Kay and Jay Red-tail of Tulsa, The Wildshield Busting Golden Eagle, A Mini-update on Urban Hawks Charlote and Pale Male Jr. and More on Foxes

Photo courtesy of Yahoo News

Both R. of Illinois and Jeff Kollbrunner of www.jknaturegallery.com/ sent in this news item about the Golden Eagle vs The Big Rig.

Golden--1, Windshield--0

"RENO, Nev. – The eagle has landed — with a thud — after crashing throughthe windshield of a tractor-trailer on a Nevada highway. State wildlifeofficials said Wednesday that a 15-pound golden eagle with a 7-foot wingspan has a swollen head but otherwise appears unhurt after crashing into aFlorida truck driver's big rig on Monday.
Click for more!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_fe_st/odd_eagle_truck_windshield_9


Photos of Tulsa Hawks attached from this week (all captures, unless noted otherwise): An update from Tulsa Hawkwatcher Jackie Dover--
1. Gentlehawk Jay

Donna,

The KJRH Tower nest is now a very substantial structure, and the center is packed with soft material--looks ready! So does Kay, ever rounder. The last couple of days, the number and length of her nest visits have increased.

Today (Wednesday, March 4) she was in the nest both in the morning and afternoon. A couple visits this week have lasted 30-50 minutes. She does do some nest-tending, but is also spending much quiet time there, just watching.

The big news today was that Jay twice brought in prey to the nest, each time accompanied by Kay. Both times Kay quickly took the prey (at least one, a bird) from him and flew off. As far as we know, Kay has not yet spent the night in the nest.

This year the view of the nest will be even clearer, as a double-barred rail at the "front" of the nest was removed last summer. I'm attaching a few photo captures, taken from the KJRH Hawk Cam live video.

In addition, one of our Forum members has put together some YouTube videos of recent nest activity highlights, also taken from the KJRH Hawk Cam. All clips prepared and presented under the name bobdmac--(Link below in Tulsa Donna's update.)

KJRH has also added a new feature to its Hawks Nest page--a live chatroom, which is featured just under the Hawk Cam window, so that viewers can watch the live action and comment live, as well. This is in addition to our Forum, which continues to offer observations and screen captures. Here is the link to the Hawks Nest page: http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/hawks/default.aspx

And the Forum: http://community.kjrh.com/forums/1810/ShowForum.aspx

2. Jay taking bark to the Tower (photo by Catgirl)
(Catgirl is Cheryl Cavert who only took up a camera when the Tulsa Hawks came into her life and has taken truly marvelous photos for us all to enjoy ever since. Here is the link to her Flickr page. D.B. )http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheryls_camera/

3. Also, Jay taking bark (photo by Catgirl)

4. Jay and Kay with a prey at the nest, 3/4/09

Jay left and Kay right. First of all one can see the head of the left bird, and it is light, meaning Jay, and the right bird looks bulkier but pretend those two comparisons weren't available to you to ID the birds and look at the "ankles". The bird on the right has thicker ankles, therefore she is the female.

5. Kay, 3/4/09

6. No eggs yet, 3/4/09

7. Jay and Kay both tugging on the same bark strip

8. The nest, 3/4/09

Again, the YouTube highlights are an excellent recap.

Jackie (Tulsa Hawk Forum)

And more news from Tulsa Hawkwatcher Donna-

We had a very active day in the KJRH hawks nest today and although Kay has not laid any eggs yet their work on the nest as been very intense. The KJRH webmaster also put up a live chat for us to communicate in. First I wanted to send you a series of shots I got a few days ago when it was windy. Jay landed in the nest and proceeded to arrange the sticks. He picked one up turned to move it and the wind caught him just right to almost send him tumbling!! He put the stick down turned looked and flew off kind of like” forget that it is too windy”.

Jay just short of flipping tail or teakettle in the wind.

Besides the numerous visits to the nest there were two occasions when Kay and Jay may have been having a disagreement over some food. Several viewers witnessed them. One of the forumers “Bobdmac” has been recording videos also and putting them on “you tube”.
Here is a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/user/bobdmac

I know he recorded the first time that Kay and Jay landed in the nest at the same time. One of them had some prey and they had a disagreement over who was to get it. It is worth watching!

Jay gives up on twigging for the moment and who could blame him.

AND THE PROMISED MINI-UPDATE ON SOUTHERN CENTRAL PARK HAWKS CHARLOTTE AND PALE MALE JR.--

Hey Donna,

I see both Charlotte and Junior every day that I am at work now. Yesterday, I saw Charlotte bring some paper to line the nest and then later I saw her perched on the roof of the building for about 30 minutes. I'm hoping to come in this weekend sometime to get some photographs.

Brett Odom

And R. of Illinois comes through again with the answer to my question as to exactly how had Sutton Mom nudged Dad out of the nest, plus some personal fox sighting information from her.

