Non Birding Bill and I just went out and surveyed the situation (and like dorks we forgot the digital camera) and it appears to be two first year Cooper's hawks one male and one female hell bent on getting a crow. If the hawks aren't chasing a crow they are chasing each other. The crows will come in and inspect the situation but now that they appear to be on the target menu are keeping a little quieter.
Corvid Unrest
We've just had the weirdest storm system hit the Twin Cities. Nothing but thunder storms all night long. Non Birding Bill and I watched the system move through slowly and keep reforming on the local radars. Late last night between storms I could hear the resident flying squirrel chirping loudly. I went to the bedroom window and watched the lightening over my head and during one flash saw the flying squirrel glide from my neighbors towering elm tree to the roof of our apartment building. Within seconds the squirrel scurried down the wall and went straight for the mixed nuts I had ready on the window ledge.
The crows and blue jays have been screaming loudly this morning--louder than usual. For whatever reason our cockatiel is under the impression that she herself is a corvid and when they start cawing she joins in the raucous. Everybody involved seemed more agitated than normal. I was experimenting with the NovaBird Camera (hence the blue jay photo above) when I leaned out the window to adjust it. Two feet away a crow with a Cooper's hawk hot on its tail whizzed right by me around the window. After uttering a four letter word in surprise Non Birding Bill dashed into the bedroom (shouting profanity as you lean out a window from a second story apartment tends to alarm husbands) just as he came in a second Cooper's hawk came along the same path. The two Coops met up and were on either side of the crow and then disappeared into the park a block away. Tag team Cooper's hawk hunting? I thought that was only the sport of Harlan's hawks? Perhaps this was part of a family group learning to hunt?
Looking for Suggestions on Hurricane Help
From: Van Remsen najames@LSU.EDU
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 13:58:31 -0500
LABIRD: It seems highly likely that some of our comrades in SE LA and coastal
MS have lost everything. Let's hope that the roster is miraculously short.
Nonetheless, let's start thinking about a relief effort. I suspect that FEMA/Red
Cross etc. will eventually take care of the basic needs in terms of long-term
housing and clothing, although we can do our part in terms of temp housing
and donations. I suspect that an appropriate niche for us might be things like
field gear and bird books. This stuff is obviously low on their immediate
priority list but may mean a lot fairly soon to those who have lost it all. Unlike
the federal agencies who were supposed to have a plan for this predictable
disaster, I don't have a blueprint we can follow in terms of what we can do with
LABIRD resources ... I'm basically thinking "out loud," so feedback welcomed.
I have already heard from Mike Busam of the Ohio Ornithological Society in
terms of wondering how they can help. Perhaps those of you with birder contacts
in other states can get those states to at least start thinking about a similar
effort. I know that our great neighbors in Texas and Arkansas have especially
big hearts. It is unlikely that New Orleans area folks will have a clear idea
of their losses soon, but Slidell-Lacombe and coastal MS folks may already
know where they stand.
-- Van Remsen najames@LSU.edu LSU Museum of Natural Science Foster Hall 119, LSU Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Hurricane Relief Efforts
I just picked this up on the fm107 website:
Help us at FM107 help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 100% of the money donated will go towards helping the victims all along the Gulf Coast. Stop by the FM107 Conversation Station at the Minnesota State Fair to drop off your cash donation in the Red Kettle.
If you can not make it out to the State Fair, click here to find out how you can help.
Also, Non Birding Bill gave me a link to a blog by a guy living through the hurricane aftermath who tells you the real story of what is going on.
You Can't See Me
Can you spot the disapproving rabbit who thinks she is so cleverly hiding in this photo?
I'm hopeful for some good birding this weekend. I think migration is finally kicking in, yesterday there was a family group of pelicans flying over the store and this morning as I woke up heard a warbler chipping outside my apartment windows.
Here is a story from the Homer News about their local "bird guy" who must help goshawks, great-horned owls, sharp-shins and merlins as his daily work duties. That would be an okay job for me. There are also some important tips on protecting your poultry and helping raptors.