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Red-tailed Hawk Visit

You NEED to make the trek to Bosque del Apache :deal:

You aren't making this any easier on me. And the fact that I wasn't far away from it the same time you were there is somewhat funny. We did a family road trip to Phoenix 12/26-12/31. I could practically sniff Bosque from Las Cruces. :mrgreen:

But for now, I'll just have to deal with the local stuff...

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2017.09.01_14 by Kory, on Flickr

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2017.09.30_24 by Kory, on Flickr

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2017.09.30_37 by Kory, on Flickr

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2017.10.01_10 by Kory, on Flickr

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2017.12.14_7 by Kory, on Flickr
 
Head to lake DeGray in Arkansas they nest there, you used to be able to get a boat ride from the marina that took you close to shore in areas where you can see them nest

Good to know, that would be cool. :thumb:
 
Since this thread has reemerged, I'll post a pic. This big fellow showed up in my front yard last month. I'm pretty sure it's a red shouldered hawk.

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IMG_2803 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr
 
Since this thread has reemerged, I'll post a pic. This big fellow showed up in my front yard last month. I'm pretty sure it's a red shouldered hawk.

39464494531_df46fc543a_z.jpg
IMG_2803 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Nice, Tim! Winter definitely seems to be hawk area down here. I've seen a ton lately, but rarely when I have gear close. They are difficult for me to tell apart though. That one sure is plump.

The one I posted above appears to be a Cooper Hawk. It was dismantling a pigeon in my yard. :eek2:
 
There used to be a pair of bald eagles who "wintered" in the area of the Houston National Cemetery. The ponds have some fish so there is food. It is really cool to go there for a PDG mission and see one sitting on one of the markers.
 
:tab There is a wetland area on FM 1791 Southwest of Huntsville, just before 1791 cross the San Jacinto river bottom area. It was created 4-5 years ago I think. They brought in a lot of earth movers, built a good sized levy to hold the water, and planted a lot of trees. I have seen bald eagles sitting in the tops of trees along the road several times. However, they would ALWAYS fly to the next further tree just as I got close enough for a shot with my P&S camera. If I tried to move up and get closer, they would just do it again. It was like they were toying with me. They eventually just flew off into the wetland reservoir area, far out of range for that camera.

:tab Here at our office, and sometimes at my home, both on the North side of Huntsville off of FM 980, we get a lot of the BIG Pileated Woodpeckers,

(not my image)
1280px-PileatedWoodpeckerFeedingonTree.jpg


:tab I chased one of these guys ALL OVER my parents wooded property here at our office (10 acres or so). He knew I was after him. He would sit on the back side of the trees and peek around to watch me. I had my 70-200mm on the D750 and was hoping to get a decent shot. As soon as I got close enough, he'd zip a few trees over and I'd have to start hiking again. This went on for 45 minutes or so before he finally just flew off out of sight and I couldn't find him again.

:tab We also have quite a few different varieties of owls. But I have only seen one sitting in a tree once, years ago. All the other times they have been in flight and usually at night. I almost hit one with my truck a few weeks ago. It was HUGE. It came zooming down out of the trees on the right side of the road, RIGHT in front of the truck so that the head lights totally lit it up! Scared the pooh out of me :lol2: Then it flicked off to the left, just clearing the left headlight/hood and flew into the trees. The wingspan was easily 3 feet, if not more.
 
Really great shots - Congratulations. Bald Eagles are really expanding their range; I've seen several near Lake Waco and seen reports of them from a number of TX locations. One of your shots that looks like a Golden Eagle is, I think, an immature bald. They don't get their white head until about the age of 5. There is a facebook group called the "Birds of Texas" on which you can post pics and get a lot of help with IDs. Also, there are apps (doncha know) for IDing birds. "Merlin" seems to be the most prevalent one of those. Again, great photos...
 
Really great shots - Congratulations. Bald Eagles are really expanding their range; I've seen several near Lake Waco and seen reports of them from a number of TX locations. One of your shots that looks like a Golden Eagle is, I think, an immature bald. They don't get their white head until about the age of 5. There is a facebook group called the "Birds of Texas" on which you can post pics and get a lot of help with IDs. Also, there are apps (doncha know) for IDing birds. "Merlin" seems to be the most prevalent one of those. Again, great photos...

Thanks for the info. And yes, the eagle I posted above is a juvenile bald eagle. My dad and I were sitting on his deck near Lake Livingston, talking motorcycles no less, when I saw a huge bird fly up into one of his pine trees. At first I thought it was a buzzard, but then we decided it was something else. I ran inside and grabbed my camera and took a couple as it sat there, waiting for it to take off. A couple minutes later it took off and i did the best I could. It practically flew right over me and was huge. Insane to think it was just a couple years old. :eek2:
 
:tab There is a wetland area on FM 1791 Southwest of Huntsville, just before 1791 cross the San Jacinto river bottom area. It was created 4-5 years ago I think. They brought in a lot of earth movers, built a good sized levy to hold the water, and planted a lot of trees. I have seen bald eagles sitting in the tops of trees along the road several times. However, they would ALWAYS fly to the next further tree just as I got close enough for a shot with my P&S camera. If I tried to move up and get closer, they would just do it again. It was like they were toying with me. They eventually just flew off into the wetland reservoir area, far out of range for that camera.

