A rare Kirkland's Warbler found in the Bahamas

Now and then I find an interesting story online. Enjoy!


http://m.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/endangered-wisconsin-kirtlands-warbler-found-in-the-bahamas-b99478504z1-299346411.html

A Golden Eagle and a Murder of Crows

April 6 2015 72nd Ave Delta BC Canada

This first shot of the Golden Eagle was taken on April 1st during a short photo session before dusk. 

Juvenile Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

As this bird matures the white patches will be replaced by an all dark plumage. 

A few days later I took about twenty shots of the same Golden Eagle being harassed by American Crows sometimes referred to as a 'Murder of Crows"

I particularly like the crow's expression on the top left. 

More on a Murder of Crows

Finally outnumbered, the much larger Golden Eagle is driven away from its hunting grounds by a many as fifty crows. I like the symmetry of this image, each crow having a slightly different shape. Many of the crows have white markings and I'm not too sure if they are Northwestern Crows or the American Crow. 

The shot came about at dusk, when the Eagle taking it's last hunting foray of the day ran into the crows which were massing for their nightly roost.

No two days seem the same when birding, which I suppose is the what makes the pastime so interesting.  

Check out CBC's Nature of Things

April 19 2015  2 p.m 

Upcoming CBC Documentary A Murder of Crows

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Whooping Crane Tours/Bad Idea!

Mar 25th 2014

Try out this link. The feedback from those who have responded to the news is mainly negative. What do you think?
I'm in two minds about the whole process myself. I would love to sees Whooping Crane but for those with the knowledge can see them during migration without entering Saskatchewan's Wood Buffalo Park. My cousin who worked on a community farm for many years saw them on numerous occasions.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/whooping-crane-tours-on-offer-at-wood-buffalo-national-park-1.3005330



                                                   "It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

BC Canada

Blossom Birds

Dec 6 2015 Tynehead Park, Dog Park 72nd Ave BC Sunny 12c

How perfectly this House Finch blends into the cherry blossom. As it fed on protein rich stamens an unleashed dog ran by frightening the bird and ending the photo session. It took me thirty minutes to win its trust and in seconds it was all over. Golden-crowned and Song Sparrows HAD also been busily munching away but they too had gone too ground thanks to rampaging hound. The owner asked me what I was looking at, tongue in cheek I replied, Nothing! He still didn't get why I would be looking at nothing and left.

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)

The finch plucks the flower from the branch, twists it around, feasts on the stamen and discards the petals.

Frustrating as it may be to photograph at the dog park, it still can be a very rewarding place to spend a few hours, especially now as the catkins, butterflies and insects are beginning to emerge. Soon the warblers and grosbeaks will be back, adding their songs to the proceeding. Above me I counted a kettle of 45 Bald Eagles effortlessly using the thermals to glide, dive and swoop. Occasionally the courtship displays of the Red-tailed Hawk drew my eye away, light fighter jets, the hawks would appear and be gone, only to re-appear way off in the distance.
...Oops! I forgot to mention the Golden Eagle, Short-eared Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Rough-legged Hawk and Northern Harrier I saw just saw a few hundred metres down the road.

Birding can't get much better than this and it's all in our own backyard. Who said March was a quiet time for birding!


                                                        "It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Vancouver BC

Canada

A Few Hours at Blackie Spit.

 Nov 6 Blackie Spit, Boundary Bay Cloudy 7c

The next day I accompanied Andrew Foxall around Blackie Spit. There were number of Western Sandpipers, Dunlin, American and Eurasian Wigeon as well as a few hybrids. A Bald Eagle flew overhead and sent the ducks in the air, as the flock circled we also observed five Marbled Godwit and one Long-billed Curlew. The 'six amigos' flew off to the Farm Slough next to the railway track.
Around the tidal pond a Sharp-shinned Hawk was hunting. This is the first shot I took. I eventually moved around to get a 'cleaner' shot without so many intersecting branches. I do however like the Fall colours and the intense look of the bird.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

The Farm Slough/Blackie Spit.
The spit became a park in 1996 as the result of a Surrey-wide referendum.

The same Sharp-shinned Hawk but standing a few away from the original shot. I prefer this composition for the clean and darker background. Others might prefer the first shot that includes some Fall colour.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale 

Boundary Bay Birding

Oct 27/2014 Boundary Bay 64th Ave. Cloudy and sunny breaks.

