Out on a Limb

A single, small bird sitting on limb, hidden among the leaves and softly calling does not get much attention from the folks jogging out to Foster Island. None the less, there is a story to tell about how this little bird came to be sitting in a tree near the Empress tree.

First, lets establish the type of bird. Our little bird is black with alternating white-to-light-grey spots, markings and stripes. It has the straight, sharp bill of a woodpecker but, due to its smaller size and shape, it is clearly not a pileated woodpecker like Elvis. Due to its coloring we know it is not a Flicker. Here on Union Bay that leaves us with two options, for the most part. This bird is either a Hairy or a Downy woodpecker. Which do you think it is?

A Hairy Woodpecker

 A Downy Woodpecker

The Downy averages around six inches long and the Hairy is roughly 50 percent larger. However unless you are extremely lucky, and get them to pose side by side or next to a ruler, the size differences may not be very helpful. Do you see any other differences that might help you distinguish between these birds?

The answer is in comparing the length of the beak to the size of their heads. The Downy's beak is about one half the size of its head, while the Hairy's beak is closer to two thirds. Based on this information we can determine that our little bird is a Downy. 

The age of the bird also has intertwined in this story. So take a closer look to see if you can find any age related hints.

The way the feathers on the head are fluffy and clean is a hint. In particular, the lack of discoloration on the feathers just above and behind the beak (unlike the female in the prior photo) indicate this bird has not spent the spring sticking its beak into crevices and crannies to find food. Which implies this is not a parent but a fledging that has just left the nest. 

You may wonder, Is there anything else to know about this bird? Take a look at this next photo of a Downy looking for food in the rain last winter.

Did you notice the bright red patch on the back of the head? This indicates the bird is a male. So we must conclude our young little Downy is a female. Is this the whole story of our little bird? Not quite.

During the winter this bird's parents would have spent a lot of time searching for food to maintain and hopefully build up their energy reserves. Examples include looking for food under,

over and around small limbs.

Sometimes the search would have included larger branches and meals.

Come spring there was a large expenditure of energy to build a new nest.

Notice how the perfectly round, little nesting hole (most likely less than one and a half inches) is somewhat hidden in the shadow under the clump of bark. 

It is also close to a previous year's hole which makes one wonder if they are connected inside the tree.

Maybe the male Downy was curious as well.

Still the preparations for nesting were not all hard work.

Eventually the eggs were laid, the nesting began and finally our young bird hatch out and began to ask for food.

That is when the real work began. There was a lot of coming and going...

usually with food.

To take a look at video of the feeding process, Click Here

Sometimes the meals were a bit difficult to define.

Sometimes danger lurked nearby. Notice how the nestling pulled back into the nest and the mother hid on the other side of the tree.

Through all the hard work and danger the parents persevered and at least one of the results was this beautiful, little bird beside the trail to Foster Island.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city.

Larry

Odds and Ends:

In this last photo it looks as though the female Downy is shocked to see a face staring at her from the clump of wood bark on her right. Can you find a face? For me it seems to shift back a forth usually I see the face of a person but sometimes the face of an ape seems to be lurking in the shadows. Good Luck!

Life After Eddie - Eaglet Growth

Eaglets may have one of the fastest growth rates of any bird.

Not all sources agree on the rate, however all the sources read, imply a rate that is equal-to or faster than a quarter pound a day. Watch this video to see the process.

Albert feeding the Eaglet

The eaglet's growth from just two weeks ago is phenomenal. (To see the prior eaglet post, 

Click Here. )

Although the wings are a bit ragged and not yet filled in they are nearly as long as Albert's wings. At this point the eaglet is truly turning into a juvenile. In the near future we should see lots of wing flapping on the edge of the nest to help strengthen and build muscle. This will be followed by "branching". Which includes hopping, skipping, jumping and fluttering to near by branches. Then, possibly as early as July 4th, the eaglet should make its first flight e.g. fledge.

Since the feather growth is so curiously intriguing here is one more photo that shows the current stage of the process.

After fledging in theory the eaglet should hang around the nest for most of the summer, while the parents provide training and food supplements. By fall and definitely before winter the young bird will be out on its own. Given this quick track to independence would you like to venture a guess on how long it will be until this bird reaches maturity?

What would you think one year, two years or three years. Actually it takes four to five years before their heads and tails turn white, their beaks become bright yellow and they are ready to pick a mate, claim a territory, build a nest and raise young. 

During this time eagles commonly gather in fairly large groups. These gatherings are usually convened around an abundant food source. Here is an example of an eagle that is nearing maturity, but not quite there.

These photos were taken two weeks ago, when this eagle along with many others, was fishing at low tide on Hood Canal.

Clearly this eagle has learned to feed itself and is almost prepared to become a provider.

It is interesting to compare this birds markings with mature eagles like Eva and Albert.

