Some Spring Birds

After my March trek to Canada's west coast it's nice to do some birding on terra familiaris. April is when Spring really begins in Upstate New York, and I've had plenty of good avian sightings to keep myself occupied.

Of course, the Rochester Peregrines deserve mention. Mariah and Kaver are brooding five (!) eggs this year and generally laying low. Here's a shot of them from early in the month during a brief morning respite from egg-sitting:


Dawn and I took a trip to Braddock Bay, searching for owls. We found a few other birds first, including a close pass by a low-flying Bald Eagle on our way into the center-- no pictures I'm afraid, since I was too busy driving. Other birds of note included a Turkey Vulture ((Cathartes aura) and Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis):
     

After a short stop at the banding station we headed into the Owl Woods at Braddock. After trudging through some very muddy woodland we found the object of our search:

This Northern Saw Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) was napping, and spared us only a cursory glance before returning to its siesta.

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At home one morning I heard a tremendous clattter outside the house. My first thought was that someone was using a jackhammer, but when I went outside I found this Yellow-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus) banging away on my chimney cap:


Mornings and evenings have been a treat as a dozen or more Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) visited to dine on the berries in our neighbor's tree:


I've been seeing my favorite Pileated Woodpeckers in the woods near the house, but they haven't stopped by our suet feeders since February. No matter, though. A pair of Red-Bellied WPs (Melanerpes carolinus) have been keeping us company:

Here's better shot of one of them after grabbing a seed:


They're staying away from the suet, preferring the seeds in our feeders. I've been having trouble finding peanut butter suet, which was a great draw for RBs and Pileateds alike, so I think I may need to start making my own. I have a couple of promising recipes to try.

Meanwhile, we've had other visitors to view. A pair of plucky Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) have been fairly regular residents the past few weeks. Usually they just grab a few seeds and take off pretty quickly. One day though, one of them hopped onto a planter hook on our deck and just sat there. Even more remarkable, it didn't seem to mind when I poked the end of my lens against the glass of the sliding door and started shooting:
     

A few days ago I was outside watching the feeders when we had a pretty rare (for us anyway) guest, a Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis):


Once I spotted it, I grabbed my camera for some shots from the open door onto the deck. After the bird left I went outside to take down the feeder so that I could refill it. Imagine my surprise when the bird returned just as I got a few meters from the feeder! I raised my camera slowly but the nuthatch took no notice, and it sat for several seconds while my camera clicked away:
     
These are full frame shots folks-- I resized them for display on the screen but there's no cropping here! When it flew to a tree with its seed I grabbed more pictures:

Later in the day I saw two of them, so it seems they may have a nest nearby. After doing some reading I learned that they are pretty tame, so maybe it's not so unusual that it let me stand a couple of paces away. In any event, it was a great opportunity for me!

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This past weekend we drove to Montezuma NWR for a look at the eagles. We dropped by the mud lock and caught one of the adults in the nest. Upon our arrival both nestlings were up on the edge of the nest, but by the time I got my camera out they'd hopped back into the nest, and I only managed to get a picture of one of them.


Mom stood up for me though:


At the nature center we spent some time watching the Purple Martins (Progne subis)


We were about to head out on the nature drive when Dawn spotted two Martins on the ground, apparently having a difference of opinion:


One of them tried to fly away but the other went after it, and actually grabbed its tail, forcing it back to the ground! They tussled for quite a while before one of them (the loser, I assume) took off:
          

          

There was not a whole lot to see along the nature drive. Notable sightings included a Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata):
          
They're not unusual, but except for the blackbird, I don't get to see them very often.

Another relatively common bird, but a first for me, was this female Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata,) that we pursued as it flitted through the brush:

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Near the end of the month we took a week's vacation at Disney World. Since we didn't have any birding planned and we wanted to travel light, I left my Canon at home in favor of the Panasonic Lumix TZ3. Nevertheless, there were a few birds to see. Walking through the Magic Kingdom near dusk we found this Great Egret (Adrea alba) perching on top of a building:


We also found plenty of White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) too:


At the Animal Kingdom we found a few more birds of interest, including this one, which is some kind of Stork, I think:

Unfortunately I can't recall its name. I wrote it down during the visit, but I misplaced my note somewhere along the way.

One bird I was really happy to see was this adult Florida Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus):
     
I like Red-shoulders and I don't get to see them nearly enough. While he was in the air I was wishing for my long Canon lens, but I got lucky when he settled on a fairly low tree branch and gave me a clear shot.

