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November 14, 1991 - A Rare Visitor, Up Close and PersonalC6 The Suffolk Times • November, 14, ,1991 A Rare Visitor, Up Close and Personal By Paul Stoutenburgh I can't remember a year in our life that somewhere around our house there hasn't been a bird feeder hanging. My parents always had one just outside the big glass - enclosed porch and as kids we knew every bird that came for his or her share. We've had the always - delightful chickadee and its big brother, the tit- mouse, along with the upside -down bird the nuthatch and, of course, the hairy and downy woodpeckers. We've even had the big flicker on occasion come to our suet and I can remember the first red - bellied woodpecker from the south that visited our suet more than 30 years ago. Then there are always the greedy blue - jays and hoggish starlings along with the multitude of finches and house sparrows that come in for their share, along with the colorful goldfinches. On special occasions during the winter we might get a flock of those northern visitors, the evening grosbeaks, with their colorful yellow and black and white, but then they can't be counted on. Then there's the occasional Carolina wren and the tiny brown creeper that sneak around and quickly grab a bit here and fly away as if something were going to pounce upon them. The birds that feed on the ground, like the mourning dove, fox sparrow and white throat, can be counted on to pick up the surplus seed tossed out of the feeder. All these along with even the ones that should have gone south, like the robins and catbirds or one year even an oriole, have visited our feeders at one time or another. Why, we've even had an occasional crow light on our suet feeder and grab a billful of succulent suet and dash away like the typical robber he is. _ _._ . Most Outrageous Visitor But the most outrageous, unbelievable occurrence happened today about 8 o'clock in the morning. I had just re- turned from feeding the chickens when Barbara called out, "Look! There's a big bird up in the tree out there!" Sure enough, there was a huge red - tailed hawk eyeing our chickens. We've had a few of these perched on our windmill up Focus on Mature in the back pasture but they had never come up to the house until now. It wasn't long before a family of crows started harassing the hawk. He paid little attention as they dove and called and screamed as only crows can do when alarmed. This brought a family of jays who had to get into the act and their alarm calls sounded loud and clear as they jumped from branch to branch, I'm sure uttering nasty words to the big intruder. Then the unexpected happened. Instead of dropping down on one of my chickens, the hawk came in even closer to the house (25 feet) and lit on a newly cut -off stump right in front of us. We couldn't believe our eyes! No need for a pair of binoculars here. We could see his light - colored breast with streaks of brown, his rusty red tail and that hooked bill so characteristic of all hawks. I quickly ran for the camera which, of course, had no film in it. After all, I hadn't anticipated this. With some quick fumbling through numerous backpacks and pockets and drawers I came up with a roll and put it in. Now I was ready but my camera told me it was overcast and dark and not enough light to take a good picture. I could get a reading but the shutter speed was so slow the slightest movement with my telephoto lens would have caused a blur. I'd have to use a tripod. More precious time was lost. I mounted the camera on the tripod and started to focus. My, how handsome and bold he looked as I brought him up close through the camera leno. I clicked away my shutter which barely read a tenth of a second The Impossible Closeup Then, the impossible: This huge hawk took off from the stump and flew to our suet feeder a few feet away and there he stood, overpowering it with his size and bulk. Never before had a red - tailed hawk visited my feeder and I don't believe many others have had one either. I took a couple of quick shots. I was Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh RED - TAILED HAWK —Of all the birds that come to our feeders there's never been one quite as unbelievable as this red - tailed hawk. photographing through a thermopane window and wanted to get away from that so I slid the door open and carefully eased my lens