Two weeks ago Bill Anderson pointed out some potential methods of telling male and female eagles apart. One suggestion was, in essence, that the female has less of a forehead. Can you pick out Eva from the two preceding photos?

(It is my belief that Eva is in the second photo. I have yet to see scientific proof for this theory, but it sure looks like it works to me. Thank you to Bill for the concept. To see some of Bill's photos and photos of Bill, Click Here.) 

While observing the nest this week Albert was seen to fairly consistently use only his left foot to support his weight. In the photo above he uses both feet and it does not appear that he is having any problems with his right foot. It just makes one wonder if eagles an have a favorite foot, just like we tend to favor one hand over the other. 

In any case if you are a passenger (not the driver, please) in a car on 520 you might watch to see if you notice Albert sitting on one of the light poles, using only his left foot.

Curiously Eva does not appear to have a favorite foot. By the way, now that the eaglet appears to be quite capable of defending itself, Eve is spending more time hunting. This includes sitting on a 520 light pole and watching for fish, particularly fish freshly caught by smaller birds. Eagles clearly believe that might makes right.

Also here is a one last video where Eva and Albert say good night.

Click Here (These are the calls of the adults, not the eaglet.)

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city.

Larry

Odds and Ends:

Next week's post is looking like it may be about a Downy Woodpecker Chick(s). The nest is in the Arboretum near the Chinese Empress tree. If you stand under the Empress tree and using binoculars look high in the nearby snag you can see the nest and maybe the chick. The Empress has or had purple flowers, most have fallen now, and is located north of the Don Graham Visitor's Center, just before you get to the water. It still looks a bit like the photo at the end of this prior post.

Baby on Board - The Things A Mother Will Do

It is surprising that such a nondescript bird can create such cute little, zebra-striped young.

Still when one stops to take a look at this relatively common bird the list of surprising characteristics and behaviors seems to just keep on coming. Not only will she carry one of her young on her back, if they feel the need, she will carry two.

Of course this behavior can't last forever. The young in the previous photos are only be a few days old and were still small. The photos above were taken one week ago and by yesterday the young birds had grown so much that fitting just one under the wings on the mother's back would be a challenge.

Thank you to David Boyle for your directions.

While this bird is a water bird, technically it is not a duck. For one thing it does not have webbed feet. It does however have lobes on its toes. Just like a duck's webbing or the flat part of a paddle this increases the amount of water the bird can push against in order to propel itself.

Another curious feature of this bird is the fact that its legs are attached at the "tail-end" of its body. This enables strong and agile propulsion underwater. While this is great for underwater hunting it makes walking on land a challenge. As a result this bird's usual reaction to danger is to go with its strength and dive.

Given that this bird is normally in the water it can be difficult to actually get a photo that shows how the legs are attached to the body. Luckily, earlier this month at a nearby nest I was able to watch a female as it laid an egg. After laying the egg the female remained completely motionless for a couple of moments before hopping off the nest and resuming her normal activities. Those legs are clearly designed for water propulsion.

Although it is not obvious in the photo the freshly laid egg had a faint, light blue color. The older eggs, which had been in the nest for awhile, had been discolored by the leaves and mud which the parents use to cover the eggs. This makes them a little less, bright, shiny and attractive to hungry predators.

Normally a parent is on the nest and if they leave the nest to hunt they cover it. However a few days earlier I happened to find the nest unattended and uncovered.

Within a few moments one of the parents returned. It seemed like this was the first parent to leave the nest and it was expecting to find the other parent on the nest or at least to find the nest covered. It was almost as though the bird counted the eggs in the nest before quickly covering them.

Over the last few weeks the grass has grown up in the area around this nest and made it much more difficult to see. This is a wonderful thing as it provides additional protection for the eggs and the young birds while they learn to dive, hide and hunt. However it did make the following photos, taken yesterday, a bit more obscure.

Given this bird's skill below the surface, it is not surprising that underwater is where it usually hunts. Most other Union Bay birds, that catch prey under water, bring their food to the surface before they consume it. This bird apparently swallows its food while it is still underwater. 

(Though I have spent a fair amount of time watching these birds I have never seen one eating. If you have been lucky enough to photograph one doing so, and would like to share the photo, send it in to be published here. My email is: ldhubbell at comcast dot net)

**************************************************************

Update:                                                                                                                 6-2-2013

Yesterday, Stephanie sent in this excellent photo of a Pied-Billed Grebe preparing to eat a fish, above water. It looks like I need to do some additional research on the eating habits of the PBG. Here is her email:

Larry,

Here's a shot of a PBG with a fish. Sort of eating :)

Stephanie Colony

 

Further research indicates it is the Bufflehead and NOT the PBG that I have never seen or photographed eating above the water. Please forgive this error in my memory.

Thank you Stephanie for participating in my education and recall. 

