Hungry Raptor!

This Cooper's Hawk was hoping for an easy meal from my House Sparrow trap this weekend. It wasn't so lucky. (If you want to know how and why I trap HOSPs, click here.) Derek grabbed my camera and took the video below. Doesn't he/she look frustrated? Birders with more expertise than me will have to let me know if this is a male or female and an adult or juvenile. I'm assuming it's a juvenile based on the streaked rather than solid feathers.

And where were the chickens during all the commotion? Less than 15 feet away, safely hidden away under the front porch. Jim reported that Silver was a good rooster and did his best to protect his girls. My birds are used to seeing raptors on the Twelve Acres and they are very vigilant and cautious. I have yet to lose a bird to a raptor attack (or any other attack for that matter).

What bird left this footy print on the snowy sidewalk today? Whatever it was it has "thumbs". Aren't they cute?

Reduced Flock

As you may have heard, Jim and I butchered chickens last night after our steak dinner. I was desperate to get it done while I'm on vacation, and since the boys were at Jim's mom's house it was the perfect night to do it. The weather was cool and not windy at all. I had separated the birds to be butchered and kept them locked in the coop so we wouldn't have to chase them down. It's really not as traumatic as you'd think. It does help to have a partner assist, preferably a non-wuss type person. Jim is the non-wuss who got the job of cutting the carotid arteries in their necks to bleed them out. My job was to help pluck, remove feet and hand them back to Jim to clean out the innards. I kept the carcasses in a cooler full of ice until it was time to rinse and bag them. Jim and I are good at working on projects together like this if we each have our assigned tasks.

So now I've got 9 chickens (3 big roosters) in the fridge letting them age for about 36 hours before I put them into the freezer. I won't have to buy chicken for a while at least and that's fine by me. Our chickens are really healthy with just the right amount of yellow fat. Grocery store chickens have white fat. Farm-raised chickens have a bright yellow fat.

My flock is now reduced to 15 birds, a much more manageable number for me. I've got 6 Black Australorp pullets, 5 Buff Orpington pullets, 2 Barred Rock pullets, 1 Buff Rock pullet (Cheese Doodle at left) and 1 Silver-Spangled Hamburg rooster. Silver thinks he's died and gone to heaven cause when he woke up this morning he had 14 girls in his care and not a single rooster to challenge him. It went straight to his head and I actually saw him mate one of the Orp girls out of the corner of my eye. So now Silver realizes he's head honcho, top dog, Mr. Big Stuff and Mr. Hot Pants! Oh boy, a Hamburg with a big ego! Look out!

The flock is quiet and peaceful now that the big 3 roosters are gone. I was watching them today and it immediately hit me just how quiet and calm they all were. There was no screaming, chasing or terrifying sounds in the chicken run. There was plenty of food to go around. That's what I want to see! And it was very nice to finally have it the way I'd had it pictured in my head.

The Red Tailed Hawks are back and this time they're training at least one youngster how to hunt. They are ignoring the chooks which are covered by a bunch of Austrian Pines in their run. If a big raptor like a Red Tail tried to fly through the thick branches it would likely get knocked to the ground or injured. What I am looking for diligently is the return of the Cooper's hawks. They won't be around until it gets colder though. They seem to arrive right around the time I put out my bird feeders.

In the late afternoon the chooks all slowly got up from their naps and wandered over to the far end of the pen and cooed and cackled lightly to each other. I kept looking up in the sky thinking they were watching a young hawk. Then I realized they were looking down on the ground. Then I saw a curly, swishy tail and little ear nubs and realized it was Rocky! I shouted the sighting to Jim who was busy herding ducks to the pond. Jim tried to catch Rocky but he got away. So he returned his attention to the ducks and took them for a nice long swim in the pond followed by a free for all algae snack at the edge of the pond. Those duckies were in duckie heaven! We'll do it again tomorrow I'm sure so I'll try to get a video.

Spring Sunset

It's a peaceful spring evening and I am outside on the back deck enjoying my new fire pit and a pretty sunset. The birds are singing their evening serenades and the bull frogs are tuning their banjos. I love this time of day when the creatures go to bed, the air calms and the colors wane. I am enjoying the crackle of a pine wood fire and the smell of wood smoke wafting through the air. My senses are calmed and soothed by such pleasurable surroundings. It's moments like this I thank God that I'm alive.

