[texbirds] Katy Prairie this morning, caracara, hawks and sparrows

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:33:06 -0600
I spent the morning wandering the katy prairie. Somewhat unbirdy compared
to last winter and Harris's sparrows were almost commoner than savannah or
white-crowned sparrows.
The entertainment was provided by caracara, white-tailed hawks and northern
harriers.

In any event, Porter road was very quiet with only a few savannahs and a
calling sedge wren. Going east on Loganbaugh, there were lots of Harris's
sparrows all the way down to the power lines but no repeat ferruginous hawk
nor was the Pennick ferruginous around.

A couple of scolding bewick's wrens were at the creek crossing but only a
couple of warblers and kinglets.

Way out Hebert, the hawks put on a show. A kestrel caught a mouse. A
second? year white-tailed hawk dove on the kestrel and eventually got the
mouse. A young of the year white-tail tried to take it and was joined by a
caracara who really went after the mouse.

The caracara would grab the wing of the hawk and flip it upside down and
try to grab the mouse. The hawk would end up on the ground and kept the
mouse. This happened 3 times and eventually the 2nd white-tail joined in
the chase. A red-tailed hawk came in to see if it could get something. The
caracara sort of gave up but got a mouse/rat of its own and 2 turkey
vultures landed next to it and tried to grab it.

A good day for caracara including one group at a road kill with 13 young of
the year birds arguing with a few turkey vultures.

Found a northern harrier that had trapped something in a tangle of
McCartney rose. The hoped for prey was not a digger and would not come out
so the harrier proceeded to jump up and down on the roses. The critter
moved around the the harrier would hop around on top of the roses but
eventually gave up.

Then on the way home another white-tailed hawk had something on the south
end of Porter and had to put off 3 red-tailed hawks determined to steal its
food.

Ran my string of kiskadees-less trips up to 21 which is approaching my
record and no couch's kingbird either. The only good land birds were some
cave swallows around to the east of the north end of Pennick feeding around
some cows.

Without the hawk entertainment it would have been a poor day. Will have to
see how the pictures come out as I think I got some of the caracara playing
turn the turtle with the hawk. And it was a beautiful day to be out and
even the tallow trees obliged with great colors.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at 
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds

Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission 
from the List Owner
[texbirds] Katy Prairie this morning, caracara, hawks and sparrows

Other related posts:
