[Hardcore birders, who often travel the world to see a rare species, flocked to a small lake in Bergen County Tuesday to catch a glimpse of a pink-footed goose – a species never before seen in New Jersey]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/030811_Rare_goose_draws_dozens_of_bird_lovers_to_Washington_Township.html

Hardcore birders, who often travel the world to see a rare species, flocked to a small lake in Bergen County Tuesday to catch a glimpse of a pink-footed goose – a species never before seen in New Jersey

[Owl webcam viewers want help for scrawny chick]

Owl webcam viewers want help for scrawny chick

LOS ANGELES—Online cameraman Pete DeSimone is behind an online life and death drama that has divided viewers exploring the birds and bees.

The controversy surrounds barn owlet No. 6, who was born on Jan. 17. It is small, scrawny and struggling with much larger siblings for food.

A lot of http://www.starrranch.org viewers have called on DeSimone to save the bird by taking it out of the nest.

The barn owl family's nest is located in a cavity 40 feet up a eucalyptus tree at the Audubon Society's 4,000-acre Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Trabuco Canyon, about 55 miles southeast of Los Angeles. DeSimone has been the preserve's manager for 22 years.

The mother owl laid seven eggs. They started hatching on Jan. 7. The last was born on Jan. 19, but died a week later, leaving six chicks.

It's not that No. 6 is the runt of the litter. There is no such thing with barn owls.

When No. 6 was hatched, the first chick was going on 2 weeks old. Barn owls grow to adult size in eight weeks, so there is a huge size difference.

"The oldest one was 5 or 6 inches tall and the youngest was the size of a golf ball," DeSimone said. "Age difference from the get-go puts the last chick hatched at a disadvantage."

But the bigger, stronger, older owls look like they are getting most of the food, so there were passionate pleas to DeSimone to help No. 6.

It's not going to happen, though. "There's a lot more to their well-being than what is happening in the nest, including survival and dying," DeSimone said. "Just because we get to watch these birds doesn't mean I get to manipulate what goes on in there."

"It's heart wrenching to watch," said Edy Cheney of Long Beach, "because nobody wants to see an animal suffer. I have a very soft heart, but I do think they need to let nature take its course."

Beginning with the egg watch in January, the website has gotten more than 1.7 million page views and more than 7,000 comments have been posted.

The trend favors nature, DeSimone, although he didn't have official percentages. Even without the manager's help, there is optimism about No. 6's immediate future.

"Everybody is rooting for the scrappy little guy. We all hope he makes it," Cheney said.

"That little one is feisty as can be," added Patti Lowrie of Novato. "I've seen him try to take food out of the beaks of others. I think people are panicking too soon."

Surviving the nest may be the easiest part of the battle for No. 6.

Survival from nest to adult is somewhere around 10 percent, DeSimone said. At 7 1/2 or 8 weeks old, the owls fly. After a little grace period where they come back and mooch off mom and dad, they have to get their own food, dodge predators, find a mate and locate a home of their own.

The record lifespan for a wild barn owl is 15 years, although they live in captivity much longer, DeSimone said.

One of the reasons life expectancy is so short is because there is just no place for the creatures.

For example, say a mating pair of barn owls raises six chicks a year to adulthood. If the parents die around age 11, they will have left 60 barn owls to take their place.

"Multiply that by thousands of barn owls and millions of other birds and it won't work, there's no room," DeSimone said.

DeSimone has done other web cams involving a black-chinning hummingbird and a Pacific Slope flycatcher, but none has been as successful and informative as this family of barn owls. The furor over No. 6 only enhanced it, he said.

He went in thinking he would be inundated by spam and foul language, but he said he's only had to remove about a dozen posts.

Speaking of language, barn owls don't hoot, he said. They rasp, hiss and snap their bills, but there is no hooting.

Another myth: Some viewers said it looked like the mother was taking special care of No. 6, but she's not, DeSimone said.

"She does not choose who she is feeding. The notion that she might line them all up and say some for you and some for you—that does not happen," he said.