This afternoon I planted lettuce and spinach seeds. Since I don't have a conventional garden I decided to use them at the front of the flowerbeds as edging plants. Granted, lettuce and spinach make odd edging but once we've eaten them all, they will be gone. I also planted some tomato seeds at a corner of the back deck and placed a tomato cage above them. It's a hot location, something tomatoes are fond of.

A Bald Eagle flew over our field tonight and I just now saw a Red-Tail hawk soar just feet above it, heading to the windbreak to roost for the evening. How lucky I am to have so many large raptors feel this safe here on the Twelve Acres! How many people get to see a Bald Eagle fly through their back yard so regularly?

My cousins are out enjoying this lovely weather too. I hear them going around the family property on their four wheeler. I checked all the trees I planted and so far it looks like they are doing well. I lost a few that were planted last November, but they were free so I'm not upset about it. I planted 6 white birch trees yesterday before I went to work and I used them to replace those that didn't make it.

On a very sad note, Oscar was ousted from his nest box yesterday by Starlings. I was so upset! I put a bounty on those Starlings though, and rest assured, we will kill them. I am not worried about Oscar and his family. There are plenty of cavity nests all around the property. It's just that I was hoping I'd get to see him and his mate raise a brood so close to the house. I absolutely despise Starlings and I'd like to slap whoever it was that decided it would be a good idea to import them from England. They are a scourge to our native cavity nesting species!

Cleanup Crew

Derek and I were treated to a rare sighting. Well, maybe it's not so rare, but how many people get to watch two vultures finish off a rabbit carcass in their own backyards? Probably not very many. We watched the first Turkey Vulture circle over the carcass, then land. He cautiously approached, looking for signs of danger. We held very still on the back deck and watched through binoculars. The bird began tearing at the carcass while a second one approached from the south. It, too, circled then landed. The two sparred very briefly for ownership of the largest piece, then the second relented and settled for a hind leg that had been torn off by a previous vulture.

I suppose this makes Derek and I "hard-core" bird watchers. I mean, should we be so fascinated by watching two vultures eat an old dead rabbit? It was a great example of a complete circle of life for us. We've witnessed the entire life cycle from birth to death. And isn't it perfect planning to have a raptor who's only function in life is to dispose of rotting carcasses? For our blessing at supper, Jim thanked God for all the animals we've been blessed with here on the Twelve Acres, and the stewardship we've been entrusted with to manage this land and care for all the animals that share it with us.

Truly, we are blessed.

Oscar Sightings

I've seen Oscar, our Eastern Screech Owl, in both nest boxes. But lately, he's been in the smaller one just inside the windbreak. I wonder if he's chosen it over the larger wood duck box in the fence row? It's very easy to find owl pellets of varying size beneath the smaller box. I found one that was about an inch long and two that were large enough to come out of a Great Horned Owl!

The sun was going down yesterday and I was on my way to work when I glanced out at the nest box in the windbreak and saw Oscar's cute face poking out of the entrance hole. I ran inside and grabbed my camera. Oscar seemed to be watching two things simultaneously; me in the office window and the boys throwing a football in the front yard. The first photo shows him looking at me, the last one shows him looking at the boys. I hated to leave because I really wanted to watch Oscar for a while.

I wonder if there is a nest of babies inside with Mrs. Oscar brooding them? Time will tell!

Meet Oscar!

The first thing I did this morning when I woke up was look through the spotting telescope at the wood duck box at the far end of the field. There was Oscar, his cute little gray face visible inside the entrance hole! Hurray! He decided to stay! He is ignoring the screech owl box in the open part of the windbreak. Perhaps we should add a mesh wire ladder to the inside. Or maybe he just likes the roominess of the wood duck box. Who knows what owls think. I'm just thrilled he is still here and has chosen a nest site that we can see from the house.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I grabbed a pair of binocs and my digital camera and headed down the road. When I neared the nest box I entered the windbreak from the road, which made a bit of a crackling noise. I tried to be quiet and stealthy but sneaking up on owls is impossible, so instead I tried to be quick and as unintrusive as possible. I got within 100 feet and propped the binocs up on a tree branch to take some quick pictures through them. Then I put my camera in my pocket and indulged in a few moments of staring at Oscar through the binocs.

