Here's a catch-up post since I have been battling a spring cold.

I heard screaming Monday of last week. It turned out to be a light phase Red-tailed Hawk. The can get very vocal and urgent sounding. Since the Bald Eagle chirps like a giant sparrow the call of the Red-tailed Hawk is often dubbed in movies. Thus they show the eagle soaring and then you hear the spine-tingling scream. Hollywood does a lot of fakery - you might say it's there business.  (*~*)

Speaking of eagles, I saw 8 eagles on my way to the Klamath Country Fly Casters meeting Tuesday. They were mostly in the cottonwoods along U.S. 97 and Upper Klamath Lake. Even though some did not have the famous white head and tail, they were probably all Bald Eagles. Note that Bald Eagles don't completely develop the white head and tail until about an age of 5 years.

That Tuesday (4/17/2012) I also observed a new species for the Lonesome Duck since I began keeping records 6 years ago. There were 4 Ring-necked Ducks on our pond in the yard of the Eagles' Nest cabin. They sure look sharp in their spring plumage.

Today at least 3 or 4 Red-tailed Hawks were chasing each other and screaming at tree-top level right over the office area of the ranch. There was a lot of human activity here as we do the spring cleanup and fix-ups. It did not seem to bother them at all.

Oh, I could hear the low call of a Golden Eagle on the mountain above us today too. Unlike the two raptors mentioned above, Golden Eagles are not very vocal with few people ever hearing them. I think we hear them more often here because there is one of their satellite nests on the mountain adjacent to the office area. It appears to be around their nests that they are the most vocal.

Last night the coyotes put on a "serenade" in the middle of the night. We had new guest in, and, as is often the case, they call heavily the first night of a stranger’s presence. The calls vary tremendously from yipping and squealing to long dog-like howls. Their calls last night were particularly long, drawn out calls and quite high pitched.