Colvin Run Habitat

Cedar Waxwings

2011-05-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

I continue to get response from readers - in Texas, Florida, Virginia, and other states - about their Cedar Waxwings sightings.

Since my February 2008 sighting in the Habitat, I have seen none of their beautiful birds.

In early April 2011 - springtime in the mid-Atlantic states - a colleague of mine captured these photos while walking. Actually, she was walking, saw the waxwings, went home and got her camera, and returned to this tree where the birds were patiently waiting. What luck!

These are three great photos. Thanks for sharing!

I will post other bird photos from her.

Pileated Woodpecker Digging for Ants

2010-04-06T19:25:00.000-04:00

Since mid-December, the pileated woodpeckers have been observed at least once a week at the large suet feeder in the Colvin Run Habitat. This morning, one of the pileated woodpeckers was seen on the trunk of one of the maple trees.

This female (no red mustache) was digging in the remaining mark of a previously removed branch. No she was not seeking maple sap (as other woodpeckers do), but rather digging ants that have infested this tree.

From the third photo (click on the photo for a zoomed view), you can get an appreciation of the size of the hole that this woodpecker had dug. She has her complete bill and perhaps half of her head buried in the hole.

This last photo was taken this afternoon and shows the size of the holes dug. The site is located about 5 feet off the ground in a line of trees on the Habitat boundary furthest from the woods. Perhaps this is an indication that these very shy woodpeckers are becoming more comfortable around the Habitat.

Tongue of Red-Bellied Woodpecker

2010-03-23T00:01:00.043-04:00

Previously, I posted a limited number of photos showing woodpeckers and hummingbird tongues. Today, I took video of the tongue of a male red-bellied woodpecker in action. When the snow was too deep to get needed suet to the feeders, I hung this feeder just outside of the porch windows. Over the last few weeks, the birds - primarily the woodpeckers - continued to come and eat the suet. The cone shape is a result of the suet sticking to the top of the cage feeder and the reach of the woodpeckers' longer beaks.

When the suet cannot be reached with the beak, the woodpecker tongue - which as you will see is longer than the beak - does a great job at reaching the suet. Above is one frame from the below video in which you can clearly see the curved tongue coming out of the beak and touching the suet. Now take a look at the video below. Enjoy the video.

Where does this woodpecker store his tongue? The tongue slides to the back of the head, loops upward around the back of the inside of the skull, and then forward around and under the eye.

Blizzards of 2010: American Robins - Annual Migration

2010-03-22T00:01:00.017-04:00

One last photo from the Colvin Run Habitat blizzards of 2010. Even with 30 inches of snow on the ground and snow clearly still on the roof, this flock of American Robins arrived in two waves. With snow on the ground, the worms were safe this day. The annual robin migration attracts the robins to the water in the heated bird bath. They drink, they splash, they continue north.

With snow on the ground, the robins were a reminder of a coming spring.

Blizzards of 2010: Carolina Wren Seeks Cover

2010-03-21T00:01:00.026-04:00

The large amount of snow weighed down all of the shrubs and created shelters - even in broad leafed shrubs like this rhododendron. The Carolina wrens made good use of this rhododendron located right under the temporary feeder outside of the porch window. The wrens would come up, feed, and return to their shelter.

Take a close look at the upper left corner to see the tail feathers of one of the wrens. Click the photo to zoom in.

Blizzards of 2010: Red-Tailed Hawk and Red-Shouldered Hawk

2010-03-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

We saw in a previous post the red-shouldered hawk during the peak of the snow. Here is a photo of the red-shouldered hawk perching the morning after the storm.

The next morning, this red-tailed hawk arrived and perched in the same spot.

This hawk would perch, then fly out, make a circle, and then perch again.

In the two above photos, you can see the red-tailed hawk's wing feathers as viewed from above and below. The dark upper feathers and the white lower feathers provide protection from predators - though which predators is never clear to me.

And here is the reason for the name - the clearly red tail,

Blizzards of 2010: Signs of the Fox

2010-03-19T00:01:00.056-04:00

During the last week of December with the first blizzard's snow still on the ground, two red-tailed foxes where observed one afternoon going across the lower meadow.

These first two photos were taken the second morning after the second February storm. How do I know that these are fox tracks? First, the night before, in the near-full moonlight, I observed a male fox come up the hill into the back yard, mark the snow, proceed to the front yard, and then run down the newly plowed driveways. Second, the tracks map nearly identically to the path of the foxes in December - even the curve over the to small bush under the snow - the bush the male had marked in December. Why the deep tracks? The snow had yet to crust over.

Third, the tracks came up the hill, to the general location that I observed in the moonlight the male fox marking by raising his leg. The next morning the fox urine was clearly visible on the snow covered bush that served as a house for the birds and squirrels.

24 hours later - the next morning - just before sunrise, this female red-tailed fox arrived and sniffed around under the feeder. How did I know it was a female?

Simple, the male raises his leg to make and the female - per the above photo - squats to let their marks.

You can see that even on this third morning after the storm, the fox is leaving deep tracks as the snow still had not crusted over. Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, but they were taken in near darkness.

Blizzards of 2010: Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

2010-03-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Let's maximize the red in the photo with a male cardinal and a male red-bellied woodpecker.

Here the male red-bellied woodpecker defends the suet feeder from the nearby starling while a female red-bellied woodpecker flies away.

Like the other woodpeckers, the red-bellied woodpecker enjoys the sap on the maples even if he has to dodge the icicles.

Here the red-bellied woodpecker perches on the oak branches.

And here is the reason the red-bellied woodpecker is called red-bellied. It is very hard to see this patch of red when he is attached to a tree trunk. The other woodpecker in the photo is a yellow-bellied sapsucker.

The yellow-bellied sapsucker shows up every year in the Colvin Run Habitat during the middle two weeks of February. Clearly a migratory time, as the yellow-bellied sapsucker usually winters south of Northern Virginia and summers north. In this photo, the yellow-bellied sapsucker enjoys the maple sap (of course) during the morning after. The second blizzard delivered over 8" of snow to the branch. For the record, the second storm delivered 30" of snow to the Habitat. The winter total was over 70" setting a season record at nearby Dulles Airport.

Blizzards of 2010: Downy Woodpeckers

2010-03-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

The beauty of snow on all of the tree limbs is that birds that are often hard to see - size and color - can be seen easily. As the snow fell, the downy woodpeckers could be seen landing on the dogwood tree prior to approaching the suet feeders.

During February, all of the woodpeckers - even the downies - spend time on the maple trees to feed on the sap that is running.

All of the woodpeckers keep an alert eye for trouble while on the maples.

In a few months, the leaves will prevent this small woodpecker from being seen at this position on the tree.

This male downy also enjoyed visiting the suet feeder just outside of the back porch window (aka the Colvin Run Habitat observation deck). This feeder was put up as the suet feeders were not reachable down the hill in the snow. Within a day, the downies would allow me to walk on the porch while they were at the feeder.

Blizzards of 2010: Northern Cardinals

2010-03-16T00:01:00.008-04:00

As I have mentioned many times, the cardinals are simply brilliant in the snow - even during the peak of the storms.

Even the female cardinals standout during the snow storm.

With the white or gray background, it seems easier to catch them in flight. This male extends his wings with the feathers fully exposed.

This female is photographed making an approach to the feeder.

And this make is actually flying up to a tree limb, but he is flying away from the camera. The result is a full exposure of his back and top of his wings.

Blizzards of 2010: Bird Count in the Storm

2010-03-15T00:01:00.023-04:00

So here is the answer to the quiz in the last post. If you need a closer view, just click on the photo. Here are the birds clockwise starting in the upper left corner:

Two starlings on a tree branch
One red-shouldered hawk. This hawk perches often on that branch with his back to the birds at the feeder.
Two cardinals at the sunflower seed feeder
One downy woodpecker at the suet feeder under the cardinals
One starling at the large suet feeder
One starling perched at the pole top
One cardinal at the suet feeder - yes you can hardly see this one

Interesting observation: the birds ate an inch of seed for every inch of snow that fell - refilling the feeder was tough with the snow above the knees.

Blizzards of 2010: Peak of the Storms

2010-03-14T00:01:00.005-05:00

Yesterday's post showed amazing sunlight and brilliant blue sky. These photos show the near-peak of the storm - very tough photo conditions with little light and falling snow causing focus problems.

I say near-peak because at the peak of the storm, only the most near-field trees were visible.

Storm or no storm, the birds need to come to the feeder. The white-throated sparrows were numerous around the feeder, even at the peak of the storm. The sunflower seeds or the suet provides the nutrition to shiver which allows them to stay warm.

To stay warm, the birds also fluff up their feathers as shown in this photo of the white-throated sparrow and the northern cardinal.

The northern cardinals - males and females - always standout in the snow. Their bright red feathers as a background ensures that foreground snowflakes are seen.

So here is the quiz for the day - how many birds can you count in this photo? Can you identify them? As always, click on the photo to get an expanded view.

Blizzards of 2010: The Morning After in the Colvin Run Habitat

2010-03-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

The 2009-2010 winter season brought three major snow storms - all resulting in blizzard warning being issued - to the Colvin Run Habitat.

I'll show a number of photos from the two February storms over the next few posts. Yes, it is a month after the last storm, but who has enough time for photography and posting these days. A month after the storm and today is the first day that there is no snow remaining in the Habitat.

All of the photos in this post were taken the morning after.

