There's Just Something About a Raptor!

A wild moment from Wild NYC--More to come...

Multi-lingual Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chickadees, Antelopes, Rob Schmunk Hits a Raptor Bonanza and Guys in Trees

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Courtesy of dnr.wi.gov.

From long time contributor Robin of Illinois--

Last week my Red Bellied Woodpecker pair showed up for the winter, and this
week, my White Breasted Nuthatch pair arrived as well. (I usually have both
red breasted and white bellied nuthatches during the winters.)

I wanted to get more information on Nuthatches and checked Wikipedia and
found this interesting bit of information:

"The Red-breasted Nuthatch, which coexists with the Black-capped Chickadee throughout much of its range, is able to understand the latter species' calls. The chickadee has subtle call variations that communicate information about the size and risk of potential predators. Many birds recognize the simple alarm calls produced by other species, but the Red-breasted Nuthatch is able to interpret the chickadees' detailed variations and to respond appropriately."

Alright! Nuthatch are multi-lingual. Now many birds and animals react to the basic Chickadee alarm call but as Chickadees have been known to fake alarms by making alarm calls when no danger exists to run other species off feeders ( who knows it might be a popular Chickadee joke) and as fellow Chickadees know the subtle difference, it would appear likely that the Red-breasted Nuthatch who is also into the subtleties of Chickadee speak wouldn't be fooled either.

See what happens when one species lives around another species all the time. They begin to understand each other.

There's a concept.

A point to think about, that.

Which brought to my mind that when an individual of one species lives around another individual of another species all the time, such as the two above and my cats and my parrot, (Our motto being from Stuart Little-No eating of family members) what might be thought to be unnatural behavior can occur and become "natural behavior" at least for those individuals.

The back story on the owl and the kitten--From Robin of Illinois

It all started when a litter of stray kittens were given to the Hawk Conservancy Trust in Hampshire. (“Fascinating” spot to drop off kittens don’t you think? D.B) This kitten became fast friends with Nigel, a white-faced scopes owl. Just goes to show: "Friendship" knows no bounds when it comes to species.

Which further reminds me of a extremely tattered book of Albert Schweitzer writings which appeared in the give away pile of books in my apartment building lobby a few days ago--The Animal World of Albert Schweitzer- translated by Charles R. Joy, copyright 1950, published by The Beacon Press--with a dedication that reads, To Monsieur Le Pelican, faithful guardian of Albert Schweitzer.


Remember Albert Schweitzer? The German physician who lived and worked in Africa? Beyond being a doctor he was a theologian, naturalist, and philosopher to name a few. Oh and we can't forget a musician who played the organ and almost single handedly brought J.S. Bach back to the fore of classical music. And as it turns out an animal lover and rehabilitator.


Obviously all the Africans with Malaria and parasites and Dengue Fever didn't keep him quite busy enough. (Jeez) He was also very concerned that the Western World had very little in the way of a standard of ethics when it came to animals, we very badly needed one, and he wrote about it a lot.


Nothing was ever killed at the hospital...okay, the parasites got nixed but he still found it a bit worrisome.


What is it now, the end of 2010? And we've still got a ways to go when it comes to getting many people to "get it" about animals. Like ahhhh....being a nuisance does not rate death, for instance?

At any rate, Monsieur Le Pelican of the dedication hung out on the front porch and was a very scary version of a large hugely beaked guard dog who would not let you pass if he didn't believe you should enter the house, be you a snake, an assassin or cosseted reporter from The Times.

Owls roosted under the roof of the veranda and inside the house rehabilitating Antelopes cavorted in the doctor's rooms among other animals some of them carnivores plus Dr. Schweitzer's Dog and his nurse's African Grey parrots had reserved seats at the dinner table.

And nobody got to kill each other.

I suspect that the mice and other rodents were on their own when it came to the raptors. Unless of course you were a rodent being rehabilitated,i.e. an individual then you came under the heading of family member and we all know what that means.

See, it can be done with individuals of different species. We all just have to be habituated to each other.


Which brings us to the brothers in the trees of Central Park, sent in by W.A. Walters dedicated gleaner of the NYTimes, who aren't hurting anyone nor are they hurting the trees--

Finding a Bed Among Central Park’s Trees

There is no shortage of places in Manhattan where visitors can spend the night. Luxury hotels offer lavish suites that can run thousands of dollars, and youth hostels have beds for as little as $20. At least one flophouse survives on the Bowery. And, of course, there is couch-surfing — countless travelers bunk with old friends or near-strangers for little more than an owed favor….

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/nyregion/13trees.html?emc=eta1

(You may have to copy and paste this guy above as so far it won't turn into a link for me.)

AND DO NOT MISS ROB SCHMUNK'S PHOTOS OF HIS BOUNTIFUL RAPTOR SUNDAY ON BLOOMINGDALE VILLAGE AT THE LINK BELOW--

http://bloomingdalevillage.blogspot.com/2010/11/1114-morningside-hawkwatching.html#comment-form

Wild NYC Symposium 11/18, Chris Crow Rehydrates Supper, Isolde and Norman Return, Janesville Bald Eagles, and Sally Does TV

Chris the male Crow grabs some pineapple covered in rather dry rice off the goodie stump.


