Wednesday, March 31, 2010

PART 2 Ax to Grind


The hawks are making such a ruckus that they are spooking all the smaller flocks of birds who take to their wings as well.


In the next few seconds they make contact once again.


Until...


...they both disappear from sight in the distance.


WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?


Was that a territorial dispute, it is likely the border between the County Ms and the Townie hawks Whistle and Dollar General. Though I did not recognize Two as being an M.


Or was that purely a dispute as to who gets to hunt from the pole that One originally sat on? Remember the moment when Two went to sit on the same pole only lower?


Donegal Browne

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Urban Mourning Doves vs Rural Mourning Doves, Hawk Names


Photo by Peter Richtor
By a landslide meet the Woodside Hawks-- HARRY...


Photo by Peter Richter http://queensraptors.blogspot.com/
AND SALLY

REGARDING THE 1 FIFTH HAWKS- Zach Lemle reports as of Monday the 29th the pair was still working on the nest.

The votes have been tallied and the winning names are ARCHIE AND WHITNEY.

NOW TO THE UNISPHERE HAWKS--I received one suggestion-- Peace for the male and Love for the female. What do you think?



Photo by Carol Vinzant
Carol Vinzant our resident expert on all things squirrel, also has something to say about Mourning Doves--the urban version. They don't seem to be nearly as discrete as the rural ones.

My fire escape mourning doves have been a lot less discreet than yours. They went through a ritual of puffing up, nuzzling then mating right in front of me.


They started coming to my window sill when I got a cardinal for a few days and started putting out sunflower seeds.
Sometimes they show up just a few minutes after I open my curtain.


They also realize that when I knock on the window I'm driving away the pigeons, not them.
They will sometimes defend the area from pigeons, but flee from squirrels.

Carol Vinzant
AnimalTourism.com - Where to go to see animals
editor@animaltourism.com

Mourning Doves are interesting when it comes to defense and offense. Coming soon--the first of the season's BATTLE OF THE BATH, after the Robins were ousted from the bird bath by Grackles, a Mourning Dove faced them off and got her drink no matter those scary faced glaring Grackles.

Donegal Browne

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Kay and Jay of Tulsa, Sutton Eagles Have a Hatch, Cooper's Bath and 1 Fifth


Photo by Zach Lemle of 1 Fifth Red-tail landing.

Here is local Hawkwatcher Zach Lemle's update--I do believe they have begun to sit in the nest. I was walking down 5th yesterday and I managed to see one of them perched right on the ledge of where their nest is. It was too far for my camera and it was so sunny I could barely see it but I will try and get over to the building on 9th street this week to see if I can get a better angle.

I did see one of them 2 or 3 times yesterday but it definitely seems things have quieted down. So if George and Martha are a no go... Eleanor doesn't bother me for the female...I was trying to think of appropriate women that lived around here...the only other one I could think of was Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney who lived here and started the Whitney museum right across the street. As for the male name... Stanford keeps coming to mind (even though it sounds kind of funny) because Stanford White designed the Wash. Sq. Arch, Judson Memorial Church (which is where I had first photographed the hawk sitting) and he did the alterations of the Church of the Ascension on 10th street and 5th.

Mark Twain lived at 9th and 5th, Jacob Brevoort used to own all this land, Richard Morris Hunt the very famous American architect lived in the park before his death...there are a lot of names I can think of but I don't know which is appropriate.

Ask people what they think of Stanford (or Stan for short) and Trudie or Whitney as names...

Zach

There was much input in my box about possible names, but as life has rather gotten in the way for me today, (besides there is this mound of twigs sitting at the curb that I must go nab before dawn) , we'll get to names tomorrow. Therefore if you want to weigh in on the name game there is still time!

Photo by Francois Portman
From Francois--
Went to the NYBG for Great Horned Owls and stumbled on a bathing Cooper’s.
Check out the sequence of photos at
http://www.fotoportmann.com/birdblog/


From Sally of Kentucky--

Oklahoma Sooner Lake Nest, Fred and Ethel have a hatch!! http://www.suttoncenter.org/pages/live_eagle_camera
The eagle chat watchers have named it Ponca in honor of a loyal kind watcher from previous years who was a wonderful person.


All Kay and Jay of Tulsa Red-tailed Hawk Photos by Cheryl Cavert
And here is the latest on Kay and Jay from Cheryl--
Hi Donegal,

After a late spring snowstorm last weekend, beautiful weather has graced the Tulsa area this past week. The snow was not nearly as bad as the late storm last year that affected Kay and Jay so drastically and ended their nesting season.


Kay and Jay choose the Mazzio's tower this spring to nest at. It is about 1/3 of a mile south of their KJRH nest and the hawk cam is not able to focus in that far.



I go by as often as I can - sometimes several times a day, sometimes only every few days.


On Saturday, February 27th, I observed them mating on top of their nesting tower. The next day and ever since, I have observed them sitting on the nest. As there is no way to see into the nest, we have no idea how many eggs were laid.

Well, Cheryl, Tulsa is now in the same boat when it comes to egg count as most of the rest of us. It is a mind shift, but it does add to the mystery and fun to try and figure out just how many little guys are up there before the heads start popping up into view.


I see Jay out hunting, bringing food to the nest that Kay has flown off with, sitting at the old nesting tower, and sitting at the nest.


I see Jay out hunting, bringing food to the nest that Kay has flown off with, sitting at the old nesting tower, and sitting at the nest.


The past few days I have seen both of them with bulging crops and Kay getting some time away from the nest while Jay tends to it. The egg(s) should be hatching sometime in the next week!

I look forward to your further adventures building your awesome human hawks nest!!!!

All my best,
Cheryl


D.B.