Afternoon session 1-4.30 p.m.

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
A common bird at feeders and at fruit trees during the Fall and winter.

The light was fading and even at 1000 ISO the shutter speed was too low to stop the movements of this tiny kinglet. I used a Better Beamer flash diffuser on a Nikon SB800 flash. The flash head was set at 50mm on my 500mm lens with 1.4 converter. The flash was dialled in at -1/3.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)

As with the previous shots of the kinglet a little flash brightened up the scene while creating a catchlight in the eye of his dainty warbler.

 The Northern Shrike (Lanius excubiter)

Sometimes referred to as the "Butcher Bird" this juvenile Northern Shrike was hunting the small birds I was photographing. The white background is the out of focus greenhouses at the end of 64th Ave.


It was almost dark when I left for home, a few drops of rain had begun to fall, the remnants of a tropical storm way out in the Pacific was about to batter the BC coastline. Driving home there were Red-tailed Hawks hunting, Snow and Cackling Geese preparing for the deluge while the recently flooded cranberry fields held hundreds of Mallard.
By the time I arrived home it was dark, the wind was whipping up the red and yellow maple leaves in the driveway. It was time for a nice cuppa, a comfy armchair and a good book.  C'est la vie!

"It's never to late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Chilcotin Plateau: Birding with Birders

June 19-25 2014 Puntzi Lake and Vicinity. The Chilcotin Plateau, Central BC

It's an eight hour drive from Cloverdale to Williams Lake and onward to the Chilcotin Plateau. I joined six members of the Langley and South Surrey Field Naturalists for the our annual week long visit to the Chilcotins. On the three previous visits we recorded bird sightings for the BC Bird Atlassing program which has now been concluded and is currently being compiled for publication. This year however we would submit our findings to eBird.

Our first stop for lunch was a fruitful one with sightings of a Wilson's Phalarope and American Wigeon in a small pond near Chasm/Green Lake. By the time we arrived in Williams Lake we were already up to thirty-five species for the day.

As we left Williams Lake heading west we climbed up onto the Chilcotin Plateau where we encountered our first good numbers of Mountain Bluebird and Meadowlark. It was a further 168 kms to Puntzi Lake where we would be based for next six nights.

I brought along the Tamron 150mm-600mm and Nikon D7100 as we would be hiking or driving in cramped quarters with no room for a big lens and tripod. I needed a light rig to take some quick snap shots like the Ruffed Grouse below or in the case of the Townsend's Solitaire after a walk up a fairly steep incline where a heavy lens and tripod would have slowed down the group. I still brought a tripod for those times when I went out on my own. As far as I recollect I shot all these images handheld unless specified in the accompanying cutline.

                                                                             Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)
We were in the lodge's driveway on our way out when we spotted this grouse. Her chicks are hiding in the grass.



After checking into our cabins we went for a walk to stretch our legs, it had been a long but eventful drive. Behind the lodge was a steep hillside, predominately pine forest with a few aspens scattered here and there. The forest was slow to reveal its secrets but as soon as we stopped talking and listened a Townsend's Solitaire song could be heard from high up in the canopy.  At first I didn't recognize the song so I played the call and the bird suddenly showed itself, even though binoculars were needed to identify it.

Townsend's Solitaire (Myadetes townsendi)
Shot from two hundred metres away with the Tamron 150mm-600mm, handheld VR enabled.

Elsewhere in the forest Northern Flickers were feeding young, Chipping Sparrows flitted from branch to branch and brownish coloured mosquitos made their unwelcome presence known. There was fresh bear scat which is when I realized I had left the bear spray back at the cabin. Duh!

Red-naped Sapsucker nests were found in this Aspen grove.

 Puntzi Lake Area.

                                                           
Below is a very vocal Merlin photographed one morning before breakfast. It had a nest nearby and made its presence known with a series of loud raucous calls. For obvious reasons hardly any others birds were to found in the vicinity.

Merlin (Falco columbarius)
I used a tripod for this shot.

In the grounds of the Kokanee Lodge Resort we found Mountain Chickadees, Chipping Sparrows, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned Warblers, Western Tanagers and Ruffed Grouse. Red-Naped Sapsuckers were plentiful everywhere as were numerous species of flycatchers. Spotted Sandpipers worked the shoreline and the wailing of Common Loons could be heard across the lake. Barn, Tree and Cliff Swallows were everywhere, under eaves, in nest boxes and in barns. A Northern Rough -winged Swallow colony was spotted beside the road near Redstone where we had a brief glimpse of a Black Bear and later a Mule Deer.

Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucrphala islandica)

Back at the lodge a small flock of Barrow's Goldeneye flew around our heads looking for a nest box or tree cavity.

A scruffy and worn looking Mountain Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla)

 Puntzi Marsh

Day two was spent exploring the area around the lodge. A small pond set aside by Ducks Unlimited provided great views of Ring-necked Ducks, Spotted Sandpipers and American White Pelicans flying overhead as well incredible views of Puntzi Lake.

As we explored back roads we passed through several cattle ranches where we found Vesper and Savannah Sparrows, Northern Flicker and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

It was between the farms, the groves of pine, aspen and open clearings that we saw our first Common Nighthawks. I didn't realize  they fed in the middle of the day. On one occasion we climbed a hill where the added height gave us the opportunity to spot Black Swifts feeding alongside Cliff Swallows. We lunched at the end of Puntzi Lake where Spotted Sandpipers and Kildeer protecting their nests with their 'broken wing' routine. Returning to our vehicles we noticed a Golden Eagle circling on thermals, a 'Lifer' for some on the trip, then a Red-nape Sapsucker flew into a tree beside us to gather insects from a series of sap holes. It took thirty minutes to travel thirty metres as we then encountered two more species of flycatchers. An Osprey flew toward Puntzi Lake and as we returned for supper a Ruffed Grouse held up traffic while giving us great views of its raised crest.

Puntzi Lake 

The next day we spent the morning on the east side of Puntzi Lake. Our target bird was the Three-toed Woodpecker. One of our party, Alice spotted the elusive woodpecker first and therefore bragging rights goes to Alice. A brief glimpse of a Black-backed Woodpecker was also a treat, but far elusive for a photo. No tick for me, I need a better look or even better a decent photo.

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

As we left I managed to call in a Western Tanager which was nesting nearby and then a bird caught my eye, it was unmistakably an Olive-sided Flycatcher.

Olive-sided Flycatcher on the nest.

We enjoyed our lunch under blue skies at nearby Puntzi Marsh where our first sighting was a Vesper Sparrow. Thankfully the breeze kept the mosquitos at bay.
The ephemeral marsh had been receding from perhaps a few hundreds of hectares to less than thirty. It has been a dry year with many of the feeder creeks running dry. Just one deep pond remained, it was occupied by a pair of Northern Shoveler. As we walked around a Mountain Bluebird perched on a log, a Kildeer performed the 'Broken wing' trick and a Greater Yellowlegs flew noisily around despite our group being several hundred metres away from its nest.

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

 Central Chilcotin/Tatlayoko Lake/Skinner's Meadow

Another morning began as every morning did, with sunshine. We headed south to Tatla Lake and the Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory. The fields were alive with Tree and Barn Swallows as well as Savannah Sparrows and Mountain Bluebird. Check out their website if you want to take part in banding program. We then visited Eagle Lake where we saw only one Arctic Tern and a few American White Pelican, on a previous visit a few years ago there were many more terns but nothing can be guaranteed when birding. We were granted permission to visit Skinner's Meadow which is under the control of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

As we ate our lunch, surrounded by spectacular meadows and snow covered mountains Vesper, Song and Savannah Sparrows could be seen gathering insects and feeding young. Brown-headed Cowbirds were always lurking around to swoop in and lay their eggs. A number of Sora could be heard and we had a very good sighting of a Virginia Rail. Beside the pond a Red-naped Sapsuckers chicks could be heard chirping inside an aspen tree so we backed off and waited until the parent arrived to feed the young. It wouldn't be far off if I said the most common bird on the trip was the Red-naped Sapsucker, they were everywhere we went.

Skinner's Meadows (above) is natural grassland that the first settlers in the Chilcotins recognized as excellent grazing land. Unfortunately only 2% of the grasslands remnants remain, most of it in Canada and Mongolia. Thanks to contributors to organizations like the Nature Conservancy/Nature Trust and others important areas like this are protected with the aim of creating safe corridors for the creatures who have relied on them for many millennia.

Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)

Another day began with the short drive to the Ducks Unlimited property just a few miles from the lodge.

It didn't take long for the lakes to reveal their secrets as a pair of Black Tern flew by, albeit quite a distance away for pictures. Again there were Sora, along with Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Eastern Kingbirds, Tree, Barn and Cliff Swallows. In the hedgerows and on the edges of the wet areas Willow Flycatchers, Cedar Waxwings, Western Tanager added to our ever growing list of species.

Further along the road we visited the Nature Trust's Chilkanto Wildlife viewing area. Amazing scenery and habitat and an old homestead now turned over to the birds and other critters.

We stopped for lunch and rested in the shade of an old farmhouse. There were barn and tree swallows in the air. Some of the birds seemed rather large for swallows, a quick viewing revealed they were Common Nighthawks feeding over the ponds on a recent Mayfly hatch. 

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)

Walking closer to the lake we passed a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwing and amongst the nighthawks were an equal number of Black Terns, also feasting on the hatch. 

Black Tern (Chlidoonias niger)

As the trip was coming to an end we decided to go back along South Puntzi Rd to see if we could relocate the Three-toed Woodpecker, alas there were none but we did spot more flycatchers which provided lots of discussion and puzzlement. We used playback to distinguish species. We also watched a Yellow-rumped Warbler feeding a fledged Brown-headed Cowbird but a picture was impossible due the blocking foliage. Our second stop on day 6 was the road leading to Pyper Lake. Like all the locations they are short distances off Hwy 20.

Distant ID shot of an Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) showing white belly, throat and white patch.

We had seen many flycatchers including Eastern Kingbird, Willow, Olive-sided, Western Wood-PeeWee, Pacific-slope, Alder, Hammond's and now Pyper Road provided us with a Gray Flycatcher, a lifer for most of us. 

The day ended at a road called Chilanko Loop where within minutes we were watching a Northern Waterthrush feeding along the water's edge. I have one fuzzy shot of the bird with two caddis and a  stickleback in its beak. A fish eating warbler, who knew!

Around the bridge where we also spotted Song Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, and even more Red-naped Sapsuckers.

Last Day: Scout Island Nature Reserve.

We left for Williams Lake at 6.am and stopped off at Scout Island as is tradition with our group.

First up were Yellow Warblers and Willow Flycatchers and out in the bay Caspian Terns could be heard long before being seen. As we made our way back to the car we spotted a pair of Red-necked Grebe floated in a backwater, the male bringing food to the young perched on the back of the female, something I had never witnessed.

Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)

The icing on the cake was the last shot of the day before leaving for the Lower Mainland. As we left  our trip leader Gareth Pugh noticed a Northern Waterthrush feeding in the shallows close to the bridge linking the islands. With my camera batteries almost depleted I managed to squeeze off a few final frames before heading back to the car and Vancouver.

Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)

So there it is, we ticked off 113 species, had a wonderful time in some glorious countryside and for myself I added Black Swift, Ruffed Grouse, Gray and Olive-sided Flycatchers to my life list.

It's never to late to start birding

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

I have tried hard to make this account as readable as possible but as I have explained before, management takes no responsibility for any grammatical errors. However positive feedback is welcome!

All Images and Text ©2014 John Gordon Photography

The Okanagan Road Trip June 4-5

         June 3-4 2014 The Deep Creek, Otter Lake and vicinity

Returning from Salmon Arm I turned off at Kamloops and headed south to Vernon. Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds were the most conspicuous while in many of the ponds and lakes healthy numbers of Spotted Sandpipers and Kildeer were apparent.  

My first stop in the North Okanagan was at O'Keefe Pond where only an avid birder could tolerate the raucous call of the numerous nesting Yellow-headed Blackbirds.
I had meant to go to Otter Lake but ended up on St Anne's Rd by mistake. St Anne's Rd reminded me of the Saskatchewan prairies. The first birds high above me were a pair of Brewer's Blackbirds fending off a Red-tailed Hawk. A few moments later another pair of Red tails glided on thermals just out of range for decent photos.
I drove slowly down the road, the Tamron 150mm-600mm balancing on a beanbag ready for any action that might occur. Moments later I noticed something move in the distance, I cut the engine and rolled slowly up to a Western Meadowlark preening on a fencepost.

For those following the non-scientific Tamron 150mm-600mm road test an* appears by photos taken with the aforementioned lens. Shots were taken out of the car window on a bean bag or handheld.

*Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

A few more metres on a Vesper Sparrow alighted on a fence pole. For the relatively beginner birder like myself sparrows can be problematic to identify in the field.

*Vesper Sparrow (Pooectes gramineus) Note the rufous lesser coverts and complete eye-ring, tell-tale signs in identifying the species.

*A Vesper Sparrow with raised crown had me thinking me it was a Lincoln's but again I had it wrong. I'm learning on the job!

I continued down St Anne's Rd where a recent downpour had created a puddle beside the road. I waited and watched as a parade of birds including a Western Meadowlark, a pair of California Quail and then a Savannah Sparrow came to drink and bathe.
Returning along St Anne's to Otter Lake Rd I came across a pair of California Quail on the bough of an evergreen.

*California Quail (Callipepla californica)

Next up was Otter Lake. A pull-out offers a great view of the lake and a nice picnic site. Eastern Kingbirds were hawking insects while American Goldfinch were feeding on seeding plants while a Chipping Sparrow put in a brief appearance. The Tamron 150mm-600mm was working well so far.
I still think these web images look a lot better on Flickr which i'll post when I have time.

*Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

After leaving the northern part of the Okanagan I left for Okanagan Falls but all the driving was taking its toll,  I just couldn't make it after a long day that began at 4 a.m in Salmon Arm. After checking a few expensive overpriced and noisy provincial campgrounds I eventually turned off into the Banbury RV Park a few kilometres south of Penticton.
What a find it turned out to be. I had the choice of numerous sites (low season for birders, perfect for birding in May and early June) so I chose a waterfront site which also had access to a lakeside trail.
I decided to stretch my legs and use the 500mm F4 instead of the 150mm-600mm. I had barely walked a few metres when a Great Horned Owl flew onto a fence pole behind my campsite. I missed the flight shot as it was so quick and unexpected. The owl was to be one of the several surprises I was to experience on the trip. Eventually it dove into the long grass and never re-appeared. Maybe it had caught something so I backed off and let it be.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Belter Kingfisher and Northern Rough-winged Swallows nest in these Skaha Lake sand cliffs.

A beautiful sunset over Skaha Lake left me with the feeling that things were going my way.

Next morning before sunrise I was again on the trail behind my campsite. The sandy pathway leads to the small town of Kaleden. 

The first birds up were the Northern Rough-winged Swallows which were nesting in a sandbank. As I watched a Belted Kingfisher flew into one of the nest holes, never to be re-emerge. A mixture of Bank, Tree and Barn Swallows were catching insects over the water. 

As I continued along the trail's more shaded areas I found Wilson's Warblers and various Empidonax flycatchers. I had stopped to photograph the Rough-winged Swallows when a Calliope Hummingbird perched about five metres in front of me.

Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope)

Female Bullock's Oriole (Icterus galbula) I am wondering if this a fledgling or juvenile? Any offers as the plumage looks  a little different to the adult females I have photographed in the past.

By now the sun had risen over Skaha Lake and the sun was burning the back of my neck and so it was time for a hearty breakfast. As I ate, Cassin's Finch, various flycatchers, Bank Swallows, Northern Flicker, House Finch, California Quail, Calliope and Rufous Hummingbirds, Downy Woodpecker all worked their way in and around my treed waterfront campsite. I finally left the camera alone and enjoyed the moment. Zen and the 'Art of Birding' would be an apt description for the what I was experiencing, the cessation of thoughts and just the natural sights and sounds flooding in. Who could ask more!

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannous)
A member of the flycatcher family, these birds use a favoured perched to fly out and catch insects in midair.

By 8.30 a.m. the sun was so bright and the light was too harsh for decent photography but the show had to go on so I made my way to White Lake. I looked for Sage Thrasher  but they were nowhere to be seen. A howling wind made it difficult to keep the camera and tripod steady so I made my way slowly down the hill to the intersection of Green Lake Rd and Willowbrook Rd where I spotted one of my 'target' birds for the trip, a Say's Phoebe. As I mentioned the light was so harsh that it took a number of attempts to get a half decent shot. A pair are nesting in the pump house and periodically come out to catch insects from the roadside. I am thinking they have learnt to pick up insects struck by passing vehicles. In a similar fashion to the Pied Wagtail in the UK which pecks smushed insects off front grills of parked cars. It's just a thought i'm throwing out there. 

*Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
Note the black tail and pale rufous belly.

