The Celery Farm & Beyond

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK: Update

   Some sad news on the red-shouldered hawks that have been nesting in a sideyard near the Allendale-Ramsey border.
  They are the pair that formed after the first female was injured (and rehabbed).
  Marsh Warden Stiles Thomas found a dead two-week-old hawk chick on the ground about five yards beyond the nest.
  It is unclear if there are other chicks remaining, but these hawks have had a low percentage of success.
  I don't like to post bad news on this blog, but this does serve as a reminder of how tough it is for wild critters -- especially threatened species like red-shouldered hawks.

ROB FANNING: Bird Report 05/30

   2 Mourning Warblers today.

   One continuing along the main path for the 4th consecutive day, and another down the Blue Heron Pond trail.

   Had brief looks at both of them.

OWL: The Family Screech, Video 4

In this video, the owlets are more than two weeks old, and Mom has dropped off a larger meal -- a large hatchling from another nest somewhere.
   It's a hard-knock life, and the owlets will eventually become potential prey themselves.
   Sometimes it's a bird-eat-bird world out there.

   COMING MONDAY: The next owlet video.

 Scroll down for more videos.

ROB FANNING: 05/29 Bird Report

   A minimum of 3! singing MOURNING WARBLERS are present at the Celery Farm today!

   One continues for its 3rd consecutive day along the Allendale Brook, another (found by Fred Weber) in the LeConte's Lane/Barking Dog Corner area, and a 3rd at Greenway/Phair's Pond.

   I only heard the first 2, but the Greenway bird was most cooperative as it popped out for some wonderful looks as it fed/sang near the top of a large bush about 15 feet high!

   In this same bush I discovered a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER -- only my 2nd spring sighting at the CF!

  This bird was extremely cooperative as it sat in the bush and preened. It also gave its distinctive, soft, "Pur-wee" call a number of times.

  Other highlights included a singing 1st-year Orchard Oriole, a Least Fly, and a heard-only Alder Fly -- making it a 4-Empid day for me!

  Click "Continue reading..." below for the full report.

OWL: The Family Screech, Video 3

   

    The five owlets are getting bigger, and so are their appetites.
   Features a slo-mo feeding frenzy.
   Not for the squeamish: food chain footage.

   COMING FRIDAY: Another feeding frenzy, and Mom intervenes.

   Scroll down for more videos.

ROB FANNING: 0528 Bird Report

      

The mourning warbler continued at the Celery Farm Wednesday morning. 

    A lot of black on the chest on this bird. Simply gorgeous.

    Pretty quiet otherwise as far as migrants, but a Spotted Sandpiper, female Hummingbird, and a Northern Waterthrush heard singing were nice.

POSSUM: Stuck in traffic

Saw this guy on the way to work today.

  He was stuck on a divider on Route 17 in East Rutherford.

  I called the police. They were already aware of the situation.

  In case you're wondering: I took the photo while stopped at a traffic light.

OWL: The Family Screech, Video 2

In this video, the owlets are roughly two weeks old and getting occasionally noisy.  
   Mom leaves the nest more often, and when she or Dad drops off food, it's a bit chaotic.
   Scroll down the blog for the first video in this series.

ROB FANNING: Bird Report 05/27

    Had some very nice looks at a singing male MOURNING WARBLER at the CF this morning. Location: main trail (both sides) past Pirie Platform but before the heavily wooded section (near the edge of BH Pond which is where I first heard it).
  In the same area there was a LINCOLN'S SPARROW, my first at CF this year. Always a treat to see one here in the spring.

  Also Heard 2 singing ALDER FLYCATCHERS. One in the same area, the other in the area before the butterfly garden.

   It was singing in a heavily leafed tree along the main path for a minute--before flying back into the field toward Greenway. This one I got a few distant looks at.

OWL: The Family Screech, Video 1

Welcome to the Ace family saga, 2008. Over the next several days, I will be posting videos of the two screech owls and their five owlets.

  Overall, I recorded more than 120 hours of the Ace family. The videos are the highlight reels.

   This video begins with the five eggs about to hatch.

   Questions? Comments?

   E-mail me at celeryfarm@gmail.com .