That boy, I say - That boy's makin' me look bad!

August 5, 2007

All right - I suppose I was reachin' on that one! Henery Hawk is a Chicken Hawk - and it's probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk that's been stressing my credibility.

A key principle involved in the management of this piece of land is that we do what's possible to promote an "oasis effect" on the property. This is an upland desert where water and forage are scarce, this limits the capacity of the land to support life. Simple things such as maintaining standing water and selectively promoting vegetation are a first step in making a piece of land more friendly to occupants. When I first started working with this piece of land - previously just raw desert - one of the first things I noticed was that I saw very few birds. This has changed incredibly over just a handful of years, it seems there's a constant presence of a wide diversity of wild creatures now.

It also doesn't hurt that I toss out a couple pounds of birdseed every day during the late afternoon. This brings in a pretty good crowd: cottontail rabbits, blackbirds, Scaled and Gambel's Quail, doves, towhees, meadowlarks, finches, sparrows, and other lgb's (little grey/green birds) and lbb's (little brown/black/blue birds). Naturally, too - this attracts other animals that aren't necessarily interested in the birdseed.

That brings us back around to our Henery... Birds of prey often have exceptional eyesight, but what of the exceptions? It's likely that one doesn't hear much about these birds simply because they don't usually survive long under this handicap. I first noticed our Henery a couple of years ago, and the thing that was notable was that it was having horrible luck hunting and seemed to be verging on desperation. I'd see the bird come swooping in and miss by critical inches, sometimes plowing into the vegetation in its overshot. One afternoon I looked out and it was sitting on a birdbath - not drinking or grooming - just trying to remain motionless. I'd swear it was trying a strategy of waiting til some dove alighted beside it. Another time I saw it miss on a low swoop and actually go into the brush afoot to try and get the intended. Then I didn't see Henery for a while and just assumed that it either moved on or perished. Months later and ever since I've seen what I assume is the same bird on occasion. In fact, when the folks were on the property last winter as part of the Christmas Bird Count one of the spotters saw and recorded our Henery.

During the last month Henery has been making his presence more obvious, particularly during feeding time. Sometimes I'll spot him sitting a couple hundred yards out atop a mesquite tree, other times I'll just hear and see the havoc immediately after he comes through. The blackbirds will all wheel upwards and fly away in groups, and the doves just scatter pell-mell while the quail and rabbits crouch motionless in the scrub. This isn't silent either, it's a great commotion of wingbeats and alarmed cries. Henery seems to be getting better too, or is just trying more often. I've seen it make 3 kills in the last couple of weeks, and about 8 passes. In one case it had a quail that was so big it couldn't take flight with it. There's a lot of quail hatchlings around now too, independent of parents but still staying in groups. They've developed a serious respect for Henery, no more running around like dumbclucks on open ground, but instead keeping to the brush and staying quiet.

Our Henery has apparently been taking notes and has begun to develope a routine. I've noticed over the last few days that once I've tossed out seed in the area where I begin feeding, just as I turn a corner and go out of sight, I'll hear the scattering of all the other birds and rabbits and sometimes catch a glimpse of him swooping through. The same thing happened today and this time Henery didn't swoop through but was on the ground - probably taking one last shot at someone who hadn't scattered but had gone for cover. When I stepped back around the corner it flew to a nearby acacia tree, and within a few seconds, on to a mesquite tree about 60 feet away. Still being too close to me for its comfort, it swooped away again within several seconds.

Now seed eaters like quail, dove, and rabbits are a trusting lot, and I don't think they're much on taking notes - but I suspect some of them are going to start connecting the dots: forked critter comes thru with food and "death from above" Henery swoops in just as it walks away... That's life (and death) at the waterhole for ya'!

Finally, given the frequency of the hunting and the season, I'd almost wonder if Henery (or Henerietta) is hunting for more than one?

 

 

 

What's this "Plug Nickel Outfit"?

Well - a "plug nickel" indicates something that is of little to no value, often implying a counterfeit. The word "outfit" hails from earlier times in the western US when a ranch or its wranglers would be referred to as an outfit - as in 'The Hash Knife Outfit' by Zane Grey.

The Plug Nickel Outfit (which I've been carrying in my back pocket for a couple of decades now!) is currently headquartered (falling out and hanging 'round - more likely!) in Southeastern Arizona in the San Pedro River valley. I've already taken some license in describing these scrivenings as something between Walden and High Chaparral - High Chaparral was filmed and located to the west of here and at a lower elevation. In the series one could see Saguaro cacti in many of the outdoor shots which don't naturally occur around here as the winters are too cold. Technically we're located in a transition area between the Sonoran and the Chihuahuan deserts. The elevation here is about 4400' - and we're on the flanks of one of a handful of Sky Islands in this area. Topics covered here will primarily be the plant and animal life of this region, and side issues such as weather and history - but hopefully not limited entirely to these.

Feel free to visit the home page for current tales, the archives, or a listing of links to other websites that may be of interest. If you have questions, suggestions, or just want to rattle our chain - send the Outfit an email!

 

 
 
 
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