The resort where we stayed had several drainage ponds on the property, with woodlands nearby. Several times in the afternoon I caught glimpses of Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) elegantly cavorting, but I wasn't able to get very close, and this is about the best shot I could get:


I had better luck stalking around one of the drainage ponds, where I happened upon this Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) and Commmon Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus):
     

I'll leave you with a mystery... While watching the heron, a flight of smallish, long-legged birds flew over the pond rather quickly, and then dispersed. I was only able to get my camera on one of them, and the shot leaves much to be desired:

I'd guess the birds were Jay or Robin sized. Any guess as to what I might have been seeing?

Birding in B.C.

I was traveling on business last week in Vancouver, British Columbia to help train a new technical support team that Kodak is setting up. The weather forecast called for rain all week, so I left my top-shelf Canon 40D birding camera at home, opting for the compact Panasonic Lumix TZ3 instead.

As it turned out, the weather alternated between overcast, rain and partly cloudy days with a respectable amount of sun. So in the end I regretted not bringing my DSLR, but figured it would be a good chance to challenge myself with my little "pocket rocket's" 10x zoom lens. Long days don't provide much of an opportunity for birding during the week, but I did have a free Saturday so I planned a couple of trips that sounded promising.

First up was a trip to Brackendale. It's a popular wintering spot for thousands of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) each year. By late March most of them have left for the year, but I'd been told that there would probably be a few eagles around despite the late date. Besides, the drive up the costal highway toward the mountains promised to be filled with Pacific pulchritude.

I set out around 7:30 for the 45 minute drive north. Passing through famous Stanley Park, I hit the highway, and was met by glorious mountain vistas:


Unfortunately the coastal highway is under construction for just about the entire trip. Brackendale is up near Squamish and Whistler Mountain, which will play host to the Olympic skiing venue during the 2010 Winter games in Vancouver. The government is madly at work widening the highway to accomodate the anticipated traffic.

So the beauty of sea and mountain was marred by construction vehicles and Jersey barriers. Still, it was an impressive site, with snow-topped Matterhorn peaks reaching into the sky. The 40 minute drive stretched into an hour and a half, but I was in no particular hurry.

Arriving in the town of Squamish I traded highways for two-lane government roads on the last few kilometers, and found the turnoff for Brackendale without too much trouble. The public viewing area is sandwiched between tribal land and private property, and stretches for about 500 meters along an earthen dyke. Crossing the road I climbed the small rise and surveyed the landscape before me:
     

A cold breeze accompanied the morning sun as I walked the length of the dyke in search of eagles. I found none, but these waterfowl were much in evidence. I think they're Common Goldeneyes (Bucephala Clangula), but my waterfowl ID skills are pretty poor:


The southern border of the public viewing area ended at a chain-link fence with a slightly menacing sign advertising the presence of a "Security Dog". I wonder if it was referring to this guy:


Maybe not a full-blooded Malamute, but he's close. He certainly displayed a Mal's aloofness, not deigning to relinquish his comfy spot despite my whistled call. I left him to his sunning after shooting a few pictures and walked back up the dyke.

High up I spotted a big bird circling near the bend in the river. I hustled forward for a closer look through my binoculars, then lined up the camera for a few shots:
     

I think this was a second year bird, but the distance was too great for a good look. I stayed for nearly two hours hoping for more sightings, but unfortunately that was as close as I got to an eagle at Brackendale. November to February is the most active period for them here, so I'll just need to plan another trip for the winter time.


I prefer cameras with optical viewfinders, but fewer models are being made with them these days. In the case of my TZ3 I understand why it lacks this feature-- building an optical viewfinder that could handle a 10x zoom lens is a tall order, plus it would take up real estate on the rear of the chassis that could be used for controls or the LCD. As it turns out, though, shooting with an LCD has its advantages. By putting the LCD in your line of sight you can keep an eye on the road while you take the shot. BTW, I don't recommend that anyone do this, since any kind of distraction is a potential disaster. On the way back to Vancouver I took a few more shots of the construction as well as the scenery:
     

As I neared the city, I was surprised to see an adult Bald Eagle fly low over the highway right in front of me! I didn't have my camera at the ready then, but it was the highlight of the morning, and definitely made the trip worthwhile.

