Pretty quiet around our yard here in Nebraska. Most birds have migrated out, the swallows are still here, but the orioles/king birds/etc seem to have left. I like the fall, but miss the birds.
There was a beautiful hawk sitting in the parking lot at work today as I returned from lunch. I had the camera in the car but didn’t think fast enough and scared him away with the car.
This bird likes to peck on the window. I never can get a picture of him close to the window.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/bird003Medium.jpg)
He left when the Cardinal showed up. He’ll be back. Ralph
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/bird004Medium.jpg)
I’m thinking that the brown bird is a female cardinal, the red a male.
Joe Satnik said:You're right Joe. The brown one is a female Cardinal. I wasn't thinking and called her "him" and "he". Ralph
I'm thinking that the brown bird is a female cardinal, the red a male.
Great Bird story. I received and read this the other day. I’ve had it on my mind as I watch the hawks and other birds of pre travel the skies of the midwest.
KILL 'EM AND EAT 'EM…A GREAT AVIATION STORY
This came from a Fellow who runs a 2000 acre corn farm
up around Barron , WI , not far from Oshkosh . He used
to fly F-4Es and F-16s for the Guard and participated in
the first Gulf War. I Submit for your enjoyment, and as a reminder that there are other great, magnificent flyers around besides us.
I went out to plant corn for a bit to finish a field
before tomorrow morning and witnessed The Great Battle .
A golden eagle - big bastard, with about a six foot
wingspan - flew right in front of the tractor. It was
being chased by three crows that were continually dive
bombing it and pecking at it. The crows do this because
the eagles rob their nests when they find them.
At any rate, the eagle banked hard right in one evasive
maneuver, then landed in the field about 100 feet from
the tractor. This eagle stood about 3 feet tall. The
crows all landed too, and took up positions around the
eagle at 120 degrees apart, but kept their distance at
about 20 feet from the big bird. The eagle would take a
couple steps towards one of the crows and they’d hop
backwards and forward to keep their distance. Then the
reinforcement showed up.
I happened to spot the eagle's mate hurtling down out of
the sky at what appeared to be approximately Mach 1.5.
Just before impact the eagle on the ground took flight,
(obviously a coordinated tactic; probably pre-briefed)
and the three crows which were watching the grounded
eagle, also took flight thinking they were going to get
in some more pecking on the big bird. The first crow
being targeted by the diving eagle never stood a
snowball’s chance in hell. There was a mid-air explosion
of black feathers and that crow was done. The diving
eagle then banked hard left in what had to be a 9G
climbing turn, using the energy it had accumulated in
the dive, and hit crow #2 less than two seconds later.
Another crow dead.
The grounded eagle, which was now airborne and had an
altitude advantage on the remaining crow, which was
streaking eastward in full burner, made a short dive
then banked hard right when the escaping crow tried to
evade the hit. It didn’t work - crow #3 bit the dust at
about 20 feet AGL.
This aerial battle was better than any air show I've
been to, including the war birds show at Oshkosh . The
two eagles ripped the crows apart and ate them on the
ground, and as I got closer and closer working my way
across the field, I passed within 20 feet of one of them
as it ate its catch. It stopped and looked at me as I
went by and you could see in the look of that bird that
it knew who’s Boss Of The Sky. What a beautiful bird!
I loved it. Not only did they kill their enemy, they ate them.
One of the best Fighter Pilot stories I've seen in a long time...
There are no noble wars-- Only noble warriorsGreat story, Ric. Thanks.
Hat’s off to the gray Eagle.
A couple of days before Spring, we saw this Great Horned Owl down at Occoquan National Wildlife Reserve. In previous years, the nest had been used by some Osprey. I guess the owl beat them to the punch this year.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1040510.JPG)
On March 24, I took the spotting scope down and shot this picture of the “baby” owl through the scope. We didn’t see either parent, even though we spent quite a bit of time there.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/IMG_7580.JPG)
This one was through the other camera.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1040550.JPG)
There’s two owlets in the nest. On April 1, it’s pretty clear. Still no sign of either parent.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1040571.JPG)
This past Saturday we were headed over to check out the nest, and heard crows making a fuss over in the tree line. Looking up, we saw one of the owlets…not particularly disturbed by the crow.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1040622.JPG)
We didn’t see the sibling or the parents.
Some great shots, Bruce…
I was able to open the door and get a couple of shots of this guy before he flew off…
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1050421.JPG)
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1050423.JPG)
The remaining squirrels seem to be a bit nervous…
Last weekend while driving thru La Canada, up in the foothills, I nearly hit a big Red Tail Hawk that flew very low infront of me, he was having a hard time flying as he was carrying a critter darn near as big as him!!! neat!
Yesterday one of my high school friends posted a shot of a cardinal in the snow covered bushes in her backyard that was worthy of a Nat Geo shot! You guys have some amazing shots too! Loved the Eagle story.
Chas
Here’s a neat site - it’s a live camera of an eagle’s nest. : http://outdoorchannel.com/Conservation/EagleCam.aspx
There were two in it this morning, though I only see one now. You can also hear them occasionally. They’re hoping to see eggs soon.
Kim put a suet feeder out for the birds this winter since it’s been so bad… even with all the snow, very few care to use it because the idjit dogs bark at them.
I like to put a feeder out every winter. This winter the birds are killing me. I have to fill the feeder up every day. I have three sets of cardinals, Juncos, chickadees bluejays, doves, crows. Just last week I had a Bald Eagle sitting in one of our cotton woods in the front yard.
This may interest you Bruce. We have peregrine falcons nesting on a building in Harrisburg, here’s a link to the page and live camera.
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/
David Russell said:
This may interest you Bruce. We have peregrine falcons nesting on a building in Harrisburg, here’s a link to the page and live camera. http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/
Cool
(http://www.helenpainter.ca/Images/pair-of-green-falcons-card.jpg)
Watch out Rooster!!! I’ve heard falcons like chicken. 
Randy McDonald said:So do I !! ;)
Watch out Rooster!!! I've heard falcons like chicken. :)
I’ll have to check out that site in the day time.