The Mother Ship

Young pied-billed grebes spend a lot of time on board the "mother ship." 

Technically, I am not positive about the gender of the parent. However, in honor of mothers everywhere and Mother's Day specifically, I am sticking with the mother-ship concept.

 Just like human young, they love looking out the window. You can almost hear them asking, "Are we there yet?"

The parents must have a great deal of patience and endurance. 

This adult is carrying four young, while a fifth is attempting to board via the stern.

The carrying capacity may not be posted, but the captain is clearly aware of the issue.

Lifting the bow institutes a fail-safe maneuver which keeps the ship afloat. Luckily, the passengers do not require flotation devices.

Almost immediately some of them climb back on board.

The young birds beg for food almost incessantly. 

The older and larger youngsters seem the most focused on food, which is good since soon they will be hunting on their own. Unlike mallard ducklings or geese goslings, young grebes are not hatched with the ability to find their own food. 

While underwater, the adult bites and shakes the prey into smaller pieces. I suspect the water helps to keep the food from flying away. It may also be safer, since initially the young birds tend to stay on the surface.

The young are certainly demanding.

Often the most aggressive youngster is rewarded.

The parents have plenty to do, so they do not micro-manage the feeding process. The food offered can be a bit large. This young grebe has the food but initially is only able to keep one leg above the surface. 

Like humans, the young often drop their food. Sometimes, the parent will wait a moment...

...before ducking under to retrieve the fallen food.

The food gets automatically washed in the process. No thirty second rule required.

It may be that large pieces of food are just part of the learning process. Unlike ducklings and goslings, these young birds must learn to be predators. Learning to consume large pieces of prey in a hurry can make all the difference.

The challenge can seem overwhelming.

The youngster rises to the challenge.

While some are feeding, the rest are keeping warm. A floating flotilla of warmth and protection.

Even from an adult's perspective, a larger fish can be challenging.

Not only must the parent subdue the prey, but they also have to watch out for their progeny. The young could easily get hammered by a flying fish tail.

In this case, the adult puts safety first and simply swallows the fish before someone gets hurt.

When the parent heads off on another hunting expedition, the young bird must find its own way back to the other parent. About fifty feet away, large carp are swiping food off the lily pads. It pays to stay close to an adult.

The safest place of all.

Still, every parent needs a break from child care.

It turns out that diving below the surface is another way to lighten the parental load. Did you notice the tiny little wings on the bird on the left?

When the parents finally switched roles, the newly "freed" adult spends over six minutes preening and cleaning.

I suspect there was a lot of residue to remove and plenty of feathers to align.

No matter how much you love your offspring, it can be nice to spread your wings and go it alone once in a while.

Update: If you enjoyed this post you may also like:

The Things A Mother Will Do

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

Larry

PS: Thank to Scott and Paul who guided me in the direction of these early birds. I have been watching other Union Bay nest sites and those other pied-billed grebes are still on eggs.

A Symbiotic Hope

By last Tuesday our Union Bay osprey made significant progress on their potential nest for 2016. Viewing their work from a distance, it is easy to imagine how wonderful it would be to watch young birds being fed, learning to fly and ultimately learning to hunt for themselves. In fact, every casual passerby who stopped to watch me photograph the birds reacted positively to their presence. Watching the osprey's nesting efforts succeed has nearly universal appeal.

It is harder to imagine the pressure and the challenges being faced by the folks at the University of Washington. The light pole the osprey have chosen sits almost directly above the entrance to the beautiful new baseball field. Falling sticks are an obvious danger to students and fans. A stick falling from over a hundred feet could easily injure a fan standing in the midst of a game day crowd.

From a distance, it is easy to overlook the large scattering of excrement which is thickly sprinkled around the pole. The white "frosting" does not fall neatly just at the base of the pole, rather it drifts out in all directions. It falls into the soccer field, around the ticket booth and into the beautiful new courtyard - which is the entrance to the baseball stadium. The excrement is certainly not pleasant to smell, potentially a bio-hazard and not what any of us would want covering our own front porch. 

With the baseball season in full swing, the danger from the nesting fallout is simply not acceptable. Yet, if eggs are laid the situation becomes permanent, until the osprey leave in the fall. The facilities team for the Athletic Department must be feeling immense pressure to resolve the situation. 

We should also remember that last summer the Athletic Department thoughtfully paid for the alternative pole and nesting platform  which were installed in the Union Bay Natural Area. Unfortunately, this pair of osprey have strong site fidelity, they appear to have no desire to move.

On Wednesday, with official permission, the team at the University of Washington removed the incomplete nest before eggs could be laid.

