We don’t often chase rare bird alerts. When we do, we’re skunked more often than not, it seems. I suppose we are not exactly alone in that regard.

Still, I was intrigued when I read a Harris’s Sparrow had been hanging around a residential back yard in Chicago. He was reliable, coming in to feed throughout the day. Successful sighting reports were pouring in on the Illinois listserv every day for about a week. Oh, let’s go for it. We’ll be downtown Thursday morning anyway…

Thursday afternoon a Western Grebe was reported at Waukegan Beach, which is about 30 minutes due east from our home. Meh. Friday it reached into the 60s with bright sunshine. Grebe was still there, along with a White-winged Scoter. The forecast for Saturday was three inches of snow. Well. At 4pm it was decided we had to go outside and enjoy the last day of winter, and so we headed east for the lake (Michigan, that is).

Luck was on our side again; as we got out of the car we noticed our buddies Rena and Sonny Cohen heading out onto the pier. When we caught up they got us on the scoter almost immediately.

There was no sign of the grebe, but Sonny & Rena said they were going to try the Government Pier on the other side of the beach. Government who now? We followed them to a different parking lot and we all walked out together. Again the scoter was seen right away. And then there was the other star bird, swimming behind the scoter.

Eventually both birds came in much closer, giving all four of us killer views (despite the photos!). Here’s hoping we can keep up this lucky streak of bird-chasing.

The Raptor Internship at Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation is starting to wind down — there’s just two more weeks to go! Week 10’s lecture focus was medical care for raptors. There were two coping demonstrations and then we all got in some handling practice. Three students from the Saturday class joined us, so there were eight of us on Tuesday!

The rehabilitation activities at Flint Creek are on the rise as spring babies get into trouble and need help. The first baby squirrels of the season were in Dawn’s care and we got the chance to see them being fed. Look how tiny!

Around lunchtime, Zen came in for a visit. Zen is FCWR’s Cooper’s Hawk.

Two birds had to be taken from their mews, and we drew cards to see who would get them. My card said “JR” so I went out to get Junior, the Great Horned Owl. I was warned that he might give me some trouble, maybe by hanging from the ceiling or by just flying from perch to perch as I would try to get him on the glove. Well, ’some trouble’ was an understatement. I stepped into his mew and he hopped up to a high perch. I moved my ladder to him and climbed up to offer my glove. He flew up to the ceiling and hung there like a bat. For a very long time. I would climb up towards him and he’d fly off to another perch. This went on and on for some time, most of it with me looking up at Junior hanging completely upside-down from the ceiling. He was getting tired and so was I.

Finally he flew down to the floor of his mew and I could get one jess in. He was standing on my arm very awkwardly and as I stood up to adjust and get him down onto my glove, he bated. I held tight onto the jess while he flopped around until he was finally hanging prone. I lifted him up and got back to work. I got so hot and sweaty out there trying to get Junior, and when I was done I had to hand him over immediately to Karen, one of FCWR’s volunteers, so he could be brought inside.

I had been outside for so long I think I missed some lecture about coping. Coping is the term for clipping, filing and otherwise reshaping beaks and talons. In the wild, raptors wear down their beaks and talons on natural rough surfaces. Coping is a part of regular maintenance for education raptors.

I was happy to finally sit in my chair, relax, and see what other interns would be doing. Classmate Connie had drawn the ‘hold Meepy’ card, which meant she would hold and control Meepy while she was being coped. Meanwhile classmate Lee stood at the back of the room, holding Meepy. She asked to be relieved and, well, without thinking really I kind of jumped up with my glove to get her, practically before Dawn asked if someone could take her. I figured I would just hold her for a minute before passing her to Connie and Dawn for coping… like some positive reinforcement for me after my ordeal with Junior (because, well, I just love Meepy).

When it was time I brought Meepy up to the front of the room and Dawn thought maybe she could try coping Meepy on the glove. Very, very cool! But then I felt very, very bad for having jumped up to take Meepy in the first place. Meepy’s talons didn’t need any work but her beak did, so Dawn worked on clipping and then filing smooth Meepy’s beautiful Barred Owl beak.

As usual Meepy was a star – she did great! She got a mouse for being so good.

When Meepy was done, it was time to work on Junior. First Dawn put him into position on the table and covered his head. Covering the eyes helps a bird to relax in a stressful situation. Fellow student Kristi then held Junior while Dawn clipped and filed his beak.

Later we took turns walking with birds and then got to hold Old Red, another FCWR Red-tailed Hawk. First I took Meepy for a long walk and then held onto Red before she was put back into her mew.

Big thanks to all of my classmates who were so kind to grab my camera to take photos of me holding Meepy and Old Red. Special thanks to Kristi for sending me pictures of Meepy being coped.

Next week: more on medical care, rehabilitation, and review for the final exam!

Last week the Chicago Tribune ran the story Falconer a rare bird in Illinois. It was accompanied by the video below, showing a licensed falconer working with his bird, a Red-tailed Hawk.

In handling education birds of prey there is overlap with some of the equipment, housing and techniques used by falconers. I’m not interested in the hobby itself but found the video interesting – although I don’t agree with everything mentioned by the falconer in the video or text. According to the article there are 4,500 falconers in the United States, with 148 in Illinois. Falconry has been around for hundreds of years, coming to Europe from the Middle or Far East in about AD 400.

This week’s highlighted shirt is called Major League Birder, and is done in the style of professional major league sports logos. A birder is shown in white silhouette against a red and blue background.

