More Cooper's

The dogs and I went back to that same section of my development where the Cooper's had been frequenting and explored the area more thoroughly.  I had actually noticed a decent amount of feathers around lately, but now I realized there were some feathers scattered under almost every tree.  So many in fact, that it makes me wonder if there are more than one using this spot as a home or hunting ground.  There were even the remnants of a few pellets I believe the young hawk(s) had regurgitated. Sure enough, the juvenile accipiter was perched in one of the same trees I had seen it hidden in previously, in the middle of a small courtyard with numerous trees for perching, hunting or eating.  More feathers here, but the bird spooked to a different tree so I decided to let it be.  We circled around the nearby house to go home, spotting feathers under basically every tree we passed.  Coming around the corner, the bird flew down into the first tree I had gotten a good look and caused it to lose its dove lunch.  I felt as if it was watching us now.  I dropped off the dogs and when I drove out in my car shortly afterwards and slowed down through the dip, it flew out of that tree and right in front of my car. Could it actually be observing me now? Or is it just another silly juvenile playing in our shared neighborhood?

Goofy Juvies

This can be a fun time of year to observe raptors as many species' young are nearing full grown physical size and are venturing out and exploring their surroundings.  A number of local juveniles have been active in my neighborhood, doing some uncharacteristic things as they try and figure out the world around them.  You can often quickly identify a juvenile, even without a good view of markings, solely based on their behaviors, especially perching in unusual places, trying to catch prey unsuccessfully or sometimes just flying in a strange manner and/or rhythm.

I have noticed one (or maybe it has been more) young Red-tailed hawk frequently in the area, playing alone in the wind, or sometimes with one or even two other birds, likely its parents.  I am assuming they are from the nearby nest on Simpson and Michigan. You can just tell it's a juvenile because it does not fly with the same confidence, more jerky in motion, sometimes with uncertain direction and will land on the flimsiest of branches that can barely support its weight, bending the poor branch down like when Snoopy would pretend to be a vulture. They will go after prey clumsily and miss much more often than have success. I once saw a young RT somehow actually catch a snake, but then try to land and balance on a pointy stovepipe chimney to eat the still live and flailing reptile-wish I had a video of that!

I think the cemetery Swainson's hawks have fledged as well.  There also seems to be at least one silly, dark Swainson's flying around the open space and displaying similar antics to the Red-tail, missing prey and landing on skinny weak perches.  I saw one circle low above the Outdoor Classroom behind Escuela Bilingue Pioneer, dive down and disappear into the tall grass for a few seconds.  When it emerged empty handed, it landed on a nearby willow-like branch, which immediately sagged and bounced, but he stayed there.  Again, I am not sure if I have seen more than one, but a very dark one also appears to really like sitting on the telephone posts north of the cemetery along 111th, on the western edge of the baseball fields (where I have never really seen raptors before), watching the traffic and people go by.

The local Cooper's Hawks have even been active in the area.  I saw one futilely chasing some LBJs, who almost seemed to be toying with it, along the edge of the open space . The next day, I encountered a young one a block away while walking my lazy dogs under all the shade inside the neighborhood.  It came suddenly from down the street with a small grey bird in its talons, landing almost directly above us in a maple tree.  It was definitely a juvenile Cooper's, pretty big, flattish head, and very streaked without full adult markings yet. I stepped forward to get a better view and as I not so slyly took my phone out to snap a picture, I must have spooked it as it hopped (not flew, so another telltale juvie sign) to another branch and proceeded to drop its dove lunch.  I felt awful and hurried away, hoping it would feel safe enough to retrieve its lunch but I don't think it ever did.  I have since twice seen what I think is the same bird in the same vicinity, once eating what looked to be a roadkill dove, which it then carried into a nearby tree as I drove by, then again later that day it was sitting on the grass and flew in front of my car to then hide in a pine tree (it actually appeared to be hiding from sitting on a low branch, behind another, but still able to see me).  Silly Cooper's Hawk!  I won't be surprised if I see it again tomorrow, nor if I don't see another one for a long time.

