you'd ever expect to see chasing and eating
grasshoppers?

this morning i was doing the usual and looked
out the window to see a harrier (hawk, otherwise
known as marsh hawk) sitting near one of the
bird baths. it must be a juvenile, as most of
the day it wandered around the yard and chased
grasshoppers and whatever else it could catch.
much entertainment, some pictures and perhaps
a movie, but i don't know how well any of them
turned out yet. it never flew very far, but
when it did it appeared that all the feathers
and wings were functioning ok, but my guess is
that it was recently pushed out of the nest
and is now learning to fend for itself.

and here it was a while ago i was wondering
what would come and eat all those huge grass-
hoppers. i'm hoping he/she will become a regular
to chase after the chipmunks and mice. that
would be grand.


songbird

songbird wrote:

you'd ever expect to see chasing and eating
grasshoppers?
....

the movies didn't turn out well (using
zoom i need a tripod), but some pictures did:

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8...er_Hunting.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8248_Harrier_BB.jpg

i think it could be a juvenile Northern Harrier
(or a Hen Harrier), which are not particularly
rare, but this is the first time we've had one
wandering around the yard for the day.


other tweety pic (we have a lot of blue birds
around this year, i counted about 30 in a tree
yesterday, they're having fun in the north hedge
going after berries lately):

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8237_Blue_Bird.jpg


these turned out nice this year:

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8..._Sunflower.jpg


and i finally got some seedling pictures in a
different folder, but i haven't gotten the links
page set up yet... will add more eventually.

http://www.anthive.com/seedlings/100...e_1st_year.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/seedlings/100_7780_crocus.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/seedlings/100...e_2nd_year.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/seedlings/100...p_2nd_year.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/seedlings/100_7591_soup_pea.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/seedlings/100_7577_tulip.jpg


songbird

songbird said:


songbird wrote:

you'd ever expect to see chasing and eating
grasshoppers?
...

the movies didn't turn out well (using
zoom i need a tripod), but some pictures did:

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8...er_Hunting.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8248_Harrier_BB.jpg

i think it could be a juvenile Northern Harrier
(or a Hen Harrier), which are not particularly
rare, but this is the first time we've had one
wandering around the yard for the day.


I don't think that's a harrier. Going by the 'belly band'
it's more likely a juvenile red tail hawk.

Harrier's have a 'facial disc' something like an owl has;
they use sound as well a sight while hunting, usually
over marshland or open fields, staying barely above the
grass tops.

Grasshoppers are on lots of menus (including human).
Many species of raptors will dine on grasshoppers some
ofthe time. (Swainson's hawks dine almost exclusively on
grasshoppers on their winter range in South America.)



--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Pat Kiewicz wrote:
songbird said:
songbird wrote:

you'd ever expect to see chasing and eating
grasshoppers?
...

the movies didn't turn out well (using
zoom i need a tripod), but some pictures did:

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8...er_Hunting.jpg
http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8248_Harrier_BB.jpg

i think it could be a juvenile Northern Harrier
(or a Hen Harrier), which are not particularly
rare, but this is the first time we've had one
wandering around the yard for the day.


I don't think that's a harrier. Going by the 'belly band'
it's more likely a juvenile red tail hawk.

when a Red-Tail hawk poops does it flip it's
butt up?


Harrier's have a 'facial disc' something like an owl has;
they use sound as well a sight while hunting, usually
over marshland or open fields, staying barely above the
grass tops.

when we first saw it from a distance we
thought it was an owl, when it looked right
at you it had the look of an owl, then we
got a closer look at it and it had to be a
hawk.

the reason i'm guessing it is a Harrier is
that the picture in the guide i'm using
(Audubon North American Birds) shows the Red-
Tailed hawk as having pale yellow legs with
fuzz coming down further (no picture of the
feet). the Harrier picture shows yellow feet
and legs and the fuzz not quite as far down.
But i will also admit i'm not an expert in
bird ID...


Grasshoppers are on lots of menus (including human).
Many species of raptors will dine on grasshoppers some
ofthe time. (Swainson's hawks dine almost exclusively on
grasshoppers on their winter range in South America.)

it surprised me. i thought they were
entirely carnivore and possibly scavengers
if needed in the winter.


songbird

songbird said:


Pat Kiewicz wrote:

I don't think that's a harrier. Going by the 'belly band'
it's more likely a juvenile red tail hawk.

when a Red-Tail hawk poops does it flip it's
butt up?

Lots of birds do that, especially young ones. Aiming the
poop away from the nest/roost.

Harrier's have a 'facial disc' something like an owl has;
they use sound as well a sight while hunting, usually
over marshland or open fields, staying barely above the
grass tops.

when we first saw it from a distance we
thought it was an owl, when it looked right
at you it had the look of an owl, then we
got a closer look at it and it had to be a
hawk.

the reason i'm guessing it is a Harrier is
that the picture in the guide i'm using
(Audubon North American Birds) shows the Red-
Tailed hawk as having pale yellow legs with
fuzz coming down further (no picture of the
feet). the Harrier picture shows yellow feet
and legs and the fuzz not quite as far down.
But i will also admit i'm not an expert in
bird ID...

