Hawk in Suburbia

Hawk in Suburbia

I am used to seeing hawks off in the distance, wings spread, floating on the air currents beyond the height of our neighborhood trees. There is a grace to their flying, so smooth that it almost seems they aren’t flying at all.

Occasionally a hawk will come closer, just above our backyard trees. No doubt it is scoping out the movements on our bird feeders. Most of the time the birds are savvy and disappear when the hawk is around, though not always. I have found splashes of feathers on the lawn, usually from a mourning dove that didn’t move off fast enough. And we have enough squirrels and chipmunks to satisfy the hungriest hawk.

This week I was surprised, however, to find a hawk right in our backyard, sitting in the maple tree near our patio. It wasn’t the kind of place I would expect a hawk to be. It was high for people but not typical hawk height. And it was close to an inhabited site. The bird sat on a lower branch, another unusual activity. It seemed to be aware of every move we made near our back storm door but it wasn’t inclined to leave. Eventually, it took off across our yard to places unknown.

I admit I was shaken. It is one thing to see such a creature in the distance and quite another to have it within whistling distance, which I couldn’t help doing. Was it getting used to us? Not necessarily a good thing. Our living needs are obviously different. Can we live together in peace? As people take up more land space from the natural inhabitants the question becomes urgent. I hope we can do a better job of co-existing with the hawks than we often do with people who have divergent lifestyles.

A common bird in America:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/red-tailed-hawk/

Bald Eagles are Back!

Bald Eagles are Back!

I see many birds in my backyard, even some large ones like crows, hawks, ducks and the occasional turkey vulture. Bald eagles, however, are not among them. This weekend I took a mini-cruise on the Maurice River in NJ and had the opportunity to spot eagles galore. Some were on their nests, others were perched on the bare wood of trees along the banks of the river. The eagle here (click on the photo to enlarge it) had caught a fish and was flying off with it. The bird landed on a branch and proceeded to enjoy its meal.

The bald eagle, our national symbol, was once in trouble. A combination of land development, destroyed habitat, and hunting threatened to destroy the eagle population. Some claimed that the pesticides like DDT were responsible for thinning the birds’ eggshells and contaminating fish and water supplies. The population had gone from 100,000 nesting pairs to only 487 in 1963. DDT was banned in 1972 and on July 4, 1976, the US Fish and Wildlife Service officially listed the bald eagle as a national endangered species.

Since then the eagle population has rebounded. On June 28, 2007, the Department of the Interior announced the recovery of our nation’s symbol and removal from the list of threatened and endangered species. There are now over 9,700 nesting pairs in the U.S. Quite a comeback.

Seeing a bald eagle is thrilling. It has a presence. It also has a right to be here, as much as we do. We really do need to be more sensitive to our world. I’m glad to see the bald eagles are back.

History of the Bald Eagle’s decline and recovery:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/recovery/biologue.html

Two pages of great Bald Eagle info:

http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/  

History and activities along the Maurice River:

http://www.mauricerivertwp.org/environment1.html

Geese on the Go

Geese have been on the go these past months. They can be seen, and heard, in their v-shaped migration to warmer climates. It’s a long trip and they have to stop along the way for rest and food. I was on my way home from grocery shopping when I saw a flock of geese chowing down on small patch of bedraggled grass between busy roadways. Not a particularly inviting place to take their respite. But then this area didn’t always look like this. The place where the geese had landed used to be a wide stretch of open, grassy ground. There were two roads that intersected, with green medians stretching along the length of them. There was no overpass, no jug handles, no ramps coming off the main arteries looping around and heading backwards in a confusing attempt to keep some semblance of approach to the town’s main street.

The geese had no map showing them the “improvements” to the road. Migration is partly a response to the freezing of the water supply up north and the lack of food during the cold months of the year. It also seems to be a learned behavior, calling geese year after year to the places they have been before. Which brings up the problem of the conflict between natural habitat and human expansion. Suburban growth has altered much of the local environment.

Things are changing, though. Many communities are beginning to see the value of preserving undeveloped land; people are working with their townships to preserve their farms, woodland, or open fields in a  movement to keep land free of development. Other things are changing, too. The temperature of the earth is heating up (this has been the warmest decade in recorded history) so maybe the geese won’t have to migrate in the future. It would be easier for them, no doubt, but I must say, I would miss seeing their elegant flight formations and hearing the call that heralds the change of seasons. 

The Canada Goose makes the long trip:

https://americanexpedition.us/canada-goose#migration

How is the earth heating up?

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/page2.php

Wildlife Habitat

Backyard Wildlife Habitat

The National Wildlife Federation has an interesting program to help our spaces become places in which nature can flourish. They have certified over150,000 Wildlife Habitat sites across the country. A wildlife habitat can be in a backyard, on a roof, in a park – wherever we can put together what is needed to make a nature-friendly environment.  

What does it take to make a site Habitat friendly? NWF says four things:

Food – Water – Cover - Places for wildlife to raise their young.

Every creature needs food. Native plants help the locals thrive. Water is necessary for drinking, bathing, and often for reproduction. Vegetation provides safety from predators and places to raise offspring. 

My backyard has bird feeders, a birdbath, bushes for butterflies, shade and sun, a variety of plants and trees. We did it for our own pleasure; now I see it is more than that. It is not officially certified but it does provide much of what is needed. And even though the rabbits drive me crazy sometimes, I am glad we are providing an area where they can live and be well. Don't we all deserve that?

If you are interested in learning about creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat, you can get started here:

http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx

Schools can become part of the green movement, too, by becoming an Eco-School. In my own state of New Jersey there are 36 Eco-Schools, including my township high school.

http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/School-Solutions/Eco-Schools-USA/Become-an-Eco-School.aspx