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<\/p>\nFor raptors in particular hunting and roosting perches are close to essential but these days they’re at a premium at Farmington Bay WMA. And the situation is rapidly deteriorating.<\/p>\n
Farmington Bay WMA is essentially 18,000 acres of prime marshland habitat ideal for waterfowl (and waterfowl hunters), shorebirds and some songbirds. Raptors are attracted to such an area for obvious reasons. FBWMA has historically been known for large numbers of Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels with smaller but significant numbers of Barn Owls, Short-eared Owls, and Peregrine Falcons and even the occasional Ferruginous Hawk.<\/p>\n
But in recent years raptor numbers at Farmington have declined significantly for a variety of reasons and encroaching development is prime among them. FBWMA has become an island of marshland habitat surrounded by subdivisions and other development.<\/p>\n
But I strongly believe one of the reasons for raptor decline at Farmington is the declining number of hunting and roosting perches available to them. Trees have always been at a premium at Farmington and as they age and die or are blown over by Farmington’s incredibly fierce winds they’re not being replaced. Many raptors require elevated hunting perches and Bald Eagles in particular thrive when they have access to elevated roosting perches but it seems like every year more of them are missing.<\/p>\n
And except for ground-nesting Northern Harriers few raptors nest on the refuge, in large part for the lack of trees.<\/p>\n
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Thankfully birds are resourceful and most any elevated hunting perch will do – it doesn’t have to be a tree. There aren’t any utility poles to speak of on the ‘refuge’ but there is a metal tower used for a weather station topped with two plastic owls meant to keep birds from perching on the sensitive equipment.<\/p>\n
But American Kestrels are nothing if they aren’t cheeky so those plastic owls have become one of their favorite hunting perches.<\/p>\n
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There are several kestrel boxes on the refuge that are ideal elevated hunting perches for a variety of species including this Red-tailed Hawk. I posted this photo a few days ago, taken as the hawk returned to the perch after an unsuccessful hunting foray.<\/p>\n
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Here a Rough-legged Hawk is returning to the same kestrel box for the same reason. Thankfully these kestrel boxes are well designed and last for years but there are very few of them on the vast refuge.<\/p>\n
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This small snag (dead tree) on the edge of Unit I was a favorite kestrel perch for the first several years after I began photographing birds.<\/p>\n
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I’ve photographed many dozens of kestrels on it but it was small and very old and eventually it toppled over (or was deliberately pushed over) so it’s been gone for years now.<\/p>\n
This male kestrel had been cleaning his toes. I don’t think they tasted very good.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/bald-eagle-tree-9446-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"bald-eagle-tree-9446-ron-dudley\\"")
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This is part of what used to be called the ‘eagle tree’ at Farmington. By the time this photo was taken most of the beloved but dead old tree had fallen down but I’d still often see a dozen or more Bald Eagles roosting on what was left standing. Old timers at Farmington have photos of 30-40 eagles in the eagle tree. Or more.<\/p>\n
But the eagle tree is entirely gone now, a victim of the ravages of wind and time. Trees aren’t forever.<\/p>\n
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And they’re not being replaced. Just in the last year many additional trees at Farmington have met their demise, particularly at the north end of the refuge near where the refuge manager’s old office used to be, but elsewhere too. Farmington’s infamous winds have seen to that.<\/p>\n
I’m hoping that in the near future the ‘powers that be’ will see fit to replace some of the lost trees with native species. If this trend continues FBWMA will soon be as flat and featureless as a pancake, with little practical appeal for raptors and many other birds and little aesthetic appeal for human visitors.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For raptors in particular hunting and roosting perches are close to essential but these days they’re at a premium at Farmington Bay WMA. And the situation is rapidly deteriorating.<\/p>\n