Nothing like lots of sunlight and snow reflected light to get some great photos. In the next few posts, you will also see less than perfect photos taken during the peak of the storms.

Enjoy!

Northern Cardinal and Carolina Chickadee

2010-01-05T16:10:00.011-05:00

While observing foxes and bluebirds last weekend, I also took photos of the frequently seen cardinals and chickadees. Enjoy.

Two Foxes on the Snow

2010-01-04T15:42:00.062-05:00

Over the last ten days, a red-tailed fox has been observed running across the lower meadow at the Colvin Run Habitat in the morning. The lower meadow remains covered with snow - from the snow storm we had two weeks ago - and as a result the fox is easily seen.

This afternoon, a fox was observed quickly coming out of some brush. The fox made a quick stop and appeared to look back (first photo). This fox then ran hard across the snow with an urgency.

With the first fox out of sight, a second fox came out of the brush from the same location. Clearly larger, this second fox walked casually and even took time to mark some shrubs.

After the marking, the second fox walked across the snow. Ten minutes later, the second fox return to the original brush.

New Year Eastern Bluebirds Enjoy Suet

2010-01-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

Like the American Robins that were observed in the last post, the Eastern Bluebird is seldom observed in the Colvin Run Habitat during winter months. In the last week, a small flock of bluebirds were seen feeding at the suet feeders.

The characteristic upper bright blue stands out in the stark winter sun. In the second photo, this male was kind enough to turn around to allow this shot of blue feathers. Also note the other male in the right side of the second photo.

Christmas Robins Enjoy Holly Berries

2010-01-01T14:19:00.006-05:00

In the week leading up to Christmas, the Colvin Run Habitat saw two snow storms - the first storm delivered 20 inches, the second storm provided another inch of snow. On three occasions - during and after the storms - a flock of American Robins visited the Habitat.

The flock numbered at least a dozen. While some robins are known to winter in the mid-Atlantic area, it is rare to see them in the Habitat during late December and January. These robins spent all of their time feeding in the holly and dogwood trees. Although earthworms are the mainstay of robin diet, these robins were feeding on the bright red and orange berries in these trees.

Pileated Woodpecker: Seldom Seen Visitor to the Habitat

2009-12-22T19:48:00.002-05:00

Three years have passed since the last Colvin Run Habitat sighting of a pileated woodpecker. But this is the first time that this woodpecker has visited the suet feeder.

When I first glanced out the window this morning, I thought that this crow-sized bird was, well, a crow. But with a quick second take, I caught the distinctive red crown. Note that these photos show two individual birds. The woodpecker in the first photo is a male - has a red mustache. The woodpecker in the second photo is a female - has a black mustache.

Of course, the ever-faithful and daily-visiting Northern Cardinal was a bit jealous and insisted that he get into the photo.

Injured Snapping Turtle

2009-05-20T20:30:00.004-04:00

I found this amazing snapping turtle walking in circles in the middle of the road about a mile from the Colvin Run Habitat. He appeared to have just come from being buried in mud and leaves.

I could not get him to move to the side of the road, even with the encouragement a large and guiding stick. I could not even get him to snap at the stick.

I estimate his height at about 7" and his length at 15", minimum. Given this length, and the fact that a 25 year old male is typically 11 inches long, this snapper is not only large, he may be 50 or more years old.

If you clook closely you will see that he only has one eye. And, I know that snappers do not have teeth, but it surely looks like small teeth in these photos.

Unfortunately, the reason for his walking in circles became clear - this snapper had been run over by a car - the rear right shell was damaged and bloody - the rear right leg clearly damaged. I finally managed to move him (using the stick) to the side of the road. I doubt that he made it. You can find a great snapping turtle at http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/snappers.htm.

Red-Tailed Fox Eating Sunflower Seeds

2009-05-03T16:57:00.002-04:00

This spring we have had a fox hinting in the Colvin Run Habitat. We have seen this fox chasing squirrels - one time successfully. We even have squirrel parts to prove his presence. But, no photos - until today.
This young fox came on two occasions - separated by about an hour - and feasted on sunflower seeds on the ground under the bird feeder.
Although his coat is clearly dirty and wet (it has been raining in Northern Virginia for at least three days, this fox appears in good health. He has no signs of mange and he has clear eyes. As the photos show, he and I spend several minutes eye-to-eye (or eye-to-lens). I stayed on the porch hoping not to spook him.

Tight Fit for Blluebird

2009-04-18T19:50:00.002-04:00

A few minutes ago I took a break from the office work and walked the Colvin Run Habitat. Having noticed yesterday that in the last ten days the bluebirds had built a nest and laid several eggs, I was interested in shooting a few photos of them.

I approached the bluebird house hoping not to scare the female sitting on the nest (technically it is after sundown, so the male has left for the day and the female has taken over for the night). When I was about seven feet from the house, she eased up to the opening and began to watch me (first photo). Then, she bolted out of the house and flew to a nearby tree branch.

If you ever wondered how tight a fit it is for a bluebird to get into and out of their house, this second photo shows clearly that it is a very tight fit. The bluebird launched herself from the house and when clear (and falling down) opened its wings and flew.

Chickadees Move In

2009-04-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

While the bluebirds seem to have selected the older of the bird houses in the Habitat, a pair of Carolina Chickadees see to have moved into this house that I put this past winter. The house is attached to the main truck of the dogwood tree, which is located intentionally within twenty feet of the house.

I put this bird house up with the expectation of having one house wrens or Carolina wrens take up residence. Both wrens and the bluebirds have been seen going into and out of this house, for now the chickadees seem to have taken up residence. We'll see if they actually build a nest.

Blubirds Inspect the Bird House

2009-04-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

As with all photos in the Colvin Run Habitat Blog, click on any photo to get a 'zoomed-in' view.

The bluebird pair continue to look at the prime nesting boxes in the Habitat. While they continue to check out the inside of the boxes, I have yet to see them move in the materials required to build a nest. In this first photo, you can see how they land with their claws on entrance hole simultaneous with putting their head in the hole. After landing, the bluebird wlll take a few seconds to pull up and into the box.

The male perched on top of the house is part of the "Nest Demonstration Display" where the male attracts the female through song and wing flapping. The male also will provide the nesting materials (dried grasses and pine needles). The female will then enter the box and build the nest.

Eastern Bluebirds Arrive

2009-04-05T16:53:00.003-04:00

I took 30 minutes away from the office work to capture and post a few photos. This pair of Eastern Bluebirds arrived about 3 weeks ago. They have continued to check out two of the bird houses in the Colvin Run Habitat - one in which they nested last year and a new one installed two months ago that I thought was two small for bluebirds.

The first two photos show the female resting in the yet to bloom dogwood tree. The second two photos show the male in the oak tree and sitting on the roof of one of the bird houses.

As you can tell the female is slightly duller in color than the male. These photos show off the brilliant orange breast blue backs of the bluebirds.

Space Available

2009-04-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

With the bluebirds and chickadees moving into the smaller bird houses in the Habitat, this recently installed large box (referred to as a wood duck box) remains vacant. I took 30 minutes last weekend to install this box 20 feet up in one of the line of maple trees in the Habitat. This box is actually suspended from the top with a cable running through a fixed pulley (so I can get the box down without the ladder at the end of the season) and then held steady with two stabling cables out the bottom/sides of the box.

I have not seen an birds inspect the box. But as you can see from the white mess on the from of the box in the second photo, at least one bird has visited. The goal is to attract a large woodpecker, red-shouldered hawk, of with great luck an owl.

Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-25T18:41:00.004-04:00

I hope that all of you will participate in this Saturday's Earth Hour 2009 event. Event organizer, World Wildlife Fund, is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

So, turn your lights out for an hour this Saturday at 8:30 PM local time and join a worldwide community to make a statement bout climate change.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker Enjoying the Maple Sap

2009-02-05T21:52:00.001-05:00

I believe that the sap is beginning to run on the maple trees. A good indicator is that the red-bellied woodpecker was observed pecking the maple tree bark. With a little luck in the next view weeks, we'll observe the yellow-bellied sapsucker, which has only been observed during February in the Colvin Run Habitat.
This second photo shows the red-bellied woodpecker beginning his flight from a position of clutching the bark.

Tufted Titmice

2009-02-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

Along with the Carolina chickadees, the tufted titmice come to the feeders in the Colvin Run Habitat every day. They help to consume the one and a half gallons of sunflower seeds consumed by all of the birds each and every day.

Red-Shouldered Hawk in Flight

2009-02-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

Some more red-shouldered hawks for the Owlman. In three of the last four days, a red-shouldered hawk has been observed in the Colvin Run Habitat. Today, this hawk was perched in a tree and observed at sundown. With his dark brown back facing me, the tree being about 50 yards away, and his static position at sundown, he was very difficult to see.
Our house, located on a hill, overlooks a meadow that is about 40 feet below. As I approached the hawk, he took off for the meadow. The result was a rare opportunity to photograph the hawk from above while he was in flight. In this photo, you can see the white barring and striping on the top of the tail and wings. Even in the dim light of dusk, this is a large and beautiful predator.

