Comments on: Conspicuous

By: Traci

Traci — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:25:13 +0000

No luck this morning – but I did find a small fledgling of a bird (which turned out to be a Starling) during my walk. His belly looked like he’d been drug under a car I couldn’t find a nest (he was on the sidewalk of Stanton) and his belly was a mass of red encrusted something…so I carried him the mile home. I’m shocked he didn’t die from the stress.

I took him to the Wildlife Center where they identified him as Starling (and another person arrived with another one!!). The woman there said she thought the bird’s head, I saw, only appeared white because I was looking up under it. She said Redtailed Hawk were common in this area (Lawrenceville/Verona) – so maybe that was it. I hope to see it again one day.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:59:43 +0000

I can’t tell. I hope you get a picture.

By: Traci

Traci — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:53:58 +0000

The sun was glaring and the bird was right in that glare – so the body seemed pretty non-descript! A brownish…in my mind’s eye right now I want to say I saw some black on the tail? I remember the head was white or paler than the body and I thought, “That can not be an eagle.” It’s feet were bright in comparison…the talon part.

I’m going to carry the old digital and hope I see it again. I have never seen a hawk fly that low and it was a big bird. The cemetary hosts lots of deer and geese, racoon, possum…could it have been some sort of vulture? Curiosity is going to drive me crazy!!

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:14:30 +0000

hmmm.. What color was its tail?

By: Traci

Traci — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:06:28 +0000

Kate -
This morning I was walking on Stanton Avenue, which runs along the Allegheny Cemetary border. I always look for Hawks and generally see one high, high up, circling. But today, I saw a huge bird, with a white head and sort of non-descript brownish body flying very low, over the houses toward the Shop and Save on Butler.

It was gliding, slowly. I normally carry my camera but didn’t have it.

What do you think it was? It seemed too big to be a hawk and it was flying so low I could see it’s legs and talons!! Was it some sort of vulture?

I’m going to carry my camera the rest of the week, in the hopes I see it again.

By: Cory DeStein

Cory DeStein — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:53:38 +0000

My little list in my head of red tailed hawk nests is up to 5 local red tailed hawk nests, sadly 2 from last year were cut down….One near the Allegheny County Airport the other in Castle Shannon…..Its a shame for those 2 but the other 5(especially the two above Rt. 28 are thriving!!!) And I was suprised two years ago to discover the nest above 367 at the Edgewood Swissvale Exit!!

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:51:28 +0000

Though I’ve mentioned gull migration in my January & February phenology blogs they were only one-liners. Perhaps you saw it on Chuck Tague’s blog? If you find the spot, let me know. I’m interested too.

By: Carla

Carla — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:30:07 +0000

The gulls are back at the Northern Lights shopping center in Baden, PA. I thought I read an article about where they come from and why the show up there just about every year. Was it on your site?