgeous sunset this evening, but when it was happening I wasn't able to pull off the road for a photograph. So in a fit of whimsy, I took the picture while rolling.

Just think Impressionism.

Donegal Browne
P.S. My apologies, I am once again far behind in the email. I will catch up eventually, promise!

Bobby's Update--Houston and Houston 2, Plus Eleanor's Birds in Central Park

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Atlas the Triborough Nest Dad, who with Mom Athena, fostered Houston as if he were one of their own while he was in their care.

Houston and Houston 2 Photographs Courtesy of the Horvaths
This is a view of some of Houston's (H1) Frounce lesions or as they are called in the UK, frounces. They are often described as being caseous, or cheesy. The causative agent of this disease is a flagillated protozoan called Trichomonas gallinae. The same disease in pigeons, doves, and poultry is called Canker or Roup. (Though there are other avian diseases which also have very similar lesions making it difficult to diagnose immediately.)



Birds may become riddled with caseous necrotic foci, or "yellow buttons". See back right of Houston's mouth.

The lesions may invade internal organs such as the liver, may block the throat, nasal passages, encroach within the skull, and/or fill the croup. It is a dreadful disease though virulence of the causative agent can vary.



Called Canker when it attacks pigeons and doves has been studied in Columba, therefore the incubation period and activity is known for the illness in pigeons but not for hawks. A healthy pigeon may be exposed to a less virulent variety of canker and develop some immunity against it and more virulent strains when they appear. The same process may occur in hawks explaining less disease in older birds.

The disease as I suspected from observation of pigeons strikes more often in hot weather or when birds are stressed.

A note from rehabber Bobby Horvath who is caring for Houston and H2: "In addition to what you can see in his mouth there is much more down his throat, under his jaw, and in his crop that we can feel which makes his case much worse than Hous " 2 " . This is why he is so thin presently. He has a hard time swallowing anything solid so Cathy is mixing him up a meal of the blended smoothie type which is tubed into his crop. He's also getting flagyl, sprartrix, and baytril ."

July 5-- Once again and still, Houston 2 is eating on his own. The Horvaths report that H2 has improved but "he's still not out of the woods".

H2 looks to be eating with energy.

Compare H2's lesions with those of Houston's (H1). These have lost some of the "cheesy" (caseous) look so apparent in Houston's only newly treated cankers. H2 has been treated with flagyl, sprartrix, and baytril for nearly a week now and it has taken some effect. Keep your fingers crossed.

Photograph by Eleanor Tauber
While we have been swept up with the drama of the Houston and D fledglings, Thunder on her TV tower, frounce, foster parenting in Red-tails, tracking down Houston in Astoria Park, and the appearance of lead poisoning in the Cathedral fledge, other birds in town have been going about their lives and everyday dramas. And photographer Eleanor Tauber has been recording them doing it. Here is a Great Egret in Turtle Pond.

Photograph by Eleanor Tauber

A beautiful Blue Bar Pigeon takes his ease in Central Park.

Photograph by Eleanor Tauber

And I'm very pleased to see the two mallard ducklings I last saw sleeping on their mother's feet as she slept only half down on the Model Boat Pond Duckling Raft to protect them, have grown well and are beautifully healthy.

Donegal Browne