Tamarack Tree

White Spruce Tree

White Spruce Tree
 

 

 

White spruce

It trees reach up to 140 feet tall.  Diameters of these trees reach up to 3 feet. 

It's primary uses are pulpwood, lumber, furniture, boxes, and crates.

 

 

The needles are 1/2-3/4 usually inch long.



The cones are slender 1 1/4-2inches long.

 

 

Some animals that like this tree are gray jays... 



 grouse...

 and all kinds of birds.



Tree of Study Links:
Pines
White Pine
Red Pine
Jack Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Sugar Pine
Hemlock
Blue Spruce

Cooper's Hawk

Large Raptor Birds
Part 9

Cooper's Hawk

 

 

 This is the cooper's hawk. It is a medium sized hawk native to North American continent and found from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Like almost all raptors the male is smaller than the female.

 

The wingspan of a cooper's hawk is 62 to 94cm (24-37cm.)  Their average weight is 12-18oz for females and 16oz on average for the male cooper's hawk.  Sizes can vary from 14 to 20 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Cooper's hawk nests can be found in tops of trees.  Over a 2 week period of time a nest will reach 27 inches in diameter.  Surprisingly the pile of sticks is sometimes concealed very well and often can be mistaken for another critters nest. 

 

 

In each nest you will find 3-5 eggs. 

The clutch will hatch in 30-36 days.

 

 Chicks become independent around 8 weeks.  

• 

This hawk has been known to live 12 years in the wild; however, the oldest living hawk was recorded at 20 years and 4 months.

 Cooper's Hawk is another one of my favorite hawks.  They are fascinating to watch in flight and when they are soaring over fields or streams looking for their next hunt.
 

Here is our Web Cam Page for Links to view this bird.
Raptor Cams



Other Birds
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad- Winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sparrow Hawk
Swainson's Hawk

Balsam Tree

Balsam Tree

 

A Balsam tree will grow to be on average 44-66 feet in height, however some have grown as large as 90 feet tall.  The are considered to be a small to medium sized evergreen tree.

 

 The bark of a balsam tree is smooth, shiny and silvery when young.  As it ages and matures you can notice "blisters", see photo below.

 

Balsam bows have beautiful scented needles.  The needles are 1/2-1 inch in length.

 Cones are 1 1/2 to 3 inches long.

 

The balsam fir is not only used for lumber, pulp, medicinal and for its resin.  It was once used for mattresses in the early days prior to foam.  (Still great for camping!)  Balsam is used for fragrance and air fresheners today. 

 

It is also a preference of trees for decoration by some during the holiday season.  So when you are outdoors next and smell the sweet aroma look around for this beautiful balsam tree.

Tree of Study Links:
Pines
White Pine
Red Pine
Jack Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Sugar Pine
Hemlock
Blue Spruce

Swainson's Hawk

Large Raptor Birds
Part 7

Swainson's Hawk

 

 

Named after William Swainson, this large hawk can be found along prairies and grasslands.

 

The Swainson's hawk can cover 15,000 miles (24,000km) during its migrations north.

A common color pattern for the adult hawk is dark brown plumage with a brown chest and a pale belly.

 

The nests of a swainson's hawk can contain 1-4 eggs that incubate from 34-35 days.

 

 

Other Birds
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad- Winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sparrow Hawk
Swainson's Hawk

Sparrow Hawk

Large Raptor Birds
Part 6

 

The Sparrow Hawk

 

The sparrow hawk is also called the American kestrel. This little raptor is a falcon. 

 

 

 

The diet of a sparrow hawk consists of grasshoppers, lizards, mice, and small birds.

 The male sparrow hawk is no smaller than a robin.

 

This American Kestrel nests in trees, cavities of rocks, cliffs and/or caves.  Laying 3-7 eggs per nest, both male and female help incubate the eggs.  This bird extends all across North America and can be seen migrating south during winter seasons.  This falcon is a wonderful site to see.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Birds
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad- Winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sparrow Hawk
Swainson's Hawk

Hemlock Tree

The Hemlock Tree

This is an other conifer called the eastern hemlock. It is a handsome tree, with dark-green foliage and gracefully drooping branches.

 

The needles are flat, a little more then a half-inch long. the cone is among the smallest of any conifer, brown and persistent.

 

The hemlock tree is also called the tsuga.  They are medium sized evergreen trees.  Evergreen means that it is green all year round.

 

The evergreen can reach almost 200 feet tall.  (33ft-197ft.)  The bark of a hemlock tree is scaly and a brown/greyish color.

 

The hemlock is important to lumber mills for pulp.  The bark of a hemlock is known for its tannin.

eastern hemlocks are also used for lumber.

 

 

The Northern Harrier

Large Raptor Birds
Part 5

The Northern Harrier

 

The northern harrier forms a low V shaped flight hunting pattern as they search like other harriers for small mammals to eat.  Northern harriers rarely live to be 8 years old due to other predators.

 

 

Northern harriers are more likely to be seen and remain in heavy forested areas.  The nests are preferred to be constructed of sticks filled with 4-8 whitish eggs then hatch in approximately 31 days.  This is the only hawk that practices polygamy.

The Northern Harrier is also called the marsh hawk. It migrates to the southern parts of America. The marsh hawk is 41-52cm (16-20in) long.

 

Here is our Web Cam Page for Links to view this bird.
Raptor Cams

The Sugar Pine Tree

The Sugar Pine Tree

"King of the Conifers"

The most massive pine tree with the longest pine cones amongst the conifers.  ( A Coulter Pine Tree a has more massive cone.)

