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Thursday, January 14, 2010

January Birding

A number of bloggers are reporting on their progress as they pursue a "big" January. With lots of help from a trip to the Massachusetts coast last week, my January progresses, though I doubt it will ever reach the category of "big."

However, in the last three days, I have surged, adding four species with the result that my January total soared to 46!! In keeping with full disclosure, only 17 are from Vermont, partly a reflection of semi-hibernation. The photos below are from my archives.

A small flock of 5 Evening Grosbeaks visited the platform feeder briefly on Tuesday ...

Going out for the mail yesterday, I heard a Common Raven calling over a nearby hill ...

In the open water below the Vernon Dam on the Connecticut River, there were Hooded Mergansers ...

... and Common Mergansers ...

... and all of those contribute to Good Birding!
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10 comments:

  1. elvira pajarola11:10 AM

    ohh, I love to come over and admire these magnificient bird shots; fabulous!!!!
    The yellow Beauty just looks so interested; BELLISSIMO!!
    ciao elvira

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  2. Chris1:21 PM

    Hi Chris,
    You are lucky to be able to take pictures, this is not our case around here. It is now raining. I love the grosbeak picture a lot and the hooded-merganser. I hope to see these two one day..

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  3. Hilke Breder5:00 PM

    Great photos, particularly the Evening Grosbeak! I wished I had some come to my feeder.

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  4. Deejbrown8:34 PM

    Lately, my birding is YOUR blog! Thank, Chris!

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  5. FAB8:22 AM

    I hunted high and low for a male Goosander (Common Merganser) on a local river without sucess. Thanks for sharing your sightng Chris.

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  6. Carlib3:54 AM

    Great shot here, Chris!
    The Grosbeak is very impressive! It looks anxious!
    Hopefully next year, when I will be in Australia, I'll have the right equipment to go seriously for bird photography!
    This is a link to great bird pictures:
    http://lecter.shutterchance.com/
    Cheers, Chris!

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  7. A New England Life10:28 PM

    You caught some good ones! Can't say I've seen any Grosbeaks in a long time.

    Last year I did quite a bit of birding in the winter, this year...nadda. Life has been too busy. Who knows though, it's not over yet! Still hoping to see that elusive Eagle!

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  8. Angie Moore6:36 PM

    Fab shots Chris.

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  9. Anonymous9:57 PM

    Hi Chris, My name is Joann and I live in Acushnet, MAssachusetts. I am down near New Bedford. On Sunday on my way up Rte 140 go towards Berkley, I saw a Robin on the side of the road. I was thrilled. I said to my husband, "I wonder why I always see Robins on the side of the highway before I see them in someone's yard?" Well this morning on my way to school I passed a house that had several Robins on the front lawn. My question to you is, "Do Robins hibernate?"

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  10. Chris Petrak6:51 AM

    Good question Joann - I don't know. Many birds enter torpor at night, which is kind of an overnight hibernation with lower body temp & metabolism. Chickadees, e.g., and many other wintering birds. You probably seen them on roadsides because ground is softer & clear - they may also be getting grit for the gizzard. They eat a lot of berries and fruit in winter. Thanks for visiting.

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