Day of the Hawks: Cooper's Hawk

2009-02-01T21:02:00.003-05:00

In addition to the pair of red-shouldered hawks today, this Cooper's Hawk also was observed. I got a photo of the Cooper in one of the azalea bushes, but also observed him on the ground under the bird feeder as he attempted to grab one of the smaller birds to eat.
As the Cooper's and red-shouldered hawks are about the same size and have some similar color traits (feddish chest, reddish under the wings), here is how I tell the two apart:
>Cooper's back is dark gray while the red-shoulder's back is dark brown with some white specks.
>Both have barred tails - Cooper's is black bar, red-shoulder's is white
>The red-shoulder's neck is much thicker than the Cooper's. When observing them with a bright or blue-sky background this can be very helpful.

Day of the Hawks: Red-Shouldered Hawk Pair

2009-01-31T21:06:00.001-05:00

A pair of red-shouldered hawks arrived was observed early this morning. As red-shouldered hawks are known to return to a given locale for many years, I would like to think that today's pair is the pair observed on three occasions in 2007 (1, 2, 3).
Later in the afternoon, a single hawk was observed on two occasions - or was it on observation of each of the two hawks.
I managed to catch one of the red-shoulders in flight also.

White-tailed Deer Herd

2009-01-30T21:23:00.002-05:00

They now come as a herd of at least eight. Yes, these photos show only six, but out of camera width are another two. If you get too close, one of the mothers will raise her head and stare you down. With so little vegetation left and this week's snow on the ground, they eat any seed on the ground. They also will bump the feeder to put more seed on the ground. I have to work hard to get them to leave - which I must do as they consumer large amounts of seed and water that I put out for the birds.
Of the eight, three are the mother who delivered twins last spring (we lost the male father in late fall) and two are the mother and her single fawn from last spring. No idea where the herd picked up the last three in the herd of eight. Now, last spring's fawns are the same size as mom.

Update and Summary: Foxes with Mange

2009-01-14T20:28:00.008-05:00

A quick summary of previous posts about foxes in the Colvin Run Habitat and about mange illness in foxes. There many postings about Red-tailed Foxes visiting the Habitat, but only three postings about foxes infected with mange. I am posting this update to make sure that all information we know is easily found in this blog.

First and foremost, regardless of how cute they are, foxes are wild animals. Kids - talk to your parents. Parents - make sure you use good judgment and appropriate caution.

Fact and Fiction about Foxes with Mange:
>It is very common for individuals to believe that if they see a fox near their homes, looking or acting sick, that it must have rabies. 99% of the time this is not the case.
>The animal most likely is suffering from mange; a debilitating condition that causes severe scratching, open sores and loss of hair. >The good news is that it is easily treatable.

Information to help you understand an animal with mange:
>A fox with mange is very weak from an inability to hunt for food.
>They are tired and suffering from constant itching and burning sensations.
>Because they must eat they will venture close to homes looking for food. Pet food that is left outside is a frequent choice.
>The fox will not attack cats, dogs or children. Even under normal circumstances it is not aggressive. It will react however, if trying to be captured.
>They do not want to take up residence in your area permanently. If treated and allowed to recover they will move on.

However, mange, like many illness, needs to be treated with medication:
>See this site from upstate New York for details
>Mange in foxes is treatable with Ivermectin which is inexpensive and easy to obtain.

I am hoping that the recent anonymous commenter from Great Falls, Viriginia (a community adjacent to the Colvin Run Habitat), will continue to keep us up to date on the progress of treating his foxes.

If you have observations of foxes with mange and especially if you are able to treat mangy foxes with Ivermectin, I hope that you will post a comment and let us know your actual experiences and results.

In the meantime, 9 months have passed since we have observed a fox in the Habitat. But hope springs eternal, and we continue to wait for another blessing of foxes.

Unidentified Slug

2009-01-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

In addition to the Leopard Slug, we also have this slug in the Colvin Run Habitat.

I do not know what kind of slug it is...a banana slug??? Since someone identified the spider, I am hoping someone will identify this slug. Anyone???

This slug was moving around the nylon grill cover. In the first two photos, you can clearly see the slim trail left.

These photos were taken last summer.

Middleton Spider

2008-12-29T18:20:00.002-05:00

While we were visiting Middleton Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, we observed many of these spiders. I have no idea what kind of spider it is. Anyone care to enlighten us on this type of spider?

Update: LB advises that this is a Golden Silk Orb-Weaver.

Sammy the Squirrel Burying Nuts

2008-12-29T18:19:00.000-05:00

One day in late summer, I decided to have some fun with this squirrel that we call Sammy. I put out several almonds and let him go to work. Sure enough as soon as he discovered the nuts, he grabbed one and began to dig a hole. This sequence of photos shows him digging a hole, putting the nut in the hole, and then covering it with dirt. Now that winter is here, I wonder if Sammy or some other squirrel has enjoyed the nut yet.

Osprey

2008-12-29T18:18:00.000-05:00

On the way to the Pickering Creak Audubon Center, we came across one of the many ospreys nesting in and around the Chesapeake Bay. This is a majestic raptor that enjoys nesting on the many navigation buoys in the creeks and the bay. This one was about 20 yards off of a bridge just before the town of St. Michael's, Maryland - hey, if you are going to the Eastern Shore where else do you stop for lunch?

More From Pickering Creek

2008-12-29T18:17:00.000-05:00

The Pickering Center also has other wildlife besides birds. Here are two of the butterflies that were very numerous this summer. The one clearly had a tough summer.

And, then there is the small lizard.

Pickering Creek Audubon Center

2008-12-29T18:16:00.002-05:00

This summer, we again took a quick road trip to the Pickering Creek Audubon Center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. These photos show a number of Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Lesser Yellowlegs.

The third photo shows a pair of Lesser Yellowleg. I am relying on the posted siting of this bird, as it summers in Northern Canada and winters along the eastern US Atlantic coast.

More Hummers

2008-12-29T18:15:00.000-05:00

So here are the hummingbird that I was getting close-ups of when one came in the house.

If you look closely at the last photo, you'll notice this hummer is sticking out her tongue - how else do you get nectar from the flower and sugar water from the feeder?

As always, if you click on the photo, you'll get a soomed in copy.

Hummingbird in the House

2008-12-29T18:00:00.001-05:00

One day, I decided to attempt some close-ups of the hummingbirds feeding near the window. To get the best photo, I opened the window to the porch. After about five minutes and lots of photos, I took up another position - forgetting to close the window.

As the more aggressive hummer returned, he bumped another one into the open window. We had a hummingbird in the house. The in-house hummer immediately went to the highest level (the ceiling) and had no way to get out. For the next 15 minutes, I struggled with how to get the hummer out, while the hummer struggled with exhaustion. During one point the hummer took a rest in one of my wife's summer wreaths hanging on the wall.

Eventually, I opened the tops of the windows (versus the normal bottoms)and used a small broom to encourage the hummer to leave, which he eventually did.

Bunny

2008-12-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

My wife is a great lover of bunnies - in the wild, in artwork, in almost any form. This one was observed at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

Hummingbirds Arrive

2008-12-29T15:19:00.000-05:00

The hummingbirds did not arrive to the Habitat during the summer of 2008 until very late July. When they arrived, they arrived in number and were seen at the near-window feeder about once an hour. When they would fight for position at the feeder, they provided entertainment. The slowly began to head south for the winter. The last hummingbird was seen on September 30.

Hundred Hawk Day

2008-12-29T15:18:00.011-05:00

We began the second day of our Christmas road trip from the Colvin Run Habitat to Frisco, Texas, by leaving Memphis, Tennessee. By the time we arrived in Frisco, we had counted 105 hawks of various types, sizes, and colors - all while we were traveling at 70 mph along I40 and I30. The highest hawk density was between Memphis and Little Rock, Arkansas, where we observed an average of one hawk every 2 minutes = 52 hawks in 107 miles. In the bright sunshine and brilliant blue skies, spotting them in small groups of trees and on posts and rails was quite easy. Maybe ten were observed in flight.

A good number were hawks that we are familiar with - red-tails, red-shoulders, even a few sharp-shinned hawks. On three occasions, we observed red-tails swooping down from a post or tree to grab a small rodent. On two of these observations, the red-tail was parallel to the line of our travel. On one of these observations though, the hawk came right to left across the road to grab something on a very wide median - no problem as the hawk was well in front of us. However, after picking up the prey, the hawk made a U-turn and came back across the road. At that point, I had to swerve the car to avoid taking out the hawk with my windshield.

There were several hawks observed that are not frequently seen in the Habitat or on the East Coast. I believe that on two occasions, we believe we observed Golden Eagles. Even though we had observed several red-tailed hawks of considerable size, the size of these golden eagles was remarkable. Their all brown exteriors was in stark contrast to the white, white/brown, or reddish brown breasts of the other perched raptors. A quick bit of research showed that while the golden eagles do not nest in Arkansas, they do winter in Arkansas. We hope we got the observation correct.

Peacocks

2008-12-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

While on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina, and visiting Middleton Plantation (which gave us the ship in the harbor exploding scene in The Patriot)), we observed these two peacocks. Clearly, they are not native to the plantation, but do live throughout the plantation. It was very interesting to see them nesting on the ground.

P.S. For frequent readers, demands in the office struck again, so we have not posted for some time. I am about to post a number of photos from the late summer and fall. The posting date will not reflect the date the photo was taken.

