Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Hawks Continued

I've learned that it can be difficult to identify particular types of hawks. But, thanks to Tamara, who commented on my earlier hawk post, this appears to be a Cooper's Hawk. The bird is about crow-sized and has the white tips at the end of the tail feathers. More identification stuff here.

All about birds has some great background on the Cooper's Hawk. They are "among the world's most skillful fliers" because of how they can weave around tree branches in pursuit of prey. They eat other birds, including doves, which we have see a lot around here. They also eat small rodents. Cooper's Hawks have strong feet and kill their prey by grabbing it with their feet and squeezing it. They've even been known to drown their prey by holding it underwater. Another bird site says hawks, in general, have eyesight 2-3 times better than ours. Unlike other birds, the eyes of hawks and other birds of prey are set to look forward rather than on the side of their head. They mate for life and can reuse nests year after year.


This is a bit far afield. But, Cooper's Hawk is named after William Cooper, a "conchologist," who studied mollusks and other animal life. He collected specimens of many animals including a newly found type of hawk.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Bear Signs


About a month ago I posted photos of the bear that had climbed up a pine tree in our back yard. In more than five years in our Northeast Pasadena home, that was the first time we had actually seen a bear.

More often we just see signs of bears. There was the time we found a pile of trash in our back yard (including a large container of cookie dough) right next to a pile of a different and very smelly sort. Then there was the time a bear pushed down our chain link fence -- just crushed it - on a night my son and I chose to sleep outside. And then there was the morning the guy painting our neighbor's house came running into our yard looking like he'd seen a ghost. The guy was literally shaking when he told me he had seen a "giant" bear. After some time, I walked him back to his job and he spent the rest of the day painting the inside of the house behind locked doors.

But mostly bear signs involve trash cans. This morning I walked out side to see our trash can tipped over. It was the second time this week this has happened. The recycling and green waste containers were undisturbed, it is always the trash can that is tipped.

Here's another picture of the bear we encountered a month ago. I wonder if this is the one getting into my trash can?

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Hawks

Early Sunday morning I caught these two hawks perched on top of the power pole in front of our house. It is not uncommon to see hawks soaring high in the air. But, I rarely see them this close.


Later in the day the two hawks perched in our Jacaranda tree.

I've hunted over the web and can't definitively identify what type of hawk this is. Apparently Red Tailed hawks are the most common types of hawks. I didn't see a red tail here, but strangley enough red tailed hawks don't always have visibly red tails. Anyone know what kind of hawk this is?

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Sierra Madre July 4th Parade

Official start of the 2009 Sierra Madre July 4th Parade. That's a 1968 Dodge Coronet Pasadena police cruiser leading the way with girl scouts holding the parade banner.


Veterans of Foreign Wars carried the colors. The crowd stood and cheered as these guys marched by. I like that.

This is an entry you won't find in any other small town July 4th parade -- the foundation for Sierra Madre's annual Rose Parade entry. In case you ever wondered what Rose Parade floats look like without the scaffolding and flowers, this is it.

We step back in time to the 1940 parade. No, just a lot of really old cars from this year's parade edited to black and white.

And, a lot of old cars. This 50's era Cadillac sported impressive tail fins and carried the grand marshall, Midge Morash. The tail fin design was reportedly inspired by WWII fighter planes, although some marketing genius claimed the fins blocked cross-winds and made for a smoother ride. Morash, who is known as "Mother Nature," arrived in Sierra Madre not long after this car was made and has done all kinds of good things in the city.


All in all, another wonderful parade in this beautiful city named after our local mountains. I enjoyed all the usual entries -- the priest on a motorcycle, the noname band, Sierra Madre City College, all the scouts and schools, old cars and bikes, tractors, postal workers and firefighters.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Vacation to NoCal and SoOr

We just returned from a trip up Interstate 5 to southern Oregon where we camped beside the Rogue River. Above is Mt. Shasta -- a dormant volcano with a cool 14,100 elevation. Views of Mt. Shasta (and snow covered Mt. Lassen to the east) dominated much of the trip north of Redding to the border. Shasta is at the southern end of the Cascade mountain range.

We pitched our tent at Valley of the Rogue state campground. The campground was a good jumping off point to experience the river and southern Oregon, but was too close to the freeway for my taste. Our camp neighbors, however, were great. Why are people so friendly when they're camping?

We fished along the river's edge and caught, cleaned, cooked and ate rainbow trout. My son did all the work, but I feel a good bit of satisfaction in helping him along. I took a crash course in fishing at Rogue River Pharmacy which has as its slogan "Guns and Drugs" and sells lots of both. Anyway, the white coated pharmacist and an old guy behind the sporting goods counter patiently schooled me on the right tackle, bait and fishing spots.

Fishing in the river a short walk from our campsite.

Highlights of the trip were Butte Creek Mill, where the owner gave us a tour of the water- powered mill built in 1872, the Rogue Creamery, which has the best free samples I've ever seen (jalapeno curds were incredible), House of Mystery, I'm a sucker for that stuff and the kids love it, Wildlife Safari, which deserves a separate post, and the Hellgate Jet Boat trip. I also became a big fan of Dutch Bros. Coffee , and, of course, no sales tax.

Out of Grants Pass, the jet boats took us westward into Hellgate Canyon. What a great adventure for the family! Our boat pilot sometimes floated along to allow for wildlife viewing and then seemingly floored it at other spots. Egged on by some college guys in our boat, the pilot turned a few 360's. We were all wet by the time it was over.

One of the more interesting shots I got on the jet boat ride was of this vulture who stood guard on top of the river bank. About 20 feet below a trio of vultures ripped away at a salmon carcass laying on the rocks. (I'll spare you the shot of the Salmon carcass.)

