Ruffed Grouse--Might Be Gross For Some

Warning: The photos in this post are of a dead ruffed grouse and might be a tad gross for some sensitive readers or those eating while surfing the net.

We're having a great grouse year in Minnesota. Is it better habitat or just part of the normal grouse cycle or a little of both? I'm not sure, but grouse hunters seemed to be pleased this year. Normally I only hear grouse drumming or when I do see them they are flying away or look like this:

A bird hidden in a thicket of branches. It's not often I get an up close view. To give you an idea of what grouse look like, here's a Bill Schmoker photo of a ruffed grouse.

The other day in Duluth, I found this pile of fluff right next to my car in the grass (I was on a gravel road). At first glance it looked like some odd plant matter blowing in the breeze. I picked it up and realized they were the soft feathers of a grouse. I few feet away I found the head, spine, legs, feet and crop--all still attached.

It was a fairly clean carcass with no visible shredding, so my guess is that the grouse taken by a hunter and was dressed in the field. I saw someone down the road bow hunting, it could have been him. So, I took the opportunity to study what was left in hand. Note the tiny red feathers just above the eye.

The tail had a broken band, so I think this was a female.

I was really fascinated by the feet. Look at that bristling on each toe. I was talking to Larry about this and he said that those are to help the grouse walk on top of the snow.

Here is the crop. This is kind of a holding area many birds have to store and soften food (a full crop is what gives some raptors a "Dolly Parton" appearance). It was see through and very full. Look at all those seeds, and what I thought was really interesting was what looked like plant materials.

I decided to open it and see what was in there. I had no idea ruffed grouse ate so much plant material. Larry calls this "salad". Anyone care to try an id the seeds or the leaf matter?

Who knew grouse parts could be so interesting?

Binoculars Fan is SPAM!

"I disapprove of Binoculars Fan!"

And that's not in the good way.

Yesterday I was checking Birding is Not a Crime!!!! and noticed that they got spammed by some troller called Binoculars Fan. Now, I'm certainly not opposed to people being paid to write a blog--it's fantastic and fun work if you can get it and there are people out there who are doing it very well. What I am opposed to is someone keeping a paid blog that is as boring as it gets and is nothing but blatant sales pitches and then have that identity start making comments on bird related blogs that are just sales calls and not actual comments. It's an insult to the readers. Not only has this company not taken the time to research the birding industry but they haven't even researched the blogs that are paid by optic websites and doing a much better job than Binoculars Fan.

Binocular's Fan posted to this blog today and was deleted with relish.

The Swanky Birder Accessory

Check out what's new at this link from Swarovski Optik. I would love to see all the hardcore birder faces when I whipped out one of these on a pelagic trip. I'm torn, I love the in your face snazziness of the Tosca, but there is something to be said for the understate elegance of the Nabucca.

Bunny Mischief and Juncos

And now a break from all the hawk photos.

The winds were so high at Carpenter Nature Center today that we couldn't put the nets up for songbird banding, they just would have blown down. But we did put out some potter traps for sparrows and juncos and boy did we get the juncos!

Here is a female dark-eyed junco which to me looks like a female Oregon form.

Here's an up close shot so we can see the texturing of the feathers. Gorgeous little birds! It was slow, so to keep amused we took out the new program bunny they have at Carpenter. Rumor has it that the rabbit's full name from the breeder was Razzle Cheese but everyone at Carpenter insists on calling him Razzle. What, Razzle Cheese isn't butch enough for a little male bunny? The rabbit is a rex like Cinnamon, but is a mini-rex and much smaller than the disapproving one. In fact, this bunny is so small...

...you can fit the whole bunny in a Jack O'lantern! You may recognize Leo, the young lad petting Mr. Razzle Cheese. He was featured in an earlier post about Hawk Ridge. We should keep an eye on young Leo. His is part of the future of birding.

On the way out of Carpenter, I passed a flock of six turkeys. Hey, Larry, I think you were in front of me, did you notice them too?

Interesting Bird Jobs

Couple of interesting bird jobs. Don't want to deal with the cold this winter, then why not be a bird guide in Costa Rica. Six hour a day work day and two meals a day provided as well as compensation. You have to pay your own rent, but it's only $65 - $75 per month!