He's a lovely little gray phase Eastern screech owl and I am completely smitten with him! Just look at those cute little ear tufts as he stares at me with squinty eyes. I don't know how he can sleep with all the racket the blackbirds are making out there. They are pairing up for spring and all you can hear are various species of blackbird calling, whistling and trilling to each other! Poor Oscar, I hope he can get some rest when they go to bed.

I have no idea if there is a Missus Oscar yet but I feel certain there is. These owls are residents here year-round. I like to think that when they saw the lovely nest boxes we provided they decided to give them a try and liked them enough to stay. I've heard these little owls at all times of the night, as early as sundown and as late as 3 a.m. I hear them in the orchards and in the windbreak calling to each other. I've found their pellets and droppings in the windbreak. And now, finally, I've seen them! It's very likely I've walked past them many times without ever knowing because they are so perfectly camouflaged.

Updates on Oscar and his family will be posted regularly. And you can be certain that any owlets I can see will be photographed come hell or high water!

What a thrill!

Snowy Excursion

Another snow storm, another snow day and a really bad case of cabin fever. What to do? Grab the camera and walk down to the farm run by my cousin, John. I helped Derek get his mountain bike down from the loft and off we went.

Along the way we stopped to admire the apple trees. At the end of this row an ancient oak can be seen. It stands as a lone sentinel.

When we got there, we stopped to say hello the Haflingers. They were unimpressed to say the least. As we stood by the horses we looked up to see two beautiful white swans zoom overhead. I couldn't tell if there was a knob on the bill or not, but Derek said he saw the knob which would mean Mute Swan. My gut is telling me Tundra Swan though.

But the kittens in the hay loft were thrilled to see us and they mewed enthusiastically. I climbed the ladder halfway so I could give each one a nice ear scratching. They were grateful.

Then we visited a newborn Angus calf. His mother let us know in no uncertain terms that we were not welcome and that if we knew what was good for us we would leave immediately. Good thing there were two gates between us. I've been around cows a lot and this one meant business!

We watched as John loaded up three bulls for a trip to the slaughterhouse then we headed back home. It was a nice day to be out in the sunshine, even if it was a bit cold. I made the trip in two heavy sweatshirts, so it wasn't that bad at all.

On the way home, we got a good look at a Red-Tailed Hawk soaring over the orchard as well as a mature Bald Eagle lazily soaring over the Twelve Acres windbreak and field. It's raptor heaven out here and we love it!

After we'd been in the house a while I noticed that the Red-Winged Blackbirds that had been whistling and singing away merrily at the feeders were suddenly quiet. When kids are quiet, you know they're up to no good. The same can be said for birds although it's usually a sign of trouble. I glanced out the front windows to see what was going on and to my pleasant surprise, there sat Cooper in the Norway Maple, waiting for the birds to come to the feeder. I had to chuckle at her. She thinks my bid hopper feeder is her own personal diner. I didn't see any songbirds offer themselves up for lunch though. She gave up after a while and flew off after a Mourning Dove. I don't know if she succeeded with catching it though. We got a really good look at her with our binocs and it was a great treat to be able to watch her for a few solid minutes before she left!

Recent Bird Activity

I worked this week but I've been able to record some of the avian activity I have seen around the house. The photo was taken during the most recent snowstorm.

• The Red-Winged Blackbirds have returned en masse. I have learned that the females look like large stripey sparrows. Not at all what I thought! Faaaaascinating! [Spock voice]



• There are more Bald Eagles in our area than you can shake a stick at. Last weekend we were lucky enough to get to watch a pair of them land in my cousin's field, face into the wind and soak up the warm sun. One would stretch its wings in the wind once in a while but didn't fly off. They stood on the ground for the longest time.



• I saw yet another Bald Eagle sitting in a tree along the road while on my way to work. Nice, big bird!



• A juvenile Bald Eagle flew over the house on his way toward Magee Marsh. Big bird, flying with a purpose.



• Bonnie and Clyde, our resident Red-Tailed Hawks are very active now. We get to see them regularly, soaring over the thermals created by the dark green windbreak. This means we can see them in their late afternoon routine as they make big circles in the sky.



