Fun and mystery under the feeders

Caught on camera: An eastern chipmunk does impressions of Alfred Hitchcock.

It was mammal central under the feeders today. Appearances were put in by eastern chipmunks, gray squirrels, a rabbit and our new resident woodchuck. Not that I don't enjoy the occasional mammal I was more interested in what migration was bringing our way. Earlier this week someone on the bird nets reported seeing white-throated sparrows and juncos at their feeders in Carlton County so I knew it was just a matter of time before we had them under our feeders. Sure enough, when I was setting up the camera this morning I heard the familiar "zeep" of white-throats. Denny was feeling like quite the cock of the walk because all these migrating sparrows arrived Thursday and all day today he kept announcing, "What did I say the last time I worked? That we would have white-throats and juncos by Thursday!"

I put down a tempting mixture of cracked corn, thistle, sunflower chips and white millet for the migrating sparrows. There were quite a few white-throats lurking in the brush. The new arrivals weren't as ready to pose for the camera but I did get a shot of lurking white-crowned sparrow (above right), I just love those guys. The orange bill and feet just compliment the gray of the chest and the brown wings and you're totally taken aback by the bold black and white stripes on the head. For a brown bird I think they are quite charismatic. Non Birding Bill thinks I'm nuts.

I had a flock of wierd goldfinches hanging around today. Two in particular were behaving very oddly. First, they preferred the mesh sunflower feeders over the thistle feeders. Second, they were feeding on the ground quite a bit. If that isn't strange enough...what's up with the photo on the left? It almost looks like the goldfinch is begging for food from the house sparrow. The more likely behavior is that the finch is agressing towards the sparrow to keep it away from the food source, but still goldfinches aren't known for their aggressive behavior. The sparrow looks ambivalent... perhaps it regards the finch as many of us regard yippy little purse puppies.

Added Note to this entry: I posted this and Non Birding Bill glanced at it. He saw the photo of the white-crowned sparrow and started to walk away. I told him to come back and see the interesting third photo. To which he forced the reply, "Oh look, you got a photo of the brown bird facing the other way."

"It's a completely different bird!" I shouted. "The first was a white-crowned sparrow and the other is a house sparrow. You were supposed to notice the goldfinch in the third photo."

All he could say for himself was, "Look, you knew going into this that I'm not a birder."

Ha-rumph, I say.

I and the Bird

I completely missed I and the Bird? Boy, my schedule is out of whack. Here is the current I and the Bird 7.

Anansi Boys

Mr. Neil's book Anansi Boys has come out and from what Non Birding Bill has told me it is quite popular. I think it's going to be on the NY Times Bestseller List next week. Yeah, go Neil! I have not read the tome in its entirety but I am very excited because we got the audio version from him and I am going to listen to it on my way to the Midwest Birding Symposium. I'm very excited because the audio is by Lenny Henry of Chef fame (if you haven't seen Chef, rent it, you'll love it).

For birders everywhere this book is a relief because Mr. Neil worked extra hard to make sure that all the bird info in it was accurate--he even used me as a resource. The birds may not have been documented in current literature as doing some of the behaviors in the book, but if birds were being controlled by some magical force the bird behaviors in Anansi Boys wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

Speaking of bird accuracy, I've caught a couple of episodes of CSI in syndication and the bird calls in the background are accurate. Thank you sound editor of CSI!

To change the subject, I have discovered that some days I am the silliest person I know. Recently I have noticed a slight tremor in my hands. It became noticeable to me about a year ago and in times of stress it comes out more. One day a few weeks ago my hand really started shaking when I picked up a pot of coffee at Super America. Well, after having a battery of tests it turns out I have something called "benign tremor" which is hereditary. Basically as I hold certain objects I my hands will tremble mildly. I can take drugs if it bothers me or just deal with it. I was so relieved, I called my sister Tracy afterwards telling her what was going on and she said, "Why didn't you call me? I've had that for years, so have your other sisters." Suddenly, I started thinking of all my sisters and my mother and thinking "Yes, they do shake when they hold a cup of coffee." What a goose I've been. Of course I have been imagining all these other worst case scenarios which basically ends up with me getting some unheard of disease that never lets me bird ever again. Again, I am the silliest person I know.

Hazel of Disapproving Rabbits fame also had a vet appointment today. She's nine years old and has always has some chronic respritory problems but is still in pretty good health for a rabbit her age...good grief, I just realized I'm going on and on about doctor appointments and ailments--what the heck, I'm in my thirties now and talking about aches and pains! Eeep! Must stop. Sorry about that.

Anyway, because of health good news and some other exciting news I'm going hawk trapping this weekend. My schedule has gotten really weird and I've had to give up some planned trips to Hawk Ridge this fall but it is leading to some pretty interesting developments which will be announced in
the next week or two. All I will say now is that blog entries about bird watching and birder gossip should be on the increase...

