" Pretty cool birds, they're insectivores (bug eaters); ..."
While they eat plenty of hoppers and such when available, it is not exactly correct to call them insectivores... A lot of ground squirrels have found they are called raptors for a reason. I have spent hundreds of hours watching them under several different sets of conditions. The only things I ever saw them eat were ground squirrels, lots of them.
Hap,
Fixed that; thanks.
Regards,
Scott
Had 2 Swainsons directly overhead 100' apparently feeding (flying ants?) this morning. I'm guessing flying ants because I'd seen a few throughout the morning; could have been something else - the hawks appeared to partially extend their talons to grab the bugs and then reach their head down to eat; pretty cool.
One had dark chest/light body, the other was all dark body. Forgot the camera; last time that happens.
Regards,
Scott
Saw about 200 kettle up this morning during what appeared to be a blizzard midge hatch (sorry, no pics; wife's in Great Falls on family matters and took the good camera); I'm thinking a Buzzball or Griffith's Gnat would have been effective.
Also saw a roadrunner about 20' up in a tree; didn't know they flew that high, I've only seen them hop up into some bushes.
Regards,
Scott
Last edited by ScottP; 03-24-2013 at 05:28 PM.
As a kid we got into trouble catching bats on flies on long cane poles. My grandmother did not mind getting rid of the bats, it was drowning them in her rain barrel (her only source of drinking water) that bothered her...
Someone uploaded a vid from this morning's liftoff:
Regards,
Scott
Got a few shots from this morning's departure. Unfortunately they were up about 500' by the time they flew over and even with a passable zoom on this little P & S I was doing this handheld, so quality is what it is
side by side with examples of light and dark morph; interesting to see the color variations
Regards,
Scott
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