Colvin Run Habitat: Popperatzi: Slalking Deer

2008-10-16T11:19:00.004-04:00

I normally do not shoo the animals (well except for the crows) from the Habitat. But with the deer so numerous and frequent, I began a game of stalking the deer this summer. The position of the shrubs in the Habitat allowed me to get very close before the deer saw me. Of course with me close, as soon as they saw me, the deer would take off. Most times, I only got shots of their rears.
Of course, my stalking never deterred them coming back. In fact, as can be seen from this second photo the buck never lost even a green leaf - even in full stride.
The deer typically ran 30 yards and start eating again.

Fawn Salad

2008-10-15T11:55:00.003-04:00

While the deer usually come through as a family unit, every once in a while only one of the fawns are observed. The other are most likely nearby, but unseen by me.
There is nearly nothing that they will not eat. I have suggested taking our "National Wildlife Society Certification" sign down and replace it with one saying "Deer Salad Bar - Help Yourself."
My wife tried to keep them from eating her flowers this year with Tabasco sauce - I believe that the deer actually began to enjoy the flavor - nothing stops them.
The last two photos were taken about a month earlier than the first three.

Even Deer Need Water

2008-10-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

Before the arrival of Hurricane Hanna (passed us as a tropical storm), the Colvin Run Habitat was in need of water. In fact, it was so dry that even the deer were drinking from the bird bath.
Well, at least the doe and the fawns were - the buck would only stand and watch.

White-tailed Deer Family

2008-10-13T11:08:00.001-04:00

As Colvin Run Habitat visitors know, white-tailed deer are plentiful - to the point that we refer to any backyard flowers as deer food.
Two family units were near daily visitor this summer - one was a female and a single fawn - the other family was the one pictured here - a doe, a buck, and two fawns.
Most times, the family simply walked through feeding on anything green at sunrise or sunset. They would also drink from the bird bath (the next post). Some days the whole family would sleep away the day in the shade of the Bradford pear trees in the Habitat.

See Colvin Run Habitat in Google Earth

2008-10-12T11:30:00.004-04:00

Ever wonder where the Colvin Run Habitat is actually located?

Well, thanks to the folks at Google Earth and Panoramio you can now see the Northern Virginia, USA, location of the Habitat. Go to the CRH site on Panoramio, the folks who allow you to post photos on Google Earth. When you get there, you'll see the CRH sign. Above the sign photo, click on the "See in Google Earth" - click and you'll see the Colvin Run Habitat in Google Earth.
Of course, both Google Earth and Panoramio are free web products.

Great Blue Heron Flyover

2008-10-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

While photographing the raccoons one evening, a great blue heron flew over. We have only had one heron ever stop by the Colvin Run Habitat for a visit.

Evening Raccoons

2008-10-11T11:00:00.002-04:00

The spring thrill of nesting bluebirds was followed by visits by a pair of raccoons each evening during July.
Frequent readers of the Colvin Run Habitat know that I have posted two other photos of raccoon visitors. But, in early July, we had a raccoon visitor each evening between 7:30 and 8:30 PM. The two were never seen together.

Of course, the main attraction was the sunflower seeds that the crows scatter from the feeder to the ground every day. Every once in a while, a raccoon would dig in last fall's leave mulch.

After 10 days or so, it was clear that I was dealing with two different raccoons. In addition to slight differences in the color of their coat, two very distinct behaviors were observed. One (later determined to be a female) allowed me to approach to within 10 yards of her and to even use the flash for photos. The other would run into the brush as soon as I left the back door.

So how did I know one was a female? One evening, she rose up on here back feet to inspect the feeder (the only time either showed interest in the feeder versus the seed on the ground). Of course, when she rose up, the fact that she was nursing was clear. I never observed any of the young. I suppose that the other could have been a young raccoon, but seemed to be full size for that early in the season.

Bluebird Chicks at Three Weeks

2008-10-10T10:41:00.000-04:00

Friends of the Colvin Run Habitat - Since early July, duties at the office have prevented me from spending time writing. But, I have photos to share about an exciting summer at the Colvin Run Habitat. Over the next few weeks, you'll see the wonders of raccoons, hummingbirds (who are now gone for the season), the Cooper's Hawk (who arrived for the winter as the hummers left), a gator (seen in the wild on a 4-day vacation), and our resident deer (now nearly a herd) and other birds.

The true joy and thrill of the spring was two broods Eastern Bluebirds. When we last published the second set of chicks had been in the nest about a week (picture above). A week after that photo, the chicks and their parents had left the nest and were then seldom seen. The photo below is one of the chicks about 4 weeks out of the nest. The photo is poor quality as it was taken at sundown with a flash. None of the bluebirds have been seen since late-August.

Bluebird Chicks at One Week

2008-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, I posted this photo of Eastern Bluebird chicks at about 24 hours after hatching. Here are two photos taken at seven days after hatching.
From skin and fuzz are growing feathers - well at least the very beginning of feathers.
There are four healthy chicks. All are about the same size. Photographed at 5 pm when all were sleeping and I guess well feed. Mom and dad were nowhere in sight. No sign of an unhatched fifth egg.

Fawn Twins Arrive

2008-07-05T13:57:00.000-04:00

These white-tailed deer fawns appeared June 15 in the Colvin Run Habitat. A full three weeks later that the first fawn seen this spring, these two stayed close to mom and dad.
Like the fawn twins from last year, there is a noticeable size difference between these two.
In the third photo, one of the fawns is seeking to nurse. However, this deer is a male - as seen from the growing antlers. I assume this male is the father and not a brother born last year.

New Eastern Bluebird Chicks Arrive

2008-06-30T11:12:00.005-04:00

The Eastern Bluebird chicks from this spring's first brood left the nest about 4 weeks ago. As the parents will not reuse a nest, I cleaned out the nest from the nesting box. The parents quickly built a new nest, then laid and incubated the second brood. And, here they are.
These bluebird chicks are no less than 12 and no more than 36 hours old. The two photos show four hatched chicks; all are alive as each has moved position from one photo to the next. There is one remaining and apparently unhatched egg. These new bluebirds will leave the nest in about 2 1/2 weeks.
These photos and the ones of the first brood this year were taken with the nest removed from the nesting box. I check the box, but do not remove the nest, about every two days. Any parent in the box will fly out when I am about 5 feet from the box. The male will incubate the eggs during the day. When I remove the nest, I use a large spatula to support the bottom of the nest. Camera at the ready, it is a two person exercise. I return the nest within 30 seconds. The nest of grass returns easily to the box. I remove the nest for photos no more that twice per brood. The parents quickly return to feed and care for the chicks.

Many thanks to Maegan and Ashley from the Walden Glen Road Habitat (home of Sneaky the Raccoon) in Madison County, Alabama, for their help in the photographing of these new born chicks.
Madison, AL

Rascal Update

2008-06-26T22:03:00.005-04:00

Back in September, I introduced you to Rascal - a male lab-boxer mix - adopted from the rescue center. Today, someone asked how he made out. So here is Rascal in September...
...and here is Rascal 4 months later...
...and here he is just another 2 months later.
As you might imagine, Rascal needs - or is that demands - lots of exercise each day. His favorite place is Fort Woof - a Ft Worth, Texas, dog park.

Rascal's owners are getting married this weekend, but he did not make the trip to Northern Virginia. His cousin and famous squirrel chaser, LuLu, however, did make the trip back home. Lu is still chasing squirrels.

First Fawn Sighting of 2008

2008-06-12T23:52:00.004-04:00

Three weekend ago, one of the does brought a new fawn for its first visit to the Colvin Run Habitat. This is about three weeks earlier than the 2007 first fawn sighting.
Mom kept a close eye on me; I gave ample space. The fawn stayed literally within a touch of mom.
Neither have been observed since. Previous fawn postings are here.

Black Snake Visits Habitat - Then Comes in House

2008-05-30T21:12:00.000-04:00

This black snake (aka, black rat snake) showed up a few days ago. My wife noticed him enjoying the warm of the direct sun, as well as the sunlight reflected off of the house siding.
When I saw him, I began considering the question where was he coming from before sunning himself.
The obvious, but very concerning origin, was inside the house.
Sure enough, as I approached him to take these photos, he began seeking his entrance.
As you can see from these photos, he slipped right in - I believe between the siding and the underlying plywood.
The snake stayed 'in the house' for about 30 minutes, then showed himself again. When he saw me, he slithered with considerable speed into the tall grass and brush.
To maintain domestic tranquility, when he returned the next day, I used the sharp blade of a shovel to ensure the this snake never is seen again.

Raccoon Visits Colvin Run Habitat

2008-05-29T21:21:00.003-04:00

Over the last ten days, this raccoon has visited the Colvin Run Habitat on three occasions. On two of these occasions, I was able to capture these photos.
On all three occasions, he came at about 8 PM and ate sunflower seeds that have fallen from the bird feeder.
This raccoon appearred healthy and was not threated by my close approach and clicking camera. During his first visit, I took photos out of an opened back porch door. During his second visit, I began by opening the door and easing out onto the porch steps. He didnot react to sounds, but rather to motion that he sees. He looked directly at me for a quick moment, then turned his back to me and continued to eat. During this second visit, I crept barefoot down the steps and along the walkway. He twice raised his head, looked at me, then continued feasting on seed. Finally, I got within 15 feet of the raccoon, where is posed again for photos, then jogged off into the bush. From that close position, I captured the first, third, and last photos.
Please make sure that you give raccoons or any wild animals plenty of space, do not threaten the young (even though you may not see them), and do not box them into any corner.

The last raccoon visit occurred 11 months ago.

In the next few posts - the new fawn arrives, bluebird chicks leave the nest, and black snake decides to enter the house.

