Monday, June 14, 2010

Lark Sparrow

I have seen a Lark Sparrow at a distance several times, but one came to my yard for a few-minutes stay this morning. (Photo is courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org credit: www.naturespicsonline.com). The beautiful (quail-like) markings on its head, and its slightly bigger size, distinguish it from the House Sparrows here.

Lark Sparrows breed in Texas in the summertime. I have a variety of food and there is water. I didn't see this bird eat anything but I don't know how long it was here before I saw it. It eats seeds and insects. I hope it will visit again.

Friday, June 11, 2010

A Rescued Baby Barn Owl

The best place for any baby bird is with its parents. Chances of survival go down drastically when people have to intervene...and sometimes it is done unnecessarily. This is the time of year when baby birds are on the ground. They are supposed to be. They learn to fly and to feed from the ground. If they have their feathers and are not injured and they try to flutter away, they probably don't need help and their parents are probably nearby.

This little guy was not so lucky. The wonderful people here at the camp where I live found this beautiful baby and it seemed to be orphaned. A dead adult had been found a few days ago. After waiting and watching, it was determined that he was indeed not receiving care and attention from an adult owl.



I called Bebe McCasland in Big Spring. She came with her bullet-proof gloves and secured the owl so that it could be taken to safety. I think it had been 24 hours or so without food.

Thank goodness for licensed wildlife experts. This baby is now at the South Plains Wildlife Rehab Center in Lubbock, Texas. He will live there and learn the way of the owls from his surrogate parents until he can be released into the wild.