Penguins Make Lemonade

This from www.cnn.com

KIDNEY COVE, Falkland Islands (Reuters) -- There's a mating ritual going on in the minefield.

Fortunately the would-be lovers are penguins, too light to detonate the deadly mines laid more than two decades ago during a war on the far-flung Falkland Islands.

Thousands of penguins and other feathered and amphibious friends choose to nest and rest in no-go zones. The British estimate that some 25,000 land mines, mostly sown by Argentine forces in the 1982 war with Britain, remain.

On a recent day, the squawking penguins were busily finding partners, preparing nests and waddling about the mating grounds.

Wildlife numbers in the mined areas appear to be on the rise and conservationists cannot hide their enthusiasm about this unorthodox form of protecting lands previously trampled by people or overgrazed by sheep.

It is the bright spot in a long-term land mine problem -- one that is not likely to go away because de-mining is difficult, if not impossible, in the peaty soils and shifting sands of this South Atlantic archipelago.

Read the rest here.

Murmuration of Starlings

Here's an exerpt from a story from the Daily News Record:

MARYLAND - About a dozen animal control officers from the county gathered Monday night along Phillips Store Road in northern Rockingham County to disperse a murmuration of starlings that has settled there.The officers spent the evening, from 7 to 8:30, setting off a cannon to send the starlings on their way. Others fired starter pistols loaded with fireworks. The idea is to make so much noise that the birds will be discouraged from staying, said Sgt. Felicia Glick of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.

Glick noted that people have been complaining about the birds. "Birds have been roosting on homes and in trees in the Mayland area, creating a nuisance," Glick said. Leona Layman, who lives down the street from where the cannon was fired, is one of the many victims. Across the street is a densely wooded area, which the birds love, she said. Charles Harrison, who lives just down the road from Layman, agreed. The birds have been a problem for the last three or four years, he said. Both Layman and Harrison got in touch with Supervisor Pablo Cuevas, who called in animal experts. They were able to determine that the birds were a nuisance, Harrison said.

Mark Robb, wildlife specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was helping county officials with their efforts. He estimated that this small area was playing host to about 100,000 starlings. Once a murmuration gets this large, the best way to get rid of them is through a major concerted effort, as officials were doing Monday evening, he said.

The animal control experts came armed with several weapons. Some used handheld starter pistols and shot fireworks into the sky, along with noisy "bird bangers." Also, a propane gas cannon set off a loud bang every two minutes or so. The device is commonly used at major airports to keep birds away from the flight path, Robb said.

I give points to the writer of this story for working in a "murmuration of starlings". However, I get the giggles thinking about an expert being called in to determine that 100,000 starlings is officially a nuisance. And, the best way to deal with the problem is a propane cannon going off every two minutes along with starter pistols and fireworks at night...yeah, I can see how that wouldn't be irritating at all.

New Species?

I was sifting through some of my photos from the NovaBird Camera and I came across this dude. One of the fun parts of the camera is finding out what birds are visiting your feeders that you may not be aware of. The other fun part is that sometimes the birds move too fast for the camera and it distorts the bird. How cool is that? Not only can you add to your life list but you can invent new species. This is a super magical camera and we must all bow down to its greatness.

Uhaul Goshawk

This morning Non Birding Bill and I went to Sunny Side Up for breakfast and as soon as we parked, I gasped and whispered "Goshawk." There it was, larger than life painted on the side of a Uhaul parked on 27th Street. I pretended I was an unsuspecting pheasant and NBB snapped a photo.

The only disappointing part of the ad is there is no information about goshawks or the Tongass National Forest at www.uhaul.com like it suggests. I went to check as soon as I got home so I could add a link to this entry and there was nothing there. I felt like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" when he learned his Orphan Annie Decoder was in fact a crummy Ovaltine commerical. However, I found it oddly comforting that some advertising executive thougth a goshawk would be a good draw for the Uhaul website.

The bird with man hand sized feet

THE MN ZOO EVENT
Special presentation-Harpy Eagle: Spirit of the Ceiba Tree

Date: Thursday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the IMAX Theatre

Enjoy an evening with cinematographer Neil Rettig and his amazing film featuring the harpy eagle from the rain forests of South America.

When: Presentation by Neil at 7:00 with the film to follow.
Where: the IMAX Theater at the Minnesota Zoo
Price: $20 per person, $10 for children age 12 and under. Proceeds go to the Minnesota Zoo's conservation programs.

RSVP: For reservations call 952.431.9200

There are a lot of web sites dedicated to this very impressive endangered raptor including The Peregrine Fund and at Whozoo.

