Earth Hour 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.