Category Archives: Birding

Casts and Blasts From Photographing Eagles at Work

Jan. 21, 20139:38 p.m.

This shot shows the white is building on the head of this immature bald eagle. Probably less than 10-percent of the original frame, it also shows how well the images from the Canon 7D stood up to cropping, even when shot at 1,000 ISO.

A few more details from Sunday’s Outdoors page feature on photographing bald eagles and red-tailed hawks feeding on deer carcasses.

YOU CAN CLICK HERE, TO SEE THE ORIGINAL STORY AND PHOTOS.

– According to a trail camera near the deer carcasses, the immature bald eagle still feeds on the dead deer most days. Its longest stay, thankfully, was the cold day I spent in the photo blind.

– Twice I’ve added goose carcasses to the deer, and raptors seem to prefer them over the venison. That might because they’re smaller and easier to access than the thick hides of deer. Or, it could be because eagles naturally feed on healthy geese.

– The late afternoon light contributed greatly to the flavor of the photos of the bald eagle on the deer.

– I was shooting a Canon 7D, two of which I’ve had for several months. The ability to still get great details with high ISO settings has really helped with photography in low light. Many of the photos were shot with the ISO set at 1,000 but the images held up very well under serious cropping. The lens was a Canon 100-400 with image stabilization. All were shot from a tripod.

– Checking the trail camera a week after the shoot, it appears the red-tailed hawks have settled their disputes over the carcasses. Mostly they feed one at a time, with no more fights caught by the remote camera.

– Coyotes still haven’t really hit the carcasses. If a pack would hit the remains, all would probably be gone within a few nights. I continue to “saturate the area with human scent.” Yes, I’m actually marking the carcasses the same way a coyote would if it were claiming them. The scent doesn’t seem to deter the birds, obviously.

A trail camera photo of the immature bald eagle at the same time it was being photographed from a blind about 30 yards to the left.

– Unfortunately, I had the Bushnell Trail Cam set for the lowest pixel setting possible, so the photos aren’t as sharp as they could be. I did it to get as many photos as possible on a 4 GB card…unfortunately I had a 32 GB card in the camera at the time. Since, I’ve adjusted the pixels and gotten noticeably sharper images.

– Oh, there is one opossum feeding on the carcasses every night. A few nights ago it was photographed dragging off the carcass of a big Canada goose. It must have been so proud!

 

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Michael's World, Outdoors photography, Trail cameras, Wildlife | Comments

Falconer asking for help locating missing bird, related video.

Jan. 17, 20138:04 p.m.

An Oklahoma falconer is asking Kansans to be on the lookout for his bird that was last seen in northern Oklahoma, but last known to be north of El Dorado Reservoir.

Mark Waller, from the Tulsa area, said he was working his gyrfalcon/peregrine hybrid on pheasants when the bird suddenly headed north.

“Normally they just come back, but he didn’t,” said Waller, who started tracking the bird with telemetry equipment. “I ended up tracking most of the rest of the day. The last I knew he was north of the lake, when suddenly the signal just stopped. The signal I had on him, I figured he was within a mile but then I just got some static and it stopped.”

Waller has been flying falcons for about 40 years, and said the bird is bigger than a crow but a bit smaller than a red-tailed hawk and dark brown or black. He figures it may stay around the lake, hunting mallards as they fly out to feed in crop fields. It may end up in a town, hunting a favored prey.

“He’s caught quite a few pigeons,” Waller said. “If he sees those, he will be all over them when he gets pretty hungry.”

Waller asks anyone who sees the bird to call him at 918-629-3350.

He added that such problems aren’t unexpected. Falcons have flown into powerlines, hit fences and been shot while hunting. In some places, bigger birds of prey may kill them, too.

“There are a lot of bad things that can happen. I’ve had some eight or ten years, and you learn to appreciate that,” Waller said. “This was a first year bird. I’d be disappointed to lose him, but it happens.”

Speaking of falconry, YOU CAN CLICK HERE, to see a little falconry, the natural way. It involves a West Point student trying to do the right thing, but it goes wrong. Well, wrong for the student and his little friend, anyway.  :-)

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Breaking news, Hunting | Comments

Bald eagles help insure there’s no waste in the wilds

Jan. 14, 20138:23 a.m.

A mature bald eagle takes a break from eating on a deer carcass. So far only one eagle has been on the scene. Other set-ups have shown five or more eagles utilizing the remains of a deer.

Nature is a wonderful system, where so many different kinds of life forms rely on one another. It’s a system where everything has a purpose, and part of the purpose is meeting the needs of other animals…that eventually means providing them with food.

Having witnessed that thousands of times over several decades many of us who hunt have become dedicated to helping the process along. Rather it be ducks or deer, cottontails or wild turkeys, once we get the meat we need from the game we kill, the rest goes back to the wilds to complete the cycle.

No doubt many expected coyotes opossums, crows, turkey vultures, the occasional bobcat and badger have benefited from such leftovers.

Two red-tailed hawks spar for dominance at the deer carcasses. Best known for their killing ability, redtails will gladly take an easier meal.

