While looking for the name of the African Goshawk I'd seen a few days ago, I came across this statement By a Gordon Ellmers at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

But I can find nothing on the Tennessee site, or any other site, to back that up, and I think it's a bullshit claim by Ellmers Fudd.

The Hanover eaglet that got knocked out of the nest was gone for a few days, but it got up its will, and learned to fly during that time. Now it's back on the nest, flying on and off it regularly. The other youngster has not taken up the task yet.

The newly-flying birb knocked 2 out of 3 cameras out of alignment. One more and the viewing season will be over.

I suppose relative to its body length, a Rufous hummer may be speedier than a falcon, but about 50 mph seems tops.
They do chase and eat insects, especially when fueling up for migration, but otherwise would rarely need 200 mph for nectar gathering.

I'd like to know the context of fast. Wingbeat, maybe? Level flight, maybe?

I'd find it difficult to believe that a Rufous hummer could be faster than a Peregrine in a stoop.

FAYI (fer all y'all's info) speed is not mentioned AT ALL on the Rufous' Wiki page. If it were faster than a Peregrine, I figure it would be shouting that fact all over the page.

In the last 45 seconds, the younger Hanover birb flies for the first time. It's not much to see; kid finally gets up his gumption. But it's lovely they captured it.

The rest of the video is mostly younger birb wingersizing, and making the trip up and back from the branch next to the camera. You can almost see him thinking, big brother did it, I should be able to do it...

Nice!

I have a hen hatching chicks right now, somehow less dramatic than an eagle. :us:

...and only slightly less dignified.

California eagles defy odds by taking in baby hawk

Attachment 68225

...the hell?

It'll give their squadron more functionality.

Kea...

These guys are cute as hell and love to eat rubber off cars. Our bus driver gave a tourist hell for molesting one, she was asking for it.

In other En Zed bird news:

New Zealand kakapos hatching in record numbers, boosting endangered native parrot's numbers

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-...aland/11030582

They love their birbs.

I am not a dedicated bird watcher but I do like to see wildlife of all kinds especially anything that's a bit of a rarity.

I'd been told of a Great White Egret taking up residence on a nearby canal so thought that it might be worth having a look for myself.

The location isn't too far away so it was reasonably easy to nip out for a short while without causing too much domestic upheaval.

In the end I had to make three visits before getting a decent sighting.

On the first occasion it was just disappearing from sight as I arrived, the second time it was nowhere to be seen so I thought that I would give it one last go this afternoon before the approaching storm sets in and I struck lucky.

Attachment 68444

They are gradually moving up from southern Europe via France to the UK and successfully bred here for the first in the Somerset Levels in 2012.

They're about the same size as Grey Heron and one decided to push in on this chap's fishing patch after he'd made a catch.

Sorry about the poor focus but I'm not a photographer, I just take snaps!

I love watching those beauties fly.
Their slow wing beats seem like what pterodactyls must have looked like.

We have Blue Herons and Sandhill Cranes. And yes they are beautiful Birbs.

And Pelicans in the spring.