Towhee Pays Spring Visit to Habitat

2008-05-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

The Eastern Towhee paid a somewhat unusual spring vii st to the Colvin Run Habitat the other day.
The second photo shows the towhee's backside, as well as a finch leaving the feeder in flight.
The towhee arrived the last week of April - also the last week of this spring's dogwood blooms.

Gray Catbird Narrowly Escapes Coopers Hawk

2008-05-18T09:39:00.002-04:00

The Gray Catbird is not often observed in the Colvin Run Habitat. This catbird arrived the other morning and perched in the dogwood tree.
Like most other birds, from the dogwood the catbird flew to the feeder pole.
Within just a few seconds, the catbird dove back into the dogwood to narrowly escape an attack from a Coopers hawk that had suddenly appeared. Please accept my apologies for enjoy the moment and not getting a photo of the hawk.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak Visits Habitat for First Time

2008-05-17T09:08:00.001-04:00

Recently, I observed for the first time a rose-breasted grosbeak in the Colvin Run Habitat. The Habitat lies on the very southern border of the grosbeak's summer range.
During mating season, the male rose-breasted grosbeak takes on the rose colored patch on his chest. This male will spend 1/3 of the daytime incubating the eggs in the nest.
As you can see from the second photo, this grosbeak is about the size and from the same family as the cardinal.
I could not resist posting the last two photo showing a sparrow and cardinal, respectively, in flight and landing on the bird feeder.

Canadian Goose Takes a Swim

2008-05-16T15:32:00.000-04:00

Again noticing that someone was referred to the Colvin Run Habitat blog by a Google search of 'goose', I thought that I would post a few more photos of geese.
Throughout ponds and lakes in Northern Virginia, wild Canadian geese are nearly as plentiful as deer are in the Habitat.
Geese are observed flying in their classic V-formation over the Habitat several times a week, but they never land.
Most time, these geese allow you to get rather close. When you get too close, they simply walk into the water. Or, if they are having a bad day, they will chase you away.
Regardless, they provide a easy target for novice wildlife photographers.

Texas Mockingbird

2008-05-15T08:00:00.003-04:00

I noticed that in a recent Google search someone was looking for photos of the Northern Mockingbird. So here are a few mockingbird photos taken on my March visit to Frisco, Texas.
Of course, we all know that the mockingbird is the state bird of the great state of Texas. So this posting is sent out to all my friends in Texas - kindergarten students at Ethridge Elementary School, the Library Services Staff in the Lewisville School District, and my fellow blogger who is now watching birds in Austin.
Interested in mockingbird chicks? See these photos from last year.

Bluebird Chicks Hatch

2008-05-11T14:51:00.003-04:00

So here they are the hatched bluebird chicks. Two chicks sleeping head-to-head in the nest. One egg did not yeild a chick.
Given their current size, I am estimating another 7 to 9 days before they leave the nest.
Feathers have considerable development to complete. Currently the feathers are basically numbs to be filled out.

Hummingbirds, Grosbeak, and Red-tailed Fox

2008-05-10T11:20:00.004-04:00

In a great seven day period, the Colvin Run Habitat observed a new bird and welcomed back two long time visitors.

First, the hummingbirds returned last Sunday at the break of dawn (no new photos yet). Second, on Friday morning, a never before seen rose-breasted grosbeak joined the cardinals at the bird feeder (photos to follow in a later post). Third, this morning (Saturday), a red-tailed fox wondered through the Habitat. My wife came yelling into the house, I grabbed the camera, and by sheer luck caught 4 poor quality photos. One of the photos is posted above. Why is it that some of our most interesting wildlife comes when the sky is overcast and stays in the shade?

Regardless, exciting news that we have another fox in residence, hopefully.

Ovenbird Seen for the First Time

2008-05-03T07:08:00.003-04:00

Every once in a while I come across a bird that I have never seen (in your life) or that has never visited the Colvin Run Habitat. This week, I observed a sparrow-size, slightly olive colored bird with a distinctive orange and black striping on the top of the head. A quick look at the field guide indicated that the observed bird was an ovenbird, a thrush-like warbler that lives on the ground of mature forests eating insects. This bird gets its name from its nest which has a dome and side entrance - the nest looks like a Dutch oven.

Unfortunately, the ovenbird that I observed was dead, which is the reason that I have the photos lower in this posting. If you would rather not see photos of a dead ovenbird - read no further. This ovenbird was found on the ground, close to the porch. I assume that the ovenbird flew into the windows and did not survive the crash. Every once in a while, a cardinal will leave his body print on a window. Far less frequently, a downy woodpecker will knock himself out, but always recover.

Note the overall olive color, pink legs, and spotted breast.
The orange and black striping on the head is truly unique.

Another Walk: Cardinals Always Around

2008-04-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever I take a walk in the Habitat, the cardinals are never far away.
The male cardinals have been unbelievably aggressive to one another this spring. I guess the competition for mates is considerable this year.
Of course, when not chancing away other males, the males are seeking the females. I caught this female in flight, with a white-throated sparrow looking on.

Another Walk: House Wren Looks to Evict Bluebirds

2008-04-25T17:26:00.003-04:00

I mentioned that in my walk in the Habitat this week that the male bluebird was defending the nest in the bird box from a house wren. So here are some more photos of the encroaching wren.
Each time that the bluebird would chase the wren, the wren would leave and return as soon as the bluebird was out of sight.
Of course, I noted last year that the house wren is known to evict birds from the box.

Another Walk: Female Bluebird Comes and Goes

2008-04-24T20:31:00.001-04:00

While the male bluebird was busy defending the nest, the female was equally busy tending the contents of the box. Note that the female is duller than the brilliantly blue make.
During this time, she was running a continuing cycle of going into the box, coming out, flying around and then back into the box. In preparing to enter the box, the female bluebird would look at me to make sure I was not coming closer.
She would then double check the other surroundings.
Then, she would focus her attention of what was in the box.
Then, into the box she would go - head in first.
Then, she would get all but the last of her tail in. Once in, she took nearly a minute, then turned around and peeked out to check the surroundings.
So what was in the box? Could be the female building the nest, or perhaps she was tending eggs or even hatchlings. At the next opportunity, I will open the box and let you know.

Another Walk: Bluebird Pair at Work

2008-04-23T18:26:00.004-04:00

A week ago, I took a walk in the Colvin Run Habitat (post 1, post 2, post 3, and post 4) seeking to photograph the bluebirds nesting in the bird box. A week ago, the bluebirds led me around the Habitat and proved to be elusive. Today's walk was a much different story.
Today, both bluebirds - male and female - were visibly working hard to protect the nest and to tend the content of the box. This first photo shows the male keep watch from one of his perches - on top of the bird box.
It took me a few minutes to understand what the male bluebird was upset about, but from as you can see in the second photo something has caught his attention as he looks over his shoulder.
In the third photo, you can see that he has turned to face what is concerning him. He nearly immediately flew into a a nearby bush.
Over the next ten minutes, the male bluebird would chase this house wren from a bush that is about 15 feet in front of the bird box. This was a constant chase and return. The wren did a lot of singing. The male bluebird would run him each time. Of course, we know from last year that the house wrens can be deadly to occupants of a bird box if the wren is determined to take possession.
Last year, I described the house wren as a not so friendly bird that will evict another bird’s eggs and hatchlings, and then build over the existing nest. Basically, the male builds the nest of twigs on top of an existing nest, then attracts a female that completes the nest lining of feathers, lays and incubates the eggs, then raises the young.

A Walk Through the Habitat: Eastern Bluebird

2008-04-19T20:15:00.003-04:00

When I began my walk through the Colvin Run Habitat the other day, this is the fellow I was looking to photograph. As I left the house, I walked directly towards the bluebird house, hoping the capture this male bluebird in the oak tree directly behind the bird box. Of course, what I saw and photographed first was a variety of other birds (post 1, post 2, and post 3).
As I approached the box, the bluebird took off for the other side of the Habitat (hoping I will follow???) and eventually perched in one of the front trees. I am always amazed that the birds will turn and look directly at me as I photograph them. This turn of the head (second photo) almost looks comical.
As I approached further, the bluebird flew away (note the translucency of his wing feathers) and ...
...and returns to perch in the back oak tree where I expected to find him in the first place.

A Walk Through the Habitat: White-Throated Sparrow

2008-04-18T20:12:00.001-04:00

As I continued my walk in the Colvin Run Habitat (post 1 and post 2), I almost tripped on these white-throated sparrows. During this spring, these guys are out in significant numbers.
The white-throated sparrows are living in the holly bush in the Habitat that is adjacent to the bird feeders.
In the third photo I accidentally caught one sparrow munching down a white worm. As you can see in this third photo, the worm had already been munching on the Bradford pear tree leaf (the leaf has been eaten in half already).
As you can see from the fourth photo, the sparrows move along the ground by hopping. When observed from the second floor of the house, these sparrows look like field mice running across the mulch. Until this photo, I assumed that they ran across the ground. This photo shows that they clearly hop.
During April, we wake up to the constant song of the white-throated sparrow. I believe that the song is a communications between the sparrow on the nest and the sparrow not on the next.

