Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I Heart Mirounga

Elephant Seals, E-seals, Mirounga: What's not to love about these guys.  They loaf all day in gulches and are the most appetizing prey to great white sharks.  They might be the best of the Pinnipeds on the Farallones.
Sure they appear slow and indolent, but they have a certain charm about them, perhaps due to their eccentricity.

They groan and grunt all day nipping at each other over a few extra inches of beach space.   Their fart-like vocalizations never fail to cause uncontrollable laughter.

They're always watching, helpless and confused from their place in the gulch.

All about "Crane Crane" the Sandhill Crane

The date was September 26, 2013.  It was a windy day.  Bad weather had pretty much dominated the forecast for several days.  I was outside when I heard Jim's thunderous voice come through the radio, "Sandhill Crane, there's a Sandhill Crane over East Landing."  I ran out the door and there was a crane flying in closer and closer.  This was the second record of Sandhill Crane so everyone was ecstatic.  

Eventually the bird landed, and we crept up to get some photos.  Little did we know, this bird would stay with us for a while.
Craney Crane
We all felt sorry for this poor juvenile crane who must have gotten separated from her flock, and blown off course to end up on this place – surely a wasteland for any crane.  But on the first day, Don Mastwell took a dead mouse from the mouse trap, chirped a sweet trill the bird's direction, and dangled the tiny rodent by its tail out for the bird to see.  The crane, soon to be named Craney Crane, followed by Crane Crane, approached skeptically and plucked the mouse from Donald's hand.  It was love at first sight.  Crane Crane loved Dan, and Dan loved Crane Crane.
Before long all of us were feeding this lucky bird straight from our hands.  But we knew that wasn't right.  This was a wild animal after all and it had to learn how to forage by herself.  I began giving her foraging lessons.  I would sit down and start digging under rocks, turning up beetles and brown funnel-web spiders plump and ripe to a Crane's tastes.  But still, she was getting too close.  She took too much of a liking too us.  
Dan and his bag of crane food and water
One day we had a huge wave of migrants and all of us were up on the hill looking through flocks of sparrows and Hermit Thrush (and one Williamson's Sapsucker) only to look out at Crane Crane circling up higher and higher then circling around us.  She tried to land at the lighthouse a few times, chirping at us all along.  She was jealous of the other birds.

We all decided that the crane, Crane Crane, had overstayed her welcome.  We stopped feeding her and foraging with her hoping that she would begin fending for herself.  We loved the Crane, sure, and that's why we needed her to forage alone.  She needed to build up enough energy to get away, but not have a reason to stay.
We saw her foraging often, then, even catching her own mice and her own spiders.  We chased her away from our nets so that she wouldn't try to eat our captured birds, and she grew afraid of us.  She started paying close attention to the Brown Pelicans as they flew over, often tilting her head up towards them and calling to them.  Eventually she began flying out over the ocean with them.  Each time she got further and further away before heading back.  She was ready to go. One day Don woke up and looked outside at Crane Crane foraging as usual.  Later that morning she was nowhere to be found.  Two days later a juvenile Sandhill Crane was seen in Napa.  I like to think that that was our Crane Crane.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Red-throated Pipit at Abbott's Lagoon

Today I got to do some birding back in Marin county after a long time gone.  We dipped harder than a hillbilly on christmas looking for an American Tree Sparrow in Point Reyes Station, but that's okay because we (Ryan DiGaudio, Megan Elrod, Cameron Rutt, Mark "Mad Dawg" Dettling, and I)  found a Red-throated Pipit at Abbott's Lagoon.  This is my third of this species in just over two weeks so I guess I should be good at identifying them by now.  The best way to find these guys is by listening for their diagnostic call, a short, high, thin, descending pssseeee when near a flock of pipits.


This also happened...
This river otter was extremely appealing candidate for the day's highlight until this happened. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

All I have for you is three photos so just deal with it

All I can do for you right now is tell you that there are three good photos here.  We had a Yellow-green Vireo the other day.  Otherwise, the shit storm continues.  Forgot to remove the spots from my lens.  Sorry.
This Merlin thinks it's better than us.
This Hermit Warbler probably is better than us.
Just a humble Pectoral Sandpiper
Hope you enjoyed.  I wish I could do more for you.  Remind me to tell you all about our new resident juvenile Sandhill Crane whom we have adopted as our own.  His/her name is Craney Crane.  I'll fill you in soon enough.


Thursday, September 19, 2013

2013 Hawk Weekend at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

By Cory Ritter

HRBO's annual Hawk Weekend Festival runs during the third full weekend in September, so it starts tomorrow (Friday, September 20th) and runs through Sunday. Since September started on a Sunday this year, the September 20th start date is the latest since 2002. I've been worried that the festival may be a little too late to catch the Broad-wing migration, so I looked into the hawkcount.org data for the past ten years to see what we can expect for this weekend.

Over the last ten years (1993-2012), seven of the biggest days came on September 14th (4) and September 15th (3). Another came on September 16th, making the middle of the month the most likely to see the big day. The final two big days were outliers, one on September 20, 2006 and one on September 9, 2012.

During this time, there have been 53 days with over one thousand Broad-winged Hawks counted from the Ridge—averaging 5.3 days with over one thousand Broad-wings per season. Of those 53 days, 16 (30.2%) were on or after September 20th.

