Today’s Dawn Chorus* was going to be another jaw dropper by your friend and mine, Sagebrush Steppeson. Unfortunately he was recently forced to undergo emergency surgery. The good news is he is recovering, so things are looking up on that front. The bad news is that while he is recovering you will have to put up with me trying fill in for him. I’ll do the best I can, but I can feel extra space in these moccasins!
*This content prepared 4/19/22
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Flint Hills of Kansas
4/11/22 was another in a weeks long series of giant fires crawling across the tall grass prairies. It happens every spring as they burn the old grass to discourage weeds and encourage lush new grass growth. The starting date for fires this year was about a month later than usual. I discovered last year that raptors are keenly aware of how that fire pushes small rodents who live in the grass ahead of the fire line, providing for a bounty of relatively easy pickings. They have also learned those rodents come out onto the blackened areas after the fires pass, making even easier targets. Swainsons Hawks seem to time their arrival to coincide with the burning season. I joined a large group of Swainsons hawks who were working the area just west of my place and did what I could to photograph their activities.
I invite you to join me for this trip along Wagon Trail West for that purpose. I think you will find that one Swainsons hawk in particular seems receptive to being our friend.
First, let’s take a look at what Swainsons hawks do to get to the Flint Hills, and other areas they frequent, with a range map.
Check on ebirds for an animated migration map to see their travels in motion. (I tried to post it but Kos wouldn’t load the MP4 file for me)
Swainsons Hawks are Buteos (auto correct prefers Bootees!) and show a number of different pigment phases, as you will see. They glide on the air at varying heights, but usually perch in shorter trees. When they are hunting it is not uncommon to see them perched directly on the ground. Their call is a softer sound than what you might hear from a Red Tail. Their voice sounds more like that of a Rough Legged or Red Shouldered hawk.
They feed on small rodents, but also dine on grasshoppers. In my experience the Swainsons tend to be more tolerant of human presence than most other hawks on the prairie. I’m banking on that being true for this trip.
My birding rig is a two seater, and as luck would have it, the passenger side is waiting for YOU. The seat is comfy and we will be mostly road hunting. You will have to be prepared for quick stops and fast action if you intend to get those BIF photos we want so our Dawn Chorus friends can have a good time using the ZOOM feature.
Are you ready? Yes? Great! Get in and let’s go see what we can see along the fire lines of the burning prairie in the Flint Hills. Our first order of business is to check on the two Red Tail nests I am monitoring, then see what there is to see up and down Wagon Trail West.
Uh oh. Change of plans! Check that nest check first idea. About two miles before the turnoff to go to nest #1 we spot a Swainsons Hawk perched on a fencepost on the south side of the road watching the fire burning in front of him. I tend to call all birds “him” unless I see definite gender indicators. Sorry if that habit is confusing for you. It gives Swainsons something in common with “it’s a Red Tail until proven otherwise”...they’re a ‘him’ until proven otherwise.
A moment later a beam of late afternoon sunlight landed right on the bird. I couldn’t help but feel like another photo was in order.
We proceed very slowly with our eyes peeled. The smoke quickly got thicker, but we see another bird perched in a tree quite a way off on the south side of the road. We stopped to see if it might choose to hunt closer to us as we sit along the side of the road. That bird was almost immediately joined by a second in a tree even further away.
The nearest bird just sat quietly, hunched over as though sleeping. But the far bird, pictured, was alert and obviously looking for action. Suddenly it did launch, but instead of coming toward us it heads right into an area where the flames are burning brightly! It flies low, hits the ground, and comes right back to land in the very tree it launched from!
As we move very slowly along the road we begin to see to hawk after hawk after hawk perched on fenceposts. Perched birds aren’t really what we are after and we’re surprised when the birds don’t move as we inch by. This behavior is far different than what I am accustomed to from hawks, perched or otherwise. These are watching the ground on the fire (south) side of the fence and apparently nothing can divert that focus. We creep along as slowly as the truck will go. Going any faster isn’t an option anyway with the smoke virtually eliminating visibility. But every now and then a breeze springs up from the north which clears things out so we can see all the way to the actual fire line. Breathing fresh air is always a plus! We spot a handsome bird perched on the ground, so we stop to see if something exciting is about to happen.
We’re all familiar with the caution that things always happen when you least expect it. Turns out sometimes when you are ready something good happens! Thus begins our best sequence for the day.
In the interest of time and space I’m skipping the next three frames. The lead photo is one of them. This bird seems to have something on it’s mind as it heads back down the fence line in the direction from which we have just come. We back up in the truck, trying to match bird pace. Sure enough, it perches on a gate about 200 yards away. We get within 100 yards with no sign of anxiety from the now perched bird, so we stop and get out for better view, hoping to edge closer on foot. Fortunately the beam of bright sunlight and clear air has expanded to include the gateway into the field.
Great session and we got it all! Perched, BIFs, and feast. WOWZER! You got these pics too, right? I hope yours are better than mine because there is a strong chance we won’t do better on this trip. Let’s go get those nests checked before it gets too late.
Before we got to nest #2 we see a hawk plummet to the earth. Did it get something? We’re already close, but lets sneak up and see what we can see.
On our way to check those nests the Sun breaks out in a welcome smile and the Swainsons floating overhead comply with surprisingly generous interest. It looks like we’re might just get those precious BIFs we have been hoping for. Look at this! Count ‘em...I see eleven over this one field! Amazing sight! They’re spread out too far for me to get them in a frame. You’ll have to remember seeing a bunch of vultures circling and use your imagination.
Don’t neglect to notice the variety of pigment and pattern difference from one Swainsons to another. Both age and gender can contribute to differences in color and markings.
PECK!!!!
Wow. I don’t know about you, but I’m breathless! We’ll check those Red Tail nests another day. I hope you enjoyed this little trip with me along the springtime fire lines in the Flint Hills. Now that we’ve seen the verse, let’s scroll down together and join in on the chorus.