Last week a trail camera placed on the boned-out carcasses of two whitetails does I shot Monday afternoon captured a bald eagle and red-tailed hawks, species some may not associate with playing clean-up crew, taking advantage of easy venison.

I’ll leave the trail camera on the carcasses for a few weeks to see what else happens, and probably add a few geese and another remnants of a deer to the spot.

We’ll see what else happens.

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Hunting, Michael's World, Outdoors photography, Trail cameras, Wildlife | Comments

Great video look at a unique hybrid prairie chicken

Jan. 3, 201310:52 p.m.

Since lesser prairie chickens, like this male, were found in parts of Kansas frequented by greater prairie chickens, hybrids between the two species have been found. Now, there’s video of such a “guesser” in full display.

Several times I’ve written about the recently documented hybridization of lesser and greater prairie chickens. It’s a natural occurrence that’s become possible as lesser prairie chickens have increased their numbers and range northward from southwest Kansas, into areas with greater prairie chickens.

Such birds have also had my attention since they were first documented on a ranch I know very well in Gove County. When we’d flush ‘chickens on deer or antelope hunts I always wondered if it might be a hybrid, which are known as “guessers.”

So I felt like I’d gotten an extra Christmas gift when I stumbled on to some neat online video footage of such a bird displaying somewhere in western Kansas. The footage was taken by Noppadol Paothong, a great wildlife photographer with the Missouri Department of Conservation. He’s the photographer of Save the Last Dance, a great book with some amazing images of assorted prairie grouse.

YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FOOTAGE.

It’s especially neat because you can see hints of both greater and lesser prairie chickens in the bird’s plummage, calls and displaying ritual. For comparison, you can click on the lesser and greater prairie chicken links at the right of the page.

It’s cool stuff, for sure. Also notice the mention that neither pure lesser or greater prairie chickens seem interested in the hybrids for mates.

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Hunting, Wildlife | Comments

Weapons of feathered warriors

Dec. 11, 20127:39 p.m.

Most people know rooster pheasants carry some amazing colors, but many may not know they carry some impressive weapons, too.

Both legs of the male birds come with spurs they mainly use for springtime turf wars, or battles over some hot-looking hen. (Hank, my Lab, has a small scar on his lip from a spur wound inflicted by an old rooster on one of his first upland hunts.)

For hunters and biologists, the length of the spurs can be an indicator of the bird’s age. Pheasants hatched just the previous spring or summer normally have just pimple-sized, dull spurs on their legs. Older birds have longer spurs that can literally be sharp as needles.

A few duck hunts back Hank got side-tracked by the scent of a running rooster as we walked along. After some work, he got a gorgeous rooster to flush. Somehow, I hit the thing. The happenings were made even better when I saw the bird carried wicked,  5/8″ spurs that were sharp and curved downward. I’m guessing it was probably a three-year-old bird, which would make since because of the great hatch of 2010.

This year about half of the pheasants my friends are shooting are longspurs…that’s about 4-5X what it should be in years when there’s been good reproduction.

Long, curved spurs indicate an old rooster pheasant. These were 5/8″ long. The best I’ve ever gotten was 3/4″ of an inch.

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Hunting | Comments

Kansas Photo Safari part of the prizes

Dec. 6, 20121:13 p.m.

An opportunity to photograph displaying lesser prairie chickens is one of the options for the Outdoors Photo Safari to be given away at today’s Wichita Eagle Christmas Open House.

A chance for a guided outdoors photographic safari is one of the prizes to be given away at this evening’s Wichita Eagle annual Christmas Open House. As well as tours of the The Eagle, visitors can meet and visit with staff members.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE OPEN HOUSE.

I’ll be guiding the outdoors photo trip. trying to customize the day towards the winner’s preferences.

A solid possibility would be a morning in a blind at the edge of one of the better lesser prairie chicken leks in Kansas in Edwards County. There, good numbers of male birds will have gathered to call, dance, display and fight for their right to breed and keep the species going. As well as a great opportunity for photography, it’s one of the most coveted birding events  in the nation. Lesser prairie chickens are on the cusp of being classified as “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Kansas probably has about 90 percent of the world’s population, and this section of sandhills holds some of Kansas’ top densities.

Another option would be a fall afternoon at the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Photo opportunities should include big whitetail bucks chasing does across the prairie, assorted songbirds in thickets and a variety of birds of prey at work. If all goes well, there could be some neat sunset photos at Quivira’s legendary Big Salt Marsh, where hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese and sandhill cranes gather when conditions are right.

The winner is allowed to bring a guest. Photo equipment can be loaned, if needed. The winner is responsible for their own transportation to the general area.

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Michael's World, Outdoors photography, Wildlife | Comments

Sandhill cranes, great off-limits mule deer buck, make for a great day

Nov. 8, 20126:02 a.m.

In terms of deer taken, day #2 of my trip to western Kansas to hunt with a friend was unsuccessful.

As far as enjoyment, and memories made and things seen, it was  a great success.

A great western Kansas mule deer follows his does Wednesday morning. Think he’ll go 30″ across his antlers?

