# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 84
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2022, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1662 "2022-07-24T23:37:30Z")
I love American kestrels. They are lovely birds and it is good to see them on a hunt. But their habitat and prey are disappearing and so, too, are the kestrels. They are plentiful near me (or were before the avian flu); I need to go for a walk in the nearby wildlife preserve to see if I can spot some. I’ve been avoiding it precisely because I didn’t want to be depressed about the lack of birds this year. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1663 "2022-07-25T01:38:43Z")
There’s been aerial combat the last few days between three hummingbirds for rights to the nectar feeder. I took it down today to refill it and one of them came at my head. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1664 "2022-07-25T01:46:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Here in Waikiki yesterday, we saw [Hawaiian monk seal Rocky and her new pup, born last weekend](https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/07/11/watch-out-waikiki-theres-new-monk-seal-pup-town/). Kept our distance of course. Never mind that she is highly protective of her baby, just touching her would entail a $50,000 fine. Got some pictures but not being terribly tech oriented, have yet to figure out how to get them onto this Board. And this morning, [an idiot tourist swam too close to Mama and got attacked in the bargain](https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/07/24/too-close-swimmer-injured-after-encounter-with-nursing-monk-seal-mother-waikiki/). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1665 "2022-07-25T04:39:54Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > And this morning, [an idiot tourist swam too close to Mama and got attacked in the bargain](https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/07/24/too-close-swimmer-injured-after-encounter-with-nursing-monk-seal-mother-waikiki/). Just to add: The TV news reported she’d had to be warned before to stay the fuck away from the monk seal. And the news had some impressive additional video from above, looked like drone video, that showed the pup frolicking in the water nearby while Mama was quashing the threat. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1666 "2022-07-25T12:49:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > And this morning, [an idiot tourist swam too close to Mama and got attacked in the bargain](https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/07/24/too-close-swimmer-injured-after-encounter-with-nursing-monk-seal-mother-waikiki/). [singsong voice]“And what did we learn?”[/singsong voice] 😄 My kids always hated when I asked them that. I saw this precious baby fawn outside our pasture. Mama didn’t seem to be around, but I know when the fawns are tiny, they do leave them alone while they’re off doing Mama Deer business. A neighbor of mine took this picture. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52240072448_6522be4f48_b.jpg "fawn") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/45215582@N06/52240072448/) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1667 "2022-07-25T13:33:05Z")
It’s the time of year for Hummingbird Thunderdome. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1668 "2022-07-25T14:15:27Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I saw this precious baby fawn outside our pasture. Aren’t they the cutest things? We had zero ducks on our pond on Sunday, after the wildlife center released nine juvenile mallards on Thursday. This morning my gf dumped 5 pounds of cracked corn by the pond. An hour or so later there were ducks, including the nine juvies! ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1669 "2022-07-25T16:18:54Z")
[[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/2nKYm0q.png?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/5h7CMoQ) I’m not sure what happened to these pictures. I did something terribly wrong. But I think if you click on the picture, both pictures that I posted will appear. I had to take a screenshot of what she texted me in order for me to download it. My sister saw this bird in her yard (NE Minnesota). We are flabbergasted at what it could be. She said the crows were very interested in it but didn’t try to harm it. I thought maybe a young turkey vulture but she said it has feathery pantaloons. She lives within a couple of miles of the zoo, so she called and asked if maybe a bird had escaped. They told her all birds are accounted for. Does anyone have an idea? I’ll try to figure out the photo issue. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1670 "2022-07-25T17:48:56Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > Does anyone have an idea? So feathered legs don’t work (though partially feathered ones would) but [Black Vultures](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Vulture/photo-gallery/70706151) are [rare strays in Minnesota](https://www.presspubs.com/shoreview/news/north-oaks-family-spots-rare-black-vulture/article_340d98a5-f647-5c35-9f49-6710d3afcedb.html). The [primary feathers splayed out like fingers in flight](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/flying-black-vulture.jpeg) and the stance on the ground would kinda lean in that direction. But that is one odd image. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1671 "2022-07-25T20:30:37Z")