• A group of four unknown swans flew over last night. They seemed to take an interest in the pond but were quickly followed by Bonnie and Clyde. The swans made a lazy U-turn and left. I could see a pale yellow neck band on one of them. Big, fast flyers!

Raptor migration is under way now and I am going to have to call the BSBO to set up some volunteer time so I can help count raptors. It's a sunny but cold day today. Maybe I can get out there today. One of the great things about living on the twelve acres is that I don't have to go anywhere to bird watch. I can just walk around in the yard or in the windbreak, or just step out on the back deck and look up! I'm amazed at the number of large birds that are flying over this time of the year.

Spring Raptor Migration Monitoring Workshop

Derek and I spent 4 hours at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory today learning how to identify 14 different raptors so we can help count them as they migrate through our area. We learned so much about hawks today that our heads are swimming as we try to keep them all straight! We didn't get to see any rehab birds, as I was hoping we would, but we did get to see 4 mounted raptors and compare them side by side. There was an American Kestrel, a Cooper's hawk, a Sharp-Shinned hawk and a Red-Tailed hawk and it really helped to look at them close up. Now we know for sure that our beloved "Cooper" is indeed a Cooper's hawk!

The migratory count begins March 1 and ends May 9. I plan to volunteer one day each of my weeks off and try to help out with data collection. I need to work with an experienced birder and practice IDing raptors before going it alone. I've only recently begun a more serious approach to birding so I have a lot to learn.

I told one of the volunteers there that they are welcome to come out and watch the birds out here on the twelve acres. She told me she would call me to arrange a time when they can bring the kids group out to walk around and birdwatch.

What's my favorite raptor? Well, Screech Owls of course! But today was all about hawks and out of all the hawks the Red-Tailed is my favorite. I've become fond of seeing our mated pair, Bonnie and Clyde, taking their daily wing-stretch over the field during our supper time. I can almost set my watch to them they are so regular.

Here's some falcon action. Ya gotta admire the speed and guts of the Peregrines!

Migration Monitoring Workshop

I'm very busy working this week and haven't had time to write about much. When this work week is finished I'm going to relax and spend my downtime with Jim finishing some screech owl nest boxes. The funny thing about these boxes is their original purpose was packing material for some of the large equipment that's going into the new addition at work. What they held in place is beyond me but I got four really nice screech owl/wood duck boxes for FREE. And free is good. All they need are roofs, floors and 3" holes drilled. I'll post pics when they're finished.

I signed Derek and myself up for the following program at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory:

February 16th – Spring Raptor Migration Monitoring Workshop 1:00 – 3:30 PM – Black Swamp Bird Observatory Nature Center. This long term project is in need of volunteers to help monitor migrating raptors from March 1st – May 9th. These workshops offer information about this project, identification tips, and a chance to give Julie Shieldcastle a hard time! Please call 419 898-4070 to reserve a seat and program materials. FREE PROGRAM

I also invited the group to come out to the twelve acres and bird watch whenever they want. I think I will join the BSBO group after all. I would learn so much more about the birds that share the twelve acres with us than I would on my own. Plus I'll learn better ID methods for all the hawks we see out here.

Side note: the Red-Tailed Hawk family is baaaaaaack! Each afternoon at about 4:30 to dusk we get to watch the mated pair (henceforth known as Bonnie and Clyde) frolic at the end of the day. The male performs aerial acrobatics as he flirts with his mate. And yesterday we got to see the whole family: Bonnie, Clyde and two juveniles. They are a tight knit group and it's unusual to see only one. It's such a thrill to watch them. It's also very endearing to see raptors show affection toward each other and play together. What fun! Now that Bonnie and Clyde have returned, Cooper has been rarely seen. I miss her.

Double Raptor Sighting

It was a good day for raptor sightings here on the twelve acres. We were treated to a long-lasting Bald Eagle sighting first, at about 4:30 p.m. I had some pork sauteing on the stove and I glanced out the kitchen window to see what was going on out by the woods (as I am wont to do) and an enormous bird with long wing beats was just clearing the edge of the woods. It flapped a few times then glided, then flapped again. As it came closer the white tail and head stood out clear as day.

