Western Birds

In early July, we took our 11 year old grand-daughter to the national parks of the fours corners. It was not a birding trip, but from time to time birds posed for me.

In that monumental geography, most photography was with the 25mm-125mm lens - not so great for photographing birds. But a few did come within range of the lens, or presented themselves when I had the longer lens mounted. Here are a few samples:

Ravens were common throughout our trip - noisy and evident, as youngsters tried to prolong their dependence on parents. In some places, the ravens were prominent beggars. This young bird was in Petrified Forest NP - Common Raven

Petrified Forest National Park

Common Raven

from Mesa Verde NP - Green-tailed Towhee and Western Bluebird ...

Mesa Verde National Park

Green-tailed Towhee

Western Bluebird

from Bryce Canyon NP - White-breasted Nuthatch feeding young and Western Tanager ...

  

Bryce Canyon National Park

White-breasted Nuthatch

Western Tanager

Western Tanager

 from Zion NP - Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Ash-throated Flycatcher ...
  

Zion National Park

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Ash-throated Flycatcher

from Grand Canyon NP, North Rim- Black-throated Gray Warbler and Spotted Towhee ...
  

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Spotted Towhee

On the last day of travel, I got a new bird, but that will have to wait for a future posting - hopefully soon.

The Universe is Unfair ...

... and nice guys don't always get the girl, or win the prize, or whatever. Today I took a 20 minute detour on my way to Putney Mountain in order to get cider donuts for the stalwart hawk watchers. I was being a good guy.

I arrived at the hawk watch site 2 minutes after the hawk watchers watched a Peregrine Falcon dive into the woods, then reemerge with a Blue Jay in its talons and begin eating on the wing. So no photos of the drama. Alas!

So today I had to be content with a few medium height hawks (out of photography range), and a family of ravens playing on the wind.

Common Raven

Yesterday (Sunday) was a bit better. The second season of hawk watching is underway with the accipiters beginning to come in numbers. And they do so with attitude. Our plastic owl attracted the attention of several birds, almost always young, inexperienced birds ...

The Plastic Owl

This Sharp-shinned Hawk made a close pass at the owl ...

Sharp-shinned Hawk (hatch year)

... while this young Cooper's Hawk made repeated attacks ...

Cooper's Hawk diving at the owl

Cooper's Hawk - note the full crop

Cooper's Hawk - compare head size with the Sharp-shinned Hawk

In addition, Bald Eagles continued their steady run, while song birds occasionally are found in the edges around the watch site or in the woods on the walk up ...

Bald Eagle - not yet a full adult

 Good Birding!!

Flickers, Siskins, and the Hawk Watch

Northern Flickers have been migrating through in large numbers ...

Northern Flickers have been on the move

... but for the first time I can remember, they visited the bird bird feeders, becoming a "new feeder bird" in my yard ...

Flickers became a "new feeder bird" in my yard this Fall

Pine Siskins, which have been widely reported throughout Vermont in the last few days, have been emptying my feeders on a daily basis for several weeks, and continue to do so.

Pine Siskins fill the thistle feeder perches, while emptying the sunflower feeder daily

Meanwhile, Putney Mountain Hawk Watch has counted a site record for Broad-winged Hawk, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Osprey, and has an excellent flight for the other raptor species. A recent photographic sampling ...

Merlin

Red-tailed Hawk began their serious migration movement in October

Northern Goshawk

When the hawks are not flying, and sometimes when they are, the Common Ravens of the neighborhood provide entertaining aerial shows.

Common Raven

Good Birding!

Blackbird, Mockingbird, Ravensnest

The male Red-winged Blackbird intimidates his rivals and turns on the ladies with the brilliant display of his red epaulets. A photographic goal for this Spring is to capture first rate images of that display by a perched bird and one in flight.

The spring-like weather makes us think that the birds should be feeling as frisky as we do. But, it is still very early. The Red-wings are singing, but their epaulet display is still rather subdues, as though they are just warming up. Here are three early photos. The first is not a "display flight," but is the one I like best. The next two are perched males singing, but with half-hearted display.

"Taking Flight" - Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird - singing male

Red-winged Blackbird - singing male

While stalking the blackbirds yesterday, this Northern Mockingbird distracted me. There was no singing, but I enjoyed the sassy stance ...

Northern Mockingbird

I would like to describe the next photo as a joyous stretch in celebration of Spring's advent ...

"Ah Spring!" - Northern Mockingbird

... but the fact is, he was stretching for a berry.

"Carry-out Lunch" - Northern Mockingbird

Finally, I visited Ravensnest. Three chicks are in the nest. Even with the 400mm lens, it is a long shot across the quarry and significant cropping, so this is what I term a "documentation photo" ...

Ravensnest - Common Raven hatchlings

Good Birding!!

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!

Tuesday - Putney Mountain

Tuesday at the Putney Mountain Hawk Watch was a day of eye strain, with most hawks only distant specks. A good viewing sky helped, but it was nothing like the two previous days when most hawks were relatively low and close. But we still tallied over 280 migrants.

It's always fun when school groups visit the watch, and these kids were fortunate to see some of the low flyers. anything we can do to encourage the next generation of bird watchers is worth the effort ... and the enthusiasm of many of the kids is infectious.

The hawks may have been high, but the ravens were playing along the ridge, and that is always fun to watch.

This juvenile Cooper's Hawk was one bird that came low and provided a good look at all of the features which distinguish it from the other accipiters - large head, arthritic wing beat, rounded tail ...

Finally ... our resident Red-tailed Hawk wandering along the ridge in the late afternoon (rather flat wings with up-turned fingers at the wing-tips) ...

Good birding!

Ravensnest Update

The kids were active today. Mom (or Dad) left the area just as I was finishing my climb and getting set up. The three chicks were moving around, stretching wings, and engaging in sibling squabbles over the food left behind. A friend who lives a few miles north of the nest usually sees ravens with fledglings foraging in his field in late May. I would guess that these young are within a week of leaving the nest.



Down in the West River drake Common Mergansers were abundant. There were several small groups of drakes entertaining a hen - or harassing her. From time to time, she returned the attention. I've seen mergansers flying up the river behind my home in the last couple of days.


And with a small break in the rain, sitting outside to watch the birds was a treat - this female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker being one such treat. They often forage on the willow tree, but nest somewhere further from our home.

Good birding!

Ravensnest Update

I checked Ravensnest midday today. On my previous visit, parents were off foraging and the chicks were sleeping. Today all three chicks were up and active. Their wing stretching took on a noisy and chaotic tone when the parents returned for food. The parents' wariness about my presence was overcome by the need to feed their growing family. I am guessing that they are not long from fledging. I failed to note dates, but they must be close to a month old.




Photography Note: These photos were not digiscoped. I just got a Sony DSC-HX1 with 20x optical zoom. That gives me almost as good a reach as the older camera used with my scope. With these photos, it meant I did not have to carry heavy scope and tripod up a steep mountain side. Quality is still not up to SLR for something this distant, but adequate.

And BTW - good birding season is in full swing.