Distinguishing the Golden Eagle and the Bald Eagle

Since I spend rather a lot of time discussing the difference between subadult plumages of Bald eagle versus Golden Eagle (when people send me photos or in reviewing eBird records etc.), I decided to share a series of 9 slides on their identification. These slide should be self explanatory so click on the first one to follow the sequence in full screen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A note on Boreal Owls

There have been at least seven Boreal Owls seen in southern Manitoba recently so we thought it worth a note to the group.  We wanted to ask people to be extra cautious with a Boreal Owl in a seemingly “exposed” roosting  position and not to intervene (these owls need to conserve energy and they sit tight until nightfall, which people sometimes misinterpret as a sign of illness). A longer version of this message is provided below (for those who would like more detail):

Some of the seven Boreal Owls found recently were hunting at feeders (one managed to take a Eurasian Collared-Dove), and a few were injured or deceased (perhaps roadkill).  All that were measured were males. The general area of sightings has ranged from Carman to Ashern but, for obvious reasons, we are not posting the locations in any public forum (remember Manitobabirds is viewable by anyone including non-members). The great popularity of owls these days can be to their detriment.

These Boreal Owl records are not unexpected near the end of a harsh winter. This is presumably a product of this species’ unique “partially migratory” strategy, i.e. females typically move away from the breeding grounds but males try to hold onto their territories as long as reasonably possible (gives them a spring head-start). When the food supply in the boreal forest gets thin, some of these males are forced to leave their territories and they can end up in cities and towns, especially those reasonably close to the southern edge of the boreal forest.  Many such visits are short and the owl moves on in a day or two looking for a new food source.

Some of these owls find themselves in proximity to people, pets and roads (vehicles) and hence at risk. They may appear to roost or perch in “ridiculous” places but these are chosen for reasons such as for sunning, mild heat sources (light, vent or other), wind breaks, and/or proximity to a food source or cached prey. Sadly too often the greatest risk to these owls is people’s good intentions, i.e. people wrongly assume they are ill and try to catch them and bring them in. An owl on or near the ground is one of the most common reasons people try to intervene but there are many good reasons for owls to be on or near the ground (mantling prey or sometimes even “defrosting” prey is one reason and the thermoregulatory reasons discussed above may also bring them low down). Some owls allow close approach but people do not understand the stress such approach causes or the huge risks to small owls if they take flight in the daytime and why they are so reluctant to do so (see: http://artusobirds.blogspot.ca/2014/12/signs-of-stress-in-owls.html). If you do find an owl that you feel is behaving oddly, please don’t intervene but call first. An experienced and trained eye can judge the best course of action. In the vast majority of cases, the very best thing is to leave the owl its space (obvious exceptions would include an owl recently struck by a vehicle).

We welcome details on such records for ongoing research. Thanks for appreciating and caring for our winged wonders!

Christian Artuso (Winnipeg) and Jim Duncan (Balmoral) 

The photo below shows a perfectly healthy Boreal Owl that was perched very low to the ground, which aroused some concern until it became active near dusk:

On the impact of owls

I am sharing a different experience in this post to speak to the power that owls have to influence our lives. I do so with permission of the family involved. Normally, when I do educational workshops in schools or for a young audience, the props for teaching include photos, pellets, mounts from the museum’s education collection and other items. Sometimes however, when a child or children show(s) a genuine spark of interest, there can be opportunities for something even more impactful, as long as the proper precautions are taken.

Recently, a close friend, who is a stellar naturalist, and I took his two young nephews to see some Northern Hawk Owls in the flesh. The boys have a fascination for wildlife and it seems their interest and love of owls is particularly ardent. I had been watching a pair of Northern Hawk Owls (with intentionally infrequent visits) and after patiently waiting for over two months for the post-fledging stage (i.e. getting past the times when they are most sensitive to disturbance), we decided the time was right to show the boys this family of owls.

It was a truly amazing experience for them and for me as well. Their fascination with the form and grace of the owls was apparent; for example they were quick to spot the plumage differences between adult and juvenile, but there were also many subtle teaching opportunities. These opportunities were not just about the owls per se. It was a lesson in respect in a few different ways, the obvious ones being keeping still, remaining quiet at all times, staying well back to observe the owls from a distance (with the aid of a spotting scope/long lens) and limiting the time of observation to just a few minutes. There were also more subtle points like sticking together and not trampling vegetation. The boys got to take some photos which will now be printed as a keep-sake of their big experience. I was so impressed with both their enthusiasm and their respect and, above all, with the way they handled one of childhood’s most difficult challenges… balancing enthusiasm with respect!