March of the Penguins Controversy

I guess some groups have latched onto the movie March of the Penguins as an example of family values. I've just been skimming it not really wanting to bring attention to it but today Non Birding Bill pointed me to a blog by Jim Emerson with some disturbing news about the origional French version of the movie:

Two of the dumbest things that human beings habitually do are: 1) attribute human characteristics to natural phenomena (the “pathetic fallacy” – e.g., that Tropical Storm Rita has “furious winds,” when a swirling mass of wind and vapor experiences no emotion whatsoever); and 2) attribute human characteristics to animals (anthropomorphization -- like the syrupy advertising tagline for “March of the Penguins”: “In the Harshest Place on Earth, Love Finds a Way”). I want to throw up every time I see that. (But at least they took out the talking penguins in the original French version and replaced them with a voiceover by Morgan Freeman.)

Okay, did you catch that last part about the penguins talking to each other in the French version?!? What the heck? What would they say? Imagine the following in a french accent:

Penguin 1: Zut Alors! C'est very cold out today, mon ami!

Penguin 2: Hon hee hon hon hon. C'est la vie! When do ze lovely lady penguins come back to us to keep us warm?

Penguin 1: I have no idea, but I could really go for a baguette.

Penguin 2: Moi aussi!

A flock of Franklin's gulls were flying around behind the store yesterday presumably eating insects. Denny quizzed Melissa and me on why these were Franklin's gulls and not ring-bills or Bonaparte's. The breakdown:

Black spot behind the eye.

Dark back, much darker than ring-billed.

Heavy lumbering flight, not bouncy and fluid.

I was thinking back to the last time I saw Franklin's gulls like this and it was right before a storm, a flock was flying around for insects right in front of the storm cloud. This time we got a storm again, although much later after seeing the gulls. Are these weather birds in the fall.? This morning is absolutely wonderful, there's a nice fall chill in the air and one of the main reasons I live in Minnesota. I took a quick look at the weather for Duluth this weekend and Sunday is supposed to be winds out of the Northwest, perfect for hawk watching.

This weekend should be busy at the store, we're having our Member Appreciation Sale. Saturday, I will be at the Blooming Wild Bird Store with Stan from 11am - 2pm and at our White Bear Lake Store from 3pm - 5pm.

Non Birding Bill and I ate the sulfur shelf last night and it was mighty tasty. Even though it's often called "chicken of the woods" it really doesn't taste anything like chicken. It sort of has a chicken texture, but it has a very woody flavor that I think goes really well in an omelet.

Test

Bonus Around Lake of the Isles

I don't know why I bother trying to get exercise going around Lake of the Isles, I always get distracted. Today I grabbed some milkweed pods to replenish our supply behind the bird store and then I found a cluster of sulfur shelf mushrooms (left). It's known as one of the "Safe Six" according to Start Mushrooming and in some circles is even known as one of the "foolproof four". It's so tasty many people refer to it as the "chicken of the woods".

New Blog by a Bill

Birds are moving through the Twin Cities today. When I arrived to work a kettle of turkey vultures were thermalizing above the field behind our strip mall and Periodically, while carrying out bags of seed throughout the day I could see small flocks of blackbirds and swallows heading south. Denny also found a small kettle of hawks over the store when he came back from doing the home delivery route. I keep hoping for exciting sparrows on the NovaBird Camera, but I will have to content myself with this blue jay I photographed today. I've just got to get a Harris sparrow on this camera this fall, I've just got to or I'll just die (that last part should be read in the voice of Jan Brady...because I don't sound geeky enough--oh no avoiding the birdchick mission statement, my universe is collapsing on itself-aaaaaaaaaaaaa).

There's a new blog called Bill of the Birds...not to be confused with Non Birding Bill. It's run by Bill Thompson III of Bird Watcher's Digest. He's a pretty good writer so I'm sure this will be an entertaining blog.

You think wasps are a problem

So, for all those people who complain about wasps taking all your hummingbird nectar, check out the critters raiding this hummingbird feeder from Firefly Forest Blog.

4 Charged with Killing Great Gray Owls

This from the Minnesota Star Tribune:

DULUTH, Minn. — When thousands of great gray, boreal and northern hawk owls flocked to northern Minnesota last winter looking for food, they became targets.

Stemming from separate incidents, four men have been charged in federal court with killing the protected birds. Together, more than a dozen owls were shot dead.

"We know of several more owls that were shot but, as of now, we don't have enough information to prove any more than these four cases,'' said Scott Staples, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer.

"Most people enjoyed driving around and seeing all the owls last winter, so I think people were pretty upset when they saw or heard about the shootings,'' Staples said.

Experts say about 5,000 owls arrived to northeastern Minnesota last winter. Nearly 1,000 owls — mostly great grays — were killed after being hit by cars.

Those charged for shooting the owls include Ronald Mlaskoch, of Willow River; Tyson Warner, of Tamarack and Roy and Jacob Line, both of Cromwell. All faced fines ranging from $850 to $6,800.

When questioned by DNR officials, Roy Line said he would consider shooting owls if they threatened geese on his property. Line later confessed he had shot an owl, the DNR said in a news release.

In the most severe case, officers say they found at least 10 owl carcasses on Warner's property. He pleaded guilty to violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 24 in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. His hunting, fishing and trapping privileges could be suspended for two years.