A Walk Through the Habitat: Downy Woodpecker

2008-04-17T20:08:00.005-04:00

So as I continued my walk in the Colvin Run Habitat, I ran into this downy woodpecker. I first found him in the dogwood tree where all of the woodpeckers first perch before visiting the suet feeders. Click on the photo and get an enlarged view - take a look at his eyes.
It wasn't long before he left the dogwood perch and flew to the feeder. As discussed previously, the woodpeckers have a flight segment where the wings are completely brought in to the body. This little guy really doesn't look like a bird in flight - perhaps he looks more like a chubby bullet.
As I continued my walk, the downy woodpecker seemed to follow me to the other side of the yard, where he took up a more classic woodpecker pose on the side of this large branch. Within two weeks this photo would not be possible. The maples are in the early stages of leaving. When the leaves are fully out, the birds will have the protection of a cover of leaves.
The downy finally found the end of this broken-off branch where he (a male, note the red on the back of the head) began looking for insects. Apparently, this broken-off branch is a favorite of the woodpeckers.

A Walk Through the Habitat: 9 Different Bird Types in 30 Minutes

2008-04-16T18:50:00.007-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, I got home early enough to take some photos in full sunlight. So I took the opportunity to take a walk through the Colvin Run Habitat.
The result was the observation of nine different types of birds in 30 minutes:
>House Finch
>Carolina Wren
>American Robin
>Common Grackle
>Morning Dove
>Northern Cardinal
>Tufted titmice
>Eastern Bluebird
>Downy Woodpecker
>White-Throated Sparrow

The first photo shows the Northern cardinal (female) that is so common and numerous in the Habitat. The second photo shows the cardinal and a Carolina wren eating at the sunflower seed feeder. Note the seed in the cardinal mouth.
In the the third photo, I captured a house finch. Two years ago, the finches were nearly as common as the cardinals, but now I observe only 2-3 finches per month.
The fourth photo shows a morning dove, another bird whose numbers have decreased in the Habitat in the last year. The presence of a pair this spring is a good sign.
Number five is a poor quality photo of a common grackle.
Number six is a photo of one of the tufted titmice, one of the Habitat's birds whose numbers has slowly decreased over the last two years. Currently, the titmice numbers may be increasing.
And the last photo is an American robin - one of our birds whose numbers has increased during the last two seasons.

In the next three posts, I'll show the bluebirds, sparrows, and woodpeckers that 'played' with me as I walked the Habitat.

Update: Fox with Mange

2008-04-09T20:29:00.001-04:00

amanda in the city asked in a comment last week, 'Whatever happened to the sick fox?'
When I last observed the sick fox, I had begun to put food out each night. The food disappeared; whether eaten by the fox or some other animal, I never knew. However unable to make contact with a previously mentioned wildlife recovery group, I had no strategy for treatment other than providing food.

After a few nights, the food was no longer eaten. Given a reading that a fox with mange seldom lives longer than 4 months and that I have not see the fox again, I assume that this fox died.

Since that time, I have found a rescue center in upstate New York offering a treatment strategy. If another fox with mange appears in the Colvin Run Habitat, I will employ the recommended strategy.

In the meantime, we await the arrival of a new fox, or two, or even a family.

The photo in this post is the signature Colvin Run Habitat fox - not the fox observed sick with mange.

Goldfinches (Wild Canaries) Confirm Arrival of Spring

2008-04-08T18:00:00.003-04:00

These photos are for my colleague who mentioned that she noticed the goldfinches were changing colors.
I noticed yesterday that someone visited the Colvin Run Habitat Blog looking for pictures of wild canaries. Just a reminder that 'wild canary' is a name many times given to American goldfinches in their summer plumage. I previously posted photos showing the change of color in goldfinches.
In the Colvin Run Habitat, yesterday was the first time this season that a male goldfinch (sorry, the females stay in a dull, olive plumage) was observed in this 'wild canary' plumage. Like the arrival of the Bradford pear tree flowers, the bright yellow goldfinches are a sure sign that spring has really arrived.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

2008-04-06T14:00:00.002-04:00

This spring a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers have been observed at least once a day in the Colvin Run Habitat. A few hours of sunshine allowed some reasonable photo taking, here are the results.
This is the male (continuous patch of red on the head; no gray on head). I'll post a photo of the female as soon as I get a current (and good) photo.
Given the presence of a male and female pair, I assume that they have a 'nest' nearby. Red-bellied woodpecker nest in hole in dead tree or dead limb. Eggs are laid on wood chips left from woodpecker's excavation of the nesting hole.
Unfortunately, the red-bellied woodpeckers compete with European starlings for nest locations. The starlings will nest anywhere including holes excavated by woodpeckers. Perhaps this is why the red-bellied woodpeckers and the starlings are not goof friends at the feeders.

Eastern Bluebird: Nest Built

2008-04-04T19:12:00.007-04:00

I previously mentioned a few days ago that, unlike last year (May 12, May 19, Jun 19, and Jul 29), the bluebirds were active around the bluebird box (Mar 29 and Mar 31)this spring. I finally took a minute to quickly look at the inside of the box. This photo shows what I found. I did not keep the box open for long, nor did I disturb the nest, but no eggs were observed.

As you can see in the photo below, I did not even need to open the box to see that a nest had been built - not the grass coming out of the box door.

Revisited: April 1st: Strange Happenings in the Habitat

2008-04-01T21:13:00.000-04:00

Significant rain fell during the night. And sunrise yielded a never before seen animal in the Colvin Run Habitat. This never before seen animal has left me, well, speechless. Take a look at the first photo.

Yes, an American alligator right between the birth bath and the bird feeders. When the sun finally dried out the soggy lawn and the gator headed south.

LuLu paid a visit today as well. In a surprise display of courage, the little white dog from Texas took on the red tailed fox in an attempt to protect the squirrels when the fox made a charge. See the second photo.

After LuLu straightened the fox out, the two became best of buddies. See the third photo.

Oh, did I mentioned that it is April Fool's Day. Hope you enjoyed the fun!

Birds-in-Flight: Eastern Bluebird

2008-03-31T22:42:00.001-04:00

The Eastern Bluebird is now observed many times throughout the day at the bird box. Sometime soon, I will attempt to get some photos of the nest building.
In the meantime, I thought I would continue our birds-in-flight series with the bluebird's flight from being perched on top of the box to perched on the box opening.
As you can see, the bluebird simply leans forwards and falls off the top of the box. The bluebird uses its half extended wings to slow its fall and to turn around to face the box opening. The bluebird then takes a wing stroke (not shown - sorry) to fly up to the opening.
This flight behavior of leaning forward and falling into flight and then flight up to a landing perch is consistent with the flight photos presented earlier for the woodpeckers, cardinals, and blue jay.

Bluebirds Building Nest in Birdhouse

2008-03-29T11:19:00.003-04:00

Regular readers of the Colvin Run Habitat Blog know that Eastern Bluebirds are rare in the Habitat. While a bluebird house or box was erected last spring, a pair of chickadees immediately moved in, only to be evicted later in the season by a pair of house wrens. A bluebird was observed perched on top of the bluebird box last year, but did not build a nest.
At the beginning of March, we began observing a bluebird (never seen as a pair) in the Habitat about once a week. In the last few days, a bluebird has been observed not only perched on top of the box, but actually entering the box with nesting materials. I took these three photos after sneaking through the shrubs to get as close to the bluebird as possible.
I am guessing that this bluebird is the male, as the male supplies the nest materials while the female does the actual building of the nest.

Texas Longhorns in the Snow at Southlake Town Square

2008-03-06T21:40:00.006-05:00

A previous post addressed Texas longhorns on the streets of the City of Southlake in Tarrant County, Texas. As we make this post, it is snowing in Southlake.
So pity the poor longhorns, today left to roam the city streets in the cold! It looks as if there are frozen stiff! Well, this is all in good fun.
My thanks to the staff of the Southlake Planning Department for their excellent work and photos.

Birds-in-Flight: Herring Gull

2008-02-27T00:00:00.002-05:00

Reminder: Click on the photo to see an enlarged copy.
Back in the fall of 2003, we took an extended weekend trip to Cape Cod and included a ferry ride from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard.
There is nothing like a daily ferry with tourist to attrack sea gulls. Of course, a crew member throwing popcorn from the top deck helps also.

The gulls came within 10 feet of the top deck - the gulls got popcorn while I got lots of photos.
All of these are Herring Gulls, a common gull found throughout North America.

Without a reference in these photos it is hard to appreciate that these gulls are the size of a red-shouldered hawk with a 4 1/2 foot wingspan.
The Herring Gull is part of a complex of large, white-headed gulls that breed across the northern hemisphere. Some people consider all of the forms as one species, while others would recognize 10 or more species. [Cornell]

Birds-in-Flight: Red-Shouldered Hawk Perched on Habitat Feeder

2008-02-26T00:00:00.002-05:00

The red-shouldered hawk can be observed in Colvin Run Habitat about once every 6 to 8 weeks. When observed, the red-shouldered hawks are in flight overhead or perched in one of the trees on the perimter of the one acre backyard habitat.
But two days ago, a mature male red-tailed shouldered hawk perched right on top of the sunflower seed feeder. He stayed less than a minute, then flew at about 5 feet off the ground and then perched in one of the perimter maple trees.
As soon as his mate called out, he was off to the top of white pine trees, calling out to her as he went.
Fifty weeks ago, a mating pair of red-souldered hawks was observed in the Habitat. At that time, an immature female was the one on the ground in the Habitat. Could today's hawk be the male from that pair? As red-shouldered hawks ofter return year after year to the same spot, I am betting that this is the same pair.

