For the Birds!

Great picture. Takes me back to my days when I was trained to handle raptors on the glove. The raptors I worked with could not be released. They all had some permanent injury due to some interaction with humans. They could not fend for themselves in the wild. Even so, this did send a powerful message to the many audiences I encountered.

To have a full grown great horned owl looking eye to eye with you is something I will never forget!
 
We have several Great Horned that nest around the house. Usually in the summer, a first year bird comes down to the back yard and runs around eating bugs and toads. I've never been able to catch him with the camera.

I did catch a screech owl pair that decided to move into our wood duck house last spring.

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DW does realistic and imaginative paintings, some involving birds. Here's one at a local gallery titled "Secret Garden".


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Brdofpray said:
Great picture. Takes me back to my days when I was trained to handle raptors on the glove. The raptors I worked with could not be released. They all had some permanent injury due to some interaction with humans. They could not fend for themselves in the wild. Even so, this did send a powerful message to the many audiences I encountered.

To have a full grown great horned owl looking eye to eye with you is something I will never forget!
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Sorry. My pic was accidentally deleted. Here's a re-post.

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JOHNNIE36 said:
How neat is that! Fantastic feat by you boys back then. I'll bet you never forget the moment you released them.
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Thank you Johnnie. Providing fresh food was a full time job. They were about half the size in that pic when we first got them. Release was a gradual process. When they finally left for good it was what I'd call bittersweet.
 
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The marauder returns

This guy doesn't stay in one place for very long. So, through blinds, two panes of glass, and with a pocket camera, this is the best I could get.

Sharp Shinned Brdofpray? Rounded tail feathers, no notch?
 

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Wish there was something to be able to judge the size. But I would concur with your identification. Feeding on small birds from your feeder?
 
Brdofpray said:
Wish there was something to be able to judge the size. But I would concur with your identification. Feeding on small birds from your feeder?
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I cant catch him with something good to compare for size. Smaller than a crow I'd say. From my research, smaller than a Coopers. He usually swings through once a week and has a sparrow or two, but have seen this same type of hawk take down a large Eurasian dove in the yard last winter.

Edit to Add that he's about 8 feet from the window in this pic.
 
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Sharpies are pretty cool. For a little guy, I've seen one hold its own while being mobbed by crows. Not many hawks can put up with that,
 
I've always heard that the sharpies, the coopers, and the goshawks (accipiters) are the "Top Guns" in the bird world. Short wings, long tail for high speed, maneuverability through the woodlands. Little birds, and big beware.
 
Avalon said:
I cant catch him with something good to compare for size. Smaller than a crow I'd say. From my research, smaller than a Coopers. He usually swings through once a week and has a sparrow or two, but have seen this same type of hawk take down a large Eurasian dove in the yard last winter.

Edit to Add that he's about 8 feet from the window in this pic.
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Smaller than a crow? Definitely a sharpie. Full adult too - red breast, red eyes.
 
Bluebirds starting to scope out the houses. We fledged 13 last year with two houses. A third house installed in the fall. Should be more this year.

Went down to our local National Wildlife Area last week. Red-shouldered hawk and many kestrels. About 15 eagles. 30,000 snow geese.
 
Wow - what a great thread. This is exactly how I see myself in retirement. Going to parks, watching birds do what they do ... not just spotting them, but actually WATCHING them.

Amazingly I see LESS species here in Florida (tampa bay area) then I do when I lived in lower NY state. I miss the Chickadees for sure.
 
We had a rare (for the east) Virginia's warbler at the local Audubon refuge this week. Multiple sightings on a nice warm day. Bonus - two golden eagles perched high in the oaks at the edge of the fields. Baldies are everywhere around here but the golden eagles are not as easy to spot.
 
Yesterday I was sitting on my back porch. I heard a bird that I thought I should know. Frustrated, I grabbed my Iphone and camera and walked into the woods. I opened my bird App on my phone, and began playing songs from likely suspects. When I played the pine warbler's song, this little guy showed up. He was looking for the bird in my phone. I quickly began to snap some shots. (one note: If you do this, stop playing the song after the bird arrives. Too much repetition may drive your bird from the territory, when they can't find the competing bird they had just heard. And yes, they are called birdbrains for a reason!)
 

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