GBH

Thanks everyone for the outpouring of condolences regarding the loss of Chesty the Harris's Hawk. She touched thousand of lives, and it's hard to break the habit of putting the dogs inside the house to let the hawk fly around. Like so many of you told me, she had a great life. So here's a talking Great Blue Heron on the Blackfoot River Thursday for something completely different.

Chesty

Rest In Peace Chest

I am saddened to report that Chesty the Harris's Hawk died yesterday, 24 years of age and very full life. She was a gift from our friend Ric Jinotti, his beloved falconry bird. A Vietnam veteran and wheel chair bound, Chesty would dash after pheasants and land on his arm or head. She is named for Chesty Puller, Korean war hero. Ric had taken a bad turn health-wise and was moving to a new house, so his hawk joined us in 2003. He and his sister Toni paid us a visit to see Chesty in 2007, and she flew down and landed on his arm, the last time he would see her before he passed. Chest flew around the property nearly every day for the last 12 years for which she won the award for "Best Behavior Enrichment" from the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators in 2009, the video on YouTube. She rarely left the yard, and had an ongoing project of building a nest on the arbor. She delighted visitors like the MCAT Young Filmmakers Class by catching tidbits of meat tossed in the air.

Chesty apparently succumbed to old age despite some emergency veterinary treatment by Dr. Scott Bovard, flying in the evening and laying on the ground in her building yesterday morning. She will be very much missed by everyone, except our dogs and a few guys, whom she startled some times.  As a matter of fact, the night before she forced my brother-in-law into the safety of the garage, swooping near him just in fun. She just liked to see grown men duck for cover. I loved that bird.

Another Big Night on the Beach

The dogs and I had quite the evening last night after zero photographs the night before. Both adults perched together, that shot on the way. One fledgling crashed right into the snag and tumbled down (they know how to fly, just not how to land.) Then they were all together, first time I've been privileged to see that, one big happy biting, begging family.  Finally an intruder, a two-year-old Bald Eagle landed in the tree and they didn't seem too concerned. Out there until way after dark, too much fun to behold.

Turah Ospreys

Mom and I paid a visit to my sister Betsy yesterday east of Missoula and she asked that I bring the big camera. This nest is on a huge power tower, sticks added every year and it must weigh a ton. I got these photos standing on her patio, sipping a beverage, chatting away. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

Attacks Shift

I've seen kestrels attack eagles, orioles attack kestrels, kestrels attack magpies and vice versa, magpies attack eagles, and now Red-wing Blackbirds attacking Ospreys. The last two nights the Osprey couldn't shake a particularly annoyed blackbird, and wonder why. Below a Lewis's Woodpecker fights with a magpie. Coming up in August it will be the battle between Ospreys and Bald Eagles, always tough to photograph but I'm feeling lucky this year. It's a jungle out there.

Launch

Dad To the Rescue

This male kestrel and his mate chased a Red-tail away from their nesting area, scaring the young hawk nearly to death. My neighbors across the road, Mike and Ginny DeNeve installed one of our kestrel nest boxes this spring and I spaced it out. Either that box or one of the numerous cottonwood cavities housed these baby kestrels until Friday or so. Darn it, should have been there when they baled. I blew it, but here are two daughters, more crying babies in the dense Ponderosa Pine needles at the very top, invisible and safe.

Back Home

The first hour I could just hear weak little eagle cries from across the river, then all three fledglings flew in to perch in the nest tree. One of them actually ran around in the nest itself, probably looking for a nice squirrel leg or fish tail. No sign of the parents, but doubt these guys will starve to death!

Sorry, Two More

Mercifully

Not another eagle photo...This a fledgling Great Horned Owl.

Eagle Attack

Currently two young eagles are standing on our eagle building, both kestrels Wes and Ella screaming in protest. Printing the new Raptor Round-Up Newsletter today, filled with eagle photos! Sure takes a while to write one of those....man. So on line and in the mail soon. And here is another kestrel attack from two nights ago, tennis ball time.

What?!

Look what the youngsters were playing with tonight - a tennis ball on the beach. I'm sure it was for a dog to fetch and not a new river sport. Hey, join us tomorrow at the Public Library in Hamilton for a free program out on the lawn. I'm bringing the Aplomado and three more birds! 1:30 sharp and buy some books, okay?

More Excitement

As if seeing the heron wasn't fun enough, just then in flew all three fledgling eagles, perched in the snag across the river. The kestrel attacks began immediately and I finally figured out where they are nesting - in a dead broken off tree exactly in between the eagle nest tree and this favorite snag. No wonder they get all worked up every time someone perches here. That's the male kestrel and the female screamed from above. By the way, one of those big dark birds is currently perched in the back yard, our kestrels calling.
Check out our fun story on MTPR by Cherie!