Two small vertical poles were also installed on top of the light structure. The little poles are not one of the formal deterrents suggested by Jim Kaiser from Osprey Solutions. I suspect that given the timing and pressure, the poles were quickly selected from materials at hand and installed with the optimistic hope of inspiring the osprey to nest elsewhere. 

On Thursday morning there was a lot of calling back forth between the osprey, while they attempted to rebuild. Occasionally, the birds were able to get smaller branches to stay on the lights. When they approached with larger branches they were unable to navigate around the two new poles. The osprey were not immediately successful at rebuilding, but neither did they relocate.

Fred Hoyt, Associate Director from the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, graciously offered to help find a more promising alternative site for a nesting platform. Fred, Jim and I reconsidered virtually every potential location in the surrounding area. The variety of constraints were surprisingly complex. 

Fred pointed out that many of the small natural areas around the stadium are actually environmental mitigations from previous improvements. Jim said it might be possible to get special permission to site a nesting pole in one of those areas. However, he went on to mention that where ever tall trees have grown up, a nesting platform is unlikely to succeed. The osprey are likely to reject those sites due to fear of predators - like raccoons. 

To the east, much of the nearby Union Bay Natural Area will not work because the 520 mitigation which is scheduled to start with heavy equipment and distracting noise, etc. Plus, areas east of the 520 mitigation get closer to a local bald eagle nest, which could encourage increased harassment from the eagles. In addition, the UBNA is on fill which may not support the truck required to carry and install a nesting pole. This is one of the reasons the nesting platform installed last year was sited close to the walking trail.

Potential sites north of the athletic fields could be impacted by noise from the helipad which is used for medial emergencies. Last week Tyler Clay, UW Facilities Manager, pointed out that the use of the helipad increases during Spring and Summer. This conflict will increase at exactly the time when the osprey would be laying eggs and raising young.

The areas to the west of the athletic fields are already developed. Siting a nesting platform there would not significantly reduce the conflict with human use. Plus, it would be further from the water where the osprey like to hunt for fish.

Ultimately, one site stood out above the others. The grassy area immediately south of the baseball field and just north of the gravel road which runs between the baseball field and the Conibear Shellhouse. Not surprisingly, this was one of the choices recommended by Jim Kaiser last year.

By Friday afternoon the osprey had become more focused and active. 

They were silently delivering sticks to the light pole and nest building like professionals. 

While I watched, they were arriving with new sticks at a rate of 26 per hour.

Often a number of sticks would accumulate before a large clump would fall. It is clear the birds are no longer intimidated by the two small vertical poles. It will only be a matter of time before they are once again successful at getting sticks to stay on the light pole.

There seemed to be more sticks falling on Friday, than on the days prior to the nest being dismantled. Clearly, the osprey will not be allowed to actually complete a nest at this site. If the osprey are not able to lay eggs in the next couple of weeks, they are unlikely to be successful this year. Sadly, if nesting is unsuccessful the osprey are likely to build "frustration nests" through out the summer. The net result will be an unsatisfactory situation for both the osprey and the UW Athletic Department. 

In retrospect, my post last week which described the situation as Dancing With Osprey, may have understated the complexity, pressure and challenges involved in this situation. The solution with the best potential for all around success appears to be to:

A) Quickly, erect an alternative nesting platform south of the UW Baseball Field and

B) Invest in professional deterrents to induce the osprey to move.

Even though there is no guarantee the osprey will accept this alternative, it seems to be the best response to a dynamic and difficult situation,

Someday, I can imagine one of our grand-children watching a UW athlete hit a home run. The ball drops over the fence and lands below an osprey nest. At the same time, an osprey delivers a fish to a young bird calling for food. The child notices and points excitedly. The child might be distracted from the the baseball game for a moment. However, this distraction might actually reinforce the values of UW Athletics. Team athletics focuses on teaching larger life lessons - like working together. Successfully siting an osprey nest near the field will demonstrate working together with nature. No doubt a harmonious vision of home runs, osprey and nature will last a lifetime. 

Have a great day on Union Bay...where osprey yearn to nest in the city!

Larry

Dancing With Osprey

They are back! The vacation is over. Our Union Bay Osprey have returned.

I have started thinking of them as Chester and Lacey. Do you notice any distinguishing features? Can you tell which is which?

From a relaxation perspective, it may be unfair to call a self-propelled, round-trip flight to Central or South America a vacation. They travel thousands of miles over a constantly changing landscape, through a wide variation of weather, while incessantly searching for food - almost always fish. 

Unlike eagles, who only pick up fish from the water's surface, osprey will hover a hundred feet above the water and then dive headfirst. At the last moment, their feet flash forward and with their head between their legs, they hit the water. In spite of the impact, they can end up as much as 3 feet below the surface. Their fishing efficiency is unsurpassed.