Any observation of nesting owls requires great care and I never underestimate the challenge of observing with minimal impact. This guides all my actions as an observer and as an ornithologist. However, especially when I think of my own formative experiences, I see immense value in this type of education through direct experience and I believe that with caution and care this can be done with respect.

The two photos are of us observing the owls from a distance and one of a Northern Hawk Owl fledgling (1 of 4) taken by one of the boys (cropped and processed by me).

Great Gray Owl hunting series

I have posted photographic series before of Great Gray Owls hunting but I could not resist sharing a few recent photos. The first 11 photos below show a Great Gray Owl (presumed first-year female by size and moult) hovering over a sound then plunging into the snow unsuccessfully before flying off. She was one of 11 Great Grays Owl seen that morning (not a large number by Manitoba standards but always thrilling to watch). The last three show a different owl flying and landing. 

Enjoy!

Manitoba's Painted Redstart

Manitoba's first and Canada's third Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus), also known as "Painted Whitestart", showed up in Pinawa 11 days ago. This species breeds from Arizona and New Mexico down through the mountains of western Mexico into Nicaragua. Although the southern populations are resident, the populations in the southern U.S.A migrate south. Sometimes, the phenomenon of "reverse migration" takes a bird in the wrong direction, presumably due to a miscue of the innate (genetic) aspect of migration. In this case, instead of heading south towards Mexico this Painted Redstart has flown north to Manitoba and found itself in Pinawa. Its behaviour over the past 11 days suggests it has set up a winter territory in a small residential area. Currently it has enough to eat and appears very healthy (flying well and foraging actively) but its prospects of escaping winter's inevitable grip are slim. For now though, the balmy November weather southern Manitoba is enjoying is keeping our rare visitor in fine form and a steady stream of birders have come to watch this rarity. Seeing this bird today along with northern species like Hoary Redpoll, felt a little surreal. The four photos below show the bird perched, feeding by gleaning invertebrate prey from bark, and calling. Most interesting for me was to observe how it foraged like a nuthatch (third photo) in an effort to glean food from bark crevices (and also dead insects presumably from gutters and the like).

 

Brief visit to Alberta

I enjoyed a recent visit to Alberta to attend the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and specifically to look at what these roundtables can do for the plight of declining grassland birds.  I also enjoyed a little birding on the weekend following the meetings from the foothills west of Calgary. In addition to my previous two posts on the Northern Pygmy-Owl and the Clark's Nutcracker, here are a few images from this area.

I start with two scenery shots of the foothill country, coated in a light dusting of snow and hoarfrost in early October to give you a sense of the landscape.

There were some thoroughly enjoyable mammal sightings in this beautiful landscape including  several elk. This magnificent male was rubbing his heard on a tree, seemingly with great relish:

 

 

There were lots of opportunities to observe Mule Deer, including this stotting pair. The stott of the Mule Deer (a jump with all four legs leaving the ground and landing at once), and some other deer and gazelles, is considered by many to be a form of "honest signalling", i.e. telling a predator "I am so fit you will never be able to catch me".

And this Red Fox posed for just long enough to allow a few photos:

There were some thoroughly enjoyable raptor sightings as well, not least of which were five Golden Eagles seen migrating along the foothills east of the Rocky Mountains within a few hours. This is a first year bird with more white in the underwing than adults. These huge and magnificent Aquila eagles are always a great pleasure to watch!  

There were many Rough-legged Hawks on the move and this female on a frosty perch was too striking not to take a habitat photo.

One of the highlights was  watching two Common Ravens mobbing an adult Northern Goshawk. Ravens are of course a large and audacious species but the Northern Goshawk is an apex predator that is not to be trifled with.  Unintimidated by those powerful talons, the ravens escorted the Accipiter "off the premises".

 
The handsome male American Kestrel also warranted a quick stop! The only other falcon seen was a flyby Peregrine Falcon.

I did not spend a lot of time looking for waterfowl but did record an impressive number of Hooded Mergansers. This male (not in breeding plumage) chasing a female Common Merganser was rather comical. The size difference was immediately apparent.

One of the first passerines I saw on this trip was the Mountain Chickadee. This species is endemic to the mountainous regions of western North America and I seldom get to see them so I especially enjoyed photographing this one with a caterpillar.

Although I am used to seeing the other two chickadee species that were present in the flocks here (Black-capped and Boreal), I couldn't resists a few photos of Boreal Chickadees of perches laden with snow and hoarfrost:

A first-year Northern Shrike also provided a thoroughly enjoyable photo opportunity, albeit distant.

And I photographed a few other familiar faces such as this American Tree Sparrow: 

 And this Rusty Blackbird on yet another frosty perch: 

A thoroughly enjoyable short trip with special thanks to Doug Collister and family!