Milkweed Buds, Another Try at Bat Fly Out, A Tidbit From Stella on Pale Male's Fledgling Bugsy and Last But Not Least...SO YOU THINK YOU WANT A PARROT!

The mature Common Milkweed I transplanted is coming along.  See the coming blossoms center?  Also a couple of interesting insects...

So far so good.  Which is more than I can see for my efforts to catch the small bat colony which resides somewhere on or in my house at fly out.

 Not a bat in sight though I thought I was watching all the time...okay most of the time, as I got an important text, perhaps at the exact moment I should have been watching. 

 This is the area under the eaves that the other bats appeared to be coming from on Little Brown Bat fly out night.  It is in inky darkness at fly out time so I just periodically and blindly took a picture, and later brought up the image in the photo program with hope to have caught something...which I didn't...yet anyway.

And a very nice tidbit from Central Park Hawk Watcher Stella Hamilton.  Bugsy the fledgling of Pale Male and Octavia, who was notorious for eating bugs earlier in his fledglinghood actually brought down a squirrel today on her own!  Squirrels being no easy prey as they have extremely tough, hard to puncture skin and very sharp teeth.  Bugsy as it turns out is quite precocious.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...
SO...YOU THINK YOU WANT A PARROT?

Yes Ladies and Gentleman Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot ran amuck while I napped having inadvertently fallen asleep with the parrot at large in the house.

In the past this hasn't been a problem as Silver didn't, for whatever reason, go into the kitchen on his own.  Well this day he obviously did and when he heard my footsteps approaching from the other side of the house, I heard a little parrot voice saying, "I'm sorry.  I'm sorry."

At the sound, I was filled with dread.  It has to be something really egregious before Silver apologizes before I even appear on the scene.

Note the pile of lime jello on the stove top and a smaller pile of lemon on the counter.  Silver was standing between them apologizing with bits of teabag clinging to his chest.  The dog was snacking on the coffee cake on the floor and Squirrel the Cat was sitting on the counter, left, hoping for Silver to dispense something he'd like very soon.

Therefore think very carefully about your patience level and how much you can take before the lifelong decision of a very smart feathered friend who cannot help but open the cupboard when you're distracted,  chunk things out and chew them.

But as the pet is a parrot, at least he apologized...in English.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot Renovates a Different Metal Cabinet...sigh

As is usual with Quicksilver's unique adventures in cabinetry...I heard a clang and a bang.  I knew where to go.  

The laundry room.

And he'd really done it this time because this cabinet had loads of cardboard in it's various incarnations plus some rubber gloves.  A definite chewy favorite.

I then get the...do-you-really-want-to-make-something-out-of-this face.  I realize, I really don't. 

You truly can't reason with a parrot in a cabinet.

 He then leans down and grabs the inner edge of the cabinet door and gives it a pull.  I get some satisfaction that he can't totally dis me by closing the door.  He's got two much chewed stuff in the floor for the door to close.

I resist the urge to go ...Nahhh, na na Nahhh Na!

I make a move to go over and start picking up some of the trash on the floor.

That would be a big fat NO, in Silvers mind.  He leans over and looks at my hand with juicy thoughts.

Okaaaaay.  I back down. No picking up of anything at the moment.

Silver cocks his head and gives me the positive reinforcement of a kissy noise.  It is then I realize he's looks very tired and likely wants to take a nap.

I say, "Nap?"  He says," Nap".

"Okay, take a nap." 

I turn and start to go and Silver says, "Bye, See you later."

"Have a good sleep.  See you later."

D.B.

Francois Portmann Catches a Feeding at Sheep Meadow! Plus the Decorah Eagle Mom and Eaglets And Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot

Photograph by Francois Portmann  http://www.fotoportmann.com/birds

Fabulous pro photographer Francois Portmann caught a feeding at Sheep Meadow nest in Central Park on Tuesday.

Hawkwatchers report that all is going well for these younger parents with the nest very close to that of Pale Male and Octavia.

By the way, I've reloaded the pipping photo from yesterday. (Next post down) I hope it is now visible to all readers.  For some obscure reason I could see it on my computer but some others could not.

The Decorah Eagle Cam

The Eaglets are restless, Mom checks, they settle down and she dozes.

Mom wakes and preens.

A noise.  Head up and around.  Mom peers into the darkness.  Many birds have the innate ability to be aware and functioning using one side of their brain  while the other side of the brain sleeps.  Works well for nest guarding Moms.

Then she tucks her head for a more complete sleep.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

After many days of constant vigilance guarding various cavities around the house, Silver has calmed to the point he can't help himself, he naps.
Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

Pale Male and Washington Heights Mom, Look the look and Quicksilver and His Craving For Cavities Part 4

Photo courtesy of palemale.com

Pale Male always takes time to watch his young eyasses when he gets a chance.  I find these the sweetest moments in every nesting season.  We've all seen Pale Male focus in numerous ways.  The way he looks at prey or an intruder or at his mate, but there is no "look", which includes the set of his body while he looks, a kind of internal stillness and enjoyment, to compare to this one.

 Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk at http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/
 Here is the look again on the face of the Washington Heights/ Wright Park female as she watches her eyasses.  She does so much remind me of Isolde of the Cathedral Nest at St. John the Divine/Morningside Park.

By the way if you haven't been following Rob Schmunk's blog you should.  His photographs catch the hawks at lovely moments in beautiful light and his prose reflects a long affection, as well as a close attention to detail,  for the Red-tail Hawks and the nests he chronicles. 