through it. That was too much for the hawk, who took off to a nearby tree. Paralyzed by Cold I'm surprised how many interesting things come up each day when you are aware of what's out there. A typical ex- ample was just a few days ago when I received a telephone call from John Bondarchuk, who works at the hospital. He said there was a bat just outside the emergency entrance to the hospital. Would I like to have it? "Sure," I said. "I'll be right down." When Barbara and I arrived, there it was clinging to the side of the building and not moving. I brought a small aquarium along to cover the bat and then slid the glass cover be- neath it. He was a tiny one and I believe it to be one of our little brown bats. It is getting too cold for bats, the rea- son being that they are warm - blooded and live on flying insects. As soon as the cold weather comes along the insects disappear and there goes the bat's . food supply. If they can hibernate that's all eM�c/ n; � _ (l�+rf4le�ic/��,' �, �Ji//���gy% \Ql �(y n EjJ � l/ , �n, a�1v�,�F1 /� Vin_.. r QW1.11 �� \JtJ 4ti V / �l.l \J �r , \J /31 '� tli `JV /i� ' �� V/ 1�J r/1�►V! � �f! . l r -= 4V MAIN ROAD, gar SOUTHOLD, 11 , n ';� House • Sunday, • . 1 • �aE $10 in Advance Pick up your • map/ticket Building ' $12 Day of Tour SHS Office and Gift Shop PRINCE BUILDING Next to Southold Savings Bank lC j:J S :._•_.rtiC•C _• w_•_•_•_: c•.•.•7r_•- ._.v ?�7.:..'sC�ti_•_r _•_•wG.7•.•.� mo=w~+►_ °•_r_ :r_� .�•_•_•_•_• -•C•.� •_•_•= r•.._•7•_ s� f V • \J \J iI1 LJ / r+ l 2, ' � H'l Rl RIM �JV �V 4L W I_�� • L• C•_. _•G.C�_.r_•�•_•_�•�._•_•I•[• =•_ .�.7r�7•.�i�._•C•_•_• =A'� �C•_�= ..C•_•��_t T__•_t�.i�r� �_� ��K�_.►r � •c•7•_•_�w• •.,.- •_.�•_��•wi well and good, but many of them mi- grate. This bat's instincts had left it numbed in the 40- degree temperatures of last week. Like so many other animals that do not heed their instincts, it could pay dearly for its mistake. We brought the bat home and tried to feed it but it was reluctant to take any food. It could be shown in my daughter's fifth -grade class to help her students understand the world we live in. Right now we're still trying to feed it with drops of water and bits of food. Let's hope it will survive. ELIH and CSH Host a Radiothon Eastern Long Island and Central Suffolk hospitals will join forces for a fund - raising Radiothon hosted by WBAZ of Southold on Thursday, Nov. 21. The hospitals will be asking Radiothon listeners to "Turn on Your Heartlight" and pledge support for less fortunate friends and neighbors hospitalized during the holidays. The "E.T." movie theme song "Turn on Your Heartlight" was selected by both hospitals as the Radiothon's official song. The fund- raising goal is $40,000. WBAZ has donated the day's advertising time to the fund - raising drive. MATTITVCK SANITATION EAST END ECOLOGY LTD. 800 WICK HAM AVE. MATTITVCK, N.Y. John DiVe110 & Sons RESIDWITAL COMMERCIAL GARBOLOGISTS Container Service 1 yd. through S yd. Roll-Off Service 15 yd. through 30 yd. 298 -8888 Serving Riverhead & Southold Township well and good, but many of them mi- grate. This bat's instincts had left it numbed in the 40- degree temperatures of last week. Like so many other animals that do not heed their instincts, it could pay dearly for its mistake. We brought the bat home and tried to feed it but it was reluctant to take any food. It could be shown in my daughter's fifth -grade class to help her students understand the world we live in. Right now we're still trying to feed it with drops of water and bits of food. Let's hope it will survive. ELIH and CSH Host a Radiothon Eastern Long Island and Central Suffolk hospitals will join forces for a fund - raising Radiothon hosted by WBAZ of Southold on Thursday, Nov. 21. The hospitals will be asking Radiothon listeners to "Turn on Your Heartlight" and pledge support for less fortunate friends and neighbors hospitalized during the holidays. The "E.T." movie theme song "Turn on Your Heartlight" was selected by both hospitals as the Radiothon's official song. The fund- raising goal is $40,000. WBAZ has donated the day's advertising time to the fund - raising drive. MATTITVCK SANITATION EAST END ECOLOGY LTD. 800 WICK HAM AVE. MATTITVCK, N.Y. John DiVe110 & Sons RESIDWITAL COMMERCIAL GARBOLOGISTS Container Service 1 yd. through S yd. Roll-Off Service 15 yd. through 30 yd. 298 -8888 Serving Riverhead & Southold Township