(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Daily Bucket. Plethora of FOS hawks. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-09-11 What started out simply as a trip to check out my new big video microphone (experiment failed; explanation at end of diary) turned into a huge Red-tailed Hawk extravaganza across American Valley, Quincy, CA. Incidentally, “FOS” stands for first-of-season, although this isn’t strictly accurate, as these aren’t the first hawks I’ve photographed this “season”. However, since school has just started for the school year, that marks the “fall” season for me. So, technicalities aside, away we go. The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow. I’ll note the time-stamp for reference, and a Google Earth image with locators. All told, about a seven-mile bicycle round-trip, having left my house just about 8:30 a.m and returned around 10:15 a.m. Right-click and “Open Image in New Tab” for a larger image. 8:42 a.m. Pretty cool; second photo, nictitating membrane is across the eye(s). First time I’ve ever captured this specific. For those who aren’t already in the know… Onwards. 9:31 a.m. 9:39 a.m. 9:44 a.m. 10:08 a.m. * * * * * The reason my big video microphone experiment failed is because the microphone is big. It mounts on the hot shoe of my camera and I didn’t realize my forehead would hit it when I tried to look through my viewfinder. My camera’s monitor screen doesn’t work so I couldn’t use that like I needed to with the big microphone mounted on the camera. I’m now definitely going to have to get the monitor fixed, but that means I have to send my one and only camera in to the Nikon repair center and so I won’t have a camera for awhile, probably at least a month; no, I’ll get my old camera, my little Nikon L830 back from my son, he doesn’t use it anyway, so I won’t be totally camera-less. What was I saying? Oh, yeah. So, lots of bonks and skruffs and junk in the audio, making the video totally unworthy of presenting. On top of all that, I was videoing Cedar Waxwings, and they weren’t making a peep. Dozens of them, and they’re flying around like crazy, and they don’t even chirp, let alone a call or a song? No, cancel that last. I just listened to some sound recordings of the Cedar Waxwing, and some of those whistles and buzzes sound familiar; I just didn’t have video of them perching and making any sound where I could match bill movement with sound. Well, hee-hee, you learn something new every day, don’t you? You do, if you’re paying attention. Bug of the Day California Sister (Adelpha californica) Now it’s your turn. What’s up in your world, nature and changes, that you have observed lately? Let us know in the comments and as always please include your location, and photos if you got ‘em! [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/11/2192530/-The-Daily-Bucket-Plethora-of-FOS-hawks Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/