Bird Watching!

[FireFighterZero]

Any of you guys know any thing about Ring Tailed Hawks?

After seeing that Prairie Falcon I got to thinking about he myriad birds I see in a day.

I wanted to look up the Ring Tail, but that is apparently not what they are called.

Closest I could find was a Broad Wing Hawk, but the tail did not look right. Bird I am thinking about had just one very distinct white band on the tail, pretty close to the body.

 

[stig]

Rough legged hawk Buteo lagopus was the first one I thought of, but marsh hawk Circus cyaneus would fit the description as well.

Those are the only two I can think of, that are found up your way.

Both are transglobal species BTW, we have them here as well.

 

[DMc]

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/id

Yup, Stig is right. Either a northern harrier/marsh hawk or a rough legged hawk would be the most likely. The harriers have an unusual flight style, usually close to the ground with a quick twist and spin when they spot something edible.

 

[Burnham]

Yessir, I think Stig and Dave have it right...marsh hawk/northern harrier almost certainly.

 

[squisher]

Birds are coming alive in these parts, or atleast returning. Tons of air donkeys flapping about.

I saw my first robin yesterday in my yard.

I've got frigging magpies trying to nest in my yard. No thanks, ill pester them with pellets until they move along.

Also been seeing some owl action at dusk. I love the hooters.

 

[Limbrat]

I won't touch the hooter comment Justin! I think barred owls are super cool. They're pretty easy to call in and help make the turkeys gobble this time of year.

 

[FireFighterZero]

I think I saw a meadowlark today, but I cant be certain.

That would be weird because I always see a robin first, usually by a couple weeks.

 

[cory]

Lotta birds arriving here too in the past 2 weeks. I'm thinking, why do these guys even bother flying north for the winter, they're back here now and there is snow everywhere, mornings are in the teens or mid twenties, in other words its hard living outside, and yet they are here, doing their early morning calling and acting like all is well even though its cold AF

 

[FireFighterZero]

Birdz is crazy mofos!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Birds... how do they work?

 

[Levi]

Hahaha! Good question!

Another good thread here that I never click on. I need to up my bird game

 

[Mick!]

It's about this time of year I look out for the first swallow. It's kind of a big deal for me.
Here's last year's, April the 1st. (Taken on an iPhone)

 

[FireFighterZero]

What kind of swallow is that?

Looks a lot like our barn swallow.

 

[Cobleskill]

I thought so also. I wait for them to come back and watch for them closely. A few come back first and they aren't very obvious if you don't watch for them.

They are coming and leaving 2 weeks earlier than they did 15-20 years ago.

 

[Mick!]

According to google you do have the same swallows as us, ours overwinter in Africa.

 

[Cobleskill]

You have Barn, Cliff, and Tree?

 

[FireFighterZero]

I would have guessed Africa.

But that bird in the picture was unladen.....no coconuts at all.

 

[Mick!]

We have what we call swallows hirondo rustica.

The similar species are called house martins Delichon urbicum.

Swallows nest inside buildings, martins under the eaves outside.

 

[Mick!]

I would have guessed Africa.

But that bird in the picture was unladen.....no coconuts at all.

The early arrivers always look a bit bewildered like "wtf am I doing here this early"

 

[FireFighterZero]

Yep, it's the same bird. Apparently the barn swallow is the most widespread of all the swallows.

And the State bird of Estonia.

That's pretty cool.

 

[Cobleskill]

I bet the early ones come back ahead of time to stake claim to the best nests.

I find it entertaining that Mom and the young ones head South and a group stays behind. I can picture them saying go ahead- we will meet you down there- You guys travel way to slow for us.

 

[Burnham]

M and I spent several hours on a National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Washington state, near the Columbia River, a couple of days ago. You know, the sort of place some people think should be returned from public lands status to private development potential...well, anyway.

Saw some Tundra (Whistling) swans, lots of geese, bald eagles, a variety of ducks, harriers and a couple other species of hawks, and several different warblers. Nice day.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Had a couple of ducks quacking away on the pond a couple days ago.

Really happy that we are rolling our hay fields early this year. Ahead of the nesting season.

 

[cory]

Really happy that we are rolling our hay fields early this year. Ahead of the nesting season.

Good on you!

 

[FireFighterZero]

And you dont think I am much of a conservationist.......you devil.

We are also working on a dung beetle conservation strategy.


You got some catching up to do!