With that being said, September 20th is a bit late in the season for the Broad-winged Hawk peak, but they have peaked this late in the past. Also, we have only had two 1,000+ Broad-wing days this season—against an average of 5.3. Furthermore, we have had a week of unfavorable winds from the south or east and a couple days of fog and rain. This weather is supposed to clear out for the weekend, and leave us with favorable west or northwest winds—just in time for Hawk Weekend.

With the good weather headed our way and a history of some big Broad-wing days around this time of the season, this weekend looks like it is shaping up to be a good one! Here are some birds that are coming through right now, and you can expect to see them at the Ridge this weekend.
Broad-winged Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
Broad-winged Hawk, 16 September 2013
Sharp-shinned Hawk Duluth Minnesota
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 11 September 2013
Palm Warbler Hawk Ridge
Palm Warbler, 12 September 2013
Merlin Duluth Minnesota
Merlin, 16 September 2013
American Kestrel Hawk Ridge
American Kestrel, 13 September 2013
Canada Goose Duluth Minnesota
Canada Goose, 11 September 2013
American Kestrel Duluth Minnesota
American Kestrel, 13 September 2013
Broad-winged Hawk Ridge
Broad-winged Hawk, 13 September 2013
Merlin Duluth Minnesota
Merlin, 11 September 2013
American Kestrel Hawk Ridge Minnesota
American Kestrel, 17 September 2013
American White Pelicans Duluth Hawk Ridge
American White Pelicans, 16 September 2013
American Kestrel Minnesota Hawk Ridge
American Kestrel, 17 September  2013
All photos were taken at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Rain Day - Wisconsin Point Jaegers Strike Back

By Cory Ritter

We had a rain day on Monday the 9th, so Karl and I checked out Wisconsin Point. We had two Parasitic Jaegers, one sub-adult and one juvenile. While the sub-adult kept its distance, the juvie made a few good passes.
Parasitic Jaeger Wisconsin Point
Parasitic Jaeger Wisconsin Point
Parasitic Jaeger Wisconsin Point
Parasitic Jaeger Wisconsin Point
Parasitic Jaeger Wisconsin Point
Parasitic Jaeger Wisconsin Point

All photos taken at Wisconsin Point on September 9, 2013.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Sharpies and Kestrels - Hawk Ridge Update

By Cory Ritter

While Bald Eagles and Ospreys have been coming though in reliably good numbers as of late, Sharp-shinned Hawks and American Kestrels just kicked into gear on Friday, September 7th. As it turns out, it was our best day of the season for total raptors (554), and our biggest day for Bald Eagles (98), Sharp-shinned Hawks (375), American Kestrels (31), Merlins (6), and Peregrine Falcons (3).

The raptors are picking up, and diversity is high (12 raptor species on the 7th). It won't be long before the broadwings make their big push!
Immature Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 6 September 2013
Osprey
Osprey; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 3 September 2013
Immature Broad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 4 September 2013
Broad-winged Hawk Upperside
Broad-winged Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 4 September 2013
Broad-winged Hawk Underside
Broad-winged Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 4 September 2013
Northern Harrier with Cedar Waxwings
Northern Harrier and Cedar Waxwings; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 5 September 2013
Turkey Vulture in Flight
Turkey Vulture; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 6 September 2013
American White Pelican Flock
American White Pelicans; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 3 September 2013
American Crow with White Wing Patches
American Crow with white wing patches; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 5 September 2013
Cedar Waxwing Perched on Branch
Cedar Waxwing; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 5 September 2013
Non-breeding Bobolink
Bobolink; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 7 September 2013

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Raptors of Hawk Ridge: Early Birds

By Cory Ritter

The fall count season at Hawk Ridge officially began on August 15th, but, as the assistant hawk counter, I didn't start until the 31st. While the days are still quite hot and slow, we are most grateful for two things: rare raptors, and Bald Eagles.

Early in the count-season is the best time to see both Mississippi Kites and Swainson's Hawks here at Hawk Ridge, and both are a welcomed reward for standing out in the heat all day—not to mention a lister's nightmare to time correctly. We've already racked up a few rewards this season, as we have two Mississippi Kites (August 27th and September 4th) and one Swainson's Hawk (September 2nd) on the official count—all of which were out of range for photographs, as luck would have it.

Bald Eagles, on the other hand, are far from rare. Instead, they are one of the most consistent migrants from the first to the last day of the count at Hawk Ridge, and we average more than 4,400 per season over the past five years. We are very thankful for Bald Eagles because they help keep the sanity on the count platform when there would otherwise be no raptors flying. Yesterday, for example, we counted 67 raptors among four species, of which 42 were Bald Eagles.

Now, a collection of photos from my first day on the job last Saturday. Sorry, there are no photos of Mississippi Kites, Swainson's Hawks, or even Bald Eagles—yes, even after all of that blathering.

Sharp-shinned Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
Sharp-shinned Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Sharpie in Duluth Minnesota
Sharp-shinned Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Sharpie Gliding Away
Sharp-shinned Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
'Marsh Hawk' at Hawk Ridge
Northern Harrier; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Juvenile Northern Harrier
Northern Harrier; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Adult Male Northern Harrier at Hawk Ridge
Northern Harrier; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Merlin in Duluth Minnesota
Merlin; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Upperwing and Tail of Merlin
Merlin; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
American Kestrel in Flight
American Kestrel; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
Immature Red-tailed Hawk Underwing
Red-tailed Hawk; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
'Buzzard' at Hawk Ridge
Turkey Vulture; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
American Crow Screaming
American Crow; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013
American Crow Wing Out
American Crow; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; St. Louis County, MN; 31 August 2013