Mississippi Kite

Well, the little ones are out and about these days - testing their wings and learning the world. Unfortunately, they didn't nest where I could keep an eye on their progress as they grew. Today I watched as a juvenile was served some tasty bugs multiple times. In childlike fashion, he would cry for his momma with the customary "PIT-teeewwww". Momma would show up with a morsel for him to consume. This scenario repeats itself fairly often.

(Momma brings the "bacon".)

I hadn't noticed before, but the juveniles (at least this one) has brown eyes, while the adults have red.

As if to express gratitude for its meal, another call to its Momma before digging in:

("Thank you, Momma!")

Dine hearty, young fella!
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Northern Harrier

The Northern Harrier winters over in the Texas panhandle. It rarely breeds here. Unlike many hawks, the harrier female is distinctly different in appearance from the male. It is also much larger. The Northern Harrier is up to 24" in length with a wingspan of up to 4 1/2 feet. This member of the hawk family has an owl-like facial disc that allows it to hunt by sound as well as sight. Its soft feathers allow for it to silently cruise low over fields, undetected by its prey. Using these ambush tactics, its prey stands no chance of escape.

(Female Northern Harrier)

(More images and info on the Northern Harrier HERE.)

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Red Tailed Hawk

Shelley and I took an afternoon jaunt to the Palo Duro Canyon today. On the way home, we saw two Red Tail Hawks perched on power poles a mile or two apart. These are shots of one of them.

(See more Red Tail photos and info HERE.)

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American Kestrel

This was an unexpected sighting. It's the 28th of December in the Texas panhandle. The temps have been staying near or below freezing long enough for park lakes to be frozen over. While out looking for some bird shots so I could post here again (about time!), I happened to notice two American Kestrels hunting a field about 200 yards from each other - one at each corner. I had to do a double-take. Kestrels in the panhandle this time of year? I expected that they would all be well south of here this time of year. After re-checking my range maps in the books I use as references, I see that their winter range can extend far north into Canada. So, surprise was a bit unwarranted. Kestrels are definitely a pleasure to see and watch.

This one was the first of two and perched on this wire for a long time, letting me take all the shots I wanted. I didn't pressure this Kestrel to the point it would leave. It was such a great opportunity, I didn't want to throw it away.

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This was the second one I photographed. I inched as close as I could, but unfortunately nervousness gave way to flight.

(See more Kestrel photos and info HERE.)

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Northern Harrier

We parked along a road on the south edge of town this morning to see if some local Harriers would do a show for us. They did. There were two or three hunting adjacent fields in their usual manner - flying low over fields and ambushing prey of opportunity. This one slammed on his brakes when he spoted a meal.

(More Northern Harrier photos and info HERE.)

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Mississippi Kite

One of my favorite birds is the Mississippi Kite. They are in the same family as hawks, eagles, harriers, ospreys, etc. Mississippi Kites are raptors - predators - and feed mainly on larger insects like grasshoppers and dragonflies. They can also occasionally take larger prey such as bats, swifts, and swallows. The Mississippi Kite is likely the one raptor that will casually eat in flight. The first thing you may notice is their black "mask" against a light gray head and body.

The panhandle is part of the Mississippi Kite's breeding grounds. Many people have complained about them "attacking" them while walking down a sidewalk. They are not aggressive towards humans. When nesting, the Mississippi Kite can be very defensive and territorial, and will attempt to urge people, dogs, etc., to move away from their nest or the tree it's in. I have personally been "buzzed" repeatedly by them while working on rooftops. Should you ever encounter them in this way, don't be afraid. Simply move along if you get concerned. They have no malice towards you. They don't want to harm or eat you. They just want you to go away. If they had a problem with human activity, they wouldn't nest amongst us. When I have been buzzed by them, I have never had them close enough to even reach out and touch them - or them, me. Rooftops are much closer to their nests than you would be by walking down the sidewalk.

Kites generally winter over in South America and return to Texas in May. While thought of as a southern raptor, they have been seen as far north as New England.

American Kestrel

This is something you don't see every day, and something that doesn't get photographed every day: Two American Kestrels mating.

Northern Harrier

The Northern Harrier cruises low over fields using surprise attacks to capture its prey. They winter in Texas, but very rarely breed in the panhandle. On their menu are rats, snakes, small rabbits, and birds such as red-winged blackbirds. The Royal Air Force was so impressed with the Harrier's maneuverability that they named one of their aircraft after it - the Harrier "Jump Jet".

Red-Tailed Hawk

This is an immature/juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk. It was hunting jack rabbits on the south edge of town when he flew by us. He had just missed a jack. They ride thermals as they soar overhead looking for prey, sometimes soaring for miles before flapping their wings once. His call is an unmistakable descending scream that virtually everybody has heard. Red Tails usually eat rodents, but will take a rabbit or other small animal.

American Kestrel

This is likely the most colorful falcon in the world. Her handler told us that she dines on large insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and small birds like female grackles (not males). Her name is "Hanna Banana", and for a very interesting reason. When she kills a grackle, she preludes dining on her by grabbing the back of its neck and peeling her back - like a banana.

Although kestrels are known to live in open or semi-wooded country, they are not intimidated by human activity. As a result, they are very adaptable to other environments. The panhandle is considered to be in its breeding and summer grounds.

A half block down the road, this kestrel picked a high perch to scope the area out for a meal. This one is not Hanna Banana. The following two photos are of the first American Kestrel I've photographed in the "wild". They were taken in a residential section of Amarillo.

I don't know if this one was going after a meal, or just moving on to other "restaurants", but I was able to catch it in flight as it left the antenna.