DNR officials said outraged members of the public led them to investigate reports of people shooting the owls.

Sparrow Sparrow Whoa!

So while downloading photos from the NovaBird Camera I set up behind the store, I was watching oodles of sparrow photos go by when this one suddenly interrupted them--a wood chuck. This is new, we haven't seen a chuck behind the store before. I hope it behaves and stays out by the feeders and doesn't try to eat it's way into the crib (our extra storage). I love woodchucks in areas I don't mine them chewing, but I just can't have them in the store.

Another thought: I might need to change my moniker. I called my publisher and when the receptionist asked who it was I said, "Sharon the Birdchick". There was an awkward "oh" and then silence. Gordon got on the phone laughing his head off and asked, "Sharon?" I answered that it was in fact me and between guffaws he asked how I described myself...apparently, the receptionist didn't hear "birdchick" but "birds***".

Birding Day, Pet Tangent and Live Journal

Cinnamon came with me today to the Minnesota River Birding Day. She wasn't too thrilled to be on the leash but had a fun time. The leash is more for her protection, for some odd reason some people with dogs think it's funny to have their dog lunge longingly and growl at my rabbit and say "Isn't that cute he wants the bunny!" Once I was asked by someone if I could hold Cinnamon up to their dog so the dog could sniff her and we "could see what happens". Meanwhile the dog in question was shaking and yapping excitedly.

This leads me to another curiosity, for those of us with odd and or unusual pets. Have you ever noticed that when you have an unusual pet and people find out, they seem to take that as a cue to tell you their worst horror story about the time they or a friend had the exact same kind of pet and some grotesque, torturous death befell that pet? What is up with that? Just because I have a rabbit doesn't mean that I want to hear about the time you had a rabbit that had only three legs after it was run over by an uncle's tractor but died three months later because of a record breaking bot fly infestation. Really, honestly, I don't want to know.

Another reason to keep Cinnamon on leash when she is outside is because of hawks. The likelihood of a hawk coming out of the sky and nailing a rabbit surrounded by people is pretty darn slim, but why chance it?

The birding today was slim, most of the people who participated had lists of between 30 - 40 birds but their were some fun ones seen including blackpoll warbler, eastern bluebirds, American white pelicans, sharp-shinned hawks and a winter wren.

In other news the Birdchick Blog is now syndicated on Live Journal courtesy of fellow Hoosier Stardust Girl. You can subscribe to it here. Thanks Stardust Girl!

Hawk Ridge Fun and Excitement

Can you spot the three nature photographers hidden in this photo?

So, what do you do when it's a warm 70 degree gorgeous fall day? Sit under camo hoping sweating like crazy hoping for hawks to come by of course. I spent the last few days with Stan Tekiela and Brian Wheeler who were helping train a new guy named Wayne in the delicate art of raptor flight photography. It's not an easy business, at one point a first year goshawk flew in and landed just above Wheeler. We couldn't hear his camera clicking so Tekiela tried grunting out "Brian...goshawk...above your head..." Still no sound, and then the young gos took off, made a few more passes over our group and was gone...suddenly Wheeler came to life spouting a mightly long string of profanity. He uses film instead of digital and not only was he at the end of his roll, he couldn't get the camera to open to change it.

It was interesting to listen to the boys compare their cameras and why one uses film over digital. Wheeler is very old school and dedicated to film so I doubt he will ever convert to digital. When you look at his books and realize every photo he has taken was with film and absolutely no enhancement, it makes your head spin. One of the big advantages of digital though is that we got so see some of Tekiela's images right away and of course he has some gorgeous shots of the gos as well as one of a sharp-shinned hawk. Periodically, I would break out my little digital Kodak digital camera and the boys would laugh at me. Nice to know I was at least keeping them entertained.

Broad-winged hawks put on quite a show this moring (photo above). One of the highlights of a hawk watching season is watching a morning lift off. Late in the day all those kettles of broad-wings have to get out of their thermals and find a place to roost for the night. The next morning all those kettles come up from the trees and reform. It's the coolest thing to watch all those hawks lift off as if from nowhere. Everywhere you turn hawks are popping up around you and then they form these flocks and spin around in thermals. It's also kind of eerie because you see all these birds and you don't hear them making any noise. Sends chills down my spine. When the birds do that it always reminds me of my first tattoo.

Well, that's my first trip up to the Ridge. I'll be back in about a week and a half to watch more, I can never get enough hawk watching. Boy, Hawk Ridge is really coming together. Dave Carman was showing me a new program area with some nice benches where the naturalists can give programs and yet the audience can still see the raptors flying by. There's still plenty of time to catch the broad-wing push and you can still sign up for the big Hawk Weekend. If you can't do that, October is loads of fun, you tend to see more goshawks and red-tails.