That’s quite a piece of convergent evolution… US > **[American Kestrel Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/overview)** > > North America’s littlest falcon, the American Kestrel packs a predator’s fierce intensity into its small body. It's one of the most colorful of all raptors: the male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast elegantly with his rusty-red back and tail; the... UK > **[Kestrel Bird Facts | Falco Tinnunculus](https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/kestrel/)** > > A familiar sight with its pointed wings and long tail, hovering beside a roadside verge. They have adapted readily to man-made environments. Find out more …right down to the spots (!). j > [@carnut](#): > > …I didn’t want to be depressed about the lack of birds this year. You know what? I have seen precisely one brood of ducklings this year. One all year. The only reason I didn’t post about it was that I was thinking it’s maybe UK specific, or maybe even regional in the UK. I dunno, but it has been striking. j ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1672 "2022-07-25T22:26:21Z")
Yes, I was confused, the first time I saw European kestrels. And I thought they were all falcons, but no. Let’s hope your ducks migrated further north this year and that the cause of their absence isn’t avian flu. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1673 "2022-07-25T22:38:49Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > But that is one odd image. It might be a juvenile black vulture, which can show a whitish color on their heads but I am not surprised that it was seen in NE MN. That’s an area that does get strays due to it being part of a major migration path and generally a variety of good eats for many birds. It looks like a bad cross between a bald eagle and a rough legged buzzard. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2022, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1674 "2022-07-25T23:02:33Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > That’s quite a piece of convergent evolution… > > …right down to the spots (!). Right? [Of course they’re actually still fairly closely related in a general sense being in the same genus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon#Overview), hence the convergence on a pretty recognizably similar color/morph is perhaps not so odd. But it seems they derive from an earlier split from a basal lineage and are not each other’s immediate sister taxa in the genus. > [@carnut](#): > > It might be a juvenile black vulture, which can show a whitish color on their heads but I am not surprised that it was seen in NE MN. That’s an area that does get strays due to it being part of a major migration path and generally a variety of good eats for many birds. It was certainly the closest thing that immediately came to mind as plausible. It’s a good find for Minnesota if it ever verifies 🙂. Though maybe in fact it is some exotic from a collection - that’s a rough image to ID from. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1675 "2022-07-26T14:33:22Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@TRC4941](#): > > > > Does anyone have an idea? > > So feathered legs don’t work (though partially feathered ones would) but [Black Vultures](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Vulture/photo-gallery/70706151) are [rare strays in Minnesota](https://www.presspubs.com/shoreview/news/north-oaks-family-spots-rare-black-vulture/article_340d98a5-f647-5c35-9f49-6710d3afcedb.html). The [primary feathers splayed out like fingers in flight](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/flying-black-vulture.jpeg) and the stance on the ground would kinda lean in that direction. But that is one odd image. It is odd! It’s almost prehistoric looking. A vulture of some sort is the first thing we thought of too. But I don’t think so. I think I’m going to contact the local Audubon Society. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1676 "2022-07-26T17:14:57Z")
Recent hard rains have brought out some roadside rarities. I zipped past this small patch of carnivores then went back later for some close ups - Drosera filiformis tracyi. [![](https://i.imgur.com/UCJr92J.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/UCJr92J.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1677 "2022-07-26T18:22:52Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I think I’m going to contact the local Audubon Society. A reliable birder worked on the pictures in photoshop and for the area, the bird’s eye matches for a common grackle. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1678 "2022-07-26T18:39:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > A reliable birder worked on the pictures in photoshop and for the area, the bird’s eye matches for a common grackle. Hmmm…yeah, I can see the eye and the pale head makes sense. But those legs look pretty robust. [Maybe?](https://www.forestwildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3-3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1679 "2022-07-26T18:53:22Z")
A grackle with vitiligo maybe? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1680 "2022-07-26T19:38:13Z")
> **[Bald-headed Birds - FeederWatch](https://feederwatch.org/learn/unusual-birds/bald-headed-birds/)** > > Each year FeederWatchers report several cases of bald-headed birds, primarily Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals. In most of the cases observed in late summer and fall, the affected birds have dropped their head feathers simultaneously during molting,... ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1681 "2022-07-26T21:52:06Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I think I’m going to contact the local Audubon Society. Be sure to let us know if they were able to identify it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=83) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=85)