Nov. 10, 2023
I dunno, maybe I was just feeling lucky, and it was now that time of the year once again, so anyway I walked on out into the Feather River Land Trust — Leonhardt Ranch Learning Landscape (Quincy, CA) to look for the return of the Northern Harrier to American Valley. There are broad cattle fields adjacent to the walking path and these fields, with their concurrent rodent and other small animal populations, are Happy Hunting Grounds for the Northern Harrier. While I wasn’t deeply confident of encountering my first-of-season Northern Harrier on this walk, you never know what you might see.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
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I hadn’t gone much more than a few hundred yards along the walking path when I saw my first raptor, but it turned out to be a Red-shouldered Hawk. I managed this three-frame sequence of its departure from its hunting vantage point, said departure caused, doubtless, by my presence, but I know in truth the hawk was only minorly discommoded.
It was another ten minutes to stroll on out to the end of the path and the turnaround point. As I approached, I saw a hawk-like silhouette out on a fence post some distance yet off. I checked through my binoculars; yes! Northern Harrier. I snapped the first frame in the photo group, below, then walked up closer (trepidatious that for sure I was going to spook the bird into flying away) to where I could prop my camera on a gate for more steady shooting, and how wonderfully the bird obliged.
These sixteen frames that I have selected for this sequence series are taken from the total of one-hundred twelve frames that I shot. Again, yay digital!!! In fact, for the morning, I snapped off a total of one-hundred forty-three frames, plus a minute and a half of video. Back in the celluloid days that would have been four rolls of film and whatever it would have taken for the separate video camera.
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Yawning, stretching, reflecting, just enjoying the day:
For this last group, I changed the color adjustment and composition parameters in my photo editing program, just for the difference of it.
Preening, ruffling, and getting it all shook out.
As mentioned, here’s some video of the hawk doing its preening and feather adjustments:
Just for the heck of it, and to close the story which opened in June, the gate repair at the Feather River Learning Landscape Outdoor Classroom is finally finished!
Middle photo: all done!
Now it's Your Turn.
What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.
Thank you.