Train Station Cooper's Hawk Release, Thawing by Crows, the Sparrow Pile, and the Invisi-hunting Baby Owl, Maybe.

The Train Station Cooper's Hawk courtesy of Tufts U.
Many thanks to Robin of Illinois for sending these links about the young hawk's release after rehab--

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/26092237/detail.html

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/south_boston/2010/12/hawk_trapped_in_t_station_fina.html

(And a raptor rehab question-- What health problem of captive raptors is ameliorated by the covering of the above perch?

Here is a little backyard interlude starring the C family of Crows-Carol, Christopher and C.J. (Christoper Junior) Carol is on the Goodie Stump testing out a frozen wild grape I'd saved from the vines this summer.

C.J. appears and is checking out what Carol has. She switches sides of the stump, taking her grape with her. She then flies down to the ground.

Carol still keeping an eye on C.J. as he picks something from the stump.

C.J. takes his tidbit to the heated bird bath. Carol checks where Christopher is.

C.J. seemed focused on his grape as he puts it into the bath to thaw but then quickly looks up in time to see Carol bury her grape in the snow.

She looks up and he's back looking at his grape in the bath.

The sparrows are sunbathing on their pile I suspect stalling to see if it's okay to head for the feeders, hoping someone else will fly over first and lure the Cooper's Hawk out of the Spruce if he's in there.

In the meantime Christopher Crow has found a chunk of frozen hamburger in the snow. He's holding it down with a foot while attempting to break a chunk off with his beak.

He checks to see what the other two are doing.

They appear occupied and he pulls the whole thing out of the obscuring snow.

In the meantime Sparrow Hen keeps an eye peeled while Sparrow Cock preens.

Christopher has taken is chunk of meat and is hiding it in a new spot in the snow while using the grass stalks for cover.

Though already well rounded for winter, White Ears continues to add yet another layer of fat cells.

Sparrows fly out and hastily fly back in.

Another little shuffle and then they finally head for the patio feeding area.

And then back again.

And Mr. Downy grabs a seed to go.

I find this next section very interesting!
From Tulsa Hawkwatcher, Jackie Dover-- Invisi-Hunting by a baby Owl or is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXFlnlrk2zg&feature=player_embedded

I watched this bit of video with great interest. In New York City we often see newly fledged Red-tails, hunting and killing rocks and sticks by leaping on them, grasping the "prey" with their talons, hopping up and down with the item in their feet, and banging it on the ground. So far I've not seen one just kill air which at first look it appears to be what the little Owl is doing. She appears to be imagining prey, leaping on it, and biting it. Then she backs up and does it again. Now it isn't that I'm denying that raptors have imagination in any way, but I think wired in play/ practice would entail using a real focal point of some kind. Also near the end of the video, she appears to be biting the edge of the shelf with a certain amount of frustration. I think she's seeing something and hunting it. Can you tell what it is?

Donna Browne