colleen
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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The incredible variation in color and feather arrangement, also the obvious variety of niches occupied by the many woodpeckers ...
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This will be a new area for me; although I have taken a variety of art courses, and have sketched birds in the past I like the idea of combining what I actually see on the trail instead of just taking a cell phone pic or making a note on my phone. I think the issue will be standing, since I have moderate arthritis. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to sketch on trail.
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Great Horned (at a distance - living in a ravine by our house) also, on a yearly basis at Presque Isle S.P. They've raised 2 chicks each year & can be observed from a paved path - watched over by Presque Isle volunteers to prevent humans from getting too close) Bad pic of chicks in nest. Barn Owl - Belize (chicks, too) at Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Discovered by our guide Barred (Presque Isle S. P. Erie, Pa.) Snowy - Presque Isle S.P. off the entrance to the channel a few years ago. Have one this year (2020) I haven't seen except photo online.
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I've mainly had an opportunity to observe crows in my suburban neighborhood, which is close to a golf course, & also has significant undeveloped woodland and beach along Lake Erie. I have observed the classic "garbage day" binge - crows getting pizza and whatever junk food they can pry out of plastic bags. This has been less frequent now that owners have a closed recycling can and a closed garbage can (which can be loaded mechanically on the garbage truck). I do know people who feed them leftover bread, which I try to discourage them from doing when I'm telling them about crows and how great they are ... For the 2 crow families that claim our yard (1 acre) as part of their territory, they get a little suet, black sunflower seed, shelled corn in the morning. I also give them left over protein like meat, cheese & fish. Periodically fruit (cherries, blueberries, cut up apples). The suet itself is a combination of beef suet, peanuts, soy and corn. I also leave out broken oyster shells in a garden bed - this seems to be a big hit with not only the crows, but the bluejays and squirrels. I seem to see all of them nibbling on it. I started this after I read about the bluejays pecking white paint chips from houses in the Northeast.
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I've added (below) 3 photos of crows I've been watching for years; the first, taken in 2016 shows "Gimpy" a female crow I had been watching for several years before this photo. I started putting out a morning treat of suet (or leftover protein) to my crows & Gimpy was always able to raise a brood of at least 2 babies. She had cleverly discovered that she could cling to a suet feeder & flap her wings while grabbing a mouthful - then getting water from the bird bath - she had a perfect slurry for her chicks. Second photo shows Gimpy in 2018 - white feather on right wing. Foot about the same. She and her mate lost their territory while we were on vacation so I don't know what happened to her. However, her adult male son inherited the territory & had a chick with the same foot problem (although more severe). The chick disappeared after about 4 months - I'm assuming a victim of predation - he actually had difficulty walking with the deformed foot. I do not have a photo of him. This year (2020) the same pair, occupying our territory (they share it with another crow family since the eating is so good) raised only one chick - he is shown in the photo, taken this year, in June - gaping & screaming for food ... Present crow grouping as of September of 2020 is 9 (4 from one family & 5 from the other). Enjoyed the information about the staph infection - did not know about this & I'm wondering if this is the problem ...
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)