Loggerhead and Kites at Santa Carina

Another morning at the Santa Carina trails looking for the male Northern Harrier but with no sightings.  But coming to this location has been quite rewarding watching the activity of the White-tailed Kites and spotting a lone Loggerhead Shrike, a life bird for me. 

It was foggy again this morning and I sat in my van for about 15 minutes waiting for the fog to go away. I decided to go ahead and go on the trails anyway since it can be clear at the lookout even though the streets are fogged in. As soon as I arrived at the lookout the sun started to burn off the fog and I could see all the way across to the Manchester side of the San Elijo Lagoon. The White-tailed Kite was sitting on his usual snag down below and the female was incubating in the nest. All of a sudden the Kite takes off from the snag and starts to charge an intruding crow. He flew directly towards me and I scrambled to get a focus on the kite. Here he is coming my way.

White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus measures 15 inches long with a wingspan of 39 inches. 

In the 1940s and 1950s, they where hunted and killed off almost to extinction in California because the farmers thought they were a danger to their chickens. We now know they mostly hunt rodents, voles (also known as meadow mice), insects, and lizards... and sometimes small birds.and snakes.

In January they start to build their nest and the male will bring food to the female (who lays about 4-5 eggs.) while she incubates the eggs for about 32 -35 days. He will continue to bring food to her after the eggs hatch... which she will feed to the chicks. This continues even after they fledge 35 days later... and will keep feeding them until they are able to catch prey themselves.  That might be about a month more.

When they are searching for food, they soar about 100 ft. above ground and hover by flapping their wings rapidly over the area they are hunting.  When it finds its prey, the Kite plunges after it in a slow vertical descent with its talons down. They have approximately 80% success in catching their prey.

 

The Kite watches the crow fly away from the nest tree area.

He stalls above making sure the crow keeps moving. 

Watches for a few more seconds.

Slowly turns.

Still scanning the sky for any other intruder, he flies back to his favorite perch.

Northern Shovelers make their morning flyby appearance as they come in for a landing in the lagoon.

There are about fifty that fly into the lagoon every morning that I have been there. Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata measures 19 inches long with a wingspan of 30 inches. The Males have the green metallic head with white breast and rufous belly and flanks but the females are dull brown with similar body plumage as the female mallards. The males have powder blue on the top of their wings but the female has gray. This photo shows the difference between the males and the female Northern Shovelers.

On the south side of the trail across from the Kite's nest tree, I see a bird that I have never seen before, a Loggerhead Shrike!  Another life bird for me.

He appears to be the only one in the area. I hear him call and call but no one answers. Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus  measures 9 inches long with a wingspan of 12 inches. They are song birds that act like raptors, hunting insects and small mammals and occasionally taking a small bird. These stout birds can carry prey equal to their weight. Larger prey may be carried with their feet and smaller may be carried in their beaks. Known for impaling their prey onto thorns and barbed wire they're sometimes referred to as "butcher birds". They may save their kill in between tight branches using a tree as their pantry for leaner times or to attract a mate. Interesting note: When they kill a poisonous insect or toads, they will impale it and let it hang for three days or so to let the poison break down so that it is safe to eat. All info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.

 

The Harrier has been chased by the White-tailed Kite but still keeps coming close to the nest tree. Here's a photo of the Kite is chasing the female Northern Harrier away from the nest area.

 

Getting vocal, the Kite is not happy with the Harrier coming too close to the nest.

The Harrier is not having a good day. As she goes to the south side of the trail, she is  chased off by a Cooper's Hawk. 

 

Fantastic flying by both raptors. 

 

Happy that the Northern Harrier is gone, the White-tailed Kite settles into his nest duties. In this photo he is bringing a twig for the nest and it's time for me to head for home.

Have a nice week everyone.