While their migrations are hard work, their winter sojourns are a vacation from familial responsibilities. When they leave in the fall the young do not travel with the parents. In addition, the adult pair do not spend their winters together. They go their separate ways. In the spring they head north, reunite and begin the the nesting process. Oddly, osprey pair-bonds may keep the birds together for multiple years, but only during the months centered around summer time and reproduction. 

By the way, Chester has the pure white chest, which is common for a male osprey, while Lacey is the one who appears to be trying to hide her speckled necklace of brown spots, which are strung across her white breast.

You may be wondering why I believe these are the same two osprey that visited Union Bay last summer. In addition to their pair bond, they are once again fixated on the same light pole on the southwest corner of the University of Washington soccer field. It seems almost fitting, since soccer may be the most universal sport in the world and osprey may be the most universally distributed raptor on the planet. 

Last year, the osprey were never able to get their branches to balance on the rounded, metallic surfaces of the lights. Without a nest, they were frustrated and unable to reproduce.

This year, after only a few days they are already way ahead of last year. (Maybe they spent the winter practicing on light poles above Brazilian soccer fields.)

Last Sunday as the sun was setting, Chester even carried a piece of sod up to the nest. Sod helps to form a secure cup for holding eggs and nestlings.

The osprey's apparent success cuts two ways. On the positive side, they appear ready and able to become parents. Which means that over the summer we should get to watch their young learn to feed, fly and fish-for-themselves. To my knowledge, osprey reproduction has not happened on Union Bay for at least five years.

On the negative side, the osprey have ignored the nesting platform which was generously constructed last year. (Harassment from red-winged blackbirds may have contributed to the osprey's reluctance.) The University of Washington Athletic department graciously funded the platform and pole, the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA) happily provided the site and Jim Kaiser, from Osprey Solutions, provided the expertise and guidance.

The UBNA seemed like an optimal location for a number of reasons. The osprey would have been closer to the water where they fish. The location would have provided local birders with another exciting opportunity when visiting the natural area. Plus, the University of Washington would not have had to worry about fish entrails, osprey excrement and large sticks endangering their students or fans. 

Unfortunately, the light pole, which the osprey like best, is almost directly above the entrance to the new Husky Baseball Field. During the next few weeks there is a small window of opportunity for the nest to be relocated. With special permission and great care, it may be possible to relocate the nest before Lacey lays eggs.

To increase the odds of success, Jim is suggesting a three-part approach. The first step is to install a nesting platform, away from the blackbirds and closer to the snags along the lower portion of Ravenna Creek, which is often referred to as University Slough. The snags provide the dead branches that the osprey use in their nest building. The second step is to move the branches from their soccer field site, onto the new platform. The final step would be to install a deflector on the light pole above the soccer field that will stop the osprey from nesting on that pole.

There are no guarantees that this approach will be successful. Harmony with nature requires work, investment and persistence. Wild creatures have freewill and are driven by urges and desires we do not fully understand. Finding a mutual solution is almost like a dance. Both parties make moves which ultimately determine their combined trajectory.

Chester and Lacey are fortunate to have chosen the most prestigious university in the state as the site for their nest. According to the Board of Regents, the primary mission of the University of Washington is, "...the preservation, advancement and dissemination of knowledge.."  Finding a solution, which protects the health of the students and also enables our Union Bay osprey to reproduce, will demonstrate patience, persistence and wisdom, while also providing the ultimate teaching moment.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where osprey choose to nest in the city!

Larry

Raptor Roulette

Peregrine falcons are the fastest creatures on earth. If pigeon's could talk, I am sure they would tell us that speed kills. In spite of their speed and intelligence, young peregrine falcons face a lot of challenges.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to ride with Martin Muller while he was checking out potential peregrine nesting sites around Seattle. Each year Martin and his friend Ed Deal attempt to band all of the peregrine nestlings in the Seattle area. 

Martin pointed out that the bird in the photo above is a juvenile who is nearing its first birthday (or maybe I should say, hatch-day.)  Can you see a major difference between the young bird and the one in the next photo?

This is a mature female. The difference between the two birds is somewhat similar to the difference between a juvenile and a mature Cooper's hawk. In both species, the mature birds have horizontal barring on their chests versus the vertical stripes of an immature bird.

Here, our young peregrine is pulling its wings in and preparing to dive or stoop. The faster the peregrine needs to go, the closer the wings will get to its side. When a flock of pigeons see a falcon stooping them, they immediately take to the air and hope the falcon will lose them in the crowd.

In Bud Anderson's raptor class he tells his students, "Never take your eye off a flying falcon". This would seem like good advice for the pigeons too.