10:40AM  It was the sound of ripping cardboard that brought me into the laundry room this morning.  Guess who?  He actually looked quite amiable.

Then he turned toward me with purpose...

 ...and I realized he was looking at and advancing toward my bare feet.

I backed up into the doorway and then he looked up.  I took the hint and left.   I'd nab the cardboard box later.  

11:34 AM I hear another sound coming from the laundry room.  A sort of TINK, tink, tink tink....

I come in, look around.  And Silver has opened the cabinet again.  I look up and he leans over amiably and blows me a kiss.  Well...he's trying charm this morning.  I'm all for that.

 I say, "Hi Hon, what you doing?"

Silver leans over and appears to be trying to get something  from under the can with his beak.

He appears to be sliding something towards himself with his beak.

He's got a penny!

He rests it on the can and lets it go.
Tink!

Then he stands up and looks exceedingly proud of himself.
Good job, Silver!

4:25PM  It was getting on towards dinner and as Silver wanted to come with me I carried him to his perch in the kitchen.  But instead of staying there he flew over and landed on the microwave.  Note the bottom center corners of the cupboard doors.  Yes they've seen some attention from the parrot in last years bout with cavity finding.
4:25:58  He's waiting until I'm not looking.  I've yet to see how he opens this cupboard.  I start cleaning out the refrigerator and attempting to check in with him by slipping my eyes sideways.

4:27:39 I hadn't had more than 15 seconds where I wasn't glancing over and ...TA DA, he's got it open and I still didn't see it happen.
Parrots watch eyes with great care as do Crows.  I suspect that is the case with most bird species, particularly the clever ones.

4:28:15 We stare at each other.
 
4:28:27 He appears to notice something up right.

He walks across and then appears to look up.  I look up.

When I look back he has his beak pressed to the wood.  I have no idea what this is about.  Suggestions?

Then he walks back across, ducks his head under the door and stays that way until I pick him up and leave the room.


I have no idea what the last two moves were about.  ???  If you do let me know.


Happy Hawking!
D.B.

Pale Male and Octavia's Pin Feathered Little Guy, and Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot Chews His Way Into a Drawer

Photo courtesy of palemale.com
One of Pale Male and Octavia's eyasses works on a pin feather.  Actually all the new feathers eyasses go through in babyhood rather drive them mad.  If you've not done it, watch a hawkcam a night when the eyasses fledgling feathers are coming in.  They sometimes spend the whole night trying to deal with the pin feathers. 

I'd been told that hawk parents did not preen their young and I admit I've not seen them do it in the daytime, but I have seen them doing it many times at night on cams.  In some cases if an eyasses sleep becomes too disturbed by them Mom will work on particularly bothersome ones.

I thought that things might be calming down, at least Silver hadn't bombed me lately, but no, when I came in to check on him he was hanging off the cupboard door in front of his currently chosen shelf...excuse me, cavity.

Then he flipped round and I got ready to duck. 

Instead he flew over to his old stand by the clean laundry.  (I was actually able to catch up a little on  the laundry while he was sleeping last night.  Woooo Hoooo!)

Considering Silver's expression I decided not to push my luck and retreated to a safer room.

 1:41 pm  He turns his head and gives me a look.  I tense.

And though Silver keeps one eye on me he turns back enough to keep the other eye on the bird feeder.

It is a gray chilly day, but there are some signs of Spring.  The Goldfinch are sporting their Spring colors...

...and a lactating squirrel is about to leap the baffle and raid the sunflower seed feeder.  (Hey, she needs the calories.)

And as all seems well, I head back to my chores.  

I'm typing away when I realize I've been hearing a sort of wood grinding noise for awhile.  What is that?  It stops.

Click, clakity, click...geeerrrrrind

That's it!  What IS that sound?

My first choice as to where to look for mysterious sounds...the laundry room of course.  I go in.  Look around.  No parrot.  No more grinding wood either.

"Silver.   Silver?"  

Where is he?

I look behind things.  I look under things.

No parrot.  Right.  

Wonder if he is back excavating under the chest of drawers?  I'm in the process of getting down to look under it when...

Is there an eye looking at me from that drawer?  I change angles.

Not only is there an eye, I'd say there is a parrot head  and likely the rest of him.  He looks a little squashed and he didn't get in from this side.  Did he really chew his way in from underneath?  I gently pull it a touch more open.

Looks like he could use it a touch more open.  Another gentle pull.

Lookin'  kinda grumpy  there, Silver.   Actually he looks rather like the F word might be forthcoming.  Parrots are experts at picking up swear words...anything with high expletive drama will be copied.  It is in their nature.

Ah he seems to be accompanied by some wood splinters.  What a surprise.  One in his feathers...two visible in the drawer...  Will have to check that out when his hormones have settled down.  I don't think moving furniture is in the cards right now.

Still lookin' grumpy?  No perhaps stunned is a better word for that expression.  Hon'  you did do it to yourself.  Not fun squashing yourself into a full drawer from the back or the bottom?

 Sorry.  I know.  Nobody likes to be mocked at a time like this.

Do you want to go in the other room?  

He steps up so I figure that's a yes.

 Squirrel is already in residence but they often sit here companionably together. It is the best seat in the house for the southern exposure bird feeder.  Though currently Squirrel is considering leaping on Pyewacket, the (other) cat. 

 Eventually Squirrel sleeps and Silver is content enough to stay put.

Thank goodness.

And tomorrow, more hawk news plus what do female African Grey Parrots act like at this time of year!

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne