A studio for bird study
November 25, 2012

The Gray Ghost

by Bryce W. Robinson

Northern Harrier- Circus cyaneus. 11×18″ Prismacolor on Bristol.

Deneb Sandack has been involved with the Goshutes Raptor Migration sight in some way or another since its inception in the early 80’s. For many years she has acted as the lead bander at the sight, going above and beyond to ensure that the sight runs smoothly and achieves its goals each season.

Her passion for trapping birds is unmatched. I admire her greatly for this passion. Over the years she has trapped and processed thousands upon thousands of birds. Each year she returns to the mountain with hopes of trapping what is her personal white whale, a bird that has evaded her tremendous luring and trapping skills for years. This bird is the Gray Ghost, the adult male Northern Harrier.

The Gray Ghost, a name known among raptor enthusiasts and birders alike. Termed such because of its ghostly gray plumage, and intense yellow eyes. It hunts just above the ground, floating along in search of prey, reminiscent of a specter in search of a soul. A truly remarkable and mystifying creature, very deserving of its super natural epithet.

Because the male Harrier is the single regular migrant that has avoided capture by Deneb all of these years, I thought it prudent to honor her and her goal by illustrating the bird. This bird is for her, as my tribute to her hard work and dedication, and hope that next season at the Goshutes Raptor Migration Sight she finally pulls the Gray Ghost from the sky.

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November 24, 2012

Wintering Swans in the Western Desert

by Bryce W. Robinson

Adult Tundra Swans- Cygnus columbianus

While searching for Golden Eagles in the west desert of Utah this past week, I came upon a large wetland preserve, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. As I travelled through the preserve, heading east, I noticed many large swans scattered about the ponds. I haven’t had much experience with these large birds, so I took it as an opportunity to learn more of the two species that are natural to North America.

I took photos of a number of individuals, recognizing that it may prove fruitful in studying the birds. I knew the relative difference between the Tundra Swan- Cygnus columbiana, and the Trumpeter Swan- Cygnus buccinator, but to be honest I couldn’t at the time distinguish a Tundra Swan lacking yellow lores from a Trumpeter Swan. I chose to rectify that by studying the differences.

I use David Sibley’s guidebooks for my general birding purposes. He is in my mind the best birder in the country, and maintains a diligent study coupled with his invaluable ability to accurately illustrate birds. He is, no doubt, something to aspire to. In my guidebook, I found a quick tip discussion of differentiating the two swans. It is well done, but after doing further research on the internet, I discovered a more in depth discussion of the subject on his blog. You can view it for yourself here.

I will not attempt to reiterate his discussion here, not only to avoid redundancy, but to ensure I do not portray any information inaccurately. What I would like to discuss is something I noticed with the Tundra Swans I was watching the other day. Each bird has variation in the presence of yellow on their lores. I have yet to really explore the literature to find out if someone has studied this, but I find it fascinating and wonder what is responsible for the variation. I took a few photos of individuals. You can see the difference between each bird here.

These birds each show a degree of difference in the yellowing of their lores. As I stated before, I do not know what is responsible for the difference. Possibilities include that the yellowing could be a function of age, sex, or status, much like the black breast patch in the male House Finch, functioning as a symbol of dominance. The yellow lores could also be individually distinct, aiding in individual recognition.

I find the difference fascinating. And here is yet another avenue for a path to knowledge and further study in the world of birds.

 

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November 21, 2012

Rough-legged Hawk Feeding

by Bryce W. Robinson

 

I found this male Rough-legged Hawk the other morning. Delighted that he was enjoying a morning meal, I decided to make another attempt at digiscoping with my phone and scope. It turned out great. The video quality is what is expected out of a phone camera and scope, but it adequately illustrates the feeding behavior. It is a bit long. Some of the most interesting behavior is towards the end. If you grow tired of watching the bird consume, at least catch the last thirty seconds.

The video is also best viewed without the sound on. I added some comments for my own personal notes. My nerdy commentary and some passing vehicles may detract from the video, so I suggest lowering the volume. Enjoy!

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November 18, 2012

by Bryce W. Robinson

Dark Morph Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis

The past few months have been full of incredible encounters with the winged world. Recently I found a young Red-tailed Hawk perched atop a fence post along the roadside. I stopped to photograph the bird, as is my custom. I took notice of the dark coloration of the bird, which always excites me. As is possible in winter, I always get excited about dark Red-tailed Hawks and the possibility that they might be Harlan’s. I recently posted about how to distinguish between dark juvenile Westerns and Harlan’s. As I described, it is easy to see that this is a dark Western, not a Harlan’s. Still, I love the chance to see all of the diversity in the species.

What struck me about this particular bird was not anything dealing with plumage. I noticed a large clump of grass in the birds talons. Chuckling, I passed it off as a missed attempt at some prey, coming away with only a healthy talon full of weeds. I didn’t even raise my binoculars to check. Luckily, the photo tells the story. This young bird was successful in obtaining a morning meal.

It tickles me to find myself with a photo of a bird clutching its prey. The story continues, however. The bird lit off of the pole, headed away from the highway to a more secretive feeding spot. I was taken aback as a large tumbleweed flew with the hawk. I couldn’t help but laugh. In the desperate attempt to glean a morning meal, the youthful raptor grabbed more than its target, and couldn’t risk releasing the extras until it began consuming the meal.

I’ve seen some peculiar and comical behavior from young birds in the past. At the beginning of the migration season, I observed a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk grab a pine cone from a tree. It soared about for some time, regularly checking the object in its talons. One can only speculate as to what this bird was doing, but it was quite the sight, to be sure. These special instances display the character that birds possess, only becoming apparent with detailed observation, too often overlooked.

 

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