Neglected but not forgotten

Wow!  So wish I had time to tell you about all the bird antics at my feeders!  Like the humming bird that recently claimed the feeder and keeps vigilant guard from a top the feeder staff.

But as you may know Nikela, our wildlife conservation and advocacy nonprofit to assist wildlife efforts in South Africa has taken over our lives.  A wonderful problem!

Please follow us as we head for South Africa next month to visit and learn from those dedicated conservationists and advocates that work tirelessly to save and protect the cheetah, leopard, rhino, elephant not to forget the beautiful raptors like the Bateleur and Afican Fish Eagle.

Follow us on:
Blog            http://www.nikela.org/
FaceBook   http://www.facebook.com/NikelaWildlife
Twitter        http://www.twitter.com/Nikela_Wildlife

Are You Feeding the Hawks?

Bird feeders all set up at our new spot south of Austin.  Okay birds I'm ready. 

Well, it wasn't long until the Inca Doves, Carolina Chickadee and a Tufted Titmouse or two came to visit.  As before I decided to use my tiny bird bath as a platform feeder and placed it in an open spot for the doves and Cardinals I'd spotted near by.

It was without warning that he swooped down and shot between the trees and our RV.  What was that? 

My husband looked out the side window.  There he was in the trees about twenty feet from us... a Coopers Hawk.

Coopers Hawks eat ground birds!... Yes, I moved my platform feeder and now I enjoy watching the Hawk fly and dive in the meadow behind us.

10 Myths About Bird Behavior

Read about the here
10 Myths About Bird Behavior - National Wildlife Federation

A Birders Nigthmare!

Sad photos from the tragedy that is playing out before our eyes in the Gulf. My hat off to the countless men and women who are giving it their all to save as many as they can.
See the photos... do what you can to help.

Scenes from the Gulf of Mexico - The Big Picture - Boston.com

They do stay in Texas!

This week found us at a new RV Park, south of Dripping Springs TX.  What a contrast!  Our last spot was upscale with pool, pavilion, workout room and over 200 sites.  Our new home is beautifully country, quiet, cedars to shade our rig, deer and only 30 sites.

Shortly after settling in a humming bird stopped by to visit my flowers. A humming bird?  I thought they headed north for the summer.  I was wrong.  The Black-Chinned Humming birds nests in the Hill Country.

Needless to say I got my feeder out and here's who comes by daily.

I even caught that iridecent violet of the male on camera.

Isn't she something?  Let's make sure those birds that are at risk get a fighting chance too.  You can do something to help... buy your birding essentials from our RV Birding Store and have them delivered right to where you are.  I really like that feature! 

The Rest of the Killdeer Story...

It was more than two weeks, closer to three and no babies! Mama was feeding a few feet away from her nest... and there almost invisible lay the two speckled eggs.

That night a storm came in, a whopping storm that created sheets of water running thru our site and the park. What about the Killdeer?

The next day as we walked by the Killdeer site... nothing! Only little tiny moraines of debris remained suggesting a lot of water had washed thru.

What about the eggs?

Mama and Papa were close by. She ran and sat, ran and sat. While he flew about vocalizing loudly working hard at distracting us.

We looked, but no sign of babies or eggs. I was sad. After all that fuss and care and they still didn't make it.
(Missed the first of the story?  Read about how business and nature can co-exist.)

We stopped by the office and wait! Ed had spotted the babies. Tiny little feathered bodies with long legs and so camouflaged he almost stepped on one. Somehow, eggs or babies made it thru the storm. Hallelujah!

- Photo by ram.rom82 at http://deafpagancrossroads.com/2008/05/06/i-brake-for-killdeer

(I didn't catch a photo myself)

Try as we might, we never did see the babies, but Mama and Papa still linger around the lake and somewhere in the brush two little Killdeer chicks wait till there wings are strong enough to take flight and start the cycle all over again.

Missed the first of the story?  Read about it here...

Bird Release Cruise...Wow!

"Just get dressed, grab your camera and get in the car."  That's all the information I got as I was drug off on my Mother's Day gift trip.  For month's my daughter had been telling me that she had this amazing trip planned but couldn't tell me just when it was going to be?!
It was finally here... what ever "it" was. 

It turned out to be one of the most spectacular experiences you can imagine!  A bird release cruise.

70 plus people, consisting of families, bird lovers, philanthropists, a journalist, the staff from Last Chance Forever in San Antonio, and two red tailed hawks boarded the river cruiser.

