For The Birds -- July 18, 2020

Chicks: yesterday Sophia and I stopped by the local post office to mail a package, pick up some boxes, buy some stamps. On the way in, out comes a mom with her young daughter carrying a cardboard box with air holes in it and a lot of chirping. Baby chickens. Wow. I remember getting baby chicks when I was growing up in Williston, but we bought them at the local grocery store or some such thing. I've forgotten. And then this from the NY Post:

When receptionist Heidi Heilig was told she could work remotely at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, she figured the extra time at home would allow her to get a pet for her 6-year-old and 2-year-old sons.

Trouble is, her kids are allergic to cats and dogs. The solution? Raising three chickens in her small, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn backyard.

“The children were off school, bored, and chickens have been a great diversion from what was happening in the world,” says the 40-year-old, also a published author, who bought newly hatched chicks, named Salt, Pepper and Oreo, in April.

Although the birds are still too young to lay, Heilig tells The Post she’s looking forward to mornings with fresh eggs for breakfast — a clear advantage over dog or cat ownership.

Heilig is one of a growing number of first-time poultry owners who have taken up the hobby as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, taking the uptick in pandemic pet ownership to new heights. Her supplier, My Pet Chicken, reports a boom in sales since March as people have begun seeking an uplifting distraction from the doom and gloom.

How did this ever become a thing? Let's see. Any more stories? From NPR, April 3, 2020: "we are swamped."

Later: a reader from Minnesota -- https://www.welphatchery.com/. Curious: can you buy live chicks through Amazon? Maybe not live chicks (I don't know) but certainly "hatching eggs."

Swainson's hawks: this is really, really cool. For the past week or so, while swimming in the apartment pool complex, I've been noting several unidentified birds of prey circling overhead. I go out swimming four times/day: 10:00 -- noon; 2:00 -- 3:00; 4:30 -- 6:30; and 7:00 -- 8:00 p.m. almost every day during the past two weeks.

I first noted them about a week ago, two unidentified birds of prey to the northwest. A couple days ago, it was wonderful: there were a total of six of these birds, still in the general area to the northwest of me. Yesterday, there were three to the southeast. I assume they were the same ones.

They always show up about 4:45 p.m. or so and put on quite a show for about an hour, generally flying in large arcs, gliding on the wind; I seldom see much flapping of wings, and then occasional dives, but not dives that are particularly spectacular.

I had not seen these types of birds before but I was determined to identify them. I have a huge library of books on birds, and I finally identified them. One of my books is The Birdsongs Bible. I've had it for several years; Sophia and I love going through it.

The birds: the Swainson's hawk (Boteo swainsoni) and here in the DFW area it turns out that others have also seen them. From dfwurbanwildlife, back in 2014:

The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is another large Buteo frequently seen around the DFW Area in the summer time.

Swainson’s Hawks spend their winters in South America, and only reach portions of the United States after a long springtime migration.

The Swainson’s Hawk is usually seen at altitude, soaring high over our urban development.

In the air they are recognizable by their unique colors and configuration.

Swainson’s Hawks have darkly colored heads and light undersides. Their flight feathers create a contrasting darkly colored trailing edge on their wings. In flight, the wings of these Buteos often appears narrower and more pointed that those of other similar species.

The DFW metroplex is just at the edge of the Swainson’s Hawk breeding range, and presumably they do nest here—though I have yet to come across one of their nests.

Swainson’s Hawks are much less tolerant of human activity than some of our other hawks, and therefore may nest in more rural and isolated areas.

Unusual for a hawk of this size, the diet of Swainson’s Hawk can largely consist of insects.

Exactly what I've been seeing for the past couple of weeks:

 

The Penguin.

Of all the Lego sets that I have come across in the last fifty years, this may be the one I like best. I did not know it existed. I happened to come across it last week at the local "Bricks and Minifigs" store here in Grapevine, TX, just a five-minute bike ride from where we live.

I did not think twice about buying this one as soon as I saw it. It's a retired product, but I see they are still available at Walmart and Amazon for just under $70. I don't remember what I paid for it but I believe it was about $32 and with a $6.00 coupon I probably paid $28 or so, after taxes. This is, simply, just such an incredible kit. I couldn't believe how excited Sophia was when she saw it. She immediately recognized it as Batman and knew all about it. Amazing.