Weekend rain and higher temperatures melting feet of snow left Rollins Savanna wet and fresh during our late afternoon walk yesterday.

The path was flooded near a stream crossing, but at less than an inch of water this was no problem to pass.

Red-winged Blackbirds were staking out grassland stalks. Konk-la-reeing continued even on icy marsh water.

Muskrats were muddy, and active in the warmer weather. Time for spring cleaning, I reckon.

We took a detour which ended up being totally flooded out. We decided not to pass here, as the water was at least 6 inches deep and the flooding continued further up the path, maybe even deeper.

A small herd of deer watched us as the sun started to set.

We even heard our FOY (first-of-year) Meadowlarks singing their hearts out. Yay spring!

Migration is on! Woodcocks are peenting, Red-wing Blackbirds are konk-la-reeing, Sandhills are bugling, Purple Martins are scouting. Birds are on the move and their songs are filling the air once more.

And the hummingbirds are coming! If you’re looking forward to the return of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, as we are, keep an eye on the annual migration map at hummingbirds.net.

Here’s wishing all birders a great silly season!

Here’s a sweet sign of spring. These two Mourning Doves were having a date on our patio yesterday afternoon.

During this week’s Raptor Internship at Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, we learned about raptor diets. We also got to watch Pip do a bit more flight training. Along with the usual handling experience and mew maintenance, I got to hold a Red-tailed Hawk for the first time. (!!)

Pip the Barn Owl was given some more flight training. Last week we watched two of Flint Creek’s volunteers, Karen and Linda, work with Pip. This time two classmates got to flight train. Pip started out a bit over-enthusiastic – flying before he should have. Then after a few flights he completely lost all interest, the rascal.

As the class was coming inside after the flight training, a huge huge flock of Sandhill Cranes flew overhead. I took this crummy video – see how big the flock is?

After lunch some classmates took Junior and Meepy out of their mews. The rest of us waited inside while Dawn brought 0511 into the classroom. I got to hold her first.

Dawn warned that if she bated, it wouldn’t feel like anything we’d experienced before – like she was taking our arm away with her! 0511 was agitated during the initial transfer and I was awed by her strength.

First taking 0511 onto my glove

0511 starts to settle down

Once the transfer from Dawn to me was complete, I was surprised by how heavy 0511 was. She didn’t fully relax while I was holding her and a few times I could feel her strong talon grabbing my arm – what power!

0511’s powerful talons

Nervous but happy

Most of the time her legs remained in a somewhat awkward position and she kept her wings slightly spread. It probably didn’t help that I was nervous, too. I was waiting for a bate but after a while my arm felt fatigued so I gave her back to Dawn.

After this we took turns walking with Junior and Meepy. Towards the end of my walk with Junior, he bated and didn’t correct himself. I was happy to have the chance to lift him back up, with coaching from both Dawn and Linda, who were nearby at the time. During my walk with Meepy I took the long path.

While we were cleaning out a couple of the mews, Dawn showed us the insides of a quail (prey item), to illustrate the digestive tract of a bird. We had seen diagrams in the morning but it was helpful to see the real deal. Lucky for you I did not manage to take photos of this.

Next week: Rehabilitation.

Last Saturday Arthur and I attended Birding America VIII, sponsored by the Chicago Audubon Society. The event was a kind of symposium, beginning with a keynote address by Joe Lill, former president of CAS.

When we arrived I got the thrill of my life seeing one of ‘my’ bumper stickers on a car in the parking lot. I just had to take a picture!

Following the morning keynote, attendees could choose from several hour-long sessions. Generally these break-out sessions or workshops fell into three categories: Near Chicago Birding Areas; International Birding Trips; and Skill-Building Workshops. This was a nice mix and we attended sessions of all three types through the course of the day. Before the lunch break we learned about the local specialties of southern Arizona and “Birding the Frozen North” (Wisconsin). The Wisconsin presentation was by Steve Betchkal, author of All of This and Robins Too: A Guide to the 50 or so Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin.

Clair Postmus answers questions about the birds of Arizona. His wife Bev gave the presentation.

During the lunch break, birds of prey from three area centers were on display. One of the groups was Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, and the Saturday class of Raptor Interns was on hand to handle the birds. Yes, I was jealous! There were also birds from the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest and Stillman Nature Center in South Barrington.

A Great Horned Owl from Stillman Nature Center

Dawn with 0511, the Red-tailed Hawk. 0511 will make another appearance on this blog very soon!

In the afternoon we attended Dave Willard’s lecture on hazards of migration through Chicago, and a group presentation on bird conservation opportunities in the Chicago region. The final keynote address, by Kevin Karlson, was about the wonders of migration. It featured fabulous photographs by the Shorebird Guide co-author and noted birding trip leader.

Dave Willard answers questions about bird collisions in Chicago

It was a fun day and I learned a lot. Ironically the weather on Saturday was the most spectacular for several days before and since, yet 100+ birders were inside for their hobby! Anyway, I look forward to attending the next Birding America – hopefully on a rainy day!

A film adaptation of Mark Obmascik’s The Big Year looks to be another step closer to production. In January news broke that the film would star Owen Wilson, Jack Black, and Dustin Hoffman. Tonight reports are circulating that Steve Martin will take Dustin Hoffman’s place in the film. According to ABC News, filming is set to begin in May in Canada. David Frankel is still on to direct.

Although I do like Dustin Hoffman, I’m a big fan of Steve Martin, so I like this announcement. With this cast, there’s no doubt this will be a comedy. I just hope they don’t make birders look too goofy.