Sutton eagle mom used her shoulder and side/body to nudge dad off the eggs. It was gentle, but it was persistent, especially as he was trying to ignore her.

On another subject, about 15 years ago on a snowy winter night, by the automatic yard light, I saw a fox climb my tree to get at the bird feeder which was easily 6 feet off the ground and no low branches to aid the climb.Having had no clue that foxes climbed trees, I did some research. Gray foxes which do inhabit this part of the Midwest, though not in any substantial numbers, are tree climbers. And apparently bird-seed eaters too.

Nowdays I put out generic cat or dog food for whatever takers come along, foxes, coyotes, opossum, feral cats, raccoons, and even the starlings and jays love the cat/dog food.

Robin you can add NYC pigeons to that list as well. When I leave the terrace door open, the local pigeons walk through the door, cross the living room, and make their way into the kitchen to help themselves to the cat's big bowl of chow.

And what are the cats doing? Looking on in stunned wonder at the sheer hutzpah of these pigeons.

New Yorkers are New Yorkers no matter their species.

Donegal Browne

Sunday Miscellany: White Red-tails, Alex & Me, Golden Eagle, Turtle with Wheels, Eleanor's Cormorant, and the Headless Bunny

Photograph courtesy of Dr. Ruth Boll, DVM
A beautiful "white" Red-tailed Hawk in Utah, being treated for gunshot wounds. Notice her white beak, though still with black eyes. Which is a good thing because beyond being an easily seen target for idiots with guns, the only other issue in being white, is the possibility of unpigmented eyes which reduces the birds chance for survival. Probably because eyes without pigment are more sensitive to light which may interfere with hunting.


These photos come our way from a heads up on the "white" Red-tail site from Jackie of the Tulsa Hawk Forum--

Donna,
Here is a site we've been exploring; it reports on a number of white/albino/leucistic red-tailed hawk sightings, and offers some wonderful photos. The various degrees of "whiteness" are interesting.

http://www.diversityinutah.com/albino1.html

Enjoy!
Jackie (Tulsa Hawk Forum)


Alex & Me
How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
By Irene Pepperberg

Harper has released some teasers from Alex & Me on their website. Check it out.
http://www.harpercollins.com/book/index.aspx?isbn=9780061672477

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Dr. Todd Cecil treats a sick golden eagle that was found on the ground on the Viejas reservation.

Socal from the Tulsa Hawk Forum sends this:

Has anybody read about the Golden Eagle that was rescued here in San Diego County recently? It was on our local t.v. News shows. Poor thing had kidney problems and was very sick. It was delivered to a veterinarian who was nursing it back with I.V. fluids etc., and there were plans to eventually transfer the bird to Project Wildlife, a local wildlife rescue foundation. I haven't heard how the eagle has fared since, but I'll try to find out more and get back to you... Meantime, here are some links to articles and videos:

Ailing eagle rescued on Viejas reservation

By Onell R. Soto
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
5:29 p.m. September 29, 2008

EAST COUNTY – A golden eagle with kidney problems is recovering at a La Mesa veterinary clinic after it was rescued Saturday night on the Viejas Indian Reservation.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080929-1729-bn29eagle.html

http://www.10news.com/news/17591006/detail.html

http://www.news8online.com/features/special_assignment/story.php?id=141954

R of Illinois sends us news of Tonka the Turtle

BAY AREA TURTLE GETS NEW SET OF WHEELS

KNTV-TV

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A screwdriver and some Velcro has changed the life of a once-homeless turtle living on the Peninsula.
When handyman Kohl Williams fitted a three-legged tortoise with a set of toy wheels, suddenly Tonka was off a rolling -- slowly.
Peninsula Humane Society workers think Tonka was bitten by a dog

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27010640


A gorgeous shot of a Double Crested Cormorant at the Model Boat Pond
by wonderful Central Park Photographer Eleanor Tauber.

The next photo is not for the squeamish, so if you are, don't keep scrolling down.

I went out to the front yard this morning to see if any of the plants had been nipped by the frost last night and discovered this-- A neatly decapitated upper de-pawed bottom section of a Cottontail Rabbit. The head was no where to be seen and I looked for it. I also looked for tracks of a possible predator but the ground is very dry so no luck.

My first thought was that a cat had done the deed. But why would a cat take the head and leave the rest? And it's so neatly done.

A Red-tail flushed off the kill? So she just took the head? Does that make sense? But it doesn't really look like the work of a Red-tail if the technique for rabbits is similar to that used for squirrels. Though as Manhattan hasn't many rabbits I've not seen the leavings from a Red-tail Bunny kill.

As far as I know we have no Prairie Wolves in the neighborhood. And I sincerely doubt it was Rocky the Raccoon, or Fluffy the Opossum.

Any ideas?

D.B.