BIRDING AND NATURAL HISTORY GUIDE: Our small Eco-lodge on the Peninsula de Osa in Costa Rica needs an extra guide for the 2007 high season. Late Dec006-the beginning of Apr 2007. Feb and Mar are the most important months and the other months are negotiable. Qualifications: Birding/ornithology background with experience in tropical biology and birding particularly in Costa Rica, ability to learn bird calls quickly, ability to study and absorb knowledge quickly, enthusiasm, pleasant personality, flexible, some Spanish language, good physical condition and interest in all natural history. A University Degree is not necessary. Birding is our main emphasis but we could consider a general tropical naturalist/biologist with some background in birding. We are located in the National Forest surrounding Corcovado National Park on the Peninsula de Osa. This area is said to be one of the most biodiverse places in the world with approx. 2.5% of the species found worldwide. There are many local endemic species and the birding is excellent. This is a great opportunity to get to know the area. We will need 1-3 weeks (depending on the applicants experience) for training. We are open to a field biologist combining research with the job. Generally, work hours will be 3-5 hours in the morning and 2-3 in the afternoon. Or an approximate total of 6 hrs a day. Schedule is flexible and dependent on our occupancy. During most of the period there will be a fair amount of free time. We provide personal guiding so groups larger than 2 or 4 will be rare. Some interaction with our guests during down time is required. During low periods we may ask for help with lodge related work such as correspondence, trips to town, trail maintenance or natural history related projects and record keeping but this is negotiable. Two meals a day are provided and there is a private house nearby for the guide to rent (very inexpensive, $60-$75 per month). Compensation for services is provided. For more info about the area and our lodge, please view our web page http://www.osaadventures.com and for more info on the job opportunity, write to (EM: info AT osaadventures.com).

And for those who would like to search for ivory-billed woodpeckers we have this job. Hey wait, this one pays! I got robbed!

FLORIDA IVORY BILL SEARCH – We are currently taking applications for full-time searchers for the 2006/2007 field season. The minimum time commitment is 2 Jan to 30 May 2007. Searchers willing to work through Christmas and New Year holidays are also especially needed. Stipend is $1200/mo with no benefits. Anyone willing to join the full-time search without receiving a stipend will get special consideration. Searchers will live in a remote camp in a tent or in a bunkhouse and must purchase their own food. Please send resume, contact info for two references, and a page summarizing why you want to be part of the search, your level of physical fitness, and your skills as a kayaker, photographer, canoeist, hiker, and birder to BRIAN ROLEK (EM: brianrolek ATgmailDOTcom). Applications received before 15 Oct 2006 will get first consideration. Auburn University, Auburn AL.

And this job in SE Ohio would just be fun to have as a conversation piece. Are you kidding, you're paid to look for cerulean warblers and scarlet tanagers?

AVIAN POSITIONS (8) – to work with canopy species in the forested rolling hills of SE Ohio near the town of Athens. The project will focus on searching for nests of Cerulean Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Eastern Wood-Pewees, mist-netting and re-sighting color-banded birds, and transect surveys of mature forest species. Other work will include spot-mapping, point counts, foraging observations, and vegetation work. Experience with any of these a plus. FIELD TECHNICIANS (4–5) must be able to use parental behavior to locate nests often high in the forest canopy and re-sight colored leg bands on small birds moving through foliage. Preference will be given to applicants with prior nest searching experience and/or mist-netting experience. SURVEYOR (1) must be able to identify eastern forest birds by both sight and sound. FIELD ASSISTANTS (2–3) will be responsible for checking nests, spot-mapping and making foraging observations. Applicants must be willing to spend long days in the field hiking over sometimes steep terrain. Everyone will have an opportunity to learn all aspects of the project. Positions run from mid Apr to early Aug 2007 with some flexibility to start and end dates. Housing and work vehicle provided. Pay $300–$400 per week depending on experience. Email (preferably) a cover letter and resume plus the email addresses and phone numbers of three references to FELICITY NEWELL (EM: felicity.newell AT gmail.com) or send to AMANDA RODEWALD at Ohio State University, 375C Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210. Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

And this job is just rediculous. I'm half tempted to apply for it. Getting paid to live in the Caribbean during the worst winter months and banding birds. Sweet! The only downside is that you have to pay your own airfare.

BANDERS: Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) is looking for two banders from 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2007 for a long-term songbird monitoring project studying both over-wintering migrants as well as resident species on St. Martin, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean. Field work includes mist-netting/banding daily, switching between dry forest, thorn scrub, and mangroves habitats. Applicants must have prior experience both removing birds from mist-nets as well as handling and banding birds. Additionally, applicants must have a working knowledge of the Pyle Guide. Applicants must be in good physical condition, get along well with others, be willing to work hard, and be self-motivated. Banders will be paid $500/month and housing/transportation will be provided on the island during the research period. Banders must provide their own airfare to St. Martin. We prefer applicants that are willing to stay for the entire three-month period but will consider applicants that can stay for a minimum one-month. For more information on EPIC go to our webpage (URL: http://www.epicislands.org) TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to ADAM C. BROWN (EM: abrown AT epicislands.org) before 15 Nov 2006.

Inspiration From Frank Taylor

I was going to post this for Frank in the comments section (and I still might) in reply to Jack, but his message at the end of this is too important and I don't want it to get lost in the shuffle.

As for the guy named Jack who wrote in about our motives for banding, I AGREE WITH HIM. That's why I do this banding. To me ALL life is sacred whether it be a songbird, snake, vulture, hawk or human. We all need to live in peace on this planet. In fact the thesis for my banding permit is to develop a humane method of catching raptors. (Hopefully, someday we will be using good artificial lures to gather this much needed data.) To that end, I have had only two pigeons injured in the thirty-seven years that I have been doing this. And, not one raptor of the over 3,000 that I have caught so far has ever got as much as a bent feather out of the encounter. Hardly anyone who drives a car can say that they have hit or injured only two, birds, squirrels, frogs, etc. in thirty-seven years of driving. If you drive, you are a greater danger to wildlife than my banding activities.

