After a long but uneventful trip in the Subaru and LaQuintas, we are settled in Cedar Key for a nice change of scenery. This morning, as we sat on the back deck, we were treated to this visitor – a Little Blue Heron.
On a long walk later on, these were among the many birds we saw.
We are leaving for a little trip to Florida this weekend and it will be fun to handle the camera with warm, or at least thawed-out hands. I’ve been grabbing some shots here on our daily walks and thought I’d share a few.
Even the more common birds stand out with leafless trees (and power poles.)
Yesterday, while walking with Ginger at the Wrightsville Reservoir, I came upon this perched Bald Eagle who watched us as we circumvented his perch but seemed pretty disinterested. I can’t determine if it’s a molting bird or a juvenile.
One of the blessings of this Covid-winter has been the antics of a large flock of Common Redpolls who have been daily visitors for the last couple of months. When I take to feeders out every morning about daybreak, they are gathering in the tall trees, chattering away. Usually there are about fifty, sometimes double that – and once they decide to chow down, it’s wonderful chaos.
With the forecast of warm weather, I suspect this gang will be heading north in the next few days. Bon voyage!
Two days ago, I saw my first group of Canada Geese circling low, looking for places to land, but they moved off to other spots. The river, which had opened up, froze last night but this morning, a small group was gathered on the thin ice and open areas.
Ginger and I were walking on the ice just last week but that’s over now. In a month or so, I hope to be watching these visitors from the kayak as they court and then raise their youngsters, essentially in our back yard.
Ginger and I have a Friday morning routine: take the recycling/trash to the depot and then head up to the airport and Berlin Pond to check for birds. Today, it was too windy to chase balls on the tarmac but we came across this nice pair of Hooded Mergansers.
I am part of a small group of local birders who help one another with sightings using WhatsApp. Tuesday afternoon I saw a report from my friend Chip, who directs North Branch Nature Center, about a Snowy Owl found about five miles from here. Sally and I decided to drive up and see if we could find it – and we did so on some muddy dirt roads arriving at the parking site, which in spite of the tough cold wind, was a beautiful vista of the Worcester mountain range.
Initially, I had no luck and with freezing hands, texted another friend who had just been there. In no time, one of the many clumps of snow turned into a Snowy Owl, sitting patiently far off next to tree. The wind made a steady camera a hope but after a short time admiring this lovely visitor from the North, we hopped back into the car.
Tuesday was my 81st birthday so it was a special gift. Here are a couple of long-distance shots.
One of our reliable backyard birds is a Carolina Wren (or two) which is an unusual winter visitor.
Here’s the range map which with global warming, is likely changing.
We’ll keep the seeds and suet coming and enjoy this bouncy bundle of energy. Think Spring!
Saturday morning, I fiddled with the camera to try to handle snow scenes better and then went out with the dog to try it out. While getting ready, I got this Red-breasted Nuthatch through the back door windowpane.
On a backroad drive, where a cold wind made walking a challenge, there was a flock of Wild Turkeys off in the distance. Pushing the limits of the little Canon, I got this shot.
The sun came out for a while when we returned and we had a flurry of backyard activity to give me some practice.
It’s nice to focus on birds instead of news.
One of my resolutions for 2021 is to pick up my birding activity in my local county. Ginger and I have been out every day but often we just hike and listen — bird naked, so to speak. The last couple of days we have returned by auto to some of my favorite spots. Yesterday, I went looking for Snow Buntings and others, and at a spot where I’ve spotted them in years past, we found 8 or 9 birds high in a tree. The lighting was lousy and they were way out there but when I got home, I saw that they were in fact Snow Buntings.
Today, after some errands, we swung by the airport (always hoping for a Snowy Owl) and pulled into a medical complex where I’ve seen shrikes and a snowy. Sure enough, perched way at the top of a far off tree, swaying in the north wind, was this Northern Shrike.
It was pushing the limit of my point and shoot but it was nice to leave the car running, grab 20 shots, and get back to warmth. Fair weather birding via Honda Fit.
Several days ago I noted seeing a low-flying Bald Eagle just a few blocks away. This morning, Sally spotted it flying up river. A few hours later, returning from an outing, I saw it perched just across from the little pocket park a few hundred yards from us. I parked the car, walked over to the river bank, and was back in the car in minutes.
A recommendation to “de-list,” announced this week by Audubon Vermont and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, states that the Bald Eagle is no longer threatened, and its populations have stabilized. In a time of tough news, it’s nice to hear about a 30-year success story. We hope this guy/gal sticks around this winter.