By Derek Wilson
Maybe you have heard the term birds of prey. It’s a broad term that is referring to carnivorous birds like buzzards, hawks, owls, falcons and eagles.
This is a great time of year to bird watch. The leaves have fallen off the trees and many species are in migration. Migration gets lots of species on the move and the forest is much easier to spot many of these species without all the leaves on the trees.
Some birds of prey also take advantage of the more open forest this time of year also to use their excellent eyesight to catch prey.
The bald eagle is a bird everyone enjoys seeing and of course with that brilliant white head and white tail, they truly are a treat to see. As a symbol of the U.S.A. their presence screams America, land of the free.
Like the bald eagle, the other birds of prey all have strong personality characteristics. From the mighty great horned owl to the swift American kestrel, all the birds of prey have unique qualities.
Hawks are the jacks-of-all-trades when it comes to birds of prey. We have several species of hawks that frequent the area but there are three types I see the most. These are the red-tailed, the red-shouldered and the broad-winged hawk.
I tend to see the broad-winged hawk mostly soaring in circles hunting from the air. The red-tailed hawk and the red-shouldered hawk both tend to hang out on power lines or tree limbs looking over fields or roadsides hunting prey.
All the species of hawks may have prey that they prefer, but all seem to be very opportunistic, meaning they will eat just about anything they get their talons on. Hawks will eat rabbits, birds, squirrels and snakes, and some will even eat crawdads and grasshoppers.
We have several species of owls that live around these parts. All the species of owls are abundant around here, but I do tend to hear and see more barred owls and screech owls.
Owls, like hawks, are very opportunistic eaters but tend to have some more tools to work with than just good eyesight like the hawks. Owls also have excellent hearing to hear things moving in low light as well as specialized feathers that allow them to fly without making noise as most other birds.
The quiet flight allows them to fly up on prey without scaring them off in the night. Their eyes are larger so that they can see better at night allowing more light in during very low light times. The barred owl and the great horned owl make hooting noises while the barn owl and the screech owl make shrilling noises.
One of the most beautiful birds of prey in my opinion is a falcon called the American kestrel. These tiny birds can fly so fast it is absolutely incredible. They are mostly found in open fields hunting small birds, rodents, snakes and grasshoppers. These birds have some of the most remarkable colors on them, but you better have a good pair of binoculars to enjoy these birds because they are probably the smallest of the birds of prey.
They have these really cool eye markings that are called mustache marks that biologist believe is an adaptation to help them hunt open fields in bright sunlight. The marks are thought to help keep the sun from reflecting in their eyes just like football players do when they put black grease under their eyes.
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some of the most abundant birds of prey to observe in nature is the turkey vulture and black vulture a.k.a buzzards.
Buzzards play a very important role in nature as community trash collectors. These interesting birds go for the leftovers nobody else wants. The meal that has developed a smell if you know what I mean. I enjoy watching these buzzards as they have characteristics to admire despite having a face that only a mother could love.
Traffic has slowed down at Big Ridge and I tend to see more birds of prey this time of year. I believe the wildlife get more comfortable in parts of the park once people have frequented the area less. Blue Mud boat launch is a great place to sit in a warm car and view across the lake for wildlife.
I have seen an adult pair of Bald Eagles teaching their offspring to hunt right there at the boat launch the last several years. I have not seen them yet this year, but I’m sure they will be back soon.
So, if you are looking for a nice place to view some wildlife, this is the best time of year at Big Ridge. It’s also a great place to walk off some of that holiday dinner.
Merry Christmas everyone. If you visit Big Ridge and you see me out, stop and say hello.

Derek Wilson
865-206-9459