Re: Miscellaneous raptors

[AlisonL]

Johannesburg, South Africa

Pot Plant Owl

For anyone who might have missed this nest - a pair of Spotted Eagle Owls has been raising chicks in a planter in Johannesburg.

These pics are from the blog:









When I checked the cam today, it was having problems, but it is being worked on.

The cam:

http://www.africam.com/wildlife/lc_player_kim.php?sub=nn&ch=popup&sh=owl-1

The blog:

http://potplantowl.blogspot.com/

About the book:

http://www.potplantowl.co.za/book.html

[kittenface]

Kim in Italy posted this over at BCAW forum its from the Owls blog

HELP! HELP!On FB.

Pot Plant Owl
Pot Plant Owl For those that have not heard, a Developer has applied for permission to build houses on the wetland in front of our house. This is where the Owls hunt. Needless to say, we are fighting this. Please sign the petition on the link below and forward to as many people as possible.


http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/save-the-wetlands/

[AlisonL]

Wirral

I'm not sure whether this is just the light, or whether there is a snowy white owl in the nest box:

[AlisonL]

Virginia man fined for removing bird's nest
 
The owner of a Fredericksburg, Va. tree service company has been fined $3,000 for unlawfully removing a hawk's nest containing three chicks from a tree.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Jerry Stein removed the red-shouldered hawk's nest from a tree he was attempting to cut down in Fredericksburg in May. A neighbor found the nest and called the Raptor Conservancy in northern Virginia to care for the chicks.

Two have since been released, while one subsequently died.

Stein entered a guilty plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He was prosecuted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which is intended to protect migratory birds, their nests and eggs.

I'm glad someone found the nest and got help for the chicks, but I am sad that one of them didn't make it.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/crime-and-public-safety/the-owner-of-a-fredericksburg.html

[AlisonL]

This sounds like a good idea:

New noise sensors could cut owl road deaths in Norfolk

Sensors are going to be installed on Norfolk's roads in a bid to cut the number of owls being killed by traffic.

The Hawk and Owl Trust, at Sculthorpe near Fakenham, is identifying black spots where owls, particularly barn owls, have been struck and killed.

It will then install sensors that react to headlights and emit a noise that deflects wildlife away from the road.

In Sweden, where they are being trialled on moose, the great grey owl mortality rate has also gone down.

The Hawk and Owl Trust is asking people to help by looking out for and reporting any owl or other bird of prey casualties on the county's roads.

'Noise will alert'
 
The trust's conservation officer for East Anglia, Nigel Middleton, said: "We plan to install deflectors that, when activated by headlights, release one of five different sounds randomly.

"We hope the noise will alert owls or other birds of prey that could be at risk from the traffic as they hunt along the verges.

"We'll monitor progress to identify any increase or reduction in owl mortality as a result."

Hawk and Owl Trust president Chris Packham said: "This seems a really sensible appliance of science and if it works we might see more owls in our countryside.

"We know from earlier trust research that a significant proportion of the young owl population gets taken out on Britain's roads."

Another charity, The Barn Owl Trust, estimates that in a typical year Britain's 4,000 pairs of Barn Owls produce roughly 12,000 young and 3,000 of these are killed on roads.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-11694364

[AlisonL]

Wirral

Both owls at the nest today:

[AlisonL]

United Kingdom

I hope they catch whoever did this:

Reward over shooting of Osprey in Lincolnshire

The young bird, which was tagged in Sweden, was found near a fish farm at Hundon Manor, Caister.

Lincolnshire Police said veterinary tests revealed that it had been shot twice with a shotgun.

Mark Thomas, RSPB investigations officer, said: "The shooting and subsequent death of this bird is sickening."

The Osprey became extinct in Britain between 1916 and 1954 because of illegal persecution.

The bird was one of three chicks hatched from a nest in Spjutholmen, Sweden in June 2010 and during its short life had crossed the North Sea and was well on course to undertake its first migration to Africa.

Wildlife crime officer for Lincolnshire Police, Nigel Lound said: "We know this bird was ringed in Sweden and was only 86 days old.

"These birds are extremely rare and it is terrible that one has been shot in Lincolnshire. We need anyone who has any information to get in touch with us as soon as possible."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-11772772

[lftypjk]

Hi maple, i was going thru the entries and noted yours about the turkey vultures and hawks crossing lake erie in october.  I live on the other end of erie.  Buffalo.  I was wondering if you had any other informatiion regarding the migration of these birds?  I would be interested.  thanks in advance. 

[AlisonL]

Part of an article on the significance of spots on Barn Owls:

What Male Owls Want: Big Spots

What nice spots you have" could apparently be a barn owl pickup line. A new study found that female barn owls with larger spots seem to up their sexy quotient, and have greater success in mating.

Perplexingly, the same trait — large dark spots on the tips of the white feathers covering the owl's body — appears to hurt male barn owls' reproductive success

In the new study, researchers followed barn owls over several molting periods and measured any changes in their successive coats. They found that adult females bred earlier in the season and laid larger eggs when their new coats became scattered with larger spots. In contrast, males with this trait fared less well.

