When Red-tails Die

Normally we see red-tailed hawks soaring.

This is a young red-tail. His tail will become red after he’s about 2 years old.

Very seldom do we see dead red-tailed hawks. If we do, it is usually along side a road. Red-tails often hunt from a perch and there are plenty of perches along the sides of our country roads. If a hawk dives on a ground squirrel or other rodent, it may do so into a passing car. A couple years ago I collided with a red-shouldered hawk that way.

My friend Joe checked out a road-killed red-tail recently and found it to be banded by the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. This is a group that calls the Golden Gate National Recreation Area it’s home and bands birds of prey each fall. I apprenticed for them about fifteen years ago. It was a fun way to put my hands on a few hawks. You can’t get any closer while they’re alive.

As unusual as it is to see a dead red-tail, it’s even less likely that you will observe a red-tail dying, but that is what I did a couple days ago.

While walking along my usual hiking trail, a red-tail appeared face down just off the trail. Curious, I walked over and poked the bird with a stick. It moved. It appeared to be barely alive, but not wanting to interfere, I left it alone and checked on it again on my way back to the truck. At that point the bird was dead.

This hawk was dying when I found it beside a walking trail.

I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to this bird. It appeared to be a healthy bird, with all it’s plumage in place and no apparent wounds. Could it have died in a mid-air collision? Not likely. Could it have received a wound from a competing hawk? Small chance of that.

When I spoke with my biologist friend, Joe, I asked him what he thought. That’s when he told me about the dead hawk along the side of Vasco Road. He added that the most likely killer of a mature red-tail hawk is secondary poisoning from rodenticides. Having observed the slow death of this hawk first hand, poisoning is logical.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodenticide

Who puts out rodenticides that can poison predators? Ranchers use rodenticides to kill California ground squirrels, so that is a possibility. Since this trail is near a golf course, I’d have to imagine that the greenskeepers might use rodenticides to kill gophers and ground squirrels that invade the fairways.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/education/rodenticide/

It’s now common for marijuana growers to use rodenticides to kill rodents that attack their valuable crop.

When it comes to the death of this red-tail at Del Valle Reservoir, my judgement is very speculative.

I’m not a fan of rodenticides.

Secondary poisoning is one of the reasons we don’t use them on our ranch.

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Another Day Up in a Tree

First archery deer hunt of the season. I had no idea what to expect as I hadn’t been up to the ranch in over a month. As far as deer hunting went, it was a total bust. The winds were blustery and the deer didn’t show. Not one.

However, I did take some photos and three were worthy of publication. Here’s they are:

As I watched a covey of quail feeding along the edges of nearby brush, a raptor swooped in and the quail scattered in all directions. It was a female northern harrier (used to call them marsh hawks).

 

This harrier circled several times, but never got hold of the quail it was after.

With the harrier in motion, my only chance for a good photo was when he passed in direct sun. The shutter speed on my camera was fast enough in auto mode to produce a sharp photo.

 

Late in the day, several birds landed near me in the laurel tree my stand was in. One of them was a chickadee.

 

This chestnut-backed chickadee moved about quickly.

Then came a pair of plain titmouses. In the fading light, I struggled to get a sharp image, but these two were worthwhile.

In the shade, I wasn't sure if I'd get an acceptable photo of the titmouses, but one of the shots worked out.

 

 

 

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Swainson’s Hawk in Flight

Last week we were out in the Altamont and came upon a pair of Swainson’s hawks. From nearly a half mile away, I snapped a few photos with my 200mm Nikon lens. They came out OK, so here they are. You can see the charactaristics of the Swainson’s hawk quite well.

For comparison purposes, here’s a redtail photo from my files. Redtails are the most common buteo in our area.

Soaring red-tailed hawk.

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Spring in the Altamont

We remained a ways off from the burrowing owls, not to disturb them.

Joe spotted a couple Swainson’s hawks gliding high overhead. Red-tails were hanging around a stand of eucalyptus trees and a ferruginous hawk was spotted on the horizon. 

Several Swainsons hawks passed high overhead.

 Joe also found a young king snake under a board. We took quite a few photos of the willing snake.

