November is always an interesting month here at the hawkwatch. Although there are very slow days at times, things always stay interesting because species diversity is high, and unexpected surprises can suddenly appear. For example, on 11/18, another dark morph Rough-legged Hawk was a wonderful highlight of an otherwise slow day. Golden Eagles are continuing to move through, and our total has now increased to 11 Golden Eagles for the season. This is higher than any fall season at Kiptopeke since 2004. Yesterday, I enjoyed a very nice movement of Bald Eagles, with 25 individuals seen going south. It was also interesting to see a late Broad-winged Hawk yesterday.
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| Adult Bald Eagle; photo by Steve Thornhill |
In recent times, I have been observing Red-shouldered Hawks hunting for grubs on the lawn just beyond the bathrooms. It is very interesting (and a bit comical) to watch a red-shoulder scurry across the grass, pounce on a grub, and then enjoy its meal. The grubs are quite large, and American Crows have also been enjoying them. One day, I also observed crows pestering an adult red-shoulder. Several times, one crow even dared to pull the red-shoulder's tail. This is a common behavior in corvids, and is thought to be a distraction tactic so that the perpetrator can move in and steal a meal. For more information, take a look at this blog post:
http://corvidblog.tumblr.com/post/37622242234/tail-pulling
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| Don't even think about it, this Red-shouldered Hawk seems to be thinking... |
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| Tail pulling about to commence |
It is always a joy to see (and hear) large flights of Tundra Swans. So far, our biggest count occurred on 11/20, in which 327 birds passed. During the last week of the hawkwatch, hopefully some Snow Geese will also be on the move. I saw the first Snow Geese of the season (both of which were blue geese) yesterday.
A Sandhill Crane was seen on 11/17 and 11/19, flying among vultures. It's possible that this was the same bird both times.
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| Tundra Swan flock flying low over the platform |
A Sandhill Crane was seen on 11/17 and 11/19, flying among vultures. It's possible that this was the same bird both times.
Two very late hummingbirds have been frequenting the feeders for the past week. They appear to be Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, although Black-chinned Hummingbird is another possibility, especially at this time of year. The two species can be very difficult to tell apart, and it is also hard to say for certain whether I have obtained photos and good looks at both of these birds. It's possible that one has been guarding the feeders and chasing the other off. Due to the relatively straight bill, pointed wings, and greenish blue luster on the back which can be seen on at least one of these birds, I believe that it is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Five days remain in the season, which still leaves plenty of time for more interesting birds to show up! I hope to see you on the platform soon.
-Anna
