Red-Tail Hawks
From Arctic tundra to
South American wetlands - passing through California
Every autumn and
winter, California’s Central Valley is visited by a myriad of birds that
migrate along the Pacific Flyway.
The Pacific Flyway
The birds of the Pacific Flyway depend on a
diverse chain of habitats, from Arctic tundra and northwestern rain forest to
tropical beaches and mangroves. Each
year at least a billion birds are on the move along the Pacific Flyway, but today
these birds are only a fraction of those that used the flyway a century ago. Habitat loss, water shortages, diminishing
food sources, and climate change all threaten the birds of the Pacific Flyway.
Along the Pacific Flyway,
there are many key rest stops where birds of many species gather, sometimes in
the millions, to feed and regain their strength before continuing. Some species may remain in these rest stops
for the entire season, but most stay a few days before moving on.
The Sacramento Valley and Central Valley
represent the single most important wintering area for these waterfowl along
the Pacific Flyway. The San
Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the . Sacramento
National Wildlife Refuge Complex consist of several wildlife refuges in
the northern Central Valley of California.
In addition, the greater Bay Area provides further habitat for winter
migratory birds at the Suisun Marsh, next to the exit of the inverted Sacramento-San
Joaquin River Delta, has protected portions, the San Francisco Bay, protected estuaries and mountain open space
preserves, and the Coyote Valley, a semi-developed
section of the Santa Clara Valley with one of the highest recorded bird species
richness and nesting densities in the nation.
In the Central Valley, beyond the National
Refuges private landowners compliment the efforts by providing winter rice
decomposition-waterfowl-habitat by flooding the harvested rice fields with
water providing wildlife enhancement during the time of year when the fields
are not being worked.
But not only the migratory birds rely on this
region, the wildlife refuges also offers habitat to waterfowl, raptors,
shorebirds year-round.
During the last years, I have visited some of the Wildlife
Refuges in the winter time and enjoyed observing and listening to the sounds of
nature.
On a recent visit to the Merced Wildlife Refuge arriving with
flooded fields full of waterfowl just after sunrise, I had a fantastic
encounter with a family of hawks gathered for ‘breakfast’. I noticed 3-4 hawks in a clump of trees. As I looked around, 4-5 more were on the
ground surrounding one raptor preying on an American Coots which must have been
caught just moments before. Feathers
flying, the raptor was starting his meal with 3-4 other hawks and juveniles
sitting nearby waiting their turn. With
so many raptors around, anyone of them had only several minutes to eat his or
her fill, followed by being chased off the prey by another. There was fierce interactions as each bird
wanted to have a part of the kill. The
juveniles seem to hang back not strong enough yet to get into the middle action. As the feeding went on, bits and pieces
became available for the juveniles who grabbed the food eagerly, and there
seemed to be ample food for the juveniles after the adults had satisfied their
hunger.
[Should the video link not work, please click on the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/l_FJlqWO9VM]
[Should the video link not work, please click on the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/l_FJlqWO9VM]
As I watched, I found it amazing and had never seen this before:
As the hawks kicked each other off the prey, the one currently on the prey
often was pushed on its back with talons showing.and wings wide open as to
soften the fall. They would quickly get
back on their feet either hopping away or taking off.
I had come to the wildlife refuge in search of
over-wintering snow geese, but in nature one never knows what surprises
await. At this particular refuge, there
were no snow geese but I was rewarded with an amazing nature show which I am
happy to share with you.
Happy New Year! ... and may 2016 be a successful year for you with laughter, happiness and health!
2016 Til next time
