The First Bird of the New Year
I have been a birder since high school, long before I took my first ornithology class in college for my biology degree. Yes, I mean bird watching. I’m like a ferret on crack for anything winged and flying near me. Yes, this is the same person that writes Urban Fantasy featuring Anita Blake and Meredith (Merry) Gentry. My world is not all zombies, vampires, and wereanimals, thank you, or even fairy princesses that happen to be private detectives. It’s not even just violence and sex, or is that sex and violence, sometimes I forget which order they go in. Hmm . . .
I hear crows calling, and I know that call. There’s a hawk somewhere nearby. Binoculars are sitting right here on my desk, because, yeah. I few seconds of looking near the crows and there it is. A big red-tailed hawk, beautiful bird with a paler than normal golden red tail, some can brick red almost brown, and it’s that rufous tail that gives them their name. It’s probably a female from the size alone, males are smaller. Bluejays and other tinier birds have joined the crows in harassing the hawk. They’re all doing the bird equivalent of, “Get out of our neighborhood, you trouble maker!” Though I suppose it’s more like, “Get out of our neighborhood, you killer!” Red-tails don’t normally take small birds, but they will kill and eat most anything they can catch, if they’re hungry enough. The crows and other birds aren’t taking any chances. The bluejays are even dive bombing the hawk, a few striking it on its shoulders and back, then dashing away. Brave birds, and puzzled hawk as it tries to keep its footing on branches too small for its large taloned feet. When it settles into stillness again if I look away for a moment it’s hard to find it again in the autumn leaves and dead tree branches. It’s remarkably camouflaged for a bird about the size of a toddler.
Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, I’m a birder. *laughs* There is a tradition among birders that the first bird you see on the first day of the new year will be your theme for the year. Some serious birders travel to exotic locations to stack the deck in favor of something exotic for that first bird. I was someplace exotic last year, but I honestly don’t remember my first bird. It maybe the first time in years that I didn’t make a note of it, so getting back to tradition I will be looking for my first bird of the year when I get up tomorrow.
I’ve had years where it was starlings which are all about group communication, and squabbling if you watch them for very long. The hawk has just flown higher on the tree and is sitting so pretty. Maybe my first bird will be the red-tailed hawk and I will have a predatory year where I have to remember to aim at what I want and commit fully to getting it. If a hawk hesitates, or isn’t sure it wants that rabbi, it will miss it’s mark and go hungry. If it misses too many opportunities it will starve. Predators are all about committing fully to your goals. For two, or three years running it wasn’t a bird, because every New Year’s morning there were squirrels playing in the yard, but not a single bird moved until after I’d seen squirrels. They were always in groups of at least three and they were chasing each other, and playing. I finally figured out the message, I was supposed to balance work and play better. This was back when I was doing two big books a year, and basically was a workaholic with very little time for other things. And before someone asks, no the dogs, cat, or domestic animals you keep do not count as your first “bird” of the year. Go outside, see the real world, and find out what it has to teach you.
16 thoughts on “The First Bird of the New Year”
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I saw my first great horned owl this year, as the crows who live in my back yard called all their friends over to chase it away. Dozens of crows harassing this massive owl who was doing her damnedest to leave. Of course, every time she got some air, the crows would drive her back down into the trees. It was incredible, in a “sorry, dude. I totally feel your frustration ” sort of way.
Is your Hawk a secret Nazi? Going after that poor Rabbi :/
Red-tails vary so dramatically! Most are cordovan brown with a lighter underside, the tail usually cinnamon-red on top. Juvenile birds can have darker undersides to their tails. There are even “morphs” — most occurring in the western U.S. — that can be all chocolate-brown and red tailed, or even reddish-brown on the chest with a dark belly. (I’m fortunate to have friends who are falconers).
Almost all of Anita’s vampire friends would know the art of falconry. The Vikings went to Greenland to capture gyrfalcons, which they traded to the kings of Continental Europe. I don’t recall any Mongol-origin vampires in Blake’s world, but that’s a people that STILL is hunting wolves with eagles. The Turks and Arabic nations developed the art of falconry to its pinnacle. And of course, falconry was “the sport of kings” and a well-filled mews was a status marker, so one is certain that la Belle Morte would have had an extensive collection.