 

We found this very small king snake under a board.

 

 Burrowing owls were in their usual haunts. It was a nice day to observe.

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Bad News – but Good News in UC Lead-Poisoning Reports

These turkey vultures were captured on film with a trail camera.

Two reports from UC Davis confirm what most of us have expected. Turkey vultures, ravens and golden eagles eat the remains of deer, pig, bear and various varmints killed by hunters and those birds have been proven to ingest lead when eating the remains that contain lead from lead bullets.

Lead bullets often fragment when they enter the target animal. Those fragments can spread throughout the meat and intestines of game animals killed by lead bullets. Often, the intestines of game animals – along with hide and sometimes bones – are left in the field after the animal is harvested. Vultures are one of the first to take over a gut pile.

Varmints are often left afield when killed by varmint hunters or predator hunters.

Here are links to the UC Davis reports:

The first is entitled, “Impact of the California Lead Ammunition Ban on Reducing Lead Exposure in Golden Eagles and Turkey Vultures.” http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0017656

Golden eagles, like vultures, are vulnerable to lead poisoning from eating carrion laced with lead from bullets.

The second is entitled, “Lead Exposure in Free-Flying Turkey Vultures is Associated with Big Game Hunting in California.” http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0015350

The end game is a ban of the use of lead in projectiles used by hunters. This is nothing new as lead bullets have already been banned in most of Southern California. Part of the good news is that replacing lead in bullets is primarily only an expense. Hunters who believe in protecting the environment will pay this price as part of hunting.

It is unfortunate that additional costs may make it slightly more difficult to recruit new hunters, but recruitment is already difficult in California where few of us have an opportunity to appreciate the value of and goodness of hunting.

What other good news do these reports contain?

For one, we can maintain that hunters and the hunting industry have once again, as with steel shot,  taken action to protect California wildlife by accepting the costly challenge of producing and accepting non-lead ammunition.

Here is one quote: “These findings indicate that there has been a positive impact of the lead ammunition ban on reducing lead exposure in individual vultures sampled for our study.” Hunters take credit.

Here’s a pig that helped feed the local vultures.

I guess you might say ”the spin starts here,” but keep in mind that many hunters supported a ban on lead bullets and many more will support it now that these reports have been published.

And, a diminished group will continue to wail.

One report also makes an unintended pro-hunting statement. “Big game hunting in California is presumed to supply a substantial food source to avian scavengers, especially year-round wild pig hunting, which provides hunter-killed carrion throughout the year to scavengers within the wild pig range. Hunting activities vary by type and intensity throughout California and there is considerable overlap of different hunting seasons.” This may be the biggest endorsement of wild pig hunting by non-hunters ever.

It appears that hunters provide food for a significant portion of this avian population. Without hunting, we would (presumably) be faced with fewer of these large birds -  critters of importance. Hunters also provide a significant source of food for themselves.

So, we hunters are a step closer the elimination of lead bullets as a hunting option. The biggest issue is what will replace lead? Will it be effective? And, will it be inert?

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California Burrowing Owls

Drove over to a new conservation property yesterday to take a look around and spotted one of many special status species that will be protected. Years ago we used to routinely see these critters at the local golf course, but over time their habitat has dwindled.

Once the golf course managers poisoned the ground squirrels the owls disappeared from that spot, but they’re still  in the neighborhood. The best place to find them is on heavily grazed grassland. Their eyesight seems to be their best defense mechanism and they thrive on open pastures where the young can dive into their burrow and the adults can fly for protection.

The burrowing owl depends upon the California ground squirrel to create its burrow.

Apparently a pair of owls was breeding at this site.

You often find the owls near home sites and small pastures where grazing is heavy.

Like many others, this burrowing owl lives near a residence.

Because the burrowing owl hunts during the day, they are typically more visible than other owl species. Often the adults are somewhat approachable.

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The Cooper’s Hawk

Riding down the trail towards my truck, movement caught my eye and a pair of birds emerged from a sycamore tree. A Cooper’s hawk was on the tail of a magpie, but he failed to catch it.