See some amazing bird close ups on our You Tube Channel

After traveling up river watching herons fishing, terns on logs, pelicans watching a fishing boat, egrets flying and even a young colt suckling from her mother on the shore we reached release point one.  The skipper turned the ship with tail end to a densely wooded shoreline and we all watched in anticipation as the juvenile Red Tailed Hawk was brought on top.

This young hawk was brought to the center with head injuries and a lame foot.  After weeks of tender care by Doctor Hill he was now fit as a fiddle and ready to live free once more. 

One lucky traveller was drawn to assist John from Last Chance to give the bird his final farewell boost as he left his hands and flew for the trees.  The crowd cheered and stood in awe at what had just happened.

See some amazing bird close ups on our You Tube Channel

As we started for the second release point John shared stories and answered questions.  Then it was time.  The second Red Tailed Hawk was brought up and a young nine year old girl was the delighted pick to help John bid this beauty her final goodbye.  This time the crowed cheered even more as the bird seemed to look back from her perch in the tree in thank you before she flew further into the trees.

What an adventure!  I will forever be changed by the experience of looking directly into the eyes of these birds who seemed to know they where whisked away from deaths door by people who cared and now where free once more.

Look into their eyes on our You Tube Channel.

From the tiny to the bigger...

Her hovering is what caught my eye.  There she stood in mid air checking out my bird feeding station.  In a flash she was gone and I dove for my sugar to cook up some nectar.  After waiting for it to cool I hung out the feeder and watched.  Within minutes there she was, cautious at first, then she moved in and drank deeply.
This little Black Chinned female is the only one that's been by so far over the past two days...

Then this morning while walking around the pond a movement down by the water's edge got my attention.  A heron?  He was just shaking his catch about... of course as I was out exercising I didn't have my camera with me as he posed perfectly in the morning sun reflection an all.  It was a Heron, a Green Heron.  Here is a photo I found on line.

Having almost missed seeing both of these beauties I can't help but wonder how much passes me by as I get so narrowed in on the "important" stuff of life!

Watch out they melt!

All that was left was a sloppy mess.  Fortunately I had placed the woodpecker suet cake in a Ziploc bag before slipping it into my bird seed container.  My bird feeding station is behind our rig so I can watch the birds as I sit working on my computer. 

The birdseed container is on a palate under the rig where the afternoon sun hits it... not good for suet cakes!  So if you store any suet cakes don't let the hot afternoon sun melt them.

What did I do with the slopping mess?  I literally poured in on two horizontal branches of the tree on our site.

Have a marvelous day birding.

Is she paying $50 a night?

Our RV Park is having a huge rally this week.  There are close to 50 beautiful Prevost motor coaches all lined up by the lake, except for one site, that appears empty. 

But at closer inspection there is a resident, there in the small gravel rocks, almost slap bang in the middle of the parking spot, sits a brooding female Killdeer.

Miguel, the grounds keeper, discovered the nest while preparing the sites with new gravel.  Two orange cones were carefully placed on either side of the bird and gravel and patrons deferred until further notice.

My hat off to the Park owners, Lydia and Ken, for protecting this tiny bird amongst these monstrous motor homes.  Yes, we can co-exist.  Yes, we can do business and protect our small neighbors. 

So as a bird lover the La Hacienda RV Resort is definitely bird friendly and the place to spend a few days, weeks or months.  Or even a year... we're coming up on our anniversary quite soon.

Here the Killdeer is at the edge of the lake with the motor homes she shares a nest with reflected behind her.

See the gap after the second motor home from the left?  That space is reserved for the Killdeer family.

What is an RV Birder?

Any one travelling or living in a motor home, fifth wheel or travel trailer who enjoys bird watching is an RV Birder.

This bird watching is mostly right out of your window.  Either enjoying the birds in the trees and shrubbery, but particularly in bird feeders you set up to attract local and migratory birds.

RV birders can assist greatly in providing much needed food, water and rest for birds travelling thousands of miles each spring and fall.

FIRST: This blog provides that space to share and learn as we not only enjoy the birds where we are, but encourage others across the country to join us. 

SECOND: This blog offers the RV Birding Store for all your RV Birding essentials.  Noting that all the proceeds from the store go to NIKELA our worldwide network of wildlife lovers funding private wildlife conservation and educational efforts in South Africa.  NIKELA is a non profit organization.

Sibbling Rivalry ala Lesser Gold Finch