Showing posts with label American Kestrel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Kestrel. Show all posts
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Friday, October 27, 2023
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Monday, August 8, 2022
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Monday, October 1, 2018
Birds of Fall, Migration, and Falconry Birds
Juvenile Carolina Chickadee
Ditto, View 2
Both Juvenile Males Fighting
Ditto, View 2
One Carolina Chickadee Recovering
From the Battle
From the Battle
Immature Cooper's Hawk
Juvenile American Kestrel
Juvenile Northern Goshawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Juvenile Northern Cardinal
Lincoln's Sparrow
Brown Thrasher
09-15 through 09-30-18
This material is the second half of September, which started out with an interesting chain of events with juvenile Carolina Chickadees. The group came to Heron Cove while I was there, comprised of two males and two females, possibly a family unit.
The males were both singing on their perches, then began fighting on the ground. It appeared that the juvenile males were feeling their oats and showing off. Getting closer to them for photos netted these
and it appeared necessary to end the battle, as it lasted between five and ten minutes. It was feared that one was going to kill the other bird. One bird was photographed tending to his soaking wet disheveled state.
On 09-22, a group of us went to a get together for hawk trapping at Great Salt Plains State Park and these were some of the beautiful falconry birds on display. One of the Red-tails had been caught, along with a couple of Peregrine Falcons that were not there on that date.
We finished up with the earlier photos, which included a late hatch Northern Cardinal. There is at least one more in a second nest. Later discovered was the Lincoln's Sparrow pictured above and a lovely Brown Thrasher.
This material is the second half of September, which started out with an interesting chain of events with juvenile Carolina Chickadees. The group came to Heron Cove while I was there, comprised of two males and two females, possibly a family unit.
The males were both singing on their perches, then began fighting on the ground. It appeared that the juvenile males were feeling their oats and showing off. Getting closer to them for photos netted these
and it appeared necessary to end the battle, as it lasted between five and ten minutes. It was feared that one was going to kill the other bird. One bird was photographed tending to his soaking wet disheveled state.
On 09-22, a group of us went to a get together for hawk trapping at Great Salt Plains State Park and these were some of the beautiful falconry birds on display. One of the Red-tails had been caught, along with a couple of Peregrine Falcons that were not there on that date.
We finished up with the earlier photos, which included a late hatch Northern Cardinal. There is at least one more in a second nest. Later discovered was the Lincoln's Sparrow pictured above and a lovely Brown Thrasher.
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Lake Thunderbird, Eastland, Texas Falconry, and Lake Hefner
Red-necked Grebe
11-24-17
This was the day that my birding friend called and wanted to do something in way of birds. No matter how I feel, even after six weeks post hand surgery, I said that I wanted to go. We knew about the rare Red-eared Grebe and hoped for a sighting and a photo, if we were lucky. The closest report was at Lake Carl Blackwell, Payne County, but it was not there. We went to the second reporting sight, and there it was, at the local grebe convention. Many birders have seen it, but I never thought that I would be so lucky.
Needless to say, I could not carry my camera, nor could I use my left hand after the hand surgery. I relied on help, so that was the only way that this shot could happen. Thanks to Sylvias Serpentine, who saved my day!
Barred Owl
12-02-17
We were due for another adventure, so The Three Musketeers went to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Vian, OK, for more action. There was plenty there, but I was not able to do anything yet, other than hit the shutter button and change ISO. At least I got this beautiful Barred Owl. My comrades managed both Ruby- and Red-crowned Kinglets, but they were too fast for me. Thanks for setting up my camera several times, dear friends.
12-07 through 12-10-17
To the hunt, to the hunt, to the hunt! This was the famous Ryan Vance memorial Hunt and what a turnout for the events. Everyone with a raptor came to hunt prey or show their birds at the educational show at the Eastland, TX Museum.
I got myself another trophy or three, which included photos of some gorgeous Harlan's Hawks, which I had never seen before. Believe it or not, the first rabbit kill was done by a dog, not a raptor. To the victor belongs the spoils and did we have a fantastic weekend.
The best part for me was the fact that my doctor cleared me to bring my camera, but I had to follow certain restrictions.
JD and his Red-tailed Hawk
JD's Red-tail solo
Savannah Sparrow
CS's Red-tail at a kill
CS and her Red-tail, who got a rabbit
Wild American Kestrel
Harris's Hawk
Harlan's Hawk #1
Harlan's Hawk #2 (Female)
Harlan's Hawks #2 (on right - female)
and #3 (Male on left)
JD's Red-tail in flight
JD's Red-tail banking
Two Yellow-billed Loons
The last photo was on on return trip after the hunting trip where we observed Yellow-billed Loons on
Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City. What a trip!