Appearence can be affected by the bird's posture.
Though aharrier has longer legs in proportion to
body size than a buteo like the red tail, when a red tail
'stands at attention' it will show more leg thanwhen in
a relaxed posture.

The key field mark for a harrier (in addition to
shape, flight pattern, and behavior) is a prominent
white rump which it shows in all plumages. The
wings and tail are also longer and more slender
than the much more common buteo hawks.

Red tails are rather variable in plumage; the ones in
Michigan tend to be light phase (and some can be
quite pale). The red tail only occurs in adults, but
in some sub-species, even adults don't have the
classic rust-red tail.

Red tails tend to hunt from perches. Harriers almost
exclusively hunt on the wing.

Grasshoppers are on lots of menus (including human).
Many species of raptors will dine on grasshoppers some
ofthe time. (Swainson's hawks dine almost exclusively on
grasshoppers on their winter range in South America.)

it surprised me. i thought they were
entirely carnivore and possibly scavengers
if needed in the winter.

It's a lot of fun to watch a kestrel hunting (they do a lot
of hovering). Despite the fact that they were once referred
to as sparrow hawks, they mostly eat grasshoppers and
small rodents.

Since I'm a supporter of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
I should recommend their web site:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/

Don't miss the link to earch their bird guide (with sounds):
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Pat Kiewicz wrote:
songbird said:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:

it visited again today and wandered the same
areas and did about the same thing. i have a
few very nice pictures and perhaps a movie too.
gotta get them off the camera and see how they
look on a better screen.


I don't think that's a harrier. Going by the 'belly band'
it's more likely a juvenile red tail hawk.

when a Red-Tail hawk poops does it flip it's
butt up?

Lots of birds do that, especially young ones. Aiming the
poop away from the nest/roost.

ah, yes, that makes sense. just strikes
me as funny as all get out. like, "Take that!"


Harrier's have a 'facial disc' something like an owl has;
they use sound as well a sight while hunting, usually
over marshland or open fields, staying barely above the
grass tops.

when we first saw it from a distance we
thought it was an owl, when it looked right
at you it had the look of an owl, then we
got a closer look at it and it had to be a
hawk.

the reason i'm guessing it is a Harrier is
that the picture in the guide i'm using
(Audubon North American Birds) shows the Red-
Tailed hawk as having pale yellow legs with
fuzz coming down further (no picture of the
feet). the Harrier picture shows yellow feet
and legs and the fuzz not quite as far down.
But i will also admit i'm not an expert in
bird ID...

Appearence can be affected by the bird's posture.
Though aharrier has longer legs in proportion to
body size than a buteo like the red tail, when a red tail
'stands at attention' it will show more leg thanwhen in
a relaxed posture.

The key field mark for a harrier (in addition to
shape, flight pattern, and behavior) is a prominent
white rump which it shows in all plumages. The
wings and tail are also longer and more slender
than the much more common buteo hawks.

this bird has a definitive white rump (underneath)
i don't see any other markings when it flips it's
butt up to poo.

does the red tail have other markings on the butt
from underneath?


Red tails are rather variable in plumage; the ones in
Michigan tend to be light phase (and some can be
quite pale). The red tail only occurs in adults, but
in some sub-species, even adults don't have the
classic rust-red tail.

Red tails tend to hunt from perches. Harriers almost
exclusively hunt on the wing.

that is where this bird stands out as a red
tail as it does climb up on perches, sits there
a while and listens and watches then it might
pounce. but it also does this walk across the
ground, it will sit and listen and watch and
then chase things, it's very funny as the bird
is about as graceful as a bull in a china shop.


Grasshoppers are on lots of menus (including human).
Many species of raptors will dine on grasshoppers some
ofthe time. (Swainson's hawks dine almost exclusively on
grasshoppers on their winter range in South America.)

it surprised me. i thought they were
entirely carnivore and possibly scavengers
if needed in the winter.

It's a lot of fun to watch a kestrel hunting (they do a lot
of hovering). Despite the fact that they were once referred
to as sparrow hawks, they mostly eat grasshoppers and
small rodents.

yes, we have hawks on the wing and can often hear
them calling throughout the season. we also have
the large turkey vultures soaring about. very fun
to watch them when they swarm and circle.


Since I'm a supporter of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
I should recommend their web site:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/

Don't miss the link to earch their bird guide (with sounds):
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search

thanks, i'm checking them out to see if i can
really place this bird as one or the other.


songbird

songbird wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
songbird said:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:

it visited again today and wandered the same
areas and did about the same thing. i have a
few very nice pictures and perhaps a movie too.
gotta get them off the camera and see how they
look on a better screen.

does this picture help more for a certain id?