He then flies over to the bird bath and places it in the water to rehydrate. (I love it when Crows "cook"!)

That is the beginning of a long sequence of action, but there is lots of news so instead of waiting another day to put up the news in order to get the whole sequence of photos up tonight, above is the intro to the beginning so you can get the gist. Then we'll do news and you can continue on down for the end. Think of it as a Neil Gaiman novel because most of the beginning will be posted in another blog.

Sometimes stuff happens, the best laid plans...

NOW TO THE NEWS--

First up, a Symposium--WILD NYC, 11/ 18, that's this coming Thursday, for those within reach of the City, from 3:30 to 6:00pm, in the Gallatin's main event space on the first floor of 1 Washington Place, corner of B'way and Washington Place between Waverly and 4th.

Participants who will speak and take part in a panel discussion plus a Q& A with the audience include Linda Couturier, author of The Hopes of Snakes, Meredith Comi who is the director of the NY/NJ Baykeeper's Oyster Restoration Program, yours truly talking about our love affair with Red-tailed hawks, and Chris Nadereski, (who works with Peregrine Falcons and other raptors), will be bringing his birds with him.

NEXT--Word in from Nara M., who's living room abutts a favorite roost fire escape of Isolde and Norman of Morningside Park and the St. John the Divine Nest--

Hi Donna,
Tonight they're back, with a slightly different sleeping arrangement: one is on the railing, like last night, and the other is perched on top of the a.c. unit in the next window over! (it's mounted on the top of the window, so we can just see some tail feathers hanging down). I just went to check what was going on as there's a clacking sound coming from the a.c.--not sure if it's the bird's claws or if the a.c. unit is settling under the weight.

Nara

And in from Robin of Illinois, a link to watch long time contributor to the blog, Sally of Kentucky, who does work with Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky on a KNET TV news magazine. Sally is in the last news segment of the program.

http://www.ket.org/cgi-bin/cheetah/watch_video.pl?nola=KLOUL+000503&altdir=&template

And from Janesville Eagle Watcher, Beakerless-- just saw the pair of bald eagles at the Racine Street bridge in Janesville. Both were fully mature and one was significantly larger than the other. They were again flying low over the river looking for fish. I haven't seen them through the summer months and was overjoyed to see them back again.

Now to the beginning of the end of Chris Crow, his mate, Carol and their yearling, Junior, who rather hilariously is the spitting image of Chris only he isn't yet full grown.

At 4:28:28, (all times PM) Carol and Junior show up at the bird bath while Chris is over on the goodie stump selecting more pineapple segments. And here we have an excellent photo to go over some of the ways to tell a female crow from a male crow. Junior is on the left and Carol on the right. Compare their beaks.

Even though Junior is still smaller than Carol, for the moment at least, his beak is definitely longer and chunkier than hers.

Also compare the tarsi. Junior appears far more long legged (just like Chris) than does Carol. And it isn't just because Carol appears to be pleasantly plump. (Hey, that Chris really knows how to rehydrate some tasty meals. )

Males also have longer tails though this isn't a good photo for that comparison.

Speaking of Carol and food, she leans down and selects a tidbit that Chris put in the bath earlier.
4:28:40
Chris is over on the stump selecting out more pineapple while Carol and Junior pause for a drink of water.
4:28:48
Crows, who like most birds, are not capable of the sucking action of pigeons and doves, fill their beaks with water and then lean their heads back so it runs down their throats.
4:28:48

Chris continues to go about his business even though he knows I'm there, though in the house a good distance away and behind glass, but Junior and Carol, having heard the camera, are now giving me the crow eyeball.

They don't relent.
4:28:51
4:28:56
4:28:57
Finally Junior takes off and Carol isn't far behind.
4:29:00
Chris carefully watches where they are going.
4:29:04

Still watching.
4:29:05
He makes sure I haven't crossed any boundaries while he was otherwise occupied.
4:29:14

He caws four times, with a little something in his mouth.

4:29:15

Eyeballs me.
4:29:18
And goes back to picking.
4:29:32

Yup I'm still there.
4:29:33

For whatever reason he seems to stare at the bits for several seconds before picking any of them up.
4:29:35
4:29:37

Gulp, and it's nearly gone.
4:29:38

He stares at the pile of food.
4:29:40

Stares some more.
4:29:43
Still staring.
4:29:45

Then picks up a pineapple segment.
4:29:48

4:29:56


4:29:59
A little hard to get down perhaps?

4:30:02 Choosing.


4:30:05 Big bite.

One of the other crows does a fly-by.

4:30:19 And Chris heads for the bird bath with his big bite and puts it in the water.

4:30:22 Tending.

4:30:24 Watching the progress.


4:30:26 He pulls it out and tests it.

4:30:27
Might just be alright.
4:30:28

Is he looking for Carol and Junior?

4:30:41 Back in it goes.
4:30:42 He stares for some seconds.


4:30:47

4:30:48

4:30:50

4:30:51 And he's off.

4:38

5:05 And a snack for later.

Donegal Browne