Does anybody know eagles?

[sb]

[Benny Profane]

great blue herons will over winter in places like Pennsylvania and West Virginia in places with open water and lots of fish. Sometimes they stay the entire winter and survive on field rodents (voles)

I have never seen one over winter in VT. I hope the crazy bastard heads south for the winter - crazy damn bird

We have a lot of Blue Herons in our hood, and I even have one or two in a small pond out my window. (They don't share space well - it's usually a fight for territory) Only see them in warm weather, May to October, maybe early November. I didn't think it was possible for them to winter in a cold place.

[Benny Profane]

What a dumbfuck.

Oh, yeah, sorry, poorly stated. I forgot you live in an ugly ass city with brown air next to a polluted, brackish Salt water lake. But, you probably have Ospreys, because that's sorta like a coastal situation. But, I really doubt a large fish eater would do well in the Taconic mountains with nearly frozen over ponds. Asshole.

[flyandski365]

We have a lot of Blue Herons in our hood, and I even have one or two in a small pond out my window. (They don't share space well - it's usually a fight for territory) Only see them in warm weather, May to October, maybe early November. I didn't think it was possible for them to winter in a cold place.

Many migrate but some will stay in colder climes and scratch out a living. They can be pretty effective hunters of small mammals and are pretty smart as birds go. Here's a map of their winter distribution based on birders' observations submitted to eBird:

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/grbher3?n...mo=2&yr=last10

[Timberridge]

I have never seen one over winter in VT. I hope the crazy bastard heads south for the winter - crazy damn bird

Yeah I hope he makes it too.--stuff is pretty frozen over so far.

If I see him next week I may put out a bowl of goldfish for him.

Many migrate but some will stay in colder climes and scratch out a living. They can be pretty effective hunters of small mammals and are pretty smart as birds go. Here's a map of their winter distribution based on birders' observations submitted to eBird:

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/grbher3?n...mo=2&yr=last10

He's a 2%-er. A real rebel.

[thebirdhunter]

Oh, yeah, sorry, poorly stated. I forgot you live in an ugly ass city with brown air next to a polluted, brackish Salt water lake. But, you probably have Ospreys, because that's sorta like a coastal situation. But, I really doubt a large fish eater would do well in the Taconic mountains with nearly frozen over ponds. Asshole.

I live in Idaho dumbfuck, but I do spend lots of time skiing the bird.
There is an Osprey nest less than a hundred yards from my front door. It's pretty far inland maybe it's just a big crow.

[Timberridge]

I live in Idaho dumbfuck, but I do spend lots of time skiing the bird.
There is an Osprey nest less than a hundred yards from my front door. It's pretty far inland maybe it's just a big crow.

Is the osprey all black?

[DBdude]

Oh, yeah, sorry, poorly stated. I forgot you live in an ugly ass city with brown air next to a polluted, brackish Salt water lake. But, you probably have Ospreys, because that's sorta like a coastal situation. But, I really doubt a large fish eater would do well in the Taconic mountains with nearly frozen over ponds. Asshole.

they migrate to warmer climes in the winter... like red tails and turkey vultures, etc.

[GeezerSteve]

Ospreys are very easy to ID in the field with a bit of practice. Osprey wing profile has a crook, sorta like a gull. No other raptor (an imprecise term) has such wing profile.

Ospreys eat live fish. They fish saltwater and freshwater, oceans, bays, ponds, lakes, rivers, creeks and stocked high lakes in the mountains. It's not unusual to see an Osprey inland -- I've seen Osprey in Kansas, Ohio and North Dakota -- but always within a relatively short flight to a water source with food.

Ospreys are the most cosmopolitan of all birds, i.e., their range is bigger than any other bird. I'm never surprised to see an Osprey.

[DBdude]

your sarcasm meter is a little off today steve

[GeezerSteve]

It's currently calibrated to the TGR mags don't know shit about birds setting.

[Timberridge]

Fyi. I can identify any bird from a single dropped feather. I don't even need to see the bird, or hear it.

[Benny Profane]

Fyi. I can identify any bird from a single dropped feather. I don't even need to see the bird, or hear it.

What the fuck. How often do they let you off the rez?

[XXX-er]

It's currently calibrated to the TGR mags don't know shit about birds setting.

I did a stint hanging out with real scientists and even they call them LBJ's

[BmillsSkier]

Fyi. I can identify any bird from a single dropped feather. I don't even need to see the bird, or hear it.

Coincidentally I can identify a cheez-it or goldfish cracker just by the sound it makes hitting the floor.

Right down to those garbage secondary flavors as well.

[GeezerSteve]

I did a stint hanging out with real scientists and even they call them LBJ's

What sort of scientists? I know a raptor expert who refers to most passerines as LBJs but he's the exception.

It aint too late to become a birder. Come join the fun!

[XXX-er]

ecologists, biologists all kinds of ologists

it seemed when you say LBJ you have more cred than when the average person calls them a bird

[GeezerSteve]

Rough-legged Hawk in the neighbor's big willow

We're heading up to Blewett/Tronsen for a fat fishscale picnic tour. I'll keep my eye out for Golden-crowned Kinglets (LBJ for the uninformed)

[flyandski365]

What sort of scientists? I know a raptor expert who refers to most passerines as LBJs but he's the exception.

It aint too late to become a birder. Come join the fun!

As a raptor guy turned all-bird biologist, I still call them that when I can't figure out what they were.

[TNKen]

As a youngster, I held an apprentice USF&W bird banding license. During the winters, we trapped and banded all kinds of hawks and owls. Kestrels, Coopers, Sharpies, red shouldered, red tails, harriers, rough legged, GHO's, barn owls, screech owls, saw whet owls, etc. Designed and built all kinds of snare traps and net traps. Coolest one was a stray rough legged. They don't get to Tennessee very often.

The osprey is about half the size of an eagle, very buoyant in flight. Caught one striper fishing a few years ago. Huge talons. Got it free and released it of course. Eagles seem to labor in flight.

When I was in the wildlife business, we had Goldens on my management are during late winter and spring. Picked up a deer and chunked it over the bank. Driving up the road a few days later going by the carcass, and a Golden jumped up in the road, started running along and taking flight. Had to brake to keep from hitting it. One of the coolest things I observed was one that looked to be a tiny spec in the sky. Went into a power dive and grabbed a ground hog. Got to sit and watch him devour about a 4 pound ground hog. Only thing left was the skin, feet, and forward part of the skull.

Osprey with markings highlighted.

[DBdude]

saw a rough legged hawk in my yard yesterday. they are really cool birds

[RustyGroomer]

This crow ate really well this summer. Watched him every night.



Showing off one handed,.... footed

[XXX-er]

As a raptor guy turned all-bird biologist, I still call them that when I can't figure out what they were.

I took LBJ to be an obvious in-joke amongst the ologists

my qualifications are that I would show up for field tech work on 8hrs notice

that and I dated the book keeper

[Ted Striker]

Are we certain it wasn't a few spooked turkeys?

[inspirational phrase]Turkeys don't soar[/inspirational phrase]

[BmillsSkier]

Golf clap. That's been in my head since page 1.