Backyard Apex Predators

Take a minute to think about the wildlife which lives in your backyard. What comes to mind?

Eastern Cottontail Rabbits

Eastern Gray Squirrels (Maybe Fox or Red Squirrels)

Finches and Sparrows

Maybe some insects like ants or crickets.

Have you ever wondered about the food web of your yard? Or as Disney put it, "The Circle of Life"?

To put it more plainly, who is eating who in your backyard?

Who is at the top of the food web in your yard?

Neighborhood cats

Hawks or Owls

Foxes

Raccoons

Let's get one thing out of the way. Cats. Cats can be beneficial animals to have around, for example, on a farm to help control rodent populations. There is a neighborhood cat who frequently hunts in my yard, from watching him he's mostly interested in rodents and lagomorphs and other small mammals. The house cat is an introduced apex predator. This post is not going to address the environmental the complications of house cats on the ecology of a landscape; it is merely sufficient to say that cats are often our apex predators.

Many of the other animals near the top of the food chain are birds. Coyotes, foxes, and raccoons certainly make their way into towns, and you may even have some in your yard. However to of the most common backyard predators are hawks. Red Tailed and Coopers Hawks seem to do rather well where there are people.

Two Red Tailed Hawks hatched in our neighborhood this summer and spent a fair amount of time pursuing local rodents and stalking my bird feeders. While Red Tails are truly small mammal specialists, they are also well known opportunistic generalists. They attempted a number of occasions with more or less success to hunt birds in the yard.

The Red Tails were never terribly successful at taking down other birds, but the Coopers Hawk with its smaller build and longer tail proved once again to be an effective Morning Dove hunter.

When your yard is able to sustain more forms of life, the local food web becomes more apparent. Even if I had no bird feeders stocked full of seeds, the network remains intact. Our yard is now home to around 30 different species of native plant, many of which attract insects either as larva or later when nectar or fruits are available. In response, birds like House Wrens, or this evening, a Common Yellowthroat spend time amongst the plants eating the insects. If they are lucky they remain top of the food chain but of course a larger predator like a Coopers Hawk may prey on the birds.

We don't often think of birds like Robins as being the top of the food chain but in many cases they might be. It is also important for us to keep in mind that if we are planting natives to attract butterflies and songbirds, we must also be prepared to accept the rest of the food chain. While the butterflies are beautiful they may be eaten, just as the songbirds may be silenced. We ought to consider the return of apex predators like hawks and owls a success and be confident in knowing that if our yard is healthy then its biodiversity with support all kinds of life even predatory kind.

Winged Wednesday - The Neighborhood Owls

We usually start to hear them in the late fall and then throughout the winter. We are certain that they must nest in the Spruces up the street from us each winter. Our Beagle doesn't seem to like walking this way when they are hooting during the winter. On very rare occasion we have caught a glimpse of them in the night.

Our local Great Horned Owls have generally been fairly elusive despite being incredibly vocal. This past week while working in the garden, the local American Crows were quite raucous. Initially I ignored them assuming that it wasn't anything interesting, but after over an hour of the noise, I decided to investigate. They cawed at a large brown lump in our neighbor's tree, so I concluded I should get a camera to improve my viewing.

The brown lump appeared to be two young Great Horned Owls attempting to get some shut eye.

The Owls managed to outlast Crows but took off when our neighbor's mowing service arrived.

Great Horned Owls are large native raptors which are distributed widely. Like other animals who do well in backyards, they are pretty adaptable, and their diet consists of a variety of small mammals and even Skunk. During the winter our owls duet together, and generally we've found them to be welcome company.

Winged Wednesday - Local Raptors

There are many species of raptor which wildlife enthusiasts and birders hope to observe. Many of them may not be tolerant of human development so we don't generally expect them to show up in our backyard or in town. However just as many of our furry friends have adapted to suburban or urban life, the raptors have adapted as well. This post is just about the raptors we see or hear around neighborhoods in our area.

Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks are smaller hawks and have become common sights around bird feeders. These hawks are fairly successful bird killers, and are attracted by the high concentrations of birds around feeders. We had a youngster around our yard last year. Our introduction came one night while we were sitting on our deck, and some Mourning Doves were milling around on the ground. Suddenly doves were airborne and there was a hawk at the base of the feeder, and as a quick as it descended it was up in the neighbor's tree. It had a number of other observed failed hunting attempts in the yard in June and July, and then one evening in late summer, as I was returning from walking the dog the Mourning Doves took off again. Initially I assumed it was from the arrival of the beagle brigade, and then our hawk friend snatched a dove in mid-flight and proceeded to devour it our neighbor's yard. So long as there are birds to feed on, these hawks will be around somewhere.

Red-Tailed Hawks are the large hawks people often see along the highway sitting atop the big green signs. They are expert mammal hunters. If there are squirrels, rabbits, mice, etc then the hawks should have plenty of food. If your yard, neighborhood, or local park is home to small mammals then on a warm day pay attention to sky. We often see the local Red-Tail above our own yard on clear days. We've seen it circle above enough to frighten our backyard wildlife, but we've yet to see it make a kill.

Great Horned Owls are highly adaptable. They are the most widespread raptor in North America. These owls have the distinct "hooting" that people identify with owls. They will duet when finding a mate. They seem to prefer perching in evergreens and are nightly ambush predators. Like the Red-Tailed Hawks they also feed on the small furry critters in our yards. They fly almost silently and may be difficult to spot in the dark, but we often hear our local owls when taking our dog on her bedtime walk.