After the miss, the hawk rose into the air and soared overhead. I grabbed my camera and got a couple photos of the gliding bird.

Cooper's hawks are members of the accipiter family, which includes goshawks.

 On a archery deer hunt, I sat in my treestand watching a flock of quail quietly work their way up a trail towards the spring I overlooked.

A Cooper’s hawk flew in and landed a few feet from the quail, sending them into hiding.

I could see none of the quail, but the Cooper’s hawk knew they were there and waited patiently. Eventually a quail took off and flew into the chaparal below, then another and another.

The Cooper’s hawk sat like a slugger waiting for the right pitch. Just as it seemed that the quail might have all escaped, one of the remaining quail burst from hiding and the hawk had it in it’s grasp instantly.

I’ve banded a couple Cooper’s hawks, so I know first hand the sharpness of their claws – they make you bleed if they get a hold of you.

Cooper's hawks have narrow bodies and short stubby wings which allow them to manuever through trees.

At the duck club I once watched a Cooper’s hawk chase a pheasant on the ground running. They ran under a bush and then both of them came bursting out the top with the hawk only inches from the rooster, but the rooster got away.

Cooper's hawk hunting from a perch.

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Opening Day of A-Zone Archery 2009

The day began with a typical flurry of bird activity. Many were drinking from the pond and others were bathing.

The acorn woodpecker posed for several photos from about 15 feet away.

 

A stellar jay joined him and it seemed like they were buddies, but I think not.

 

 

Scrub jays were everywhere, both adult and imature.

These young California ground squirrles were pretty care free, but the adults kept an eye on the sky.

An imature Oregon junco landed on a fence wire about six feet from my blind window.

 

 

 

A lark sparrow took his place and posed nicely.

As I shifted around in my blind, trying to make sure I could shoot effectively if a buck showed up, I looked up and too my surprize was greeted by two nice bucks looking my way and wondering why sound was emanating from the blind.

So much for patience. Looks like I’ll have to try for them again. At least the season is young. They worked their way slowly up the hill, but didn’t feel comfortable sticking around.

Over the course of the next few hours, eight more deer came by, but no more shooter bucks.

 A golden eagle landed across the pond and I got one shot of him taking off.

While heading out, I spotted a large boar at a nearby pond, but it was too late to go after him and he had already heard my truck anyway.

It was a great day and the sunset on the way home was the finishing touch.

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Most Powerful Bird

As I sat in my deer blind, a shadow passed overhead. Through my peephole, I spotted the eagle hunting, but in its hunting mode, it wouldn’t stay for long.

A while later the eagle apeared again and this time it landed across the pond from me – still animated and hunting. I raised my camera and the eagle looked my way. Could he have seen the movement through the small hole from 60 yards away?

As I raised to take a picture the eagle lifted off and I was able to snap one quick shot. When I got home to review my photos, I was quite pleased.

The sunset on the way home was in harmony with my good spirits.

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Turkey Season Almost Over, Butterflys Abundant and Deer Hunting on the Horizon

One week left in the archery turkey season and I haven’t loosed an arrow. Actually I haven’t hunted since opening day. Last year’s turkey crop was below par and only one gobler is living on our ranch where we generally hunt. However, there are still turkeys in the area and with this spring’s rain promoting good grass growth, I’m optimistic that this summer will produce good sized flocks for next year. I  may still make one more attempt before the archery season concludes next weekend.

It’s the time of year when we conduct Alameda whipsnake surveys and I was out again this week. Although snakes were scarce, I did take a few photos and here’s a sample. According to Rob, this first photo is of a buckeye butterfly.

This checkspot butterfly posed nicely. This is most likely a chalcedon checkerspot. 

Redtailed hawks rode the thermals. You can tell this bird is mature because their tails don’t turn red until they’re a couple years old. 

This taranchula ducked into a hole when I lifted up the board he was under.

The wildflowers are still blooming. Here’s an indian paintbrush.

It’s time to start planning for deer season. It looks like I’ll be hunting Nevada and California again this year. Time to tune up the bow and start shooting  more often as the coastal archery season is only two months away.

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