While the weather holds, we’ve gotten some good walking and birding done. Our cottage is nestled between some clamming operations: here’s a look to the southwest.
Yesterday, we encountered a few Purple Martins trying to hold on to their room reservations.
Did you invite them?House Sparrows – America’s Guest Birds.
Ginger loves the small black lizards that dart in front of her but missed this critter, who thought he was hidden right by the path.
We missed the April snowstorm in New England but got hammered by thunderstorms last night. I had forgotten how intense these tropical deluges can be. Stay safe.
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.
Great Blue Herons will be arriving at home soon. Redwing Blackbirds are also back in Vermont.However, White Ibises, like the dozens we saw, are one of the treats of Florida birding.
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.
Song Sparrows are everywhere, singing up a storm, adding their audio brightness to our lengthening days.
Even the more common birds stand out with leafless trees (and power poles.)
One of the first Common Grackles of the year for me.House Sparrows need some love too.Northern Cardinals are very vocal as they establish territory and checking out each other.This is my first Belted Kingfisher of the year, at a great distance.
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.
Some hit the feeders but others pick up the dropped food.It gets busy and pretty competitive.Courtesy of Cornell’s All About Birds
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.
Four on thin ice and seven in the water.
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.
Hoodies are fun to find but the first pair I see is always a special treat.I was able to use the car as a blind – and kept from disturbing them.
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.
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.
We have a couple of these every day – they grab and go quickly.
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.
This American Tree Sparrow was my first this year.We have a couple of Hairy Woodpeckers visiting daily.Dark-eyed Juncos are here every winter.We have had dozens of Pine Siskins for the last few weeks.
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.
I look for buntings to be on the ground, moving continually in swirls of motion, so these birds initially faked me out.
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.
Shrikes always seem to perch on the very top of the tree.
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.