Bald eagles are not as fast as peregrines, but they are bigger and given the chance, they will eat the lunch of smaller birds. This type of regularly occurring theft is called, kleptoparasitism. In addition, eagles have no qualms about removing and consuming other bird's nestlings. Peregrines recognize bald eagles as a threat. A peregrine will usually attack any eagle that ventures too close, especially during nesting season.

In this photo, our young peregrine is attempting to drive a hungry eagle away from its selected flock of pigeons. 

The eagle twists its head to keep an eye on the speeding peregrine. 

The peregrine pulls its wings in tighter - diving ever faster. The eagle's response looks a bit slow and somewhat clumsy.

Both birds attempt to put their best foot forward or at least their sharpest talons.

It was a bit like watching a deadly dance in the sky.

For all the eagle's acrobatics, it is clear that the falcon is far more agile.

It is almost like the peregrine is laughing as the eagle grasps at thin air.

The eagle recognizes the falcon's superior skill in air-to-air combat.

The eagle retreats. The peregrine wins the initial skirmish.

The young falcon returned and continued to chase pigeons.

Eventually it caught one. The young falcon was apparently attempting to return to high ground before eating its lunch. Sadly, with its excellent eyesight, the eagle had observed the falcon's hunting and was gaining ground on the peregrine. With the added weight of the pigeon, the falcon could not make full use of its superior speed. Ultimately, it had to choose between giving up its meal or becoming the second course on the eagle's menu. Ultimately, the falcon decided to drop the pigeon.

Not only must young falcons learn to hunt, but they must also learn how far an eagle can see and when to hide their catch. Speed helps, but knowledge and experience are the ultimate keys to survival.

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

About Martin:

Martin Muller (and Ed Deal) spent many years working with renown raptor-guru Bud Anderson and his Falcon Research Group. During this time they banded a wide variety of Washington state raptors. The raptors Martin has banded range from kestrels to golden eagles. Golden eagles are even bigger than bald eagles. In Washington state, Martin has banded raptors on seaside cliffs in the San Juan Islands, on mountain ridges in the east Cascades and on top of skyscrapers in downtown Seattle. 

Currently, Martin and Ed continue to band peregrine falcons while also banding Cooper's hawks in the Seattle area. Their Cooper's hawk project continues to build on the original pioneering work of Jack Bettesworth.

Curiosity has driven me to ask Martin (and Ed) many different birding questions. Both gentlemen have graciously answered my questions and guided my learning. Last week, I asked Martin about a couple of his personal experiences.

What was your first birding experience?

Initially, when I was about 11 years old I enjoyed taking my bike and riding out to explore natural areas around my home in Amsterdam. However, the moment when I became truly hooked on birding was when I was 18. A group of friends took me to visit a blind at Oostvaardersplassen - which translates as "East Sailors Ponds" - east of Amsterdam. The area was developed by diking a portion of water, partially dewatering it, and dumping seeds into the shallow water. In time, plants grew up and attracted a variety of birds. At Oostvaardersplassen I watched shorebirds, great crested grebes, herons, rails, white spoonbills and many others. Today, the birds can be easily viewed from boardwalks, when I first visited the area we had to wade through the mud to watch the birds.

What is the largest raptor you have banded?

A few years ago Bud inspired a group of us to trap raptors along Entiat Ridge, northeast of Leavenworth. In the fall, the raptors follow ridge lines as they migrate south. The location where we were working was immediately above a 2200' escarpment. The wind was fierce. (The air flowing up and over the ridges provides lift which minimizes the raptor's effort to fly and assists in migration.) During the weekends there were a number of people present to help with the banding. However on Sunday afternoons, most everyone had to return home to prepare for the work week. On this particular Sunday, I took an extra day off so I could stay and continue banding. Not long after everyone left I noticed a golden eagle approaching from about 7 miles out. The golden eagles are notoriously wary. Once I noticed the eagle had fixated on the trap, I did nothing further. I simply waited and watched. The eagle hit the trap with great speed, and though unharmed, became thoroughly entangled.

Suddenly, I realized I had trapped a very angry golden eagle. Getting close to the eight sharp talons and a very sharp beak was sobering. I had heard that bald eagles will attempt to remove the eyes of people who trap them. I wasn't sure if the larger golden eagle had the same idea but I did attempt to keep my head away from the beak. With great care and a firm grip I untangled the eagle, applied the band and finally let it go. That was my first encounter with a golden eagle and the largest raptor I have banded.

Martin and the golden eagle in a selfie, before the day of selfie-sticks.

Be sure to compare the size of Martin's finger to the size of the single talon visible in the lower right portion of the photo. Banding is a passion for Martin. There is no monetary reward, but the time spent in close proximity raptors is a very special kind of compensation.

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

Larry