That eagle turned out to be a harbinger. I grabbed lunch back in the city, then set off for my afternoon destination, the Reifel Bird Sanctuary. Located about an hour south of Vancouver, it promised lots of sightings.

Even before I arrived, I hit paydirt. As I got closer to the sanctuary, I could see several eagles soaring and circling overhead. To my amazement as I drove up a local road approaching a construction company, I found this gorgeous eagle sitting in a tree by the roadside, not twenty feet up!


I pulled my rental car over and grabbed my camera, certain that the bird would take off as soon as I opened the door, but it sat there, quite unperturbed, while I took picture after picture:


I couldn't afford to spend much time with the eagle because the sanctuary was due to close at 4:00, so I continued on my way. Arriving a short time later, I parked, dodging geese and Mallards that were thick in the parking lot. An adjacent pond held scores of Mallards and a smattering of other swimmers like this American Coot (Fulica americana):


I paid my $4.00 entry fee, grabbed a map, and was just about to head for the trails, when the man behind me in line asked the woman on the other side of the booth what interesting birds were around.

"Oh, what are you interested in?" she asked.

"How about owls?" said he.

"We have a Great Horned Owl nest that's easy to see," she answered.

That got my attention. I listened to her directions and set off straightaway. It wasn't long before I found a group of school children being led by one of the sanctuary's staff members, all staring up at a gnarled tree with a broken trunk. I looked up through the tangle of branches, and there she was:


I was astonished at the view. She wasn't even fifteen feet (5 meters) up. It was a rare find, especially to see one in such good light. The staffer said she was brooding two owlets a couple of weeks old. Across a small marsh stood a group of well-equipped birders, with Nikon cameras, long telephoto lenses and carbon-fiber tripods. I started to join them when a great cacophany filled the air. Overhead passed hundreds of Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulenscens):


They were headed for the open fields surrounding the sanctuary, looking for a bite to eat and a place to rest for the evening, according to the staffer. He also mentioned that the male Great-Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) was sitting in a pine tree only a little farther down the lane. I made the short walk, and was rewarded by another excellent view:
     

He was huge and magnificent! He too took little notice of all the attention he recieved from the many spectators below. Amazed, I took my fill of pictures then headed back to the marsh for a better look at the nesting mother owl.

Though farther away, the angle was much better. Now I wished I'd brought my Canon, but the Panasonic's 10x zoom lens did an admirable job of closing the distance:


I engaged one of the photographers in conversation, and he gave me a look through his camera, which he'd set up with a 400mm lens and a 2x teleconverter. His shots were excellent, as expected. When one of the owlets peeked out from under its mother's wing, shutters clicked madly, including my own:


I could have stayed all day, but I wanted to try to see the rest of the sanctuary, or at least as much of it as I could, before it closed. I left the marsh and the owls, returning to the perimeter path. Along the way I found this pair of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) preening in tandem on an old log:


A little further on I found some American Wigeons (Anas americana) foraging in the short grass...


And in a nearby pond a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis):


Both are life birds for me-- common enough I'm sure, but for someone who doesn't normally seek out waterfowl they were fun finds.

As the hour drew towards closing time, the clouds closed in too. The Reifel Sanctuary had one more surprise for me, though:

Lesser Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis)!

It turned out to be a nesting pair, and signs warned visitors to be cautious around them, as they're know to be aggressive when strangers come too close to their nests. The pair vocalized a couple of times when an ill-mannered (or ignorant) visitor got too close, but for the most part they tolerated our presence pretty well, and most of the viewers kept a discreet distance. The Mallards didn't read the memo apparently, because they were all over the place. I think this one was mocking the crane:


They're impressive, striking birds, worthy of imitation:
     

I stayed as long as I could, but eventually I had to return to the hotel to pack for my trip home on Sunday. On the way out of the sanctuary I found a flock of Snow Geese in a field. I pulled over for a picture:


Suddenly, and for no reason that I could see, an alarm went up. In seconds the air was choked with beating wings. I caught the action with the TZ3's burst mode:
          

The Reifel Sanctuary is definitely on my list for an all day trip! Dawn and I both have relatives nearby, so returning to Vancouver for a vacation is a no-brainer. Timing will be important, to make sure we can see plenty of the Brackendale eagles and I'll bring along the good camera gear, but I think all in all the Lumix TZ3 did an admirable job. Vancouver is an interesting city, well-mannered and clean. It'll make a great vacation destination, and I'm already looking forward to the journey.