Birds-in-Flight: Cedar Waxwing

2008-02-25T00:00:00.005-05:00

As a quick follow-up to the last post, here are two more photos of the cedar waxwing in flight - well, sort of.
In both of these photos, the cedar waxwing is landing on the water pump tub. Given the rarity of the cedar waxwing in the Colvin Run Habitat, I just could not resist a second, and highly likely last, post about the cedar waxwing.

Migration Underway: Cedar Waxwing

2008-02-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

In our last post, a migrating flock of robin visited the Colvin Run Habitat and brought with them the bird perched on the water pump tub (middle of the photo, back to the camera). Who is this? This perviously never observed in the Habitat bird is a cedar waxwing.
This regal looking bird is the size of robin, but is usually one of the last birds migrating north as they eat berries and fruit, which certainly are not available in Viriginia in late February or even early March. My guess is that this particular waxwing was wintering with other birds including these robins. When the robins came north, this waxwing just came along.
As you can see from this third photo, the coloring and the crown of the waxwing, especially when perched in the trees, is very similar to the female cardinal. Once you notice the yellow-tiped tail and the orange (nearly red)-tiped wings, you'll never confuse the waxwing with the femal cardinal.

Cedar waxwings with orange instead of yellow tail tips began appearing in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada beginning in the 1960s. The orange color is the result of a red pigment picked up from the berries of an introduced species of honeysuckle. If a waxwing eats the berries while it is growing a tail feather, the tip of the feather will be orange.
The cedar waxwing is one of the few temperate dwelling birds that specializes in eating fruit. It can survive on fruit alone for several months. Unlike many birds that regurgitate seeds from fruit they eat, the cedar waxwing defecates fruit seeds. The cedar waxwing is vulnerable to alcohol intoxication and death after eating fermented fruit. Cornell

Migration Underway: American Robin

2008-02-23T18:30:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday at about 3 in the afternoon as I was completing my work for the Great Backyard Bird Count, I noticed a single robin perched in the oak tree among a number of male and female cardinals.
Then, another robin appeared in the dogwood and still another appeared in the Bradford pear tree. Within a minute, there were two dozen robins in the Habitat. Clearly, a migrating flock of robins had picked the Habitat as a stop over on their way north.
They quickly found and enjoyed the water available in the tub and the flower pots. The robins mingled with the other birds and were still in the Habitat when the sun went down. I did not see them the next morning. I have not seen them since. In this 2 hour period, I saw more robins in the Habitat than will be observed throughout the spring and summer months.
Take a close look at this last photo. Notice a bird other than a robin? Who is this previously unobserved-in-the-Habitat visitor? Stay tuned. We'll talk about this fellow in our next posting.

Migration Underway: Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

2008-02-22T11:44:00.014-05:00

This week in 2007, I observed for the first time a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Yes, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is real and not a fictional bird. Since that time in 2007, the yellow-bellied sapsucker has not been seen. Until this morning.
This morning, two yellow-bellied sapsuckers - a male and female (chin and throat red in male, white in female). They were both on the same maple tree. In fact, it was only when I looked closely at the photos that I realized these were two different birds.
Given the timing of these two observations and limited observations, it is clear that these are migrating woodpeckers. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is the only woodpecker in eastern North America that is completely migratory. [Cornell] That is, their summer and winter regions do not over lap; or, they do not stay in one region year around.
After some additional study, two other observations. First, it is clear that the yellow-bellied sapsucker has been in the Colvin Run Habitat for the last week or so based on the song provided at [Cornell]. Second, shown in the last photo are deep round holes that the sapsucker inserts its bill into to probe for sap and rectangular holes which are shallower. New holes usually are made in a line with old holes, or in a new line above the old.

Birds-in-Flight: Red-Tailed Hawk

2008-02-16T18:48:00.005-05:00

On a quick excursion out of the Colvin Run Habitat today, we found this red-tailed hawk perched at the top of a tall oak tree.
We stopped the car, grabbed the camera, and began shooting.
I wanted to get a shot of him still perched, but he saw me coming and got airborne.
Identifying Birds-Cornell Ornithology reports a maximum perched height of 26" and a maximum wingspan of 52". This red-tailed was certainly reached that size - if not larger.
He was visable at least 100 yards before his perch as we approached in the car.
These are great examples of the red-tails features: the red tail, the light unederside, and the dark head.
When perched and viewed from the back, this red-tail showed only dark brown.

Birds-in-Flight: Cooper's Hawk

2008-02-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Four species of hawks have been observed in the Colvin Run Habitat: Red-Tailed Hawk, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Sharp-Shinned Hawk, and Cooper's Hawk. In our birds-in-flight series, we showed the first two in the last two postings. The Sharp-Shinned Hawk has been photographed, but never in flight. The Cooper's Hawk is perhaps the most frequently observed hawk in the Habitat, but the least frequently photographed in flight.
In the last post, I discussed the poor technical quality of some of the in-flight photos - low light, hawk subject in motion, photographer in motion, difficulty of auto-focus when hawks are in the trees. In these photos of the Cooper's Hawk, we eliminate the low-light and photographer in motion challenges. In the first photo, the Cooper's Hawk is stationery. In fact, he allowed me to get directly under his perch 15 deep up a tree; he then stayed still for several minutes while I photographed him. The result was a clear, crisp photograph.
On a different day, but with similar lighting, I took the last three photos. The Coop was stationery, perched about 30 feet up in a different tree. I approach a step at a time (that is, approach, stop, photograph, take one step, then repeat). When the Coop gets uncomfortable with my approach he takes to flight.
When the Coop did take to flight, he simply leaned foward and began to glide (second overall photo) - wings are tucked. As seen in the last two photo, the Coop finally extended his complete wingspan and began his down stroke.
These are great examples of the Cooper's Hawk navigating in flight through thick tree branches.

Birds-in-Flight: Red-Shouldered Hawk from Ground to Tree Perch

2008-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

This red-shouldered hawk, along with its mate, appeared in the Colvin Run Habitat early last March. They were observed perched, calling, and flying together for over an hour.
They had been seen for a few minutes at a time for the preceding month. Given the time and the amount of calling this day, I believe that they proceeded to the top of one of the white pine for mating.
I include them here for two reasons. First, I used the third photo (using markings on a branch cropped out of the photo) to measure the wingspan of this hawk after the fact. The wingspan measure 64" (yes 5 foot 4 inches). Given the size, I believe that this is the female of the pair. Given the markings, I believe that this is a realatively young (on the immature side) hawk.
Second, this is an excellent example of power - consider what it took for this large, heavy hawk to simultaneously jump, spread its over 5 feet of wings, and get a down stroke in before falling back to the ground.
These next photos show the progression from in-flight barely off the ground to being perched on a tree branch about 7 feet off the ground.
As it approaches its targeted perch, the hawk seeks more lift and less speed. Similar to an airplane, the hawk puts its flaps down.
It does this by, rotating its wings from a horizontal to a near vertical position - increasing lift and decreasing speed. All birds do this as they approach a perch. The result is that they, counter to our intuition, approach a perch from below, not from above - they flight up to, not glide down to the perch.
And, with that power and lift, the hawk perches on the tree branch.

You might ask why the technical quality of these photos are, well shall we say, not the best. First, the hawk was in near constant motion. Second, I was in near constant motion - these photos were taken by me walking to within 30 feet of this hawk. Third, the photos were taken on a cloudy day - not lots of light. The telephoto lense that I was using requires lots of light, else the shutter speed and aperture are not optimal for crisp photos. Fourth, the hawk is flying among tree branches. These tree branches confuse the camera's autofocus mechanism. In short, subject and photographer moving, low light, and focus in progress as photo is shot. Oh, to be sitting still to take slow walking marine birds on a beach in sunny Florida.

Birds-in-Flight: Red-Shouldered and Red-Tailed Hawks

2008-02-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

Let's take our birds-in-flight series to the raptors - a type of bird that we find soaring high about the Colvin Run Habitat, as well as down perched on tree branches and sometimes on the ground.
We start with the Red-Shouldered Hawk shown in all but the very last photo. In the first photo through a bit of digital darkroom magic, we have a red-shouldered hawk circling a few hundred feet above the Habitat. Same hawk, each photo taken about a second apart.
In the second and third photos, we get a from-the-underside and from a head-on perspective. The hawk in the third photo was only 20 to 30 feet above the camera location.
A friend, who recently moved to Austin, Texas, sent an email this week saying that her new residence had lots of hawks. In the exchange of emails, we shared our mutual frustration in attempting to identify specific species. The identification is made difficult as the hawks typically do not allow get close enough to make possible an identification (long lens are required). Further there are multiple subspecies (the red-shouldered has 5 subspecies) - and then there are the variations of immatures versus matures (immatures are sometimes larger than mature males), female versus male (female hawks are typically the larger of the two), then eastern versus western variety within each species, and the complexity grows from there.
There are three photos here of red-shouldered hawks with trees in the photo.
I include these trees-in-the-photo shots to give some reference of size. I have measured red-shouldered hawks in the Habitat with wingspans of nearly 5 feet.
In the next photo, we have a red-shouldered hawk (bottom right hand corner) and a red-tailed hawk. So how do I typically tell the two apart? First, the red-shouldered hawks have alternating white and dark bars on the tail; the red-tailed hawks have as the name says a red tail. Second, the red-shouldered hawk as its name says has a red shoulder and redish-orange breast, where the red-tailed hawk has pale wing undersides and pale breast. Thank goodness these photos were taken in January, when the broad-winged hawks are in central and south America, where they winter. The broad-winged and the red-shouldered are primarily differentiated by the size and number of bars on their tails.
The closest observed red-tailed hawk was one about 50 feet above the Habitat.