***************************************************************

Do you know what kind of bird this is? Its two-colored, summertime beak is a hint. This is the Pied-Billed Grebe (PBG). The meaning of pied appears to be having splotches of just two colors. In this case the PBG's beak is white with a black band, but only in the summertime.

Another unique feature of this bird is the sound of its call. It sounds like some eerie, prehistoric call that could come from a dinosaur or some other unknown creature. You can hear the sound online at the Cornel Lab of Ornithology (Click Here) or you could venture out to Union Bay. Taking a walk or canoe ride on Union Bay is not only a healthy option but in addition you may get to hear a PBG live. Plus for the next few days (at no additional cost), if you are lucky, you may get to see a mother bird carrying her young on her back. The things a mother will do for her children are amazing.

Just in case you are unable to get out and about here are a few more photos.

Have a great day on Union Bay, where nature lives in the city.

Larry

Odds and Ends:

The Broadmoor eaglet appears to be doing fine, more photos to follow.

By the way if you are out early, near the southeast side of Foster Island, you may catch a view of the female Wood Duck and her ducklings. 

Most likely this is the same bird that nested in the box just across the water. If you didn't see it before you can see more in the post, Young Love. Don't miss the house hunting video to watch the mother bird defending her nest.

Also if you have enjoyed the Cornell Labs bird sounds and information as much as I have you may want to help them expand their coverage from 150 birds to 700. If you follow this link making a donation is easy and painless. Donate here

Life After Eddie - Eva's New Eaglet

The new, 2013 eaglet in the Broadmoor nest still has remnants of fluffy, white "peach fuzz" on the back of its head. 

This is the second spring since Eddie the Eagles demise on the 520 bridge. This year there have been a some changes around the nest that Eddie (and Eva) built. 

For one thing Eva and Albert (Eddies replacement) have only one eaglet this year as compared to the two they raised last year. In addition this year's eaglet appears to be three or four weeks ahead of last year's schedule. The core of the eaglets new feathers can be seen protruding behind each wing like a row of parallel straws. This looks strange but it is normal.

The same thing happened last year, to the eaglets Beatrice and Eleanor, but the timing was closer to mid-June, not mid-May. Most likely the reason for this change in timing is beyond knowing, but it does make one wonder if the earlier hatching could be due to the warmer spring. On the other hand maybe the hatching was around the same time but since there is only one eaglet the growth has been accelerated. It is hard to know.

Still in 2013 more things are the same with the 520 eagles than are different from 2012. For the last few months Eva has been almost constantly at the nest. To begin with there was the mating in the nesting tree. 

Then once the eggs were laid, nearly constant warming was required and lately Eva has been at the nest protecting the eaglet as it grows.

Also like last year Albert has been doing most of the grocery runs.

By the way for the last couple of months the eagle sitting on the 520 light pole was most likely Albert, since Eva has been at the nest most of the time. During the rest of the year, when Eva is not nesting, she is more likely to be the one on the 520 light pole and Albert gets relegated to one of the cottonwood trees along the shore. Female eagles on average weigh about 50% more than the males, so they tend to get their choice when it comes to hunting spots, how the nest is built and who gets to eat first. Since the male birds are smaller it seems logical to assume that they may be the more agile hunters. Since Albert is the primary provider, when the family is in the nest, it seems appropriate that he should be very good at finding food. 

Last year Albert caught a gull for dinner (read the story here). 

Even though he stopped to rest on the way back to the nest, he did not take a single bite to eat. As a matter of fact it seems that all the food that he brings to the nest seems to be fresh and whole. Usually the diet seems to be fish, fish and more fish. Once the food reaches the nest Eva immediately takes over. Whether it is removing feathers or strips of meat she is the one who begins the food preparation. 

Then she feeds the eaglet, herself and then finally Albert gets a turn. quite often Albert simply leaves the nest without even eating. He just heads out to find more food.

Folks quite often ask how they can tell Eva and Albert apart. It is fairly easy when they are side by side, since Eva is clearly larger. However if the two birds are not together the challenge is considerably more difficult. Unlike our local pileated woodpeckers there are no obvious color differences between the mature, male and female eagles. 

The only clue that maybe seems to work for me is comparing the diameter of the eye to the distance from the top of the eye to the top of the head. Admittedly this distance can change depending on how the feathers are laying. However in general it seems that for Eva the top of the head is often slightly greater than 1 eyes distance away, while for Albert this distance is usually less than or equal to the diameter of an eye. Still these two photos of the same eagle, taken last month in Interlaken Park, show that this method is not clear cut and cannot be used if the feathers are ruffled.

Still I do think this is Albert.

Last year's initial post about Eva and Albert's first set of eaglets was titled, Life after Eddie. Just like last year once again there is new life, and hope for the future, in the nest that Eddie built.