Scouter Cat Herding

[GrubKnot]

when my youngest sons Webelo den were trying to come up with a patrol name, i suggested "the clowder patrol". i even offered to buy the patch shown above. they didn't go for it.

[ThenNow]

17 hours ago, yknot said:

I came out to piles of feathers exploded all over the yard and not one bird left. Same thing happened to my neighbor. The electric fence kept the bear, fox, opossum and coyotes out but not the Cooper's hawks which we have in abundance. 

Sorry to hear it. Sound like you've had a very diverse collection of pets.  When we lived more north, the Cooper's were my favorite to watch, but by far the most aggressive and agile. We had one in the Chicago area that would crash straight into an evergreen shrub, talons extended and snatch a songbird. Watched it 'dance' in the driveway taking off with a very red Cardinal one day. Prior to last summer, I don't recall any hits our Bluebirds in the back of this house, but I had poofs of Blue mid-summer. I'm now starting to suspect the Sharp-shinned. Has anyone seen a Barred Owl defend its (her) nest? 

[ThenNow]

Was going to post about the Osprey we saw last season down in GA. Lo and behold. Check out the article. 

https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/jekyll-replaces-osprey-platform-ahead-of-nesting-season/article_71fea0a3-d5b0-5174-855f-a6c14e98bc06.html

[T2Eagle]

21 hours ago, ThenNow said:

Was going to post about the Osprey we saw last season down in GA. Lo and behold. Check out the article. 

https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/jekyll-replaces-osprey-platform-ahead-of-nesting-season/article_71fea0a3-d5b0-5174-855f-a6c14e98bc06.html

Nice, but you, and the paper, buried the lede, at least for folks on this forum.  "A local troop of Boy Scouts built the new stand using plans provided by Jekyll staff along with purchased and recycled lumber."

I am a bit famous, or maybe infamous, among both my family and my scouts for pointing out almost every raptor I see.  It's hard to explain to them that thanks to DDT and other pressures I spent the first 25 years of my life hiking and camping, and never saw a bald eagle or osprey, and only occasionally caught a glimpse of a hawk.  Today, I see a hawk pretty much every day in my suburban back yard, and even regularly see an eagle working the fish in the retention pond in my subdivision.  It's a marvel to me --- every time.

[ThenNow]

4 minutes ago, T2Eagle said:

Nice, but you, and the paper, buried the lede, at least for folks on this forum.  "A local troop of Boy Scouts built the new stand using plans provided by Jekyll staff along with purchased and recycled lumber."

It's a Scouter-led forum. Congratulations! You earned your badge. 

5 minutes ago, T2Eagle said:

I am a bit famous, or maybe infamous, among both my family and my scouts for pointing out almost every raptor I see. 

That's so funny. I am the same. Got it from my dad. He was utterly fascinated and all six of his kids and their offspring are, as well. Now, my wife even does it. All the time. 

[yknot]

2 hours ago, T2Eagle said:

 

I am a bit famous, or maybe infamous, among both my family and my scouts for pointing out almost every raptor I see.  It's hard to explain to them that thanks to DDT and other pressures I spent the first 25 years of my life hiking and camping, and never saw a bald eagle or osprey, and only occasionally caught a glimpse of a hawk.  Today, I see a hawk pretty much every day in my suburban back yard, and even regularly see an eagle working the fish in the retention pond in my subdivision.  It's a marvel to me --- every time.

Same. The sight of any raptor is thrilling, but especially eagles. We functionally had none and now I have four nesting sites within minutes of my house, one of which has yet to make it onto the state map so it's like a secret for now. Plus several places where they reliably hunt or roost.

One of my side jobs was to edit an animal health related website and news feed. During one editorial meeting, one of the staffers, with all the excitement attached to uncovering a big scoop, pitched a story idea about this thing called "DDT" and how it had killed off a lot of birds back in the '60s. The younger writers were all gobsmacked, had never heard of it, and thought it was a great story idea... Makes you feel kind of old lol. 

