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.
Yesterday, I was cleaning up some Apps on my iPhone and came across Geocaching. I haven’t used that app in a number of years but opening it, I got interested in the activity, once again. And today went out and found my 95th cache.
Here’s what I wrote in 2012:
“I was out looking for a bald eagle’s nest at Fountainebleau State Park when a Texas auto pulled up. The driver asked if I’d found it and having been there before, helped me locate it through my scope. When I asked if they were birders, he replied, “No, we are geocachers from Biloxi.”
Well, I knew what geocaching was since our grandson, Mac, had just gone on a Cub Scout geo outing. When my new friend asked, “Want to see one?” I followed him up to a little path into the underbrush. He reached down and lifted up a root, showing me the drilled hole in the underside, with a small cylinder inserted. He showed me the rolled up log sheet inside – and I was hooked. I went to his website (Gulf Coast Geocachers)read up a bit, downloaded an iPhone app, and was off and running.”
So this morning, Ginger and I went on a hike to try to find a nearby cache which I previously have looked for and never found. We zeroed in with the iPhone and here’s what the site looked like:
In addition to finding caches, you can also find and move trackables, that are found in some larger caches. Years ago, I put six trackables in play and one, Roaming Vizsla, has logged 2611.9 miles in the last eight years.
Geocaching is very compatible with dog walking, birding, even cycling or paddling – and well-suited for solitary Covid-19 outings. I’m hooked once again.
It’s cold and windy with a dusting of snow – I just took a short walk on local streets with the dog and left the binoculars and camera at home. Of course, five minutes from the house, I came upon a dozen Pine Grosbeaks feeding in some fruit trees – a place I’ve seen them in years past. Return home for the camera – and risk missing them, or dig out the iPhone? I opted for the latter and with the dog straining on her leash and wind whipping, I took some shots. Here are two – poor lighting, branches, but better than nothing.
We walked the short loop and returning, I saw a low-flying adult Bald Eagle cross just about over us. A quick look – saw the bright white tail – and it was gone behind houses, heading for the forest.
It was a nice outing for exercise, fresh air, and a couple of nice sightings.
On these cold wet Vermont days, it’s nice to have a coterie of birds coming to our backyard. Northern Cardinals, even wet ones, add a splash of color and the Chickadees and Goldfinches add their energy to otherwise drab days. I went back and looked at some shots I took in the last month — and was delighted to remember this red and white combo.
And living on the river, we still are getting Mallards, a Belted Kingfisher, and several mergansers. Here is one from last week.
One of my goals this winter is to get some decent photos of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers. What are yours?
The other morning, through the falling snow I noticed a bird different from the normal crew of chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers etc. Getting out the binoculars, I was surprised to see this male Red-winged Blackbird pecking away at the suet. I haven’t seen one for weeks so this guy either missed the departure announcement or was passing through from up north.
After a half hour of feeding he departed, hopefully southward. It will be four months or so until we first hear that “conk-la ree” that tells us that Spring in fact is about here.
Pine Siskins often arrive like shoppers on Black Friday morning (pre-Covid), chattering, jostling, always moving toward a better deal. I see them first in the recently-bare trees in the backyard.
They flock to the feeder and especially the ground beneath it where finches and others have left sunflower seed parts.
After several hours of frenzy, they were off, leaving the finches to carry on with relative politeness.
We are fortunate to get a nice variety of birds to our small backyard where we have some feeders, lots of brush, and the river. Here are a few visitors from the last two weeks.
Some of our daily visitors, wanted or not, are Rock Doves – better known as pigeons.
We have noticed an increase in the need for the expensive sunflower hearts and discovered one significant reason.
