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Borrego Springs, CA

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Who cooks for you…all?

I was up before the crack of dawn this morning to get ready to lead another refuge tour.  We had an outstanding morning, and spotted 18 cranes in all.  Seven of them were Mississippi sandhills!  That is exceptionally good for this late in February. 

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The last two we found were Crossbill and her mate.  It turns out that the female, Crossbill (on the left), has never had a mate, but this year a young male has taken a liking to her.  What an interesting time we had watching these two.  This is the pair that hangs out near the house that puts out corn for them.  As we arrived near this property, the owner came out of the house on a pair of crutches.  He has only one leg.  It kind of reminded me of Peg.  Sad smile  As he approached the cranes, the pair began displaying and dancing.  They jumped in the air, lowered their heads, and raised their wings.  It was obvious that they were comfortable around this gentleman, and knew a load of corn was coming.  I’m not sure how I feel about this familiarity with humans, but I can surely understand the thrill this man must feel as he communicates in his own way with these wild things.

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Just before we arrived at this location, I slammed on the brakes and told everyone to get their cameras ready.  There was a barred owl sitting on an electrical line in broad daylight not 15 feet from us!  If I were a rodent, I would certainly fear those sharp talons that this owl possesses.

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If you hear the hooting of an owl in the night, you may not know what kind it is.  This owl’s hoot has often been likened to the phrase Hoo-Hoo, Hoo-Hoo-Awe ( Who cooks for you all?) with the Awe being at a lower pitch.  That’s how you tell them from great horned owls in the dark.  They are also usually found in wet areas, like a wet pine savannah.  It was a real treat to find one out in the morning sun!

 

This afternoon, I took Emma with me over to the bunkhouse, and I started work on cleaning up that garden (?) area in the front.  I had a shovel, rake, and the world’s heaviest wheelbarrow.  Two hours was about all I was up for doing in the afternoon heat.  I’m thinking I’ll take my time over the next week to get things ready for the gravel cover up.

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Later, I went over to ‘supervise’ the guys working on rebuilding an overlook along the Dees Trail.  Volunteers Tom and Jay are on the left, and volunteer coordinator, Doug Hunt, is on the right.  They didn’t quite get everything finished, but this overlook for viewing a swampy area should be open pretty soon.  That’s the kind of stuff some of the other volunteers do.

 

Tomorrow, we’re all going on a boat tour of the local swamps of the Pascagoula River, and then in the afternoon I’ll be going along with a crew to try to trap some of the unbanded cranes.  Can’t wait for the sun to rise!  Smile

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy

21 comments:

  1. That is a wonderful picture you took of the owl. They are so expressive.

    Crossbill has a mate, how exiting, will you be there long enough to see if they have babies?

    If you hear any news about how Peg died, please let us know. As she was sounding funny for a weeks or so, before she died, maybe pneumonia?
    I hate to think of her suffering that way, but better than knowing that there is a bird murderer around there amongst those rare and beautiful cranes.
    Tomorrow should be exiting!
    Happy Trails, Penny, TX

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  2. A younger man for the Crossbill -- does that make her a Crossbill-cougar...lol. Beautiful/Awesome pics of the owl. Can't wait to hear about your boat tour tomorrow -- we are truly enjoying your blog and would like more info on how you came to be a volunteer for NWR.

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  3. So happy for Crossbill. And that owl is beautiful. I think I've only seen an owl maybe twice in my life (in the wild). Your blog is certainly making me more aware of the birds around me all the time. Still don't have a clue what any of them are, but at least I'm seeing them now.

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  4. great photos of the crossbill and the owl!..can't wait for the next entry about the new 'love birds'

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  5. Love the owl. They are amazing! I love cranes too but it seems like over the years I've seen more cranes than owls. There are lots of them up here but hard to spot.

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  6. How incredibly lucky to see an owl out in the open during daylight hours!!

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  7. I've heard them hoot, but have only seen one owl in the wild. It was a beautiful great horned. I was thrilled and will always remember it.

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  8. Almostimpossible to sneak up on a wise old owl. Nice of that young fellow to pose for you so nice. Good photo for sure:))

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  10. Those are wonderful pictures! I want a telephoto lens for my camera so I can get more wildlife pictures. Till then, I'll enjoy yours, OK? :)

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  11. Great photo of the owl - that's my favourite for sure.

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  12. Wonderful pictures, including the photos of the workers. My, you people work hard! Sounds like you are a great tour guide, Judy!

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  13. Judy, incredible photos as always. Living on the coast and seeing so many of the same birds your write about have raised my level of knowledge when it come to their habit and proper names. Thanks for all you do.

    On a side note: Yesterday morning we had a pgmy sperm whale wash ashore where we live. Unfortunately they euthanized it late yesterday. Since its such a rare ocassion for the Galveston coast it makes you wonder what brought the whale into shore.

    Connie

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  14. This is a very interesting post. The pictures of the “Barred Owl” are amazing! I would have enjoyed seeing the “Mississippi Sandhills” too, especially the “displaying and dancing”.

    John
    relaxedrush.blogspot.com

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  15. Your photos are awesome. Thanks for taking us along on your travels.

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  16. Great pic of the owl...not an everyday pic. I can't wait to hear about your boat tour tomorrow.
    Take care and be safe.

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  17. Sounds like Crossbill changed up her cologne and lured a younger man...I would be anxious to see if there are any little Crossbills later this Spring.
    What can I say about the Owl photo that hasn't been said...ABSOLUTELY RIVOTING PHOTOS..."I'm ready for my close up now, Miss Judy"...Thanks for making my day...I LOVE the owls...

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  18. What a wonderful full day you had. Great photos as usual.

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  19. Great pictures of the owl. I have seen lots of owls in my life-time, but don't think I have seen this one yet.

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  20. Amazing photos, as always. Thanks for sharing the moment(s)!

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