The most entertaining of the juvenile raptors are often visible and audible as dusk or dawn approaches during the late summer.  Juvenile Great-horned Owls can be very curious and will also perch and hang out in unusual places, even more apt than usual to sit on a house or near human activity. Once I awoke to two different high-pitched screechy hootings and went outside to see two young GHOs on our roof, taking turns at unsuccessfully swooping down on some young bunnies peeking out from under a tree.  One night recently, as we ventured out for our evening walk, we were greeted to a strange, not so deep hooting.  There was a GHO perched on one of the neighbor's houses, looking out over the fields.  We were able to watch it for a time as we walked along the eastward path, swiveling its head (not 360 degrees, but rather more like 220 degrees in either direction).  At one point it was suddenly accosted by another owl, fluttered it wings and hopped up into the air, landing back on its same perch as its sibling(?) flew away.  The darkness grew and as we got farther and farther away we could still make out the silhouette on the roof.

Farther up the trail, another owl (or one of the same ones) was sitting on a post not ten feet from the trail just nonchalantly staring at the seven of us-three humans and four dogs-never so much as flinching, except to nod slightly from side to side, listening as one of us spoke. The seven of us stood there for a few minutes staring back before going on our way. The next night, just 100 yards or so down the path, we saw the silhouette of huge, round figure with pointy ears bobbing on a narrow branch, a perch upon which I never had before seen nor would I expect to see a large raptor.  It casually watched over the field, once again it appeared to be completely unconcerned with us as we ambled underneath it and continued home.

Always keep your eyes open and happy raptoring!

More Osprey

We took the dogs for a romp with some friends to Coot Lake and the backside of the Boulder Reservoir and were treated to an Osprey hunting.  We might have seen more than one, or possibly the same bird fly back around a few times, checking out its favorite coves, searching for dinner.  We never actually saw it catch anything but were witness to some impressive flying displays.  The Osprey would slowly circle overhead and when it spied something below would stop in a mid-air hover for a few seconds, with wings flapping overhead, almost looking like a kite, before it continued on, or, a few times, gracefully dove down toward the water.  If it had been able to grasp onto a meal, its perfectly evolved eyes would have spotted it and adjusted its vision to judge the distance and depth, using uniquely designed talons with bumpy spicules arranged all over it to cling onto the slippery fish, while its specially coated feathers would have kept the moisture from soaking in so the bird could carry its (relatively) heavy prey out of the water.  However, this probably young bird only skimmed the surface of the lake and rose up and away empty-taloned.  It or its friend or family member came back over numerous times but never did we see one with dinner.

The Amazing Osprey

     The osprey is certainly one of the most intriguing and observable raptors around.  They are a Darwinian dream bird, evolved exclusively to hunt fish, with specialized eyes, talons, feathers.  They are able to thrive in almost any environment all over the world.  Sometimes called "fish hawk" or "fish eagle" for its preferred  and basically only food source, the birds have prospered in recent years in Colorado with the numerous ponds, lakes and reservoirs that exist and have been created all over the state, not to mention an extensive river system.  Locally, the birds have taken especially well to man-made nesting platforms as if they were part of the natural habitat.  If we build them, they will come. They have popped up all over the Boulder area, anywhere near a body of water, on farms, public utility lands and even in the middle of the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. And, they are almost always occupied from April through the summer, even when they are relatively close to each other.
     I recently stopped by the Legion park overlook to check out the Osprey nest there and was pleasantly surprised to find out I had been mistaken in my previous visit (and blogpost).  Then, I had observed three bodies on the eastern nest and a fourth bird fly up to and perch on the more central platform.  I much too quickly assumed that the last bird was just stopping for a break and actually "belonged" to the other nest. As I checked out the area this time, I immediately saw there were two heads on that eastern nest, without much white, probably juveniles, correlating with that first visit.  However, as I scanned left to the water and the other platform, I was stunned to see three more heads poking out of the nest there, realizing I had indeed been wrong before.  As I continued my scan west I spotted two more flying over the water. The Osprey's wings are narrow and slightly pointed, in between a hawk and falcon, and have distinct flying style as they pass over the water searching for fish below.
     So, there are two full families and at least seven osprey between the two nests.  I wonder what would happen if they built a third platform down there as well.  There is actually another platform fairly closeby at the back of Walden Ponds, not to mention many north and east of town and I might need to get out and look at some more of them.
     Another great area to spot Osprey is actually along I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Fruita.  If you are driving that way in the late spring through summer, keep your eyes peeled.  There are a lot of ponds along the way, great fishing spots along the Colorado River and numerous platforms visible from the highway.  Also, especially earlier in the summer, it can be a great section for Bald Eagles as well, because of the same habitat and food source reason.