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Fall Photos of Our Best Time of Year For Some
Eurasian Collared-Doves
AmericanEurasian Collared-Dove
Blue-winged Teal
American White Pelican
Male Carolina Wren
American Kestrel in Flight
Carolina Wren
American White Pelican
10-19 through 11-09-16
This was when the weather was quite mild in the fall. The Eurasian Collared-Doves were seen
for the first time not on the ground or on the power lines. This was a rarer shot, so I did my best
to get out of the line of fire of the rising sun so that I could see them well enough in order to get
that beautiful photograph of them in the tree. Fortunately, they trusted me enough to get away from a
large oak tree in order to have a clear shot.
The Blue-winged Teal, our smallest duck made a couple of turns around the lake, so I was as ready
as I could be to get a picture of several of them. Even though they were quite a distance away, Lady Luck was with me, as was the sun.
The first Carolina Wren, an acquaintance, knows me better than the second one, who is generally
across the lake in a residential area. By far, I believe the second shot to be the best one, but how could I refuse the first one?
The American Kestrel male has returned for the winter to his stomping grounds and this picture in
flight was a little sun washed, yet it was necessary to try it.
This American White Pelican was the first of a total of three arrivals. He arrived on October 22 and
rested at Boomer Creek where there is a natural blind. It was advantageous, as this waterbird had no
inkling that I was waiting silently in the wings. There were a few shots of the birds flipping its gullet,
so these are representatives of this first meeting.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Winter Birds Bring Good Fortune to Boomer Lake
American Goldfinch
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Herring Gull
Dark-eyed Junco (slate colored)
American Robin
Female Downy Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Ditto, Surrounded by Ring-billed Gulls
American Kestrel at Magruder Plots, OSU
Warbling Vireo Nest
Adult (RIGHT) and Juvenile (LEFT)
Herring Gulls in Rear
12-28-16 through 01-01-17
Temperatures during this period of time were relatively warm for this time of year, unlike what
had just rudely dominated our early mornings.
There were standard birds in our midst, like the American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos, the
Carolina Chickadee and Wrens, Bewick's Wren, Song Sparrows, and other winter sparrows.
As luck had it, there were other gulls among the mix at Boomer Lake, like the more common Herring Gull, adults having a red spot on the lower bill, and are larger than the yellow-legged Ring-billed Gulls, which really do have a black ring around the front of the bill.
A European gull that is getting to be more common in the area, was willing to be photographed, the Lesser Black-backed Gull.
While a friend and I went to Magruder experimental wheat fields at OSU, we had high hopes to see
a couple of different longspurs, but there were none. There were plenty of Eastern and Western Meadowlarks on New Year's Day, as well as Eastern Bluebirds, and a gorgeous male American Kestrel.
This is the time of year for al the woodpeckers to make nest cavities, choose a mate, and think about
laying eggs. A couple of representatives are shown here, the Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.
There are several yellow-shafted Northern Flickers, including the rarer Red-shafted. We had a female last year and she has returned to us. I don't believe any of her young from last year were red-shafted, but just because I didn't see any, doesn't mean that there were none elsewhere.
Even though the Brown Pelican caught a southern tailwind after two weeks of reigning over Boomer Lake, all good things do come to an end. A Brown Pelican is a coastal bird used to salt water fish and warmer temperatures, so it was a rare fluke, but not totally out of the question during the tail end of an El Nino year.
We'll continue to seek out more uncommon birds this winter, and chances are good that more will be visiting with us.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Spring Birds are Trickling In
Harris's Sparrow
Brown Thrasher
American Coot
Savannah Sparrow
Pied-billed Grebe
Mallard Drake
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Ditto
55-65 degrees F/0800-1030 hrs. DST/partly cloudy/light and variable winds
We're finally into daylight saving time, which means that I go out later in the morning, but have
an extra hour of birding if my schedule is fortunate enough. Needless to say, I have been silent for
quite some time due to bad weather, or a bad schedule. Many times I have cursed under my breath, as sunlight finally came just after I got to work, or out was time to leave for work.
In any event, today was well worth waiting for, as one can see. Evidently good things come in due time, and it surely was time for these good things to come to pass. Al things aside, though, I have been very fortunate, even though I have not been able to be out as much.
Spring birds are trickling in, while winter birds are either getting ready to leave, or have been well on their way out of here. I was pleased to see half a dozen Green-winged Teal on the lake, the grebes in breeding plumage, plenty of sparrows still around(the choices were good and there were plenty of Song Sparrows still available). I wasn't able to get a good photo of a Field Sparrow, but one was available.
There were a couple of Eastern Meadowlarks, a Purple Martin, and as you can see, my first of season
Brown Thrasher.
The American Kestrel, a very colorful falcon was doing a bit of hunting in my presence, so I cannot complain.
I truly hope that your day was every bit as good as mine.
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