"Derek! Derek!" I called in the tone I use to indicate that a really cool bird is in view. He came running and slid on his stocking feet right up to the glass door to see what I was so frantically announcing. When he saw what it was he ran to the opposite side of the house to catch it heading north toward the lake shore. He got to watch it until it became a small dot in the distance. Cool.

The next sighting was just as cool--the mated pair of Red-Tailed Hawks that share the trees with us. At about 5:30 p.m. Derek and I were headed out to the orchard to get some apple wood for a friend, and as usual the Durango spooked up a big raptor from the windbreak. I was expecting to see our Cooper's Hawk but the tail was too short and the wings were different. Then I caught a flash of that famous red tail and knew who it was instantly. The really cool part was that it flew up to the gigantic willow tree near the end of the windbreak where its mate sat waiting on the highest branch. As it flew up to land, it reached out its right foot and seemed to affectionately or playfully grasp the other's right foot. It was almost a familiar gesture. Do raptors show affection? If so, I got to witness such a special moment between two fantastic birds of prey! How awesome!

Of course I didn't have my camera at hand for either sighting, which is usually the case. Damn! When the weather warms up I am going to take my camera and binocs and go sit in the trees and bird watch. We have so many bird species here that it's ridiculous that I still haven't dedicated the better part of one day to just watching birds. I'm going to do it, and that's final.

After getting the apple wood, we drove toward home and again the first bird took to the air and glided directly overhead, leading us down the road. I nearly drove off the road as we watched the hawk glancing at us side to side as if it was sizing us up in an irritated fashion. I suppose it was tired of being disturbed and wanted us to quit bothering them as they looked for dinner. How cool to watch the hawk...watching us.

We've had Red-Tails on our property ever since I can remember. We don't get to see them as often in the winter as we do in the warmer months, so it was a real treat to see them today. And it was a bonus to see them interacting in such an intimate way. I emailed the Black Swamp Bird Observatory to report the Bald Eagle sighting this evening. What a great raptor day!

Nest Boxes

We've been building nest boxes and bird houses in our spare time using scraps of wood I find at work. We've come up with some very nice designs I must say. They're all shapes and sizes for the various songbirds and raptors we have here on our twelve acres. We hope to get to watch a pair of Screech Owls raise their young in the owl nest box to the left. We can see the box from the house so we won't have to intrude on their privacy to watch the nest.

It's mounted about 18 feet off the ground in a mature white pine tree. The broken branches around the box can be used as perches. It's recommended that an owl nest box be mounted beneath a branch.

My cousin across the road gave me two wooden duck/owl nest boxes along with this fiberglass model, which Jim mounted on a pole right at the edge of the pond. It remains to be seen what bird species will be interested in nesting in such a habitat. I've read the wood ducks raise their young in wooded areas then lead them to water after they hatch. Mallards nest on the ground in grass, so I doubt they'll want to use it. Perhaps owls will? As soon as I find out I'll be sure to write about it.

Autumn

It's my favorite time of year. The smell of the woods, the crunch of leaves underfoot and the endless pallette of colors satisfy my senses. I love to walk late at night when everyone is asleep and let the moon light my way. I can hear the screech owls and great horned owls calling to their mates as they hunt at night. They always make me smile.

The tractors are out late at night harvesting the corn and soybean fields. I love to watch them as they lumber over the fields like giant locusts eating their fill of grain. The harvest dislodges the rodents that have been living in the fields, sending them out into the open to fatten the raptors for a long, cold winter.

One of my favorite trees near the house is this Eastern Redbud. Its heart-shaped leaves turn a bright yellow in autumn before they fall. It's a small, shapely tree with an oriental flair to it--a real standout in the twelve acres of land it shares with a large variety of hardwoods and evergreens. Its nearly black bark contrasts beautifully with its autumn hue and the bright purple/pink flowers it puts on in spring.

Let Snags Stand

Screech owls use the abandoned nests of other cavity nesters (woodpeckers, flickers, etc) to raise their young. Owls, and many other raptors (birds of prey) will perch at the top of trees to scan the area for prey.

If you have dead trees on your property, please consider allowing them to remain so that owls, hawks and falcons can benefit from them.

There's so much reward in hearing a pair of great horned owls calling to each other or a family of screech owls whinnying at night. It's very satisfying to know that the dead trees we've left on our property may be providing a nest site for babies or a hunting platform for the adults.