I and the Bird #6

Welcome to I and the Bird #6 which for some odd reason was put into the care of the birdchick whose blog has been referred to as an "ornithotabloid". So with tongue planted firmly in beak and in spirit of Weekly World News I bring you this week's edition of I and the Bird! Our cover bird this week is a first year sharp-shinned hawk in honor of the fall raptor migration.

Headlines:
Goshawk Nails Chicken! Reported by Whip-Poor-Will, the lord high executioner of the north woods lives up to the folk name "chicken hawk".

Hummingbird Wars have been Declared! Demented Pixie noticed war had finally broke between the various factions on her balcony. Fear is spreading that the conflict is spreading to other species, when will the carnage end?

Woman Shacks Up with Parrot! Girl Scientist takes in a friend's African Grey Parrot and learns some valuable life lessons.

Warbler Fallout at National Arboretum! DC Birding Blog narrowly survives 52 species in a bird walk with warblers everywhere.

Head for the Hills Pipits are coming! The folks at The House and Other Arctic Musing warns of the arrival of these migrants. Do the come in peace or war...read the entry and you decide.

Crime Watch:
Have you seen this Potoo? Crows are Wise asks if you can find the potoo in their photo. It was last seen Veracruz, Mexico. If found, please let me know because I sure can't see it.

Cooper's Hawk on the Loose! Dharma Bums follow the maruading of a blue darter that could be in your neighborhood checking your feeders.

Swallowed Swallows! Charlie's Blog reports on the incredible work of one man trying to conserve the delectable swallow in Africa. Graphic, yet oh so interesting photos in this post.

Society Page:
Gyrfalcon Remodels! Bird TLC gives us the inside scoop on remodeling for the falcon of kings.

Roadrunners Caught on Tape! Firefly Forest Blog caught this exclusive video of a certain male roadrunner caught in coitus with a certain female roadrunner. An exchange of payment is distinctly visible though no charges have been filed. Warning, this video is graphic and is intended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion advised (as is Barry White playing in the background).

Hummingbirds Moving In! Mensa Barbie reports that a hummingbird we know and love has found a cozy nest in an adorable modern little abode. A source claiming to be close to the hummer reports that she will be raising the chicks on her own, but her publicist could not confirm that report.

Yellow Warbler snuck into Far Cartouche for a snack of moths.

Lifestyles of the Feathered and Australian! Ben Cruachan's Blog gives us the inside scoop on nesting down under. When many birds are focusing on migration these birds are content to stay home and raise chicks while reading "The Proper Care and Feeding of Male Fowl for the Current Nesting Season".

Inside Scoop:
Pelagics lead to Warblers! 10,000 Birds tried to go pelagic birding but were forced to watch migrating warblers instead. Is this a vast government conspiracy to cover the future presidency of Briteny Spears or coincidence...you be the judge.

Ivory-bill Causing Condor Cover Up? Bootstrap Analysis wonders if the more glamourous Ivory-billed Woodpecker is taking away valuable funding from a not so pretty scavenger.

Ruth Beasley looks in depth at kingfisers, are the benevolent family birds trying to make their way in this world or cruel water lords exploiting fish for their carnivorous pleasure?

Opinion:
Dave Pollard offers bird feeding tips and insights into bird feeding behavior. Are birds scrupulous gourmets or little Jean Valjeans looking for moral victories?

Who is Tom Nelson and why should we care? I don't know, but he sure has a lot to say about Ivory-billed Woodpeckers.

Birds Smell Good. Birdchick explores her obsession with smelling birds. Is this a new way to appreciate birds...or is she just some sick weirdo who shouldn't be allowed around children?

Thomasburg Walks explores why he's a birder. Is it Chi imbalance or caving to peer pressure or a genetic mutation? Read on and learn the answer.

David Ringer offers his advice for birding...and almost ends up dead. Could these rules work for you and improve your birding...if not, you'd at least be dying doing what you love.

Travel:
El Llanero describes a perfect birding day in Red Bluff Lake...which I find incredibly hard to believe since there were no goshawks involved.

Bear With Me...

Okay, not a bird but SUPER cool.

These pictures were taken near Gordon, Wisconsin by Ron Rudquist. It's not every day that you come across a white black bear cub. Ron said, "I don't know how rare it is for a black bear to have a white cub but at least we can say we've seen it no matter how rare it is! Since there seems to be no sign of a pink nose or eyes, I would say that it is not an albino. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos!"

As Ron points out, the cub doesn't appear to be an albino since the nose and eyes are not pink. Black bears are known to have several color variations including cinnamon, dark brown and blonde. There are occasional albino black bears but I know in Minnesota there was at least one white phase black bear that showed up a few years ago at the Vince Shute Bear Sanctuary in Orr (which, by the way, is one of the most exciting things outside of birding that you can do in Minnesota). You can read more about white phase black bears at the Sanctuary's site.

I and the Bird - DEADLINE!

