Thursday, December 11, 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Juvenile) with bird kill
Unfortunately, from time to time, we have a bird kill in the yard by various hawks which reside in the surrounding woods. We are partially to blame when a bird is killed because we have multiple bird feeders on the property. Today this juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk captured a dove this morning. He did not take his catch away (as they usually do) but de-feathered and eat his catch on the lawn. He stayed on the lawn for over 30 minutes until we went out and chased it away.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Young Buck
Another buck showed up in the late afternoon today along with the 8-point buck from the other day. At one point, we thought there was going to be a fight between them. This young buck has beautiful markings! He is probably about 2 years old.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Beautiful 8-point Buck
Beautiful buck on the property yesterday. He was intently watching our does eating their breakfast and followed them into the woods. Bridget got the first photo early in the morning.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Cider and her fawn, Apple-Cider
All summer we had no sightings of our resident deer, Cider, but she is back now on a daily basis with her new fawn, Apple-Cider.
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Cider's 2014 fawn, Apple-Cider
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Pie and her new fawn
Another new fawn is here! This is Pie's fawn. Pie was born in 2009 and her mother was our beloved "Apple". This is Pie's 4th fawn. Pie's previous fawn's were "Pumpkin", "Pie Plate", and last year, "Pip".
Blaze and her new fawn, Amber
Blaze is one of our resident deer and this is her new fawn named "Amber"
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Turkey - Mother and Baby
2 Adult Turkeys and 2 babies in the yard today getting fallen seeds from the birdfeeder
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
House Wrens Nesting in the Cat Birdhouse
Just outside our screened porch a pair of House Wrens are feeding their young in our "cat" birdhouse. So nice to hear their lovely song and see them going back and forth all day bringing food.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
This Sharp-Shinned Hawk hit a window on our sunroom today. We found him on the ground. He was still alive and I picked him up in a towel. A few minutes later he started to come around and he seemed okay when we flew into the trees.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Red-Shouldered Hawk Nest
Discovered the Red-Shouldered Hawk nest on the property yesterday. I thought they were close because of all their activity around the stream area. He/She was not happy that they were discovered! You can just see her head at the top of the nest.
Red-shouldered Hawks are monogamous, and most individuals breed for the first time when they are two years old. Pairs usually remain in the same territories and reuse the same nest-sites for many years. Courtship lasts about 18 days, and during this time “circling flight” and “sky-dancing” displays are performed. In their circling flights, pairs soar together with their wings spread and their tails fanned. The male and the female soar toward and then away from each other, and one member of the pair sometimes soars higher than and dives on the other. Males “sky-dance” by repeatedly making a steep dive and then soaring upward in a spiral. Red-shouldered Hawks are particularly vocal prior to incubation, and they call repeatedly while engaged in courtship flights. - Red-shouldered Hawks usually nest in deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. Nests are typically built at a crook of the main trunk in deciduous trees, more than halfway up the tree but within the canopy.
Red-shouldered Hawks lay one clutch per year. Replacement clutches are sometimes laid if the first clutch is destroyed. The species usually lays three to four eggs. Nest success varies overall, and the timing of nesting and food availability are important factors. Predation is also a threat to nesting success. Great Horned Owls and raccoons prey on eggs, young, and adult Red-shouldered Hawks. Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, martens, and fishers are also potential predators. - The eggs are incubated for about five weeks, mainly by the female. Incubation begins before all the eggs are laid; therefore, clutches hatch asynchronously. After the eggs hatch, the female broods the nestlings continually for a week, but thereafter spends increasingly less time brooding. While the female remains at the nest, the male is responsible for providing food. The male brings food to a spot near the nest and then calls for the female, who accepts the prey and delivers it to the young. Beginning several weeks before the young fledge (leave the nest), both the male and the female hunt for food for the young. The nestlings are able to tear apart food when they are about 18 days old. Young fledge when they are between 35 and 45 days old. By the time they are seven to eight weeks old, the fledglings begin to capture their own prey. At first they catch mainly insects, but after several weeks they start to catch vertebrates as well.
Red-shouldered Hawks are monogamous, and most individuals breed for the first time when they are two years old. Pairs usually remain in the same territories and reuse the same nest-sites for many years. Courtship lasts about 18 days, and during this time “circling flight” and “sky-dancing” displays are performed. In their circling flights, pairs soar together with their wings spread and their tails fanned. The male and the female soar toward and then away from each other, and one member of the pair sometimes soars higher than and dives on the other. Males “sky-dance” by repeatedly making a steep dive and then soaring upward in a spiral. Red-shouldered Hawks are particularly vocal prior to incubation, and they call repeatedly while engaged in courtship flights. - Red-shouldered Hawks usually nest in deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. Nests are typically built at a crook of the main trunk in deciduous trees, more than halfway up the tree but within the canopy.
Red-shouldered Hawks lay one clutch per year. Replacement clutches are sometimes laid if the first clutch is destroyed. The species usually lays three to four eggs. Nest success varies overall, and the timing of nesting and food availability are important factors. Predation is also a threat to nesting success. Great Horned Owls and raccoons prey on eggs, young, and adult Red-shouldered Hawks. Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, martens, and fishers are also potential predators. - The eggs are incubated for about five weeks, mainly by the female. Incubation begins before all the eggs are laid; therefore, clutches hatch asynchronously. After the eggs hatch, the female broods the nestlings continually for a week, but thereafter spends increasingly less time brooding. While the female remains at the nest, the male is responsible for providing food. The male brings food to a spot near the nest and then calls for the female, who accepts the prey and delivers it to the young. Beginning several weeks before the young fledge (leave the nest), both the male and the female hunt for food for the young. The nestlings are able to tear apart food when they are about 18 days old. Young fledge when they are between 35 and 45 days old. By the time they are seven to eight weeks old, the fledglings begin to capture their own prey. At first they catch mainly insects, but after several weeks they start to catch vertebrates as well.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Red-Shouldered Hawk
We spotted this Red-Shouldered Hawk down near the pond and stream. He was looking for something to eat, although nothing is out yet as the water has just thawed after a very long, cold, winter.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Opossum
This opossum was here about 3:30 this afternoon looking for food after our latest snowstorm was finished dumping another 6+ inches. He was first over at the deer feed and then made his way around the house to bird feeders.
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