Adult Cooper's Hawk on the chicken coop. Okay, pigeon coop, and been hanging out the last few days. She's standing just above the one-way door that the pigeons use to re-enter the loft after flying around the neighborhood for a while, several times a day. The aluminum bar allows them in but not out. Their larger cousin the Northern Goshawk caught one years ago. I have seen the racing pigeons put on the brakes and have predators fly right by, fooled by their "food."
These two hen turkeys have been hanging out with their offspring, and the dogs pay no attention. An introduced species, the first transplants to Montana were in the mid 1950's from Colorado and Wyoming. An exotic gamebird, and two hunting seasons - spring gobblers and either sex in the fall. I am glad that Sibley the Peregrine has never paid any attention to them on our ex-exercise ground (we were kicked off by the new owner who wants to make a cattle ranch like Kevin Costner. Don't get me started...)
We love Sonora and she is currently perched right here on the bookshelf while I replace the pine needles in her building. This is a photo of her at the Missoula Art Museum in June, Birds and Art Camp with young artist Isla. Sonora is thinking "I can't wait to get home..." and at the bottom it says, "and she got lost in Idaho." Which she did, flying her in falconry as a youngster fresh from the Peregrine Fund - 2013, trying to catch Eurasian Collared Doves. She flew from our neighborhood to the Idaho border, two nights out, chasing every bird that flew by. So no more flights (outside) for her.
A sign of my improving health is this new etching of Simone the Red-tailed Hawk, just completed and will submit to the Missoula Art Museum Auction. This is 4 months to the day since I had total knee replacement surgery and sick ever since. I have had major blood tests, treatment for anemia, CT scans, echocardiogram, and one more ultrasound test for cancer. My sixth sense says that ain't it...My surgeon assured me that this was an allergy to anesthesia. He told me that had I been in surgery for three hours instead of just 40 minutes, I would be sick for a year. Unbelievable. So still fatigued and naps, but not every day. Next, paint some more Red-tail prints in the little edition. FUN! Dry-point etching, gouache paint. 10 1/2" x 7 1/4 "
Some mammatus clouds just as a big thunderstorm moves in, snapshot of the back yard last evening.
Sonora the Aplomado Falcon has free run of the office a couple days a week, 10 years now. I just found this photo of her imitating the famous Bald Eagle/American Kestrel photo on the wall! Makes me want to bust out the (new) clay and make a little sculpture, like the vulture, Sonora's perch.
Our "puppy" turns a year old, and best pal to Nico, who turned 5 in July. We'll see how he does in falconry season, also pals to the falcons. Mose has been way too adventurous at the river and jumped into a fleet of inner tubes then floated a mile downstream to Chief Looking Glass. Four 20-year-old gals in bikinis...retrieved an hour later. Bad Dog.
We received a famous celebrity pigeon to add to the loft just over a month ago, a gift from Dr. Bret Tobalske and the U of M Flight Lab. "Buddy" served in a series of flight and thermo-regulation experiments, a star performer, and time to retire. I kept him in a separate enclosure with a couple young pigeons for a few days, then put him in with all 12. I release these birds at least twice a day. After a week I scooted him out the door with the others, and he disappeared for 3 or 4 days. Apparently he flew back to the Flight Lab at Fort Missoula, nearly 20 miles! Then back home to the Raptor Ranch, what a story. Apparently he was originally from a flock in near Bellingham, Washington so good thing he didn't go there instead. Here is Buddy on the peak of our roof, show off.
(A great 1975 Tom Waits album) and Common Nighthawks flying by here last evening, first ones I have seen this year. These are the nightjars across the country, active at dawn and dusk, not night, and not hawks, but "hawking" insects in flight. A gregarious migrating flock lingered over the river, but I failed to get any good photos so here is an older one. I love these birds and their call, the nasal peent is a sign of summer.
Mischa the Peregrine is chillin' inside on her perch. And right outside that window, the swarm. The most honeybees ever and I just filled that feeder first thing this morning! Heck with that "No Mow May" leaving the dandelions in your yard for the honeybees - just load up on hummingbird feeders.
ps: I checked and didn't have the top part screwed in all the way, so leaking sugar like crazy. pss: Misch just has her head turned upside down in a playful fashion, not deformed.
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