How well they survive often depends on how much prey is brought in by the parents. For this brood, there have been plenty of rodents, DeSimone said.

Reminds me of the Netherlands little guy!!

http://www.starrranch.org

This one's for Aafke & Donna...

Love it!!! Thanks Ei

If it is banded, recover the band (yuk - put the gloves on).

Not me, no way! Gloves or not!

KIDS!!! LOL  Reminds me of MR T in the beginning! Thanks

Nice dale, they can keep me awake all night, I would LOVE it. Any eggs yet? Oh you'll know soon! Fantastic for your sister!! Hoo gets all the good stuff in their yard and Hoo don't? ME!!! S hoo T.

Pretty amazing these elephants.

My experience with a dead Coopers in Virginia (even Paul got into the act) was finally getting someone in the VA DNR to talk to me.  I told him location, no bands, etc.  Hawks are abundent and unless I was willing to drive it to them a couple of hours away, they didn't want it.  Toss it in the dumpster was what I was told.

Eagles on the other hand, must be reported - can't even keep their feathers.  

My guess in NJ is the same as VA and MD (Osprey are abundent, so ....)

You made the effort Donna - not much more and Hawks are pretty common place (except in your Dover neighborhood).  

Oh yeah, I need to move to a Hawk infested area!

Well OK then, thanks. Yes, Kris told me about the Eagles also. I just thought if the Hawk was banded, someone would want to know that their baby is gone! Thanks Janet and thanks Kris G for your Eagle info also! Now I know.

Then, when the neighbors call 911 and I am brought to the psych center for a consult, I might see the Pefas

  Totally jeanne!!

[Thank you Lola, I had a great day and some really good Ice Cream Cake from our favorite Dairy!]

Thank you Lola, I had a great day and some really good Ice Cream Cake from our favorite Dairy!  

As per MAKS post earlier, both at nest very briefly
Beauty
Mr T

[Q: A baby bird fell out of its nest. If I touch it will parents reject it? What can I do?]

Q: A baby bird fell out of its nest. If I touch it will parents reject it? What can I do?

A: It's a common myth that touching nestlings will cause the parent birds to reject them. However, most birds do not have a well-developed sense of smell and thus touching their nestlings will not cause rejection because of human-associated odors. Sometimes nestlings are prematurely startled out of their nests before they are ready to leave the nest on their own accord. Once out, they cannot get back in by themselves and are easy prey for a predator. If you see nestlings that cannot flutter to safety, they are likely too young to be out of the nest.

You can try returning a straying nesting to its nest by simply picking it up and placing it back in, then leaving so as not to interfere with the parents. If the nestling appears reluctant to stay in the nest (which is often the case if it has been startled out), the following technique sometimes works: hold the nestling firmly but gently in your hand and rotate it rapidly around as if you were winding up for a baseball pitch. If you do this for several seconds, the nestling will become dizzy enough that it will stay in the nest while you retreat. If you have caused a whole brood to bolt prematurely you will need to catch them all and spin them all at once to return them to the nest. Yes, it's a funny image. Yes, we're serious. You do not have to explain your behavior to your neighbors.

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture    

That was great! Good goin Shaky!

[A Belated Happy Birthday, Donna!]

A Belated Happy Birthday, Donna!

I hope you had a great birthday and will have an exciting, bird-filled year ahead!

Best wishes,
Anne in Toronto

Thank you Anne, it was a nice Birthday.

The reason I'm asking is because I was talking to a women yesterday. She was driving and in the middle of the road was what she thought was a dead bird. She just drove over it, not the wheels but the birds was between her wheels. When she looked back, the bird was gone, she thought it flew away. A few hours later, her friend came over to her house and asked "WHY IS THERE A DEAD HAWK" on your front grill? She didn't know it was there and just pulled it off and threw it in the garbage.  I was horrified and asked if she called anyone and did it have a band? She said she didn't know and that was that. It could have been banded or maybe not but what is the policy here.....none? IDK Thanks anyone?