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There was an amazing site in the sky above today. Three different birds of prey were circling overhead. There was a smaller bird that I couldn’t identify because of the height, flying with them.
One bird was a Turkey Vulture. We often see Turkey Vultures because we have an ever growing flock of Wild Turkeys in our area. You can identify a Turkey Vulture by its dark shape and small head. Turkey Vultures have black feathers and a naked (featherless) red head. I think they are one of the ugliest birds created.
A Turkey Vulture is an American Vulture of the Family Cathartidae. They are blackish, eagle-like birds, often seem soaring high in wide circles. Their naked heads are smaller than those of hawks and eagles. Vultures eat carrion, dead animals.
One of the other birds was a Red-Tailed Hawk, a year-round resident of northern California. You can identify a Red-Tailed Hawk flying overhead by its red tail feathers as the light shines through them. They are a large, brown broad-winged, wide-tailed hawk. They are a Buteos or Buzzard Hawk. They eat rodents, rabbits, sometimes small birds, reptiles, and grasshoppers.
The third bird of prey was a Red-Shouldered Hawk. They have a wide tail and broad wings. Adults have rufous shoulders and robin-red underparts. In flight they can be identified by the translucent patch or “window” at the base of the primary wing feathers. These hawks are also year-round residents of this part of northern California.
Red-Shouldered-Hawks are also Buteos or Buzzard Hawks, eating rodents, rabbits, sometimes small birds, reptiles, and grasshoppers.
Although not one of the birds of prey sited today, Cooper’s Hawks are year-round residents. They are a short-winged, long-tailed hawk. They have a blackish crown; overall color is lighter than other hawks described above. The immature Cooper’s Hawk has a brown streaked breast and a white belly. Cooper’s Hawks are Accipiters or Bird Hawks. They are long-tailed raptors with rounded wings, adapted for hunting among the trees. Flights consists of several quick beats and a glide. They eat birds and some small mammals. The Cooper’s Hawk is the kind of bird that swoops through my backyard and grabs the feeder birds. Occasionally I see one sitting on my birdbath.
I know this blog is about birdwatching but I also feed the squirrels. They scamper into the yard every morning looking for their share of the sunflower seeds and peanuts. Usually the squirrels eat some of the peanuts and hide some for later. Today I watched a squirrel, peanut in mouth, run over to the flower bed and dig a small hole in the soil. Then he placed the peanut (in shell) in the hole and pushed down with his feet and then his nose. He carefully covered the peanut with soil with his little feet, then smoothed some small twigs over the top. He rubbed his feet together to brush off the dirt and scampered away. All of this activity happened in a few short seconds.
These are pictures of one friendly little squirrel that visits my backyard.
Today is Earth Day, a time to celebrate and pay respect to our planet. If you want to join the millions of people around the world who are making small but significant changes to help sustain our ecosystem, try these tips, courtesy of www.earthday.net:
- Use energy-efficient light bulbs, which result in the emission of less carbon dioxide (CO2) than regular light bulbs
- Consider a hybrid car, drive less, and get regular tune-ups – all can reduce CO2 levels and improve fuel efficiency
- Eat locally farmed foods that are grown organically, as these are free of pesticides and less harmful to the earth
- Buy recycled products – and recycle your trash. In addition, try to purchase products that use minimal packaging
Small steps and individual responsibility can make a huge difference all over the world – get started today, and encourage others to do the same!
Connect with NATURE in Your Neighborhood!
April 21 thru April 29 is National Wildlife Week.
Children, teens and adults are invited to observe NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK by getting outdoors, learning about and helping the wildlife in their neighborhoods and beyond, April 21–29, 2007.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
In partnership with Youth Service America, young people 11 to 18 can make a difference for wildlife in their community when they take on environmental service projects during National and Global Youth Service Day, April 20–22. Projects will challenge youth to address global warming, undertake habitat restoration and become more aware of the ecology in their own areas. Tips and suggestions are available online at www.ysa.org/nysd and www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweek.
OBSERVING WILDLIFE
The National Wildlife Watch involves everyone from children, parents and caregivers, grandparents and mentors to schools, outdoor and sporting groups and others. Participants will download a list of wildlife and natural phenomena to observe in their backyards, neighborhoods, communities and other special places. They will then report back by posting their findings on the NWF website. Participants will be challenged to watch for designated endangered species in their locale.
This is a tiny Chestnut-Backed Chickadee eating at a tube feeder. Chickadees’ favorite feeder foods are black-oil sunflower seed, suet, hulled peanuts, hulled sunflower, peanut butter mixes, and safflower seed.
Chestnut-Backed Chickadees are bold, active birds calling frequently to fellow flock members, curiously investigating their environment, and performing amazing acrobatics on all kinds of feeders. Their legs are particularly long and strong for birds their size, allowing them to forage while hanging upside down.
I’m thrilled! The nest box pictured at the top of this blog is the home of baby Chestnut-Backed Chickadees. I don’t know how many baby birds there are in the bird house but I hear them chirping when I’m in the backyard and I see parent chickadees darting in and out. This is the second year that chickadees have raised their young in this nest box. Unfortunately, this isn’t a box with a removable side so I can’t peek in at the baby birds.
April is mating and nest building season here in northern California. These Western Scrub Jays are collecting fibers from coco liners in my hanging flower baskets. They peck and pick at the liners until they have a mouthful of fibers; then off to line their nests.
I absolutely love the blue color of the Stellar’s Jay and Western Scrub Jay. The Stellar’s Jay tilts its head as it surveys its surroundings. Stellar’s Jays often tilt their head from side to side.
Here are some shots of Stellar’s Jays in my backyard.
The Junco is flying at the gazing ball so its image is unclear.
This male Dark-Eyed Junco repeatedly flew at this gazing ball. This bird challenged its own image pecking and flying at the gazing ball for over an hour. The white outer tail feathers are visible in this picture. If you look closely you can also see my image in the gazing ball as I took the picture.
This is a male Dark-Eyed (Oregon) Junco perched in a privet tree in our backyard. The male Junco is distinguished by its black hood. The female Junco is duller with a gray brownish head. Both have white outer tail feathers that flash conspicuously as they fly away.
Juncos are mainly ground feeders but will eat from hanging feeders. Their favorite feeder foods are mixed seed, millet, hulled sunflower, and cracked corn.
