Screen Capture Courtesy of KJRH TV Tulsa http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/hawks/default.aspx
Screen Captures gleaned by Jackie Dover of the Tulsa Hawk Forum--
She says, Kay and Jay, from Feb. 23, I'm calling it "Commonality of Purpose." That says a lot, doesn't it--to both birds and men.
(That is Jay in the back, he has the lighter head, and Kay in the foreground. Just what are they both looking and thinking about I wonder? D.B.)
Screen Capture Courtesy of KJRH Tulsa TV
Jackie Dover of the Tulsa Hawk Forum collected these screen captures of the fascinating nest materials that Kay and Jay have used to fashion their nest. Below is her note.
Screen Capture Courtesy of KJRH TV Tulsa
Pine Needles?
Screen Capture Courtesy of KJRH TV Tulsa
More Ever-Greenery. This must be the place they are using for sure, though there really hasn't been much doubt that Kay and Jay would use it again.
Screen Capture Courtesy of KJRH TV Tulsa
Screen Capture courtesy of KJRH TV Tulsa
London Plane Fruit
Screen Capture KJRH TV Tulsa
And a plastic bag with flowers. For whatever reason, plastic bags and other manmade materials are often included in Red-tailed nests but the plastic bags soon disappear. I suspect that their wing catching ability soon sends them off the nest and fluttering across town.
Screen Capture KJRH TV
Kestrels just have to do it. They just have to perch on or near any Red-tail nest when the pair is otherwise occupied. The nests do tend to be wonderful viewing areas to scope out prey but also there just might be a bit of counting coup involved for these little plucky falcons.
Kestrels just have to do it. They just have to perch on or near any Red-tail nest when the pair is otherwise occupied. The nests do tend to be wonderful viewing areas to scope out prey but also there just might be a bit of counting coup involved for these little plucky falcons.
AND HERE IS A WONDERFUL HAWKCAM LINK SENT IN BY CATBIRD, A MIDWESTERNER ON THE TULSA HAWK FORUM!
The Sutton, Oklahoma Eagle Cam (visible only by daylight - clear, color real-time video feed), has two camera views of the nest. And they have THREE eggs! I saw a hand-off this morning where the dad (smaller in size) was sitting on the eggs and the mom (larger) came to the nest and started nudging dad repeatedly until he got off and she then nestled down into the nest.
Catbird, Did Sutton Mom nudge Dad with her forehead? Top of Beak? Or breast?
Photo by Karen Anne Kolling
Blog Contributor Karen Kolling of the Gadzooks Deck has succeeded in getting photographs of her Mystery Mammal. Here is what she had to say--
Blog Contributor Karen Kolling of the Gadzooks Deck has succeeded in getting photographs of her Mystery Mammal. Here is what she had to say--
Photo by Karen Anne Kolling
The fox? coyote? was back this morning. He or she must really be hungry, to be eating birdseed, poor guy. I wonder if there is some food not containing animals that I can put out there for him. The web seems to say they will eat "fruit," so I'll try some apples.
The fox? coyote? was back this morning. He or she must really be hungry, to be eating birdseed, poor guy. I wonder if there is some food not containing animals that I can put out there for him. The web seems to say they will eat "fruit," so I'll try some apples.
Karen
Photo by Karen Anne Kolling
Well, I'm certainly not an expert on these species but that is certainly a foxy looking nose and tail.
Well, I'm certainly not an expert on these species but that is certainly a foxy looking nose and tail.
I do wonder if a Prairie Wolf/Coyote being originally a buffalo predator would eat bird seed? Fox on the other hand are selective omnivores.
Photo by Jackie Dover
First Mr. Blue Jay, challenges the photographer with a look that says, "Make my day."
Photo by Jackie Dover
Then Mourning Dove is just pecking away minding her own business, when she gets the same treatment. Wing ready for a wing thump or flight, she glares back and then takes to her seed again. No takers so Mr. Blue Jay takes off with his peanut confident he has cowed all comers whether they were interested or not.
Photo by Jackie Dover
Edward G. Robinson Squirrel just might give Mr. Blue Jay a run for his peanut.
Photo by Jackie Dover
The Belly Perch
Photo by Jackie Dover
Just leaning over the fence and checking on what the neighbors might have to offer.
Photo by Jackie Dover
Incoming for peanuts!
A note in from NYC Hawkwatcher Brett Odom--He was watching City Slickers on Animal Planet, an episode which included Pale Male, (and believed he saw my daughter Samantha and I taking photos of Pale Male). At any rate, City Slickers has rated Red-tailed Hawks sixth on their list for adaptability to urban settings. I'd like to see the episode, though I doubt they will feature boars in the U.S., as per yesterday's post. If anyone happens to see the episode, could you please send me the episode number/title. Thank you.
Donegal Browne
A friend of mine who is a vet says my deck visitor is definitely a fox, and a well-fed one at that :-)
ReplyDeleteSo for the sake of the squirrels, I'm not going to leave food for the fox. Maybe he will lose interest in the area and the squirrels will be back to gamboling about the deck.
Donna... The animal seen on the Gadzooks deck is a coyote, not a fox. Coyotes eat anything, that's why there are so many of them, and why "pets control advocates" are so frustrated with them. Tell Karen to put ANYTHING out for the poor bugger.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen,
ReplyDeleteIt's possible Fox might loose interest.
Though when the townfolk confronted St. Francis with the problem of the wolf that kept eating their chickens and anything else it could get ahold of (possibly even the children, I don't exactly remember), he suggested that they feed the wolf, as obviously he wasn't up to feeding himself on wild prey. And he told them, if they fed Wolf, he wouldn't be eating what he wasn't supposed to eat.
Of course, feeding the Fox might just lead to a whole family of Foxes that needed feeding. St. Francis didn't mention that possibility. But feeding the Fox might save some squirrels if he stays.
I know the problem. I have Cooper's Hawks who predate my back yard and I live in horror that the Coops are going to nab Doorstep Dove and Friend for breakfast.
Though I did take the advice of St. Francis when I brought Pyewackit into the house and gave her food and a home instead of trying to chase her away. That has worked swimmingly.
Unfortunately Foxes are definitely not a species one invites into the house anymore than Cooper's Hawks are, without even taking into account the fact that it would be illegal.
Nature just isn't "nice" sometimes is it?
I think I will leave things alone, unless something changes.
ReplyDeleteMy vet says the fox is not thin. S/he (okay, I'm going to decide he's a guy, we really need a gender-neutral pronoun for beings in English) doesn't look thin to me, either (no ribs showing), I just assumed he was hungry since I didn't expect him to be this close to the house. But this is a fairly isolated area in winter, of the six nearby houses, only two are occupied.
Currently he is showing up, checking out the bird seed, then moseying long (today I missed a great photo of him on the seawall, calmly surveying the cove).
The squirrels seem to be slowly recovering from their stress, and are not showing up when he is here.
I'd just as soon not have him become dependent instead of wild.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteAs to fox not becoming dependent, I completely agree. He seems to be doing just dandy on his own anyway. I assume that most of the squirrels are now alerted to Fox's presence and will as you are saying, stay out of his way and keep a more careful eye peeled from now on.
You are very lucky to be able to watch a fox go about his business daily. That is a rare special thing.
The fox looking animal looks like a shiba inu. I have one and everyone says he looks like a fox. Do a search on the internet for Shiba Inu which is a dog Japaness breed. The look more like a small version of a Husky to me
ReplyDelete