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

The Woodman's Feather Mystery and a Strange Duck

Photo Donna Browne
Remember back in early October, I discovered a great many feathers surrounding the Woodman Supermarket in Janesville, WI?

There were feathers in the gravel, under the bushes, and sticking to the grass in the lawn. At first I thought they were all pigeon feathers but on closer examination I realized there were a good many gull feathers there as well.

Looking around I didn't see a single member of either species. What was going on? Well...

Photo by Donna Browne
Upon leaving the store the other day, I looked up to see a kettle of birds circling above a small strip mall kitty corner from Woodman's.


Photo by Donna Browne
On closer examination they looked like gulls.



Photo by Donna Browne
I hit the brakes and abruptly took a right, almost hitting a couple pigeons that had flushed suddenly from the ground. (Glad to miss the pigeons. But sorry, I missed the shot. They hot winged it out of there.) Then I looked to see where they'd come from.


Photo Donna Browne
Just as a flock of sparrows came out of the bushes and repositioned themselves under a---WHAT? A bird feeder! Look up at the stores in the photo of the mall above. There is a Wild Birds Unlimited and they have a number of feeders in the small green space between the road and their parking lot. Now look in the upper right hand corner of this photograph. See the beige building with the orange roof trim? That is Woodman's, where all the feathers are laying everywhere.

Thinking back I've seen Red-tailed Hawk circling about an 1/8 of a mile from this point several months ago. And three years ago I watched a Cooper's flying at car roof level from small tree to small tree in the Woodman's parking lot.

Mystery solved. Obviously the bird feeder is the draw for the seed eaters, (plus there are the wind currents around the little mall creating a place for birds to kettle up) and that nice flat roof of Woodman's is the dining hall for any raptors who happen to be taking their dinner from the birds availing themselves of their dinner at the feeders.

I always feel much better when I've figured it out. Whatever "it" is at any given moment.

Photo by Pat Gonzalez

Pat Gonzalez has a new video camera and has also discovered another strange duck in the New York Botanic Garden.

Donna,

I was at the NYBG earlier today trying out my new toy. The mystery duck there seems to have attracted a friend. Here's some video I shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuZvq36OP9A
I've attached a photo. Is this another farm duck?

Pat,

It looks like a hybridized individual to me. One that is at least partially a "farm duck".

D. B.