[yknot]

23 hours ago, ThenNow said:

Sorry to hear it. Sound like you've had a very diverse collection of pets.  When we lived more north, the Cooper's were my favorite to watch, but by far the most aggressive and agile. We had one in the Chicago area that would crash straight into an evergreen shrub, talons extended and snatch a songbird. Watched it 'dance' in the driveway taking off with a very red Cardinal one day. Prior to last summer, I don't recall any hits our Bluebirds in the back of this house, but I had poofs of Blue mid-summer. I'm now starting to suspect the Sharp-shinned. Has anyone seen a Barred Owl defend its (her) nest? 

Cooper's can be quite exciting to watch. Ospreys as well. I get to watch a lot of them hunt in the summer at the beach. We used to have a couple on the reservoirs but now that Eagles have moved in they are visitors only.  I just watched a video of what I believe was a Great Horned Owl defend it's nest. It strafed a 90 lb dog.

[ThenNow]

19 minutes ago, yknot said:

Cooper's can be quite exciting to watch. Ospreys as well. I get to watch a lot of them hunt in the summer at the beach. We used to have a couple on the reservoirs but now that Eagles have moved in they are visitors only.  I just watched a video of what I believe was a Great Horned Owl defend it's nest. It strafed a 90 lb dog.

Very cool. I dream of a Goshawk in full view one day, F-22 Raptoring its way through the woods. The Harris's Hawks we worked with in Scotland were incredible.

A female Barred fought off a Raccoon approaching her nest and that was a dandy. They have my favorite call, as well. Sound like monkeys when they're all worked up.

Edited February 25, 2022 by ThenNow

[yknot]

28 minutes ago, ThenNow said:

Very cool. I dream of a Goshawk in full view one day, F-22 Raptoring its way through the woods. The Harris's Hawks we worked with in Scotland were incredible.

A female Barred fought off a Raccoon approaching her nest and that was a dandy. They have my favorite call, as well. Sound like monkeys when they're all worked up.

I have also yet to definitively see a Goshawk other than someone yelling out at a hawkwatch that one was at o clock. On my bucket list. 

We worked with Harris's as well in Hershey PA where their plumage was particularly apt. They are relatively "docile." I have had two great lifetime views of owls, both GHO, while horseback. Ridden within feet of them while they perched over a trail. Being horseback is great for wildlife and birding as many creatures don't view you as a threat. Although none of my racetrack rejects would tolerate standing around much to look at things. 

I think we need a birding thread on this forum for stress relief and general edification. 

[ThenNow]

54 minutes ago, yknot said:

I think we need a birding thread on this forum for stress relief and general edification. 

It would be fun to post photos, if that is permitted. 

[SSScout]

Let's give credit where credit is due:

 

[qwazse]

On 2/23/2022 at 8:09 PM, T2Eagle said:

… At the time there were only two nesting pairs on the entire Ohio Lake Erie shore.  Today, thankfully, there's too many to count with precision.

One of those Eagle’s flew over the house today while we were out to walk to the shore. Looks like it might be fixing to build a nest.

In other news, the ice melted just enough to blow south from Canada and pike up. Grandson #1 looked out from atop the glacial shoreline at the wrack and ruin and shouted “Oh no! Water all gone!”

[yknot]

In the midst of all this sadness over bankruptcy, youth abuse, and now the Ukraine, I have had a joy filled moment almost every day this week sighting a Bald Eagle in different locations all around my state of domicile. It is such a kick to see them back in such numbers to the point that what was once a rare bird is now a near daily occurence.... And it's not the same bird -- It's adults hunting to feed mates and newly hatched chicks from four active nests and now a fifth nest I've just discovered. Or juveniles from last year's nests, which can be so easy to dismiss as another turkey vulture in a kettle until you note that straight-as-a-board wing span, apparently hanging around near mom and dad or maybe flying through to parts unknown. I know the apparently extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker was called the Lord God Bird because it was so big and so stunning, but for me, that's what I think every time I see an Eagle. No matter what happens with scouting, I hope we're always able to get kids excited and full of wonder about seeing creatures like this in the wild. 

[FireStone]

Another Den Leader made the comment upon seeing the Eagle square knot on my uniform that I must be the resident expert on being a DL. My response was that I'm not, at least not based on that square knot, because no part of the Eagle requirements cover cat herding.