It has been a good spring for watching the barred owls. They are using a
different nest site this year as site from last year apparently filled with
water during the tax day flood last april.
While on the nest, the birds call back and forth several times a day. The
male had a favorite perch
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165041273
But the sun started to hit him during the day so he moved further back
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165041274
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165041275
The female tried to join him a couple of times but that was not allowed and
she was pushed off.
The male got a new perch close to the balcony back in the thicket but I
could watch. Then about a week ago, I think the eggs hatched and he got
excited and bounced more than normal while hooting and broke off his perch.
He still comes to a nearby branch late in the pm for a couple of hooting
sessions. As soon as the young get a little bigger the female will start
ordering him to hunt more and then call him to bring back food.
The local red-tailed hawks appear to be gone. No sign of soaring or calling
birds so far this spring. The cooper's hawks are further away too but I
usually see one or two while walking the neighborhood.
A peregrine was around and the alarm jay started to imitate its call. I saw
it once as it made a pass near the calling barred owl. A single
sharp-shinned hawk has been around but not seen much but the doves do panic
when he is out by the bayou. This Is my first since the cooper's started
nesting nearby. 20 years ago they were the common winter yard hawk.
The white-winged doves are back en masse from wherever they spent the
winter.
This is the king dove. He can keep other birds off the feeder or my balcony
until they swarm the place. He chases birds off the balcony but knocks them
off the platform feeder. Tries to do it with blue jays with some effect but
is ignored by the scaly-breasted munias.
White-winged doves are calling around the neighborhood but as usual, there
are no females to be lured. Not sure what it is about the soil or habitat
that keeps the females away. The area is classified as big thicket and the
doves have not really spread into that habitat where it is the main habitat.
The female red-winged blackbirds showed up on schedule with the oak
tasseling. I keep hoping for them to bring a friend or even a male but they
never do. The big flock is gone but a few are regular feeders.
Titmice and chickadees are nesting. And the Carolina wrens are really
singing.
Male robins are on territory when I go walking and along the bayou but no
females.
Another winter without a purple finch but I had hopes after there were good
numbers in Louisiana. Maybe the spruce budworm outbreak will spread further
west in Canada and pump up the numbers of birds that might come here.
All of the wintering yellow-rumped, orange-crowned and Wilson's warblers
moved out last Tuesday night along with the kinglets and gnatcatchers. A
couple of different butterbutts were back for a couple of days but they
were gone this morning. One was almost in breeding plumage.
There are wood ducks going out to feed along the bayou in the am so they
are on the nest and the local great blue heron is still here but the
avifauna is rather low until spring moves a little further along.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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