Due to weather I have completely changed my schedule this week and will not be hawk watching Monday and Tuesday and instead will go up Wednesday and Thursday. This is my week to host I and the Bird and since I'm not sure what my internet access will be like on Wednesday and Thursday I will put up I and the Bird early Wednesday morning. If you wish to have your entry in this edition, please send it to me by Tuesday, September 13 no later than 8pm Minnesota Time.

A Boy and His Waxwing

We had a young man and his father come into the store this weekend with a freshly fledged cedar waxwing. The father was doing some work in his shop when he found the young bird sitting high on one of his tools. They wanted to help the bird but didn't know what kind it was and came to the bird store.

I showed them that the bird was a cedar waxwing and that he was fresh from the nest, learning to fly and needed to go back to their yard and wait for the parents to come take care of it. The little boy was so adorable and it was the cutest thing to see this earnest young man walking around with his trusy cedar waxwing but if the bird is going to survive, it needs to be with its parents.

When I see a young boy like this, ready to do what it takes to care for wildlife--especially doing the hardest part of all--letting it go back to the wild, really gives me hope for the future.

In other news at the bird store we have released 23 monarch caterpillars so far with at least another dozen to go! Friday morning when I came into work we had six monarchs that had come out during the night ready to go. I wonder what it must be like to have spent two weeks as lumbering blog eating nonstop and then hanging upside down as a green blob for another two weeks and suddenly a light breeze comes and your airborne? When ever we let one go I always hear a little butterfly monologue being read by Jerry Lewis in my head to the effect of, "Holy crap, what's going on? Hey nice lady, what the heck am I doing?"

Cinammon has been on a ristriction of treats (vet's orders) and so all the deer blocks around the store have been picked up except for one which is only minerals (the others had lots of corn and grains held together with molasses). She has comandeered the last remaining block and has become down right defiant about not giving it up. In the photo at right she looks as though she's saying, "Don't even think about moving this block or I'll (the rest omitted to the graphic rabbit profanity)." Is my rabbit a mineral junkie now? It's sometimes a hoot to watch her furiously licking the box to get her daily mineral fix. She does appear to be smaller so I do think the diet is working.

Birding Day Help

This just in from Bob Williams:

We still need birders to help with the 6th Annual Great MN River Birding Day both here in the metro area and outstate. If any of you would like to join us please let me know as soon as possible. You can bird as much or as little as you like anywhere in the MN River Valley Watershed. You can bird on your own or join one of the teams that we have set up around the area.

There are rallies in Shakopee, Mankato and Watson that you can attend in the afternoon whether you go birding or not. It is free and open to the public. You can find more information on our website at www.birdingtrail.org. Please help celebrate this wonderful resource and help demonstrate how important it is to the birds that use it.

Bob Williams 612-728-2232 or bxwilliams@cbburnet.com

Many of us will be out birding anyway so why not be part of a big fun party and maybe meet some new birding friends at the same time. I'll be down at the Shakopee Rally so if anyone shows up, please stop and say "Hi"!

Ivory-bill Suit

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) -- Environmentalists who fear a plan to divert water to eastern Arkansas farms will harm the habitat of the recently rediscovered ivory-billed woodpecker filed a federal lawsuit Thursday.

The project would pump 100 billion gallons of water per year from the White River. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation said diverting so much water will harm the swampy woods that are the ivory-billed woodpecker's habitat.

The groups on Thursday sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to halt work on the irrigation project.

You can read the rest of the story at www.cnn.com

Great Minnesota River Birding Day

I will be an emcee at this event, should be a great bird watching day!

On September 17th, 2005 Audubon Minnesota, Friends of the Minnesota Valley and CURE (Clean Up the River Environment) will be sponsoring the 6th Annual Great Minnesota River Birding Day. Join us as we identify as many species of birds in the Minnesota River Valley Watershed as we can. This event helps to raise awareness of the beauty and significance of the Minnesota River Valley and of the importance of the river to our quality of life. It is also a great opportunity to enjoy the richness and diversity of bird life that can be found throughout the watershed.

Bird all or part of the day anywhere in the watershed (about 15,000 square miles in 37 counties). To sign up for a team or an area contact Bob Williams at 612-728-2232 or bxwilliams@cbburnet.com. Rallies will be held at three locations in the valley on the afternoon of the 17th where birders can go and share their lists with each other, enjoy refreshments and make new friends. You can participate in either the birding or the rallies or both and all of this is free and open to the public.

The rallies will be held in Shakopee at Memorial Park starting at 1PM, in Mankato at the Elks Nature Center in Rasmussen Woods starting at 2PM, and in Watson at the Historic Watson Town Hall starting at 4PM. Last year over 100 birders identified 186 species in the watershed. Join us for this great day and help us to find even more species this year and demonstrate how important the natural habitats in this area are for the birds residing in and migrating through the Minnesota River Valley.

Meet Brian Wheeler!

Brian Wheeler, a most elusive bird author (the best photo I have is above where he's camouflaged to the nth degree photographing migrating raptors) is coming to The Raptor Center this Sunday! I'm so proud, All Seasons Wild Bird Store, the company I work for is sponsoring him!

