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Posts Tagged "Short-eared Owl"

Starving Raptors

Posted on Mar 11, 2015

Starving Raptors

These photos are of a Northern Harrier on the hunt, swooping over grasslands and fields in search of small mammal prey. While I took these shots mere days ago this type of predatory behavior in itself has been a bit more scarce than usual this winter. Birds of prey, including owls and various hawks, have had a very difficult time finding food during the historically cold and very snowy conditions. Needing more calories than ever to survive in this weather they have had very little to find, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reports there has been a high mortality...

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Northern Harrier in the Snow and Sky

Posted on Mar 2, 2015

Northern Harrier in the Snow and Sky

I recently photographed this Northern Harrier flying through some heavy snow. These are the most typical sort of views you will have of the species while surveying for them in the field. The long and thin raptor can often be easily identified swooping low over the land, watching for prey, by the big white patch at the base of the tail. They can be seen in grasslands, farm fields, and coastal areas. If you are one of our friends in Chautuauqa County please remember that we at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History are assisting the New York State Department of Environmental...

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Winter Raptor Count – RTPI on WGRZ TV

Posted on Feb 16, 2015

Winter Raptor Count – RTPI on WGRZ TV

A tremendous thanks to Terry Belke of WGRZ TV in Buffalo for producing this article and video segment on the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History’s winter raptor surveys for his popular series “2 The Outdoors”. The video features RTPI President Twan Leenders and some footage and photos of our target species, the Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl. There is some seriously wonderful video to be seen, so please check it out! RTPI is assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a second season of wintering raptor surveys in Chautauqua...

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Winter Bird Wonderland!

Posted on Jan 25, 2015

Winter Bird Wonderland!

Winter Birding Forecast #4 is brought to you by Audubon Connecticut in partnership with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Winter Bird Wonderland             A rich variety of birds call Connecticut home in the wintertime.  So far 166 different kinds of birds have been recorded in the state in 2015.  Overall 435 species have been recorded in the state over the years.   These numbers are a testament to the rich array of high quality habitats Connecticut has to offer, offering wonderful opportunities for birds and birding alike! One of the birds creating a buzz in the...

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Northern Harrier January sightings

Posted on Jan 13, 2015

Northern Harrier January sightings

What is wrong with this January eBird map of Northern Harrier sightings? It certainly seems to be very well correlated to human population. Nevertheless I definitely believe there are more birds out there that are not being entered into eBird. My friends in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region know we at RTPI are surveying for Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls this winter for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with Chautauqua County being our target area. While some neighboring areas, such as Allegheny National Forest, have no sightings as expected, I would have to...

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