This morning I did a lot of driving, very little observing.
Two red tails, both roused before I saw them. Red tails are big, beautiful birds perched, but are magnificent in flight. I have a physicist's reverence for conservation of energy, and do not purposelessly roust any bird. So the joy of watching the red tails fly was a bonus for my carelessness.
And I found a murder of crows. "Murder" is a traditional term for a "flock" of crows, but I have no clue as to the minimum: 2? 5? 10? 80?
Crows have an interesting and integral, necessary role in the resurrection of the duck population in the US. As much success as Ducks Unlimited has had, and not to in any way do or say any thing except in support of DU, the heavy lifter in waterfowl reintroduction was our Federal Government.
It amazes me that duck populations were all but made extinct by gunners early in the last century.
Because I know no one who eats duck, ever.
Whitley Co. Indiana is one of the world's largest producers of duck: if you eat Peking Duck in Beijing, that duck was fed out to a carefully monitored weight and slaughtered in Whitley Co.
The thread is that in the early part of last century, wild ducks trickled down traditional flyways, all but extinct.
Enter the Federal Duck Stamp program. Duck stamps are an annual issue of the USPS, a must-have. This year's Long-Tailed Duck Stamp is available now, for a mere $15, and the track record of this program makes this an outstanding conservation donation. Do birds a favor, do yourself a favor, do our world a favor, and buy at least one.
Now the crow. Mexico had no migratory bird protection. But crows are sacred to several belief systems in Mexico.
Okay, I hate "belief systems", but that is the least offensive term I can muster.
Carlos Castaneda wrote a trilogy in the late 60's about hallucinogenic, religious experiences with a priest/guide and various organic ingestibles (made-up word). The cover of one of the books was given over to a crow.
These books are worth reading, whether you are an experimenter with the plants, or if you just want to know why anyone would.
The Government of Mexico, in response to the US Migratory Birds Protection rules, agreed to protect ducks and geese only if the US offered similar protection to crows.
It's a great thing this all happened, as no one willingly "eats crow", and, as per a recent post, crows are most likely smarter than your cat. And one will kill your cat, straight up.
And crows have been destroyed on the same humbling mindless thoughtless ignorant scale as raptors, eagles, falcons and hawks, and in the ultimate testament to the stupidity of us all, even the albatross, harmless to every human endeavor, except it's big.
I was concerned this evening because I had seen no Falco sparverius, no American Kestrels, all day.
The concern was totally selfish. I want to fly a kestrel, to watch a little bird rule airspace. The window to get an apprentice license is closing for the season, in terms of legally capturing a little falcon and learning with her how to best exploit her skills. Kestrels easily take sparrows (sparrow hawk) and starlings, and maybe, well schooled, grackles and pigeons.
Though not likely, as these last two may be too large for a little kestrel. But I'd love to provide the opportunity to a well-schooled bird who would try.
I saw some Indigo buntings, always a joy. If you believe The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, pg 581, these magnificently iridescent blue little beauties are "actually black, but the diffraction of light through the structure of the feathers makes them appear blue".
Nine years ago, a seven-year-old girl told me Polar bears are black.
She was right, too.
Indigo buntings will do a near-vertical dive off a wire into a field, 15 - 20 feet. The culmination must be notable, but I've yet to see one. Maybe it is the key to "awesome".
I saw one possible kestrel, and, in desperation, headed to Kestrel Alley.
The American Kestrel, Roland H Warner, has a map of average kestrel sightings from "Breeding Bird Surveys" routes, 1996 - 2000. This may be the the count Andy was doing previously.
In the survey in my area, there are 2 - 3 annual pairs in the five-year average.
After seeing no kestrels all day, on Kestrel Alley, in the first 400 yards, I found 4 kestrels, including my big girl, and another a half mile on. I have seen a pair here, by behavior. At that time, it was just stunning, two kestrels, circling, climbing - since found to be the same thing.
If this is really the best 1/4 mile in Indiana for kestrels, I'll shut up now, because one of them is my best first raptor.
More likely, where and what are these people counting?