We saw three or four very good mule deer, including what I thought was a rare buck with a 30-inch antler spread. ..a few minutes after he and his herd jumped to the wrong side of the property line. An even better buck somehow gave us the slip and disappeared amid knee-high cover with a harem of nine does. My friend, one of  Kansas’ top mule deer bowhunters, has been trying to get him for two or three years. They don’t get that big, or that old, by making a lot of mistakes.

Kind of ironic that back around Stafford and St. John some friends cancelled their annual opening day sandhill crane hunt because there aren’t many birds in the area. About 130 miles to the west we watched several thousand descend on a remote wheat field. The morning air was so still we could honestly hear the trilling of the birds from about three miles away.

The air was so still Wednesday morning the sounds of these sandhill cranes could be heard three miles away…even by an old, somewhat deaf outdoors writer.

We’ve seen a lot of coyotes and all have had good fur, which is good to see after years of severe mange. We’ve also flushed some prairie chickens that were probably lessers. This particular ranch is one of the first where lessers and greaters were documented sharing a common breeding lek, and hybirds between the two species found.

Oh, for all of you pheasant fanatics…we’ve driven 420 miles the past few days, through what had been some of the state’s top pheasant counties in 2010…and we’ve yet to see a hen or a rooster.

Good luck to you guys…. you’re going to need it to find many birds

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Hunting, Michael's World | Comments

Well,…a deep and possibly dangerous subject

Oct. 28, 20123:11 p.m.

My father, may he rest in peace, was really good about worrying and warning.

He once stood in his front yard and blew a whistle for 20 minutes. It had just gotten dark, and he was afraid I’d gotten lost walking out from a treestand…despite the fact that I know our small farm better than I do my current yard. Dad also suggested we put a strip of blaze orange tape down the side of our silver car because it too closely matched the color of  faded pavement.

And so many times he warned me to be extra careful when walking in the woods, especially around old homesteads, and to be sure I didn’t fall down some abandoned old well.

Well, it appears that some poor guy’s dad didn’t give him sufficient warning and he ended up in a well, and almost died.

YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT HIS ORDEAL.

That said, though, a buddy in Manhattan once showed me such an old well near Tuttle Creek Reservoir. It had been partially covered with old, mostly rotten boards when he’d first found it.   Sadly, the skeleton of several animals could be seen down in the well.  It’s since been filled in with assorted brush, rocks and chunks of trees.

 

 

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Fishing, Hunting | Comments

Autumn is time to hit the Kansas trails

Oct. 12, 20127:27 a.m.

For thousands of miles, you can walk amid autumn finery.

In eastern Kansas you can stroll beneath yellowing walnuts and hickories, then past reddening oaks as you pass along trails that take you up and down a rolling topography.

In the Flint Hills, you can hike by scarlet-colored sumac as you work through long stretches of prairie grasses that turn to gorgeous hues that rival those of  the legendary trees of New England.

As well as changing colors on trees and other vegetation, walking the Elk River Hiking trail takes you through scenic rimrock formations.

Most Kansans have no idea how many miles of really fine hiking trails are within our state.

Personally, I’d suggest checking out the Elk River Hiking Trail at Elk City Reservoir. As well as changing foliage, the trail winds through towering rimrock with some boulders literally the size of small houses.

Trails at Cross Timbers State Park have similar topography. Great prairie hikes can be had at well-maintained trails as close as El Dorado State Park.

CLICK HERE TO A LIST OF TRAILS MAINTAINED BY THE KANSAS TRAILS COUNCIL.

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Outdoors photography, Trails, Wildlife | Comments

Whitewings a welcome surprise for dove opener

Sept. 4, 20128:19 a.m.

White-winged doves, not usually common in Kansas, were surprisingly common Saturday morning in McPherson County.

Seeing a pair of doves flying over a sunflower field isn’t such a big deal.

It made my weekend, though, when a pair over the McPherson Valley Wetlands jetted by with obvious white stripes on their wings.

It was the first time I’d seen white-winged doves this side of about Dodge City, and maybe the third time I’d seen the species in Kansas.

At the parking lot I learned the pair were far from alone. Probably at least 24 whitewings were shot over the 30 acre field that was reserved for youth dove hunters and their mentors.

They were the first many of the veteran dove hunters had seen in central Kansas. Brent Thiede, the wildlife area’s biologist, had only seen one on the area in about ten years of working the combined wetlands and uplands west of McPherson. Some serious Kansas ornithologists, including Max Thompson, were also very surprised to have that many whitewings in the area. Thompson said he’d heard of some whitewings being shot by hunters south of Wichita last season.

Whitewings are normally associated with the deserts of south Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, but they’ve been gradually moving their range northward. They make up a significant portion of the overall dove harvest in southern Oklahoma.

Delbert Johnson, left, holds the shotgun while his grandsons Gage Schneider, right, and Landon Schneider, watch for doves. Hunting success was good, overall, for the first three days of the season.

Saturday morning some hunters at the sunflower field had mourning, white-winged and Eurasion collared doves in their game bags.

Dove hunting success was mixed, but generally pretty good over the opening weekend. Despite Saturday’s success, the hunting was pretty slow at the McPherson Wetlands by Monday morning.

 

By Michael Pearce | Filed under Birding, Hunting, Wildlife | Comments