:tab Here at our office, and sometimes at my home, both on the North side of Huntsville off of FM 980, we get a lot of the BIG Pileated Woodpeckers,

:tab I chased one of these guys ALL OVER my parents wooded property here at our office (10 acres or so). He knew I was after him. He would sit on the back side of the trees and peek around to watch me. I had my 70-200mm on the D750 and was hoping to get a decent shot. As soon as I got close enough, he'd zip a few trees over and I'd have to start hiking again. This went on for 45 minutes or so before he finally just flew off out of sight and I couldn't find him again.

:tab We also have quite a few different varieties of owls. But I have only seen one sitting in a tree once, years ago. All the other times they have been in flight and usually at night. I almost hit one with my truck a few weeks ago. It was HUGE. It came zooming down out of the trees on the right side of the road, RIGHT in front of the truck so that the head lights totally lit it up! Scared the pooh out of me :lol2: Then it flicked off to the left, just clearing the left headlight/hood and flew into the trees. The wingspan was easily 3 feet, if not more.

I know about those big Pileated Woodpeckers. It would be cool to get a chance to shoot one some day.

An owl shot would be awesome, but I've never even seen one in the wild. :doh:
 
Kory,

As always, you generate such superb quality. Your pictures are consistently of the highest level.

Is that a Ruby Throated Hummingbird?

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RB

Thanks! And yes, you're correct on the hummer. The funny story on that one is I finally had one coming to the feeder on my front porch. I have a chain-link fence near it. So trying to set up for a potential good shot, I grabbed an old dead stick out of the yard and stuck it in the fence. Looked terrible and I took a bunch of flack from my wife. I said, if you build it, they will come. Sure enough, I'm out there shooting as it was going back and forth to the tree across my lot and it decided to land on the perch I made. I fired away and then went inside to show my wife. :lol2:

Great pics!

Thank you!
 
Thanks! And yes, you're correct on the hummer. The funny story on that one is I finally had one coming to the feeder on my front porch. I have a chain-link fence near it. So trying to set up for a potential good shot, I grabbed an old dead stick out of the yard and stuck it in the fence. Looked terrible and I took a bunch of flack from my wife. I said, if you build it, they will come. Sure enough, I'm out there shooting as it was going back and forth to the tree across my lot and it decided to land on the perch I made. I fired away and then went inside to show my wife. :lol2:

The one evasive bird that I don't like is called a Common Starling. They are very aggressive and eat other native birds and even take over the nest of woodpeckers.

...a friendly pellet gun is the best solution for the Starling. The species is an ecological threat to the Texas native bird population. The bird was introduced into New England to create "European" bird diversity.

RB
 
The one evasive bird that I don't like is called a Common Starling. They are very aggressive and eat other native birds and even take over the nest of woodpeckers.

...a friendly pellet gun is the best solution for the Starling. The species is an ecological threat to the Texas native bird population. The bird was introduced into New England to create "European" bird diversity.

RB

Very interesting! I didn't know the starlings were invasive. They are in my yard daily. They travel in large flocks and sweep through my yard. To the naked eye, they basically look black, but they they have lots of coloring in them. Not good pictures below, but I thought they were doing me a service of cleaning up my yard. :doh:

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2017.02.28_9 by Kory, on Flickr

33956765321_303857ed64_b.jpg
2017.02.28_10 by Kory, on Flickr

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2017.02.28_11 by Kory, on Flickr
 
Very interesting! I didn't know the starlings were invasive. They are in my yard daily. They travel in large flocks and sweep through my yard. To the naked eye, they basically look black, but they they have lots of coloring in them. Not good pictures below, but I thought they were doing me a service of cleaning up my yard. :doh:

33275296723_1dcb6269a6_b.jpg
2017.02.28_9 by Kory, on Flickr

33956765321_303857ed64_b.jpg
2017.02.28_10 by Kory, on Flickr

34046337686_ac175c460c_b.jpg
2017.02.28_11 by Kory, on Flickr

I didn't know it either until I read about this specific bird. I then witnessed it eat and kill woodpecker chicks in a tree. I even found this article about this particular species transferring a certain disease to swine!

I guess the options are to trap them, shoot them with a pellet gun, or use fishing line around the area they inhabit around your house to discourage them from roosting...just an idea.

RB
 
I didn't know it either until I read about this specific bird. I then witnessed it eat and kill woodpecker chicks in a tree. I even found this article about this particular species transferring a certain disease to swine!

I guess the options are to trap them, shoot them with a pellet gun, or use fishing line around the area they inhabit around your house to discourage them from roosting...just an idea.

RB

Sheesh, that's crazy!
 
I took my youngest daughter on a ride to Dinosaur Valley State park last summer, and just by luck, they were having a bird festival that weekend. They had a redtail hawk there, and went over the basics of falconry and talked about how they can see urine trails from small animals from way up in the air. My daughter was enthralled, as was I.
 
I took my youngest daughter on a ride to Dinosaur Valley State park last summer, and just by luck, they were having a bird festival that weekend. They had a redtail hawk there, and went over the basics of falconry and talked about how they can see urine trails from small animals from way up in the air. My daughter was enthralled, as was I.

Wow! :eek2: :clap:
 
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