We saw two bald eagles. This one was perched in a tree along the river's edge.

We had a great time getting windblown and soaked on the boat. Wet head, big smile. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Bear Trees a Bear

Yesterday morning, this black bear was up in our pine tree. Actually, the bear is about forty feet up, looking down at me as I stood at the base of the tree taking his picture.

So what is a black bear doing in our tree?

The story starts with our dog, who happens to be named Bear. When we picked him up from the Pasadena Human Society he was described as part Akita. We read that Akitas were bred for bear hunting. Hence the name Bear. He's still a puppy, but is going to be a pretty big guy.
Yesterday at about 5:30 am, Bear started barking and heading for the back door. He and I walked outside to check things out. We saw the bear standing about 15 feet from us next to a pine tree. The bear reacted in a flash by scrambling up the tree. I could hear the scratching noise of his claws digging into the trunk as he climbed. He went straight up to some limbs about forty feet off the ground.
This picture gives you an idea of how high the bear climbed. If you look carefully you can see the bear resting on the second set of limbs up from the ground.

Though he kept track of us (of course I woke everyone up to come out and see the bear in the tree), the bear did not seem concerned. He nonchalantly hung out.
He stood on one limb.

Then he stood on another limb.

Then he went back to the other limb and sniffed around in the pine.

Then he put his head down and went to sleep.
What a way to start the day!

The Bear Facts

According to the Los Angeles Almanac, 150-500 black bears currently roam the Angeles National Forest. Interestingly, black bears are not native to our local mountains. The bear native to our area was the grizzly. However, the fierce grizzlies were eradicated by at least 1916. Some time later, authorities wanted to reintroduce bears to our local mountains. Instead of grizzlies, they chose the kinder gentler black bear. In 1933, Yosemite rangers brought in 11 black bears who are the forebears of our current bear population.
Black bears are omnivores, but eat mostly vegetation. Reportedly their adult weight can range from 90 to 600 pounds. They can run up to 30 mph, are good swimmers and great climbers. With their upright ears, black bears are the inspiration for teddy bears and for Winnie the Pooh.
In foothill areas bears are sometimes reported coming down into the neighborhoods in search of food. This seems true particularly on trash day. We've seen signs of bears around our house before -- a broken fence, trash cans knocked down and a some really foul bear remains. But, I never expected to have this kind of encounter!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Chicken Laws

As interest grows in all things green, there is a resurgence in chicken keeping. Just a generation ago, chickens were a normal part of everyday life. My father's family kept chickens. I grew up with chickens in our neighborhood. It was just accepted. I don't recall any problems.

So, Lolo (pictured above) and I were hanging around the yard this weekend. It has been a year since she and her five sisters joined our family. We agreed the whole experiment has been a great success. The chickens have been easy to care for and just plain old fun. We clean up every couple of weeks so they don't smell. Our hens are relatively quiet (no roosters). They don't wander into neighbor's yards (although a neighbor's dog got into our yard one day and gave us all a scare). They give us great compostable droppings for the garden. And, best of all, they lay eggs that are more nutritious and less taxing on the environment than those trucked into town.

So, what's the beef with chickens? Why aren't there more around? We did a little research and it turns out that chicken keeping in Pasadena often runs afoul (or is it afowl?) of laws that were passed in 1956. Lolo and I agreed that the old laws are outdated and need change.

Why the Nix in '56?
Pasadena's chicken laws are part of a series of ordinances that were passed in 1956 to prohibit certain farm animals and severely limit others. Cows, pigs, and roosters are prohibited. Goats and horses are extremely limited. Restrictions on chickens and other fowl are so severe that any fowl is prohibited in most Pasadena neighborhoods.
It was only slightly before my time, but most likely Pasadena's animal control ordinance took hold amid the twin pressures of post-war population growth and the drive to modernize. In an era of space exploration, TV dinners, and homogenized everything, there was probably no room for farm animals in a world class city like ours.

Better a Chimp Than a Chick?
Under Pasadena's Municipal Code, no person can have more than 10 chickens and the chickens must be kept 50 feet from a property line, 50 feet from a street and 100 feet from a neighbor's dwelling. Pretty strict requirements. As a practical matter, these rules bar chickens from most Pasadena neighborhoods. (Sections 6.20.020 -- 6.20.070)

There is a potential exception. The Municipal Code allows residents to file a petition with the city's Health Officer for permission to keep a chicken or chickens. The Health Officer holds a public hearing and makes a ruling. You can appeal the ruling, presumably to city council, provided you pay the appeal fees. (Section 6.20.200)

Though most Pasadenans cannot own a chicken, you'll be glad to know you can keep monkeys. The city code allows residents to own any "monkey, ape, chimpanzee, or any animal of the monkey type" as long as as you leash the animal when you go in public. I don't want to offend the pro-monkey forces, but, does it make sense to allow monkeys while outlawing chickens?

Urban Chicken Movement

Urban chicken keeping is a growth industry. In the year since I've been keeping this blog, I've been surprised at the number of people who have inquired about our chickens. East Pasadena's Centinella Feed sells so much chicken feed they have a hard time keeping it on the shelves.

Nationally, an urban chicken movement is fast pecking away at prohibitions against chicken keeping. There are a lot of great sites to visit on this topic including: Homegrown Evolution, Backyard Chickens, The City Chicken, and Ann Arbor City Chickens.

It is time for Pasadena and other cities to take a look at old laws limiting chickens. As part of its program to be a Green and Sustainable City, Pasadena says it intends to "support the public health and environmental benefits of locally grown organic foods." Loosening the restraints on chicken keeping is a good way to pursue this goal.