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8284_Not_Sure.jpg


songbird

In article ,
says...
songbird wrote:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
songbird said:
Pat Kiewicz wrote:

it visited again today and wandered the same
areas and did about the same thing. i have a
few very nice pictures and perhaps a movie too.
gotta get them off the camera and see how they
look on a better screen.

does this picture help more for a certain id?

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8284_Not_Sure.jpg


songbird

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-tailed_hawk/id

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/s...pp=4&sppid=422
&keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=488&width= 875

songbird said:


this bird has a definitive white rump (underneath)
i don't see any other markings when it flips it's
butt up to poo.

That part is called the 'vent' or 'undertail coverts.'
The 'rump' is above the tail.

See:
http://www.infovisual.info/02/053_en.html


does the red tail have other markings on the butt
from underneath?

The dark morphs will be dark, the light morphs usually
clear white.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

songbird said:


http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8284_Not_Sure.jpg

Juvenile red tailed hawk.

Most definitely a buteo rather than a harrier--short legs and
tail.

You might be pleased to know that one of the red tailed hawk
pair that have been observed by the nest camera at Cornell
seemed to specialize in chipmunks. Maybe your young one
will learn to catch them!

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Pat Kiewicz wrote:
songbird said:

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8284_Not_Sure.jpg

Juvenile red tailed hawk.

Most definitely a buteo rather than a harrier--short legs and
tail.

thanks. i'll correct my file names and links...


You might be pleased to know that one of the red tailed hawk
pair that have been observed by the nest camera at Cornell
seemed to specialize in chipmunks. Maybe your young one
will learn to catch them!

i haven't seen a single chipmunk in days. i can hope
so. it was a treat to get a few strawberries
yesterday.

we had to run to the airport today so i am not sure
if it was wandering around in the yard again or not.

i would not mind having it as a regular resident as
it is very peaceful bird (never heard it make any
calls) and somewhat calm when huntings/stalking other
than the few bouts of humor when it is chasing some-
thing.

i am still quite amazed at how calm it was even
when i was outside and not too far from it. it
would turn its head to look at me and then go
right back to stalking, perching and looking and
listening for food. i got up on the roof and did
some work up there and it didn't even budge from
the perch for most of the hour until it finally
found something worth pouncing on.

i sure would not get very close to it knowingly
as it does look to have very sharp/big claws and
a very pointy beak.


songbird

Pat Kiewicz wrote:
songbird said:

this bird has a definitive white rump (underneath)
i don't see any other markings when it flips it's
butt up to poo.

That part is called the 'vent' or 'undertail coverts.'
The 'rump' is above the tail.

i noticed the different usage of the word than
what i expected it to be after i posted that.
so what i would call the lower back is the rump.


See:
http://www.infovisual.info/02/053_en.html


does the red tail have other markings on the butt
from underneath?

The dark morphs will be dark, the light morphs usually
clear white.

clear white it is.


songbird

songbird wrote:


updated links:

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8284_Red_Tail.jpg

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8...il_Hunting.jpg

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/100_8248_Red_Tail_BB.jpg


thanks!


songbird

On Monday, September 16, 2013 5:20:58 PM UTC-5, songbird wrote:
you'd ever expect to see chasing and eating
grasshoppers?


I thought your question was going to be...

What is the most unusual critter... you've seen in your garden?

Davej wrote:
songbird wrote:
you'd ever expect to see chasing and eating
grasshoppers?


I thought your question was going to be...

What is the most unusual critter... you've seen in your garden?

it would be the same answer as i've never
seen a juvenile red tailed hawk before in
the years here. otherwise we have a wide
range of creatures that wander through.

after the two days of it being around we
missed it returning as it was much fun to
watch, but we hoped it was finally able to
move on and perhaps start migrating to a
warmer southern habitat for the coming
winter.

a few days ago there was a lone squirrel
taking a drink from the cement pond (not too
often we see squirrels here). a baby snake
up by the back door. a mashed green praying
mantis in the door frame (was probably not
noticed when closing the door).

the other day picking beans from the back
trellis i heard a ring necked pheasant call
(used to be a common thing, but not as much
the past few years) and saw a blue heron
fly past. earlier i saw a large brown praying
mantis in a different garden where i was
picking beans.

last night i smelled a skunk, heard cats
and raccoons squabbling.

tonight it finally rained again, but not
windy. the two gardens i've managed to get
planted for fall/winter cover have sprouted
and look funny as we are not used to having
grains/grasses growing. i'm glad to have it
rain as we would rather have skyfall dihydrogen
oxide than well water.

good thing i picked more beans before it
rained so they can keep dry until i get them
shelled, sorted and eventually weighed and
noted.

still finding new varieties.


songbird