Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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I'll let Anne Mary Schaefer tell the story. She wrote,

“I was just feeding my wee beasties Friday evening when I heard her high hunting keening cry, and saw that the sun was about to set. I grabbed my camera and ran outside, scanning the western sky over Manchester State Beach campground. Nada.

“I was just about to go inside when she came swooping right over my head, turned on her wing, and the last sunlight hit her breast. She disappeared into a tree top, where a whole flock of little birds were quite indignant at being suddenly ousted.”

Red-tailed Hawk by Anne Marie Schaefer

Isn't this a glorious photo? I thank Anne Mary for allowing me to share it with  you here.

To hear the calls of a Red-tailed Hawk, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds

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Zak Rudy recently photographed a Peregrine Falcon near his home in Timber Cove. Here's his story:

Zak Rudy wrote, “It’s been months to get a good photo. This one was almost by chance rather than intention, as most of the best shots do come. This is a male Peregrine Falcon waiting for his female. They’ve been having their courtship in my back woods off Timber Cove Road. Unconcerned with the flock of chickens literally below him, blinded perhaps by desire!”

Peregrine Falcon by Zak RudyTo hear the call of a Peregrine, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/peregrine_falcon/sounds

There are many fun facts on the site, including the fact that Peregrine means wanderer. Peregrines have one of the longest migrations of any North American bird. Some travel more than 15,000 miles in one year! And nary a frequent flyer reward to be found.

Thanks to Zak for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

 

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One of my favorite birds is the clown-faced Acorn Woodpecker. They often appear at our birdfeeder. Clay Yale and Siegfried Matull recently photographed two Acorn Woodpeckers. Both photos show a female. First here is Siegfried's photo.

Female Acorn Woodpecker by Siegfried Matull

And next is Clay's photo.

Female Acorn Woodpecker by Clay Yale

To show you the difference between a male and female Acorn Woodpecker, here is a photo taken by Jim Garlock. The female is on the right and the male is on the left. Note that the red on top of the male's head is bigger and there is no black between his white and red feathers on his face.

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The sound of Acorns is quite distinctive. Some describe it as "waka waka." To hear for yourself, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/acorn_woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Siegfried, Clay and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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A rare visitor to the Mendonoma Coast, a Pacific Golden-Plover was spotted by Richard Kuehn.

Pacific Golden-Plover by Richard Kuehn

This bird gets its name from the gold color etched on its wings.

To hear the call of this shorebird, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Golden-Plover/sounds

Thanks to Rich for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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Mark Simkins photographed a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk recently. They are hawks of the forest, hunting prey such as frogs, mice and snakes.

A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk by Mark Simkins

And Richard Kuehn photographed a juvenile Northern Harrier. They fly low over the land hunting their prey, small animals.

A juvenile Northern Harrier by Richard Kuehn

To hear the call of a Northern Harrier, here's the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/sounds

To hear the call of a Red-shouldered Hawk, here is the link: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-shouldered_hawk/sounds

Thanks to Mark and Rich for allowing me to share their photos with you here.