Peregrine Falcon

 

 Lately I have been spending some time photographing the peregrines at the Ford Bridge that connects St Paul and south Minneapolis. The bridge is not far from an active eagles nest and a spot where Merlin falcons frequently nest, so it enables me to photograph several different nests from several different species in a very close area.

 For the past few years the peregrines have decided to nest under the bridge which makes it impossible to get any decent pictures of the nest. Back in 2010, when most of the pictures in this post where taken, the peregrines nested in the nesting box which is on the side of the dam.

The dam box is very visible from the observation platform at the dam which made it very easy to document the peregrines early life through photographs. When they were very young it was difficult to see them inside the nest box. Fortunately through my connections with The Raptor Center I was able to attend the banding that year. The top photo was taken  at the banding at the beginning of June.

A few weeks later the peregrine chicks were almost as big as their parents and already had a majority of their flight feathers, the second photo. They are also very hungry. In another week they are ready to fledge / fly, the third photo. Eventually they will look like their parents, final photo. This year since they are nesting under the dam I can only photograph them when they visit one of their neighboring perches. Hopefully i will get a chance to photograph the chicks before they leave the area.

Happy B-Earthday



 For many of you who visit this blog today is a very special day. Earth Day began back in 1970 as a celebration of nature and the environmental movement.

Nature and environmental stewardship have always been central themes here at the Ecobirder blog but Earth Day also holds a special meaning. 

It was eight years ago today that the Ecobirder blog was born.

Here is a copy of the initial post.

Welcome to my new Ecobirder Blog

In honor of Earth Day 2007 I have started my first blog. The purpose of this blog will be to share my love of the environment, wildlife, and birding with others who share these interests.

 

The owl pictures above are the first photos that I posted to the blog on April 24, 2007. This nest had one chick and it was located at the Woodlake Nature Center.

 

I hope that you all enjoy this blast to the past.

 

I thank you for your support and hope that you continue to visit for a long time to come.

 

Happy B-Earthday 

Osprey

 Now that all of the ice has left the rivers and lakes the osprey have returned to Minnesota. Osprey are found on every continent in the world except for Antarctica. They nest on all continents except Antarctica and South America. Osprey do migrate to South America, from North America, during the winter. However they do not nest in South America.

 The osprey is sometimes called a fishing hawk. This is because their primary food source is fish. However they are not really a hawk. They actually have their own genus, Pandion, and family Pandionidae. This is because Osprey have some unique characteristics and behaviors that differ from other hawks, falcons, and eagles. First off all of their toes are relatively the same size, unlike other diurnal raptors which have a longer toe called a hallux. They also have the ability, like owls, to shift their outer toe so that they can have two toes facing front and two facing back instead of 3 forword and one back like hawks, eagles, and falcons.

 These adaptations to their feet are designed to help them catch fish. Switching their toes to two forward and two back helps them to hold onto slippery fish. They also have rough pads on the bottom to help them to grasp a fish. They are much better at catching fish than the bald eagles are, actually plunging up to a couple of feet below the water surface to catch their prey.

Unfortunately it is dangerous world and a passing eagle or turkey vulture will not hesitate to try and steal the osprey's hard earned meal. Osprey were once rare here in Minnesota due to DDT, which affected many different species of raptors. Through release programs the population has rebounded nicely here and is now stable and healthy. Half of the pictures in this post were taken in Minnesota the other half were taken in south Texas.

First Butterflies of the Year.

 Last week I saw my first butterflies of 2015. The timing is not much of a surprise. We usually start seeing butterflies as early as late March. What surprised me was the species. Typically my first butterfly of the year is either a mourning cloak or a comma. That is because both of these species overwinter as adult butterflies. As soon as it warms up they thaw out and begin to fly. The cabbage white overwinters as a chrysalis. They typically have three broods per year with the last brood overwintering in the pupae state. When it warms up they emerge and look for a partner to mate with.

Cabbage whites are a non native species here in North America. They were introduced to North America in the 1860's and have done very well for themselves. They are common in Europe, North Africa, and Asia where they are also called the large white. They are common here in the U.S. now, also. They are so common that when I first saw them I almost ignored them until I realized that they were my first butterfly of the year. Unfortunately I was on a walk during my lunch break at work and did not have a camera so no pics. The pics in this post were taken in the past during the middle of summer when thing are much more green and blooming then they are right now.

Northern Pintail

 The northern pintail is a large duck that is found through out much of the Northern Hemisphere. It is circumpolar and nests in Canada, northern Europe and Asia. They are found primarily in wetland habitats. These birds are migratory and will migrate as far as the Equator during the winter.

The pintail is a dabbling duck. They eat aquatic vegetation that they find by sticking their heads below the water while floating on the surface of the water. There are no subspecies of the northern pintail. However there is a offshoot called the Eaton's pintail that is found on islands in the Indian Ocean. These ducks are considered to be an evolution from the northern pintail and are considered their own species.

Magnolia Warbler

 The magnolia warbler is a colorful wood warbler that breeds in the eastern half of Canada and the Northeastern United States and northern Midwestern States. They typically nest in the dense undergrowth of coniferous forests. During the winter they migrate down to Mexico and parts of Central America where they can be found in a variety of habitats. The reason for their migration is the same as most warblers, they are primarily insect eaters. They typically eat caterpillars, beetles, insect larva, and spiders, which they glean from the trees. They also prey on flying insects, such as butterflies and supplement their diet with fruit and nectar. During the winter the amount of their diet which consists of fruit and nectar increases.

 The magnolia warbler was named by Alexander Wilson in the early 1800's. Wilson called them the black and yellow warbler but gave them the scientific name Setophaga magnolia, because he collected his first bird from a magnolia tree in Mississippi during migration. As time went by the common name changed to match the Latin scientific name and the species became known as the magnolia warbler. The top photo is a male bird and the second is a female. As is the case with many species of song birds the male is much more colorful for it is up to him to catch the attention of a mate.