Birders' Nest

Pohjolas Daughter · April 09, 2023, 09:42:23 AM

Quote from: OrchestralNut on April 09, 2023, 05:43:25 AMAccording to many people on a Manitoba birding Facebook page I follow there have been several dark eyed junco sightings. A good sign of spring on its way!

Yay!

Went for a nice long walk with a friend by a river this morning. Saw some great things whilst out including a red-tailed hawk flying right overhead of us; it circled approximately 3 times or so right overhead of us then eventually flew away. Earlier in the morning we saw what we think might have been a great horned owl (alas my friend couldn't get his binoculars out quickly enough). It was flying towards some trees. It was massive and blocky in shape.

Great way to start the day.

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · April 20, 2023, 06:47:13 AM

Had a very pleasant surprise this past Tuesday. I was leaving my house when all of a sudden to the side of me and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bunch of birds leaving in a flurry. Apparently, they had been having a grand ole time using my bird bath. I sat down and was quiet and still for a bit, and they ended up coming back. Saw several black capped chickadees, a few song sparrows, and a couple of robins. Unfortunately, when the robins show up, the smaller birds flew away. They did keep coming back though to drink and bathe. Hadn't ever seen so many birds using it before! Thinking of maybe seeing if I could set up some kind of wildlife cam so that I could enjoy watching them from within my house...that or maybe set up a second bird bath somewhere that I could watch it through a window? In any event, nice to see that they were making good use of it. I had wondered over the years whether anything other than the wasps were making use of it.

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · May 08, 2023, 05:22:38 AM

Delighted to see that Big Red's (the female red-tailed hawk at Cornell) first two eggs have hatched--the second one hatching early, early this morning. Watched her for a while feeding M1 (the first-hatched). What a good mother she is! And her faithful partner Arthur is such a good provider (bringing all of them various things to eat) as well as doing brooding duty (when Big Red lets him!). Hopefully the third egg will hatch in the next couple of days.

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · June 21, 2023, 04:39:59 AM

The three red-tailed hawk chicks at Cornell are all doing well (knock-on-wood). They have been *flapping their wings and hopping all around the nest--including on top of the light boxes (which are angled down towards the athletic field. How the heck do they manage to stay on top of those things: they are metal and facing downward?!). Fledge or fludge day is any time now. I believe that the eldest one, M1 is 46 days old today (almost typed years!). Average fledge is something like 47.something-or-other days.

* a combo known as "flappercising"

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · June 22, 2023, 04:48:43 AM

Delighted to announce that M1 had a successful (and powerful!) fledge this morning. If anyone wants to see it, it was at 6:00 (EST/Cornell Cam1 time). Just type in Cornell hawk and cam.

PD

VonStupp · September 16, 2023, 12:21:21 PM

We have had this guy for about a year now. The girls love him and have taught him to say a few things.

I liked Gus immediately due to his mischievous, curious look in his eyes. I included a picture of him playing hide and seek with me before we got him. He now flies all over the house; rules the roost, as they say
VS

Pohjolas Daughter · September 17, 2023, 03:37:04 AM

Quote from: VonStupp on September 16, 2023, 12:21:21 PMWe have had this guy for about a year now. The girls love him and have taught him to say a few things.

I liked Gus immediately due to his mischievous, curious look in his eyes. I included a picture of him playing hide and seek with me before we got him. He now flies all over the house; rules the roost, as they say
VS

Sweet!

PD

Pohjolas Daughter · September 17, 2023, 02:51:09 PM

Quote from: VonStupp on September 16, 2023, 12:21:21 PMWe have had this guy for about a year now. The girls love him and have taught him to say a few things.

I liked Gus immediately due to his mischievous, curious look in his eyes. I included a picture of him playing hide and seek with me before we got him. He now flies all over the house; rules the roost, as they say
VS

You might appreciate this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGsN7jzp5DE

PD

VonStupp · September 17, 2023, 03:23:50 PM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 17, 2023, 02:51:09 PMYou might appreciate this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGsN7jzp5DE

PD

Adorable.

I hope, god-willing, my mother will live many more years; but I know when she passes, I will inherit her cat. I wasn't sure how that would fly between bird and cat.
VS

Pohjolas Daughter · September 17, 2023, 03:58:02 PM

Quote from: VonStupp on September 17, 2023, 03:23:50 PMAdorable. I hope, god-willing, my mother will live many more years; but I know when she passes, I will inherit her cat. I wasn't sure how that would fly between bird and cat.
VS

Hopefully, she will live much longer and that if kitty is still alive when she passes, that all will go well between the two. It's amazing how much and how often animals of different species become friends.

PD