Birds-in-Flight: Nuthatch Takes One on Chin

2008-02-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

We always think of birds as being ever so graceful in flight. So think about the bad day that this white-brested nuthatch was having when he left the safety of a perch at the feeder (see second photo) and immediately flew into one of the feeder arms.
After taking one on the chin, he collected himself on the third arm of the feeder, he gave up on getting to the actual feeder and simply flew away (third photo).

In this last photo, we see a more graceful nuthatch in flight.
And, while we wait on any of the Brits to take us up on our offer, we leave you with this photo of a starling in flight. Note the transparency of the wing's flight feathers.

An Open Offer to the Brits

2008-02-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

The CBS News program Sunday Morning ran a video story entitled: POSTCARD FROM LONDON: The Gray Squirrel vs. The Red Squirrel. The message was that some Brits are attempting to stem an invasion of American Grey Squirrels that is, unfortunately, overwhelming and, sadly, reducing the numbers of the more native Red Squirrels.
To my friends in the UK, I FEEL YOUR PAIN!
Like you, I am overrun with animals not native to my country. In my case, it is the starling - a bird introduced 120 years ago to the States from your country. The starling easily adapted to American cities after 100 birds were liberated in Central Park, New York City, in 1890. Since then it has spread over most of the continent. Its large roosts, often located on buildings, may contain tens of thousands of birds. Hordes of these birds create much noise, damage vegetable or fruit crops, and do considerable damage around feedlots, consuming and fouling the feed of domestic cattle, and have proved difficult to drive away. Starlings compete with native hole-nesters for woodpecker holes and natural cavities. [enature.com] Between January and late May, here at the Colvin Run Habitat, the starling eats us out of house and home - I cannot keep them away from the feeders. And they absolutely take over the bird bath regardless of the season.

SO HERE IS MY OFFER
We Americans will come to the UK and round up all of your (or is that our) gray squirrels WHILE you come to the States remove all of our (or is that your) starlings. I think that this is a great deal on both sides. If nothing else, we will increase the tourist business in both countries.

ANY TAKERS???

Birds-in-Flight: Downy Woodpecker

2008-02-02T07:45:00.001-05:00

After last Sunday's post, amanda in the city commented that she enjoyed the blue jay and chickadee in flight. So, over the next few posts, I'll show the better photos from my 'birds in flight' collection.
We start with the downy woodpecker. We provide as a reference this first photo, where this male downy is in his normal (photographed) position - attached to the side of a tree.
In the second photo, the downy is in flight - leaving one of the suet feeders (note the suet in his beak). This photo not only shows the white spots on the extended wings, but also shows shape of the wings. Of course, the wings are simply a collection of individual feathers. In this 'birds in flight' collection, I am constantly amazed to see the individual feathers working together to achieve flight.
The third photo captures the downy in, what I call, glide position - wings are slightly extended, but tucked; body and tail are in a tight line to minimize drag as gravity is providing the force. This glide begins typically by the downy simply falling off of the branch, but the destination is always at a lower height than the starting position.
Most times, the downy, and most of birds, start flight by combination of wing extension and downstroke with the legs pushing off. I think this looks like what athletes call a standing broad jump.
This last photo reminds us that once in flight, the bird needs to continue to keep his wings in montion. This last photo shows the wings at the bottom of the down stroke - where the wing tips end up well below the line of the body. Of course, the stroke began with the wing tips above the body.

This last photo fails to capture the true nature of woodpecker flight, which is undulating. As Wikipedia says, "The repeated cycle of a quick succession of flaps followed by a pause creates an effect comparable to a rollercoaster." These flight characteristics create multiple problems in getting any photo, yet alone a reasonably good one. I'll talk more about photographing birds in flight in a future post.

Happier Days - Previous Foxes

2008-02-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

Included here are photos never before posted, as well as three that were posted in October 2006. As always you can click on the photos to get an enlarged version.
The Colvin Run Habitat's first observed fox visitor (pictured above) occurred on January 5, 2005, when this male brought his red coat and white-tipped tailed up the front drive. He promptly took a rest on his rear haunches and looked around as if he owned the place. He stayed for about five minutes. I documented this 2003 visit, as well as an encounter between a different fox and a doe and her fawn.
Over the last 20 months, we have had at least 6 foxes visit on multiple occasions the Colvin Run Habitat. Beginning May 2006, and through the winter of 2007, the fox in the second photo was a near daily visitor. During this time, she and her mate would come and spend literally hours sunning themselves in the brush at the edge of the lawn. The fox would come chase squirrels through the yard and even up and through the steps leading up to the porch. These adventures are posted many times (at here and here).
I first observed her on Sunday morning about 10 AM in the bright sun eating sunflower seeds under the bird feeder.
The very next morning, this fox returned to the feeder and proceeded to walk through the shrubs and head to the next yard.
When all of a sudden, the mate came out of the shrubs from a different place. The two then began a playful run across the neighbor's lawn and off into the next woods.
These photos are the only ones I managed to get of the pair together. I always assumed that one of them was always with the young. As you can see from these photos, in their spring/summer coats, it is difficult to tell them apart.
I only saw the pair one other time together. One morning in August 2006, I looked out to see the pair bringing two of their young through the shrubs in the Colvin Run Habitat. The kits, then approximately five months old, were nearly as large as the parents. As the kits would run through the shrubs and out of sight of the parents, one of the parents would hop up on the bench in the yard to get a higher view of the wondering kits. The four finally stopped playing and headed off into the rest of the neighborhood.
Since early spring 2007, two other different foxes have visited separately on multiple occasions. These later two have been the subjects of two recent posts (1 and 2)concerning foxes with mange.

Fox Returns Sick with Mange

2008-01-30T19:00:00.001-05:00

I am starting this new post, with photos previous posted. If you prefer not to see a seriously ill fox, go no further than these first five photos.
I am writing this posting for two reasons. First, I think that it is appropriate to show that life for the animals in the Colvin Ron Habitat can be tough.
Second, I believe that this is an opportunity for wildlife education. Specifically, to discuss a fox infected with mange versus a fox with rabies.
These photos show a 120-day progression. In early October, this fox appeared healthy. In fact, I commented in a post that he looked healthy. By mid-November, even though he appeared to look (to me) healthy, he was beginning to stop and scratch himself. A sign of possible mange.
Here are three photos from the last week in January. Clearly, he is ill and in bad shape. I included the last photo to show his face as a comparison with the photos from October and November - this is the same fox. In the last photo, he did not stop and turn around to look at me - rather he stopped to bit at his shoulder.
After taking these photos, I again turned to the Web seeking an explanation. I would like to thank the National Fox Welfare Society for their photos of foxes with mange.
I would also like to thank the Wild Bunch Rehabilitation folks for their exaplanation of mange. Please visit their site. In fact, their information is so useful that I am repeating it below. Remember, you should not be approaching animals in the wild. Contact a local wildlife relief agency in you area.

Help! There's a fox outside during the day. What do I do?

Do you observe any of these behaviors?
>It is scratching, chewing or licking its skin.
>It has open sores or wounds.
>It has a bare tail, squinty eyes and/or a crusty film over mouth, eyes and nose.
>It moves slowly and often lies in one place for a long period of time.
>It appears thin, ragged and malnourished.
>It walks very slowly with stiff movements of hind legs.
>It is searching for food in daylight and close to humans and does not seem afraid.

Fact and Fiction about Foxes with Mange:
It is very common for individuals to believe that if they see a fox near their homes, looking or acting sick, that it must have rabies. 99% of the time this is not the case. The animal most likely is suffering from mange; a debilitating condition that causes severe scratching, open sores and loss of hair. The good news is that it is easily treatable.

Information to help you understand an animal with mange
>A fox with mange is very weak from an inability to hunt for food.
>They are tired and suffering from constant itching and burning sensations.
>Because they must eat they will venture close to homes looking for food. Pet food that is left outside is a frequent choice.
>The fox will not attack cats, dogs or children. Even under normal circumstances it is not aggressive. It will react however, if trying to be captured.
>They do not want to take up residence in your area permanently. If treated and allowed to recover they will move on.

What can you do?

>Stay calm and remember you are not in an unsafe situation.
>Call the Wildlife Rescue League at 703-440-0800. You will be put into contact with someone that can give you more information to handle your situation.
>Don’t attempt to capture the animal.
>Provide food and water for the animal - preferably in a safe quiet area.
>If being treated for mange, allow the fox to rest and heal in a place where you can monitor progress.
>Keep information available for neighbors that have questions or concerns.

Mid-Winter in the Colvin Run Habitat

2008-01-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

Two months since the last post - what can I say? A variety of other priorities.

In the last two months, I added a new camera to the Habitat tools. A month after receiving it, I finally got the time to get it out of the box and take the inaugural photos. And here they are. A few of the signature cardinals, titmice, and a white-throated sparrow.
These chickadees clearly were upset when I got close to the bluebird house that the chickadees used last spring.

I took the photos of the chickadee and blue jays in flight by accident - the benefits of an extremely fast camera.

Of course, everyday you'll find a turkey vulture overhead.