This will be your chance to get Photographic Guide to North American Raptors autographed and if you don't own it, then you should purchase a copy at TRC (the money benefits raptors) and it's one of the BEST raptor id books out there. Wheeler has written other books too and I'm sure those will be on hand at TRC.

So, mark your calendar for Sunday, September 11 from 2pm - 4pm. The event is free, parking is free and he's a really cool guy--be there or be square...alas I will have to be square because I have to work at ye olde bird store on Sunday but I plan on sneaking up to hawk watch Monday and Tuesday with Stan and Wheeler.

Excitement Behind the Bird Store

Migration is starting to kick in behind the bird store. I came back from an errand at Home Depot and as I drove past the field where our nest boxes are, I noticed three bright patches of blue flying towards some brush. I turned my trusty Saturn around an and aimed my binoculars--we had our first eastern bluebirds behind the store! I digi scoped a photo of a pair sitting on top of our Peterson Box. They will not nest in it this summer but I'm hopeful that a couple of the birds in this flock will remember our spot and nest here next year.

Last night I was bringing in our outdoor displays at the end of the day and pointed out a flock of gulls circling over the field. Denny took one look and said, "Those aren't gulls, those are nighthawks." Sure enough we had a small flock hunting insects over the field.

In other news, Melissa and I had the back door open to let in a little fresh air this afternoon and we noticed one of the several wild rabbits that inhabit the area hopping along in the middle of the parking lot. I've noticed rabbit pellets all over the parking lot and have thought this rather reckless behavior to be out in the open what with the red-tail family that lives nearby, but hey, it's their choice. As soon as the rabbit got out our view we heard it scream and squeal. Melissa and I dashed out but we couldn't see it and squeals grew more and more distant very quickly. From the way the sounds were moving, I don't think it was one of the resident red-tails. I have seen mink behind the store and last week we saw a coyote, it must have been one of those two.

Tonight as I was leaving, I opened the back door and noticed the goldfinch warning call. A female goldfinch sat on one of our tube feeders not moving an inch. I looked below the feeding area and up flew a young Cooper's hawk with a house sparrow in its talons.

All in all a very exciting day.

Donations for Pets lost amid Hurricane Katrina

The human suffering in Louisiana and Mississippi is unimaginable and now stories from people rescued about having to leave pets behind is too much even for me to bear. There are a lot of animal organizations going in to help, if you have any money left to give to help the efforts, here is a link to the organizations involved helping pets left behind after hurricane Katrina.

I have a permanent link to Poppy Z. Brite's blog and I can't imagine what she is going through as she took in cats and though she did evacuate before the hurricane landed in New Orleans, she left many of her cats behind. She hasn't been back to her home but from the sound of things, she has probably lost everything.

Contents of a Condor Chick Gut

This was part of a story from the SWAROVSKI BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN about a California Condor chick that was not doing well in the wild. Researchers removed it from the nest and discoverd the chick was impacted:

After transporting the chick to the Los Angeles Zoo, and following a three-hour operation, an astounding amount of material was removed from the ventriculus and proventriculus of the condor chick. The following items were among the debris removed from the chick: 4 bottle caps and a screw top, 3 electrical fittings, 5 washers, 13 22-caliber shell-casings, 1 38-caliber shell-casing, a shotgun-shell, several pieces of plastic bags, about a quarter cup of broken glass and a similar amount of broken plastic, a few small pieces of fabric, 4 small stones, a metal bracket, a piece of wire, and a few small pieces of rubber.

Fortunately, it did not appear that any of this remarkable collection of detritus perforated the gut, and currently the chick appears to be doing well.

Does this mean that all adult condors are attracted to ubiquitous shiny objects and will bring them back to their nest for their chicks? Or does this simply mean that male #21 and/or female #192 have this tendency? If the first option is the case, then the species is clearly in deep trouble, since these sorts of objects are virtually everywhere in a condor's environment. If the second is the case - with this unfortunate chick simply having "idiot parents" - then we should remain hopeful.

The E-bulletin is distributed as a joint effort between Swarovski Optik of
North America (SONA) and the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA).
You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the NWRA site.

Cell Phone Scoping

So, I must have left the digital camera at work because I can't find it and what other way can you guarantee that you will see something cool birdwise than to not have either a camera or optics on your person? The two immature Cooper's hawks were putting on quite a show. Even Non Birding Bill got swept up in the excitement of it all. We leaned out the living room window this morning and watched the two Coop's terrorize the local crows. The female was the first to give up the pursuit as I could see her wings drooping while she perched and she was panting. She flew out of sight for a moment and a young crow took the opportunity to rest and preen. I began to hear some high pitched chirps that I immediately recognized as the young Coops. I found myself muttering to the crow, "Hey, buddy, you better get outta there." but when do crows ever pay attention to what a human has to say? Sure enough the female Coops flew in from the back of the tree and made a bee line for the preening crow. The crow got the heck out of Dodge and the Coop's landed where th crow had been perched--roughly 40 feet from our window.

