And bad ones too. This hawk flew down into the heifer barnyard when I was enjoying my weekly Sunday morning chat with my little brother the other day. We were each watching our bird feeders and comparing notes on what we saw. His birds were much more exotic, including pine siskins and purple finches, while mine were a busy, bustling, but prosaic bunch of chickadees, juncos, titmice and assorted sparrows and suchlike. Of course the usual absurdly large contingent of pigeons (rock doves if you are fussy) was preening and rattling and pooping on the heifer barn roof. Nasty feather rats!
Then this critter swooped in, with a flash of banded tail and outswept wings. Wham! The yard emptied in half a heartbeat. Though I tried and tried, it was a very gloomy morning and alas, no good photos. It was interesting though, that this little hawk flew right INTO the barn a few minutes later, to hunt pigeons. And, thanks to its welcome intervention, the darned things have mostly gone somewhere else to roost for a few days.
We used to only have a scattering of them, annoying, but not too serious a problem. Then the state put plastic owls up on the bridge in town and they ALL moved up here to sit on the heifer barn and the tower on the house. Their clawing is rough on the tower shingles! (I have my own set of plastic owls, but that danged tower is well over 70 feet high. I am NOT going up there with an owl.) So we have pigeons. Except when we have hawks.
And ask you, in all seriousness, what on earth is wrong with this lady bug? I found it on the kitchen table yesterday and transported it into the living room to put on my majesty palm. Scale insects love palms and lady bugs love scale insects so it works out well. However when I took a close up shot of this critter I saw that it was covered with ucky stuff....just ucky. Anybody know what's up with that?
And I can't tell you how much I have been enjoying, vicariously, Alan's fisheries and wildlife studies. We quiz each other on Latin names every night in the barn. I know most upstate mammals and many herps and he is learning fish (if you wanna get stumped, try the minnow clan). Anyhow I am kinda, sorta jealous of his studies. Most days. College just wasn't' like that when I was there. (I might have letters after my name if it had been.) However, yesterday I was thoroughly contented to be at home shoveling ashes rather than doing what his class did. A DEC tech came in and dissected road killed deer for them in the interest of counting fetuses. Some of the deer were fresh. Others were.....not. Very, very, very not. He said it was the worst thing he had ever done.I endeavored not to laugh. It was much easier than usual not to be envious.
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18 comments:
I like the hawk picture! It is a blessing to have them to get rid of the pigeons for you, as long as you don't raise things they like to eat like we do ( I am talking about chickens here).
We have TONS of hawks of all kinds and burrowing owls and vultures around here. They are really thriving.
I was recently up at a lookout that we call "Yankee Beach", looking out at the water. Suddenly I saw the pigeons swarming around in a panicked fashion, and I thought, "They look like they are trying to evade something!" I started looking around and spotted a hawk swooping in. It singled out one of the pigeons and followed close on its tail feathers. I didn't think that the pigeon was going to make it, but then it dipped down in a last ditch effort to escape, skimming the water below it, and finally threw off the hawk. It was pretty amazing to watch.
All of the pigeons disappeared to the hotel rooftops, and it was eerily quiet for awhile.
Hmmm, looks like the lady bug has been at my house and picked up the dust!
Oh! A Latin name lover! I am working on wildflowers
MML, thanks, wish I could have gotten closer, but they are so wary it would have flown if I went outdoors. We do keep chickens though...been lucky enough to only have occasional problems with hawks bothering them. Vigilant roosters I guess. Foxes and coyotes are another story....
NFMgirl, that is so cool! Every once in a while we get to see a flock of smaller birds taking evasive action from a Coopers or some other bird hunting hawk...it is simply amazing!
The Wife, I wondered if it was just dust...the thing seemed pretty healthy. It was actually crawling so fast I had a hard time getting a photo. lol
Sharkbyes, Oh, I am so glad not to be alone. I learned most of the ones I know way back in college days, but I love, love, love learning new ones!
I sure get frustrated when they change them though. All my life the spring peeper has been hyla crucifer..and now it is pseudacris crucifer...what's a mother to do! lol And orioles! Wish they would make up their minds.
My guess would be dust also, hawks are great to get rid of pidgeons, problem is they get rid of all the other birds as well.
It almost looks like that ladybug is under attack by a fungus.
According to our state Entomologist your lady bug has a gungal disease. He said he would kill the beetle.
"It looks like a fungal disease. I would kill the beetle.
Bob"
Bob Hammon
Area Extension Agent (Entomology/Agronomy)
Tri River Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 20,000-5028
Grand Junction CO 81502-5028
bob.hammon@mesacounty.us
Thought you might like to know before it spreads onto something else.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
One of our neighbors has plastic owls on poles in his yard. We've been wondering what they were for, but he never leaves his house for us to ask. I guess now I know.
Did you notice I wrote gungal instead of fungal? Sometimes typo's are not good.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
well i guess the verdict is fungus amongus...but i was gonna predict it had it's winter coat on.....lol...sorry for the dumb lines..:(
Run Birdies . . . love your ladybug photo! BRAVO! Hope you frame it!
Very cool about the hawk (you paid him, didn't you? :)
Bad pics from you? I'll whack the person with a wet towel for you.
Sometimes the creepy pics and fuzzy ones lend themselves to "atmosphere".
As for the ladybug, I would assume it is gungal like previous comments indicated. I could be wrong but do you really want to risk your other plants?
Ed, we have been lucky I guess with our hawk visitors. We have so many nuisance birds around for easy pickings that they usually eat them first.
FC, I was hoping a certain science teacher who knows these things would weigh in on this one. Thank you
Linda, you are so nice to ask him!! I knew something wasn't right but although somewhat buggy, if you get my meaning, I know very little about insects. Sadly when I went to dispatch it I couldn't find it, but it will probably turn up soon. Thanks so much for getting my question answered. Blog folks are the best!
Jan, I bought mine years ago because house sparrows were nesting on the porch over the door. They worked great. Don't know if they will help with our crow problem because crows are so smart, but we will try.
Linda, I did, but if you saw my typing ...I thought nothing of it at all. I was just grateful you got the answer for me
anon, I wouldn't have blamed it if it did have a coat on, although I guess we are in for a bit of a warm up now...thankfully
Mon@rch, thanks for your kind words, I have to give thanks for a cool camera, which turns out to be my most prized possession and a cool son who is one of my most prized people, and who is patiently teaching me to use it.
Teri, he takes his salary in pigeons and starlings, of which we have plenty to spare.
Steve, my personal standards have risen since a certain camera came into my possession.I hate to put up less than good ones, but that was the best I could do with the hawk....well, I suppose if I had gone outside and managed to get closer without spooking him I might have gotten something clearer. But I love my weekly talk with little bro so...anyhow, thanks for the vote of confidence and the valued advice on moon shots.
Great Photos! This reinforces my belief that Lady bugs do need a nesting box or a home. New blog on the Hx. of the Lady Bug:
http://historyoftheladybug.blogspot.com/
Fred Maybe now we can send you some pictures??
love ya
Matt
Matt, send those siskins! Love you!
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