* This Say's Phoebe waited for passing cars and then picked insects up off the road, a potentially risky occupation but unlike crows it didn't seem to take any undue risks. Rather than hawking insects from the air these birds also dove into the long grass to snags insects.

*Same bird different pose with crest raised.

Only in the Okanagan!

Leaving the area was a hard, there where birds everywhere darting to and fro but it was time to leave for my next destination Beaver Lake Rd which I'll feature in the next blog.

It's never too late to start birding

John Gordon

Red-tailed Hawk Feedback

Tagged Red-tailed Hawk N2

Thanks everyone for enlightening me about the tagged Red-tailed Hawk. Here is Gary Searing's response posted with his permission. I know some of you registered some concern about the size of the tag but I believe it provides important information as laid out below.  Also check the footnote here and reader feedback from the previous posting.

Hi John

Thank you for reporting your sighting of N2. This is great information.    

  

I tagged her as an After Third Year bird at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on 5 September 2013 and released her the next day  in Chilliwack, BC as part of a program to prevent raptors from being struck by aircraft. Yours is the first sighting of this bird since that date. Let me provide you with some information on the program so you understand a bit more why we are doing this:    

  

YVR began a program of trapping and removing Red-tailed Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks in October 2010 in order to prevent them from being struck by aircraft primarily to improve air safety, but also as a raptor conservation tool. Each year the airport has a large number of transient raptors that winter at YVR as well as resident adults and local-raised young birds. Based on information from SeaTac International Airport in Washington, we expect that adult residents are least likely to be involved in collisions with aircraft, but a significant number of young birds and transient birds are struck each year. Therefore, we are attempting to remove those birds from the airport environs by capturing them and releasing them just beyond Chilliwack where there is ample habitat and a reasonable likelihood that they will not return to YVR. I view this not only as an air safety program, but also as a raptor conservation program because, if successful, we may prevent the deaths of a dozen or more birds each year. We expanded the program this fall to all raptors (including owls). To date we have captured and relocated over 225 birds. Most of them were relocated to Chilliwack.     

We are wing-tagging Red-tailed Hawks because we need to know who our resident birds are and are co-operating in a joint program with Seatac and Portland International airports all of whom are wing tagging airport Red-tailed Hawks (using different colours for the tag material). Not only is this program contributing to air safety, we are already learning a great deal about our wintering raptors and hope to learn much more as the years pass. To date we have captured about 100 Red-tailed Hawks of which less than a third, mostly resident adult birds or  long-term wintering residents, have returned to the airport. Less than 20% of the very hazardous juvenile birds have returned. Several of our birds have been seen in Washington State and as far south as Oregon and we have had a few birds from Washington State come to YVR. We have had one sighting of a tagged Red-tailed Hawk near Kamloops. In addition we have captured 10 Rough-legged Hawks of which 2 returned to YVR, 2 Snowy Owls (1 returned), over 70 Barn Owls (only a few have returned), and smaller numbers of Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Coopers Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks and Merlins a few of which have returned to YVR. Raptors are one of the major strike risks at YVR and we believe that we are mitigating that risk significantly through the capture and relocation of raptors.    

It is through the sightings of many interested persons such as yourself that we are able to collect the essential information on bird movements and distribution and learn how well the measures we are using to manage wildlife at the airport and elsewhere are working.       

Thank you for your cooperation and your interest. Feel free to contact me for more information or with any sighting information.

Regards

Gary

-----------------------------

Footnote:

Hi John

Go ahead and post away - the more the word spreads the better since I rely on sightings for my data.

Yes, the tags are relatively large, but this dramatically increases the flightability of the tags and hence the number of re-sightings of each bird. My colleague and I have been using this type of tag for more than a decade with many hundreds of birds tagged. There is absolutely no impairment of flight or other behaviour. Tagged birds that return to the airport resume their territorial behaviour, breed and successfully raise young. If the tags had a negative affect in any way, we would not use them since one of the reasons we are doing the program is for the safety of the birds (as well as air safety).

Regards

Gary

Gary F. Searing, M.Sc.      

Wildlife Hazard Biologist

Airport Wildlife Management International

Executive Director

Bird Strike Association of Canada

9655 Ardmore Drive

North Saanich, British Columbia

Canada V8L 5H5

Office/Home: 250.656.1889

Cell: 250.857.5133

Skype: gfsearing

http://www.airportwildlife.ca

http://www.canadianbirdstrike.ca