American Kestrels are much smaller than the other birds on this list. You can even purchase nest boxes for these petite raptors. When driving, pay attention to the birds you see perched on the power lines. While you may see blackbirds, pigeons, and doves, these lines often have kestrels perched as well. Kestrels have a fairly varied diet of insects, small mammal, and birds. Their diet makes them fairly adaptable, but they do rely on woodpecker cavities for their nests. Hence, if you want to attract a kestrel to your yard, you could consider adding a large nest box.

Bald Eagles are not exactly the kind of bird I would expect to find in my yard. That said, if you live near a river, in particular one with a hydroelectric dam, you can find them hunting in groups during the winter. One example of this is the Sauk Prairie metro-area in Wisconsin. Because eagles need open water to fish, the eagles will stay near the dam as the waters begin to freeze. They gather in convocations and pick off the stunned or injured fish that make it through the dam. Other cities, like LaSalle-Peru on the Illinois River, also play host to convocations of eagles during the winter, so if you live on a river in the Upper Midwest you should keep your eyes open as you may be fortunate to see a Bald Eagle in your neighborhood.

This one fed in our yard over the summer.

Eagle over the dam in Sauk Prairie

Winged Wednesday - Feeder Pests

Many people add bird feeders to their lawn or garden in hopes of attracting a splash of bright color, some wildlife, and perhaps in hopes of hearing a spring tune as sung by a Northern Cardinal or American Goldfinch. However people often find, as we did, that getting the birds you want is not always easy. Feeder pests may include anything which frightens song birds away or anything which takes over the feeder preventing the desired birds from eating.

Common Feeder Pests include:

1. English House Sparrows
2. European Starlings and other Blackbirds
3. Squirrels
4. Hawks
5. Neighborhood Cats

House Sparrows pose two problems for native song birds attempting to feed. First they descend in large numbers, and second they are bullies. They will attack native birds both at feeders and in nests or nest boxes. They do very well in areas of human habitation and will eat human leftovers or use them as nesting material. If you want to attract native birds to your feeders, you need to prevent a House Sparrow invasion. Avoid wild bird feed seed mixes. Most of these seed mixes are filled with cracked corn, millet, and other fillers; excellent sparrow food, not so good song bird food. Be mindful of the feeders you use, House Sparrows often need somewhere to sit or perch while feeding. They are generally not clingers. For example, they enjoy peanuts but are more likely to eat them from a tray feeder than from a metallic mesh tube with no perches. You can also disturb or remove House Sparrow nests as they are not protected because they are invasive.

Starlings are also an invasive species which may take over feeders in large numbers. If given the chance, they can eat you out of house and home. Follow the plan above for preventing House Sparrows, and you're feeders should remain relatively Starling free. These birds can also be disturbed as they are invasive. Other blackbirds such as Brown Headed Cowbirds or Red Winged Blackbirds are native and should not be disturbed. Generally if you do not have millet or cracked corn, they will avoid your feeders. They also require some perching space.

Squirrels and other mammals like raccoons may take interest in bird feeders. The best means to protect feeders from mammals is with careful placement and the use of baffles. Be mindful of power lines, fences, and tree limbs; if the critters think they can make the jump, they will certainly try. Baffles are often made of metal. They come in many shapes and can be mounted above or below a feeder. They are designed to block a mammal's path. Note they can be used in conjunction with birdhouses as well.

Hawks are a particularly tricky matter. Cooper's and Sharp-Shinned Hawks will target feeders as hunting grounds. You have two choices. Take your feeders down long enough for the raptors to find other hunting grounds, or let nature take its course. You can also help even the odds by providing good shelter for birds. Dense grasses and wildflowers, shrubs, evergreens, and trees all help give the song birds a fighting chance.

Just like hawks, cats may come to your yard looking for a meal. Keep your feeders high, baffled, and provide some cover for the birds. Keep the ground area near your feeder well mowed and open so that the cats can be spotted.

Keep in mind that many of these animals are quite adaptable and surprisingly clever, so be vigilant and adaptable yourself, and happy birding.

Squirrel Coming to our Feeder

Blackbirds on our Feeders - Clever Grackle

Bald Eagle Watching Days 2012 in Review

We headed out to Sauk Prairie this morning to checkout the Bald Eagles on the Wisconsin River. The morning started out with a presentation by the DNR and International Crane Foundation about conservation efforts in the state to support the Bald Eagle population. The presentation started with an overview of the initial raptor decline from the use of DDT, then moved onto the success of conservation efforts and the booming eagle population, and then transitioned into a warning about the use of lead in fishing line sinkers and hunting ammo. Apparently the vast of majority of eagle deaths currently are lead related, and it was suggested that the hunters and fishers in attendance transition to non-lead based supplies.

The next presentation was from the Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota. They brought four raptors to demonstrate the differences between hawks, owls, falcons, and eagles. The birds of choice for the presentation can all be found natively in Wisconsin.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

Great Horned Owl

Bald Eagle

Our next stop was down by the river where the Raptor Education Group Inc. (REGI) released three rehabilitated eagles into the wild. It was also here where we got our first glimpse of the eagles in the wild on the river. Many were taking advantage of good fishing near the dam. In total we probably saw about a dozen eagles.

Some Eagles

Eagle over the dam

Another Eagle

Bald Eagle Watching Days 2012: Enjoy Nature Away from the Yard

Just wanted to do a quick a post about Bald Eagle Watching Days in Sauk Prairie. They technically started tonight, but most of the action is scheduled for tomorrow including a Bird of Prey Show and an Eagle Release.

Take a look at the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council's site for more details.

If we get some good pictures, we'll be sure to post them.