I was bemoaning the lack of camera while techno hound Non Birding Bill got busy with his new cell phone. He took my 8 X 42 Vortex Binoculars and his Motorola V710 cell phone and tried digi scoping a photo. The result is the above photo of the Cooper's hawk preening. He would like me to inform birders everywhere that this is not a preferred method of digi scoping as the phone is at an odd angle and it's not the best quality. But I suppose if you are out in the field and you need to document a rare bird, it's better than nothing.

There was no bird action at my bird feeder for awhile, but eventually an unaware house sparrow came for a visit which immediately got the Coop's attention. She went for it, but came up empty taloned. After that she flew out of site and we have not seen the two hawks for the rest of the day.

Cooper's

Non Birding Bill and I just went out and surveyed the situation (and like dorks we forgot the digital camera) and it appears to be two first year Cooper's hawks one male and one female hell bent on getting a crow. If the hawks aren't chasing a crow they are chasing each other. The crows will come in and inspect the situation but now that they appear to be on the target menu are keeping a little quieter.

Corvid Unrest

We've just had the weirdest storm system hit the Twin Cities. Nothing but thunder storms all night long. Non Birding Bill and I watched the system move through slowly and keep reforming on the local radars. Late last night between storms I could hear the resident flying squirrel chirping loudly. I went to the bedroom window and watched the lightening over my head and during one flash saw the flying squirrel glide from my neighbors towering elm tree to the roof of our apartment building. Within seconds the squirrel scurried down the wall and went straight for the mixed nuts I had ready on the window ledge.

The crows and blue jays have been screaming loudly this morning--louder than usual. For whatever reason our cockatiel is under the impression that she herself is a corvid and when they start cawing she joins in the raucous. Everybody involved seemed more agitated than normal. I was experimenting with the NovaBird Camera (hence the blue jay photo above) when I leaned out the window to adjust it. Two feet away a crow with a Cooper's hawk hot on its tail whizzed right by me around the window. After uttering a four letter word in surprise Non Birding Bill dashed into the bedroom (shouting profanity as you lean out a window from a second story apartment tends to alarm husbands) just as he came in a second Cooper's hawk came along the same path. The two Coops met up and were on either side of the crow and then disappeared into the park a block away. Tag team Cooper's hawk hunting? I thought that was only the sport of Harlan's hawks? Perhaps this was part of a family group learning to hunt?

Looking for Suggestions on Hurricane Help

From: Van Remsen najames@LSU.EDU
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 13:58:31 -0500


LABIRD: It seems highly likely that some of our comrades in SE LA and coastal
MS have lost everything. Let's hope that the roster is miraculously short.
Nonetheless, let's start thinking about a relief effort. I suspect that FEMA/Red
Cross etc. will eventually take care of the basic needs in terms of long-term
housing and clothing, although we can do our part in terms of temp housing
and donations. I suspect that an appropriate niche for us might be things like
field gear and bird books. This stuff is obviously low on their immediate
priority list but may mean a lot fairly soon to those who have lost it all. Unlike
the federal agencies who were supposed to have a plan for this predictable
disaster, I don't have a blueprint we can follow in terms of what we can do with
LABIRD resources ... I'm basically thinking "out loud," so feedback welcomed.
I have already heard from Mike Busam of the Ohio Ornithological Society in
terms of wondering how they can help. Perhaps those of you with birder contacts
in other states can get those states to at least start thinking about a similar
effort. I know that our great neighbors in Texas and Arkansas have especially
big hearts. It is unlikely that New Orleans area folks will have a clear idea
of their losses soon, but Slidell-Lacombe and coastal MS folks may already
know where they stand.

-- Van Remsen najames@LSU.edu LSU Museum of Natural Science Foster Hall 119, LSU Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Hurricane Relief Efforts

I just picked this up on the fm107 website:

Help us at FM107 help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 100% of the money donated will go towards helping the victims all along the Gulf Coast. Stop by the FM107 Conversation Station at the Minnesota State Fair to drop off your cash donation in the Red Kettle.

If you can not make it out to the State Fair, click here to find out how you can help.

Also, Non Birding Bill gave me a link to a blog by a guy living through the hurricane aftermath who tells you the real story of what is going on.

You Can't See Me

Can you spot the disapproving rabbit who thinks she is so cleverly hiding in this photo?

I'm hopeful for some good birding this weekend. I think migration is finally kicking in, yesterday there was a family group of pelicans flying over the store and this morning as I woke up heard a warbler chipping outside my apartment windows.

Here is a story from the Homer News about their local "bird guy" who must help goshawks, great-horned owls, sharp-shins and merlins as his daily work duties. That would be an okay job for me. There are also some important tips on protecting your poultry and helping raptors.