(Impatient-for-more owner of 23 Anita Blake and 9 Merry Gentry books!)
I love to watch birds. I am not an educated bird enthusiast but I love them all the same. Driving anywhere with my husband (its safer to look for them when I am not driving!) I love to see them early in the morning just chilling on signs until the fog lifts. Hawks do this alot in Oregon and it is so cool.. Happy to know we have that in common…
That’s so cool.
I need a new hobby, but I’m not sure I have the patience (or skill) to watch birds.
I’m thinking indoor rock-climbing or horseback riding, but we’ll see.
Happy New Years, Laurell.
I guess I’m a species specific birder. I recently moved (3 years ago) to an area that has hummingbirds year round. I’m in heaven. Watching these tiny flutterers (and they can be nasty and territorial) winging around my yard is so relaxing. In the winter we put a heater on the feeder on a timer so that it warms up the sugar and they just love that warmed food. They will warm up and stretch. I an watch them for hours while sitting on my porch.
I’ve been watching birds since I could count, helping my grandpa with the Audubon bird counts. It’s contagious…I introduced my in-laws to it and now they put out more feeders than I do!
My first bird of the new year a few years ago was a red-breasted nuthatch, who teaches the lesson of PERSPECTIVE (from their ability to go both up and down trees). As I was caring for my elderly mother full time then, it was a good reminder. I still adore their nasal little “Nya nya nya” sounds.
THE FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT LET A RED TAILED HAWK GO ON OUR PROPERTY YEARS AGO, HE FOUND A MATE AND THEY STILL LIVE IN OUR TREES OUT IN THE BACK FIELD, THEY FLY HERE A LOT AND ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL I THINK THEY LIKE WILD BUNNIES OF WHICH WE HAVE MANY BUT WILL TAKE BARN KITTENS IF WE ARE NOT WATCHING, ,SHIT THEY COULD TAKE A KID IF THEY WANTED LOL, I SAW A FULL GROWN EAGLE LAST AUGUST TRYING TO PULL A DEAD RACCOON OFF MY ROAD , I PULLED UP TO HIM IN MY CAR AND WAS LESS THEN 6 FEET FROM HIM , HE GOT THAT RACOON AND GOT HIM OFF THE ROAD AND UP INTO THE TREES , IT WAS AWESOME TO WATCH
Gulls nest in large, densely packed noisy colonies. They lay two or three speckled eggs in nests composed of vegetation. The young are precocial, being born with dark mottled down, and mobile upon hatching.[9]
Gulls—the larger species in particular—are resourceful, inquisitive and intelligent[10] birds, demonstrating complex methods of communication and a highly developed social structure. For example, many gull colonies display mobbing behaviour, attacking and harassing would-be predators and other intruders.[11] Certain species (e.g. the herring gull) have exhibited tool use behaviour, using pieces of bread as bait with which to catch goldfish, for example.[12] Many species of gulls have learned to coexist successfully with humans and have thrived in human habitats.[13] Others rely on kleptoparasitism to get their food. Gulls have been observed preying on live whales, landing on the whale as it surfaces to peck out pieces of flesh.[14] so seeing as I saw a gull flying around just after midnight NZ time (today is 1/1/16) is this what my year will be about
Morning & Happy New Year!
My first bird this early a.m. In the chilly desert was a hummingbird. I think an Anita’s hummer as it had that beautiful flash of fishing around its neck. Wonder what it means for me?
FUSHIA. Not fishing. Gah. Autocorrect.
I ‘m an amateur birder and while they were growing up I was always telling my girls “Oh look at that…..” drove them crazy . There is just something absolutely magnificent in our feathered friends no matter their size.
My first bird this year was a Bewick’s Wren. The tiny little bird was singing so beautifully loud right outside my window it woke me up! Good things for the future, I hope!
my first this year was a bluejay!
My dog chases all birds, so I have not seen one yet this year. You should look for your old post because I know you told us what your bird was last year.
My first bird of the year was an Alaskan Raven. If you know any mythology from Alaska, the Raven is often involved. He was mysterious, trixy, intelegent, and always the troublemaker.
I also found out we are expecting out first child…what a year to come! Haha.