As for the necessity of it, a wise person once said,
"Only if you love something, you will protect it . . .
You will love it, only if you know it . . .
You will know it, only if you are taught it . . .
You can only be taught it, by someone who loves it and wants to protect it!"

After I'm gone, if I am remembered for anything, I hope it will NOT be for, "what I knew," but rather, that, I shared what I knew.

I've always strived for the goal that when I die I wanted people to say, "Sharon was a good time." Frank has inspired me to a higher goal. Thank you, Frank.

Holy Crap!

This video is not for everyone, it's a pelican getting a pigeon. If you would like to keep the idea that birds are harmoniously living together in the wild, do not press play. If you are like me and can't help wonder how the mechanics of a pelican eating a pigeon works, then press play.

Pelican Eats Pigeon - video powered by Metacafe

Man, I always thought a sharp-shinned hawk was a bad way to go since they are slow to kill you, but I have seen the inside of a pelican's mouth and it ain't pretty.

Tale of Tails

Note: A contest of diabolical proportions is on its way. I planned on doing it today but A: loading photos in Blogger is wonky at the moment and B: Non Birding Bill informed me that he is transferring the whole birdchick website to a new server and it might be hard to find the site on Friday. So, I'm going to postpone the contest to Monday. I'd do it over the weekend, but I think some readers only have internet access at work. The prize is a much coveted autographed Letters From Eden. Now, on to red-tailed hawks!

Here we have a haggard (adult) red-tailed hawk--obvious by the rusty red tail. There is another way that you can judge adults from passage birds (first year hawks).

Here is an adult red-tailed hawk's eyes--note the dark brown eyes.

Here is a first year red-tail. Note the pale yellow eyes? Red-tailed hawks start off with pale eyes and they get darker as they get older.

Sometimes at the banding station we get birds in transition. This bird had a rust red tail but note the eyes. The top half is pale, the bottom half is dark, the bird is at least two years old, maybe three. I'm not sure if you can age red-tails exactly by the eye color. They used to say you could with sharp-shins and Cooper's hawks but someone blew that theory out of the water a few years ago.

Here's a red-tail that we got on Sunday that was a dilly of a pickle. It has a pale eye and a mostly brown tail. What is up with those four red tail feathers?

Frank speculated that when this bird was in the nest, one of the nest mates grabbed the tail and the feathers got pulled out. When a bird has a feather pulled out, a new feather starts to grow. The feathers in that spot are programmed the first time to grow in brown and stripey. Since that had already happened, the new feathers grew in red...and a little stripey because the bird is still in its first year.

Speaking of red-tailed hawks I had a fun coincidence at the banding station on Monday. Over the weekend a comment came in from Michael Paulbeck asking for luck because he was visiting a hawk blind. Little did he know he was going to be at the exact same blind I was at. Here he is holding a raptor for the first time. Congrats, Mike!

Knock Out!

Cinnamon is so overwhelmed by the amount of disapproval necessary for all the raptor photos that she fainted.

Cold Weather Effect on Birds

Yesterday when the temperatures really started to dip, the education birds at the Raptor Center were really feeling it. I was feeding one of the peregrines who is in general a very good eater, but yesterday she ate hard and fast. She even picked every tiny red mushy crumb that was left on my glove.

When I was putting her back out, I saw a house sparrow fly into the golden eagle mew. The eagle was sitting on her pedestal perch and there were a few pieces of rat just under the perch. The house sparrow flew over and started pecking off bits of rat to eat. The eagle didn't seem to mind a bit and sparrow looked to be savoring the raw rat. Mmmmm, protein.

I don't think I've put in a job update. I still have the coolest job on the planet! Thanks to the advice of friends and the support of NBB I am freelancing full time. I can't believe how well it's working. I can officially call myself a writer now--which is SO weird because I loathed it in high school and college and I need lots of editing. Boy, I can still remember being in Mrs. Strange's freshman writing class and thinking "How can someone make a living doing this without killing themselves?"

I'm not just writing, I'm doing some consulting which is sending me to Alabama next week and to Cape May Autumn Weekend at the end of the month--whoot. I've never been to Cape May and am so excited to go--plus I get see some of my peeps like WildBird on the Fly. Another fun project I just landed is that I will be guest hosting Showcase Minnesota on Monday. Normally, I am a guest but one of the hosts is taking the day off and I get to fill in for him. I'm so excited and a tad nervous, I've watched the teleprompter but I've never read it out loud on air before. Plus, I'll be wearing an ear piece that will have all the crew talking back in forth while I'm interviewing. Normally, I just hear people asking questions, I hope I don't get too distracted.

Oh well, at worst it should make for an interesting blog entry. I tell ya', I'm always so surprised at where life takes me.