 

The average height of a Sugar Pine Tree is 130- 200 feet tall.

 

The Cones are approximately 10-20 inches long.

 

These trees can be found in the Western United States.  California, Oregon and even in the Baja of California and Northwestern Mexico on can spot these gigantic conifers.

 

These pine trees are massive and are used for boat building. Sugar pine seeds can be cooked.  The sugar pine is not only known for it's lumber, but also its pitch and resin.

Tree of Study Links:
Pines
White Pine
Red Pine
Jack Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Sugar Pine
Hemlock
Blue Spruce

Bald Eagle

Large Raptor Birds
Part 4



The Bald Eagle!

 

 

The bald eagle is the USA national bird.  Therefore, it is illegal to hunt them.  With their beauty who would want to?  This breath taking bird is our families favorite bird!  For years it has represented freedom, agility, and profound character.  This national symbol has earned its value to the people of USA's past and present.  

 

 

 

The bald eagle will eat: fish, rabbits, mice, and voles.  

As you can see it has an all white head and tail.

 

The bald eagles wing span is approximately 7-8. 

the most similar species is the golden-eagle.

 

Its habitat is coasts, rivers, and large lakes.

 its ranges is Alaska, Canada and U.S.A.

 

Beautiful bald eagles soar the sky in many parts of the world.  If you see one in your neck of the woods you'll now know more about this spectacular creature. 

Here is our Web Cam Page for Links to view this bird.
Raptor Cams


Other Birds
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad- Winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sparrow Hawk
Swainson's Hawk

Ponderosa Pine Tree

PINE TREES

PART 4

Ponderosa Pine Tree

 

This photo was used with permission from Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulturist click here for a link.

In other areas of the country the ponderosa pine is also known as bull pine, blackjack pine, or a yellow western pine.


The ponderosa pine reaches its 60 to100 feet high.


The ponderosa pine can be found in rocky, dry and alkaline soil.


 

Broad-Winged Hawk

Large Raptor Birds

Part 3

 Broad-Winged Hawk

The broad-winged hawks wing span is 74-100cm.  

 

 

They eat chipmunks, voles, shrews, even road kill.  These carnivores will eat just about anything making them a more adaptable raptor.

there voice sounds somewhere like pweeeeepweeeee.

 

 

 Broad-winged hawks can be spotted in all different regions of North America at different times of the year as well.  They love marshy areas, desolation and high cliffs for nesting grounds. 

 it is similar to the red-shouldered hawk.

Here is our Web Cam Page for Links to view this bird.
Raptor Cams

Other Birds
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad- Winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sparrow Hawk
Swainson's Hawk

Jack Pine Tree

 

PINE TREES

PART 3

Jack Pine Tree

 

 

The height of a jack pine tree is 30-50 feet tall. Its needles are very sharp.                    

  The jack pine is not the straightest pine tree.  It is often knotty

and only grows shrub like if there are poor conditions like in the southern us.

 Its pine cones are curved, pointed out and tightly closed except during periods of extreme heat.  (Then they will reseed.)

 

The jack pine is another species in the pine tree family.  It is used similar to other pines.  One endangered bird, Kirtland's warbler looks for a jack pine tree during mating season. 

The jack pine tree is a beautiful species of pine that creates acidic soil for plenteous blueberries, which I love!  Thanks jack pine trees.
 

Tree of Study Links:
Pines
White Pine
Red Pine
Jack Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Sugar Pine
Hemlock
Blue Spruce

Red Tailed Hawk

Large Raptor Birds

Part 2

The Red Tailed Hawk

 

The most common hawk in North America is the red tailed hawk.  Throughout all the seasons you can see this hawk from anywhere in North America.  The red tailed hawk can be found on telephone poles, tops of trees, large cliff tops, along marshy areas and on the edge of open fields. 

 

The red tailed hawk will eat: rabbits, mice, voles, and any other food source they may find. (Like road kill.)

Being monogamous (having the same mate for life), the red tailed hawk will lay 1-5 eggs per year and often in the same nest used the year prior if safe.
 

The red tailed hawk has a large and beautiful wing span as you can see below.

 

 

 Click HERE to hear the different sounds of a red tailed hawk.

Buteo (red tailed hawk) is one neat raptor buzzard!

And that's what I learned about the red tailed hawk.

 

 

 

Here is our Web Cam Page for Links to view this bird.
Raptor Cams

Other Birds
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad- Winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sparrow Hawk
Swainson's Hawk

Red Pine Tree

PINE TREES

PART 2

Red Pine Tree

 

The red pine tree is another species of pine found in the northern half of the USA.  It is also known as the Norway Pine Tree.

 

 Red pine trees reach 80-85 feet.  With a diameter of 1 1/2-3 feet.

The bark of a red pine tree is reddish- brown.

 

More scaly as it ages...

 

The needles of a red pine are 5 inches. 

 The red pine has long needles, but only two sharp needles in a bunch.  (Unlike the white pine containing five.)

 

Cones of red pines are 2-3 inches long.

 

There are many uses for the red pine.

Three of these are railroad ties, telephone poles, and mining  timbers.

Diseases or harmful things of red pines are not only critters, but...

as with all conifers armillaria rot or "wet root rot" is a possibility.  However, red pines with well drained soil are less likely to suffer from this disease.


Animals that thrive in pines are squirrels...

 

 all different kinds of birds...

bugs, snakes, and any other animal seeking shelter from brutal winters, extreme heat or safety coverage.

I enjoy finding squirrels in the red pines.

 

Tree of Study Links:
Pines
White Pine
Red Pine
Jack Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Sugar Pine
Hemlock
Blue Spruce