Monday, December 31, 2018

Here's to 2019!

My posting slowed down toward the end of this year.  I hope to continue to capture new images of things I see around our house and neighborhood and will continue to branch out beyond this area in 2019.

I lost my mother-in-law this year.  She was a faithful reader and supporter of my blog.  She liked to look at hawks and I think of her now every time I see a Red-tailed hawk.  Ruth, these are for you (this pair patrolling near the East Village downtown...




 
 
My latest "obsession" (really this goes back a few years) is capturing a decent picture of a Bald Eagle.  It's a treat that we see them over the winter.  I see them fly over my house and being close to the Des Moines River gives me opportunities to see them...the trick is getting close and using my point-and-shoot zoom (a limitation for this type of shot).  But recently I discovered if I go to work and swing through Prospect Park, I can get very close tp the water and see quite a few at once (not every time).  Here are a few pics I've taken.  The more distant shot you can see at least four eagles if you have an "eagle" eye :)
 


 

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

(Brief) Backyard visitor

I was home this afternoon.  It was very sunny.  I was turned toward the back window and saw a flash of white coming toward a tree just past our back fence.  I knew it was a hawk...but what kind?

This a quick zoomed in picture.  I tried sneaking outside to get a better look but it flew away.

I have seen Cooper's Hawks in these woods including one that flew toward to about the same spot.  And I've also seen what I thought were Red-tailed Hawks in the woods as well...later reasoning they might have been Cooper's.  But it seems there is an overlap of territory or it was just a visitor but this appears to be a Red-tailed Hawk.  I checked with my expert (nephew Jon) and that is what he was thinking.  Seeing it fly toward me and away from me in the late afternoon sun gave me the clear memory of seeing white under the wings.  So the wing color, general shape and tail suggest Red-tailed.

Monday, November 12, 2018

A buck and some does

Interesting to see the "caravan" of does.  These are from October 16.  Still doing some catch up...








Trail cam catch up

It's been awhile since I posted.  Something about starting a new job and not working from home slowed me down.  Not as much material perhaps.


Here are some daytime photos from the trail camera captured on October 2.  Always nice to capture in the light...










Saturday, September 29, 2018

Update on "Red"...our Red-shouldered Hawk

Re: Polk County Red-shouldered hawk
Fri 9/28/2018, 5:30 PM
You
Alan,
You are correct that we don't know yet if this hawk will fully recover. She just is now eating on her own!

If you don't see updates, please email... 

Thanks,

Linette

On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 10:07 AM Alan Andrew > wrote:
I know it's too soon to know if she will fully recover, but my wife and I would love to be there if/when she is released.

Alan

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Gray tree frog relocating due to my mowing

This is likely an eastern gray tree frog but I'm comfortable calling it a gray tree frog for sure.

Had to shoo it toward the woods so I could finish mowing...






Friday, September 21, 2018

Red-shouldered hawk finally made the "Patient" page on SOAR website

We call her "Red".  Not much information here but finally saw her on the page last night. 

 
 
 
 
I've been e-mailing someone at SOAR and she asked for more details and of course I had those for her including cross streets and environment info.  I want them to know she was in a good area for this type of hawk.  You can click above or here is the text from the post through Sept 21...
 
 
POLK CO RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
By SOAR - Linette
3 September 2018
red-shouldered hawk
Admission Date: 3 September 2018
Outcome:
Location of Rescue: Polk County
Cause of Admission / Condition: collision with vehicle
Patient Status: Current Patient
This is the time of year when SOAR gets hatch-year 2018 raptors admitted that are underweight and struggling. This hawk did collide with a vehicle and the driver is the one who reported this incident to Iowa Bird Rehab (Jenni). This hawk is also emaciated, not sure what happened with this hawk for it to get so thin… but that happened before the collision.
Red-shouldered hawks are an Iowa endangered species even though in much of this bird’s range the population is growing.
 
Updates:
21 September 2018
This hawk is still very thin and still needs to be hand-fed.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Been busy with bucks

About a week ago, I was on the phone and looking out the window when I spotted this young buck.  I took some pictures and then some video and of course right when I shut off the video, it jumps our fence and is in our back yard.  So I picked it up from there getting a few more pics and some video including it deciding the grass was greener in my neighbor's yard...




 
 
Here was Russ inside (just kidding)…
 

Here it is jumping the fence...

 
 
And then last night, I put my trail camera out and the first image was a procession of three bucks just after midnight.  Pretty impressive.
 



 
A doe for good measure.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

I'm enjoying watching Eastern Kingbirds

Working upstairs has allowed me to look at the back window more lately and am enjoying watching Eastern Kingbirds perch on the fence and then do the circular flight path catching food.


Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Hawk progress and identify confirmed

I received an update from SOAR this morning.  Not a Cooper's Hawk but a Red-shouldered Hawk (good job Jon).  I didn't know we had them around here...have not seen in my bird book.  Makes sense with the habitat along the river.

It's a juvenile female.  She is alive.  Very thin...emaciated.  Being hand fed twice a day.  Standing on her own.  She drank out of her water pan yesterday.  Slowly but surely I'm told.  I have not seen her on the SOAR site.

Monday, September 3, 2018

Hawk thoughts

The woman that rescued the hawk was being told it might be a Red-shouldered Hawk.  Waiting for confirmation.  If you look at the breast feathers and patterns, I would even throw a the possibility of it being a Broad-winged Hawk.

Here is a Broad-winged Hawk...

 
 
And here is a Red-shouldered Hawk...
 
 
 
My nephew Jon thinks it is a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk.  He and my brother Dean are ruling out Cooper's Hawk due to shape.  Here is a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk...
 

 
 
I hope to hear the final determination.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Hawk Rescue

Cindy and I were driving home today when something hit our car out of nowhere.  We knew there was nothing in the road to avoid.  After the impact, I saw the oncoming car swerve a bit.  Looking in the rearview mirror I saw something brown and white tumbling off to the side of the road.

I took Cindy and Russ home.  I didn't see any damage to my car.  I drove back to see what I hit and what condition it was in.  Walking up to that area, I saw this Cooper's Hawk...
 





 
 
I could see movement and the hawk was upright so I thought it had a chance. I texted Cindy what was going on and she called the Dept of Natural Resources.  They referred us to a local volunteer group that rescues/rehabs wild birds.  I connected with someone and told her the location.  She texted me "got it" and sent me two pictures...
 


 
Looking back, if my window had been down, I may have had a visitor in the car.  Kudos to these awesome volunteers.  We got an update saying it had a swollen right eye and likely a concussion.  She will start it on pain meds and fluids before further examinations.  She said too soon to tell how it will do.  Likely going to SOAR, the raptor hospital tomorrow.
 
Here is a link to SOAR.  There is a link for "patients" so maybe we can track progress...



And finally a little video...