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Whoose feet are whoose?? The Northern Saw-whets (lovingly nicknamed "swheties") receive regular bands and have talons like kitten claws, perfect for taking down mice and voles. Great Horned Owls receive rivet bands and have the strongest grip of any raptor we work with—including the eagles they share bands with—due to their ability to "lock" and ratchet their talons just like ratchet straps. They prefer larger prey items such as rabbits and skunks. These incredible birds never cease to blow us away and we were delighted by a visit from not one, but two Great Horned Owls already this season.
Have you seen any Merlin this fall? We sure have--every day! This season, at least one Merlin has been observed in active migration each day since August 15, a streak of 50 days! These small falcons are expanding and increasing around the Great Lakes and eastern North America, with raptor counts reporting increases across the board. Merlin will continue through the end of October, and peter out through the first half of November. Swing by the Ridge to spot one of these fierce falcons for yourself! Merlin, photo by Sean McLaughlin
Thanks to the UMD Bird Club for helping birds and you can too! Anna is the president of the bird club and one of our Hawk Ridge Naturalists, who is also leading owl programs this fall. Way to go Anna!
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See the number, speed, direction, and altitude of the birds cruising through the darkness on spring and fall nights by visiting BirdCast.