Great photos by Amir Ezer.





http://www.livescience.com/animals/barn-owl-spots-sexual-selection-101119.html

[Linda M]

Thanks Alison; what a cool article.  I'd never heard of "beauty spots" on Barn Owls.

[maple]

Hi Iftypjk- Sorry it took so long to see your question. Here is a link that will give you lots of information. http://www.epa.gov/med/grosseile_site/indicators/raptor-migration.html  You might google Detroit River Hawk Watch for more. In September there is a Hawk Fest at Lake Erie Metro Park that features lots of presentations with rehabbed birds. You can get some great pictures and then go and watch the Broadwings fly over the water. Fun.

There is also a twitter entry each day from the spotters during the season. Broad winged hawks are the most amazing. They arrive from northern Ontario in mid - September and watching them would be well worth the trip. The day we were there the spotters estimated that 40,000 passed over. At the same time, we saw lots of American Kestrels, Sharpies, and Northern Harriers. Red Tail Hawks come about the beginning of November and continue through the month. Occasionally they report a golden eagle ! I haven't seen the turkey vultures there but I have seen them go over Lake Huron. They go through in October. Lake Erie Metro Park is also a great place to view Bald Eagles during the winter, though a bit cold. There are lots of them fishing and perching on trees.

[maple]

P.S. Here is another link. Fun to read the counters remarks .....http://twitter.com/DRHawkWatch

[lftypjk]

hi maple, thanks so much for the information.  perhaps next year i will take a trip to see the hawks.  that would be awesome.  This year i am participating in the annual CBC  (Christmas Bird count)   I will be counting birds in niagara county new york on Dec 27th.  This will be my first count and I am looking forward to being with other birdwatchers .  I am sure it will be a great learning experience.  I wonder if anyone else on the forum will be doing likewise. 

[AlisonL]

A very different looking owl:

Birdwatchers glimpse rare owlet in Peru

Birdwatchers hiking into a remote area of the Peruvian cloud forest were treated this fall to the sight of one of the rarest birds in the world, the Peruvian Long-whiskered Owlet. Birding groups observed the tiny creature multiple times between Sept. 21 and Nov. 8, according to staff at the Abra Patricia Reserve in northern Peru.

The five-inch-tall owl's scientific name is Xenoglaux loweryi, which means "strange owl."

The owlet was only discovered in 1976, and for 26 years there were no confirmed sightings at all. But eco-tourist birding groups from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Holland, Costa Rica, and Sweden saw the owlet near the Owlet Ecolodge at the Abra Patricia Reserve multiple times. Reserve rangers discovered a new Owlet territory in July.

The species' habitat has been protected there by American Bird Conservancy and the Peruvian conservation organization Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos.

"We are now starting to understand more about its habits and hopefully in the future more people will be able to see this, one of the ultimate birds for any birder," Sara Lara, International Programs Director for American Bird Conservancy, said in a release.

Seeing the owlets isn't a given. To protect the owlets' habitat and keep them from being disturbed, only six birders at a time are allowed in, accompanied by reserve rangers at all times. If owlets do not respond to taped playback of an owl calling after two attempts, visitors are moved on to a different territory.

The Long-whiskered Owlet is ranked as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria. Its range is believed to be just 73 square miles. High rates of deforestation in the area threaten its remaining habitat.



http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/11/birdwatchers-glimpse-rare-owlet-in-peru/1

[maple]

Great news about buddy's training ...

December 1, 2010 update
Rehabilitator Suzy Doell has made a lot of progress with Buddy this fall by getting him used to people entering and exiting the cage, using toys to motivate him, and teaching him the “perch” and “step up” commands.  Since Buddy consistently “steps up” onto his handler’s glove, it’s time to move to the next stage of training:  getting him to remain on the glove while his handler moves around the cage, all while holding firmly onto his jesses.  Other “hardware” will also be introduced to Buddy—namely, the swivel and leash that will be attached to the jesses.  This next stage of training can be the most difficult period.  Over the past month, environmental educator and head bird trainer Claire Thain, who has prior experience handling eagles, has been taking an even greater role in Buddy’s training.

Claire reports:

“Buddy recently received a new pair of jesses, and so far has managed to keep both of them on.  He has done really well at perching on command and allows me to touch his feet, alymeries, and jesses with my gloved hand. I am also able to get both jesses in my glove before he steps up. He is now being introduced to his new swivel and leash. He did try to steal the leash once as if it was one of his toys! I have been able to put the swivel through his jesses using my gloved hand and rewarding him with food while he stays on the perch. The goal is to get his equipment on while he perches.

He has bated twice. Bating is when a bird flies off of the glove, while his jesses and leash remain firmly in hand. Buddy wasn’t thrilled about his new experience, but eventually he will catch on that he is supposed to come back up to the glove and perch. Overall, I am very pleased with his improvement and have confidence that he will learn these next steps quickly.

Earlier this month, Buddy was given a present by one of his loyal fans—a Kong in the shape of a squirrel.  His toys are not only used for enrichment—I also use them to my advantage when I can by incorporating them into the training session.  Every now and then Buddy decides to take a break from training by flying to a different perch, or by going to drink some water.  By using his new toy, I am able to get him back to his training perch where he settles down and gets back into the training session!”