Où sont les neiges d'antan?

Even though this year seems to have been a banner winter for Snowy Owl southward dispersal, I have not recently been out to the fields and beaches to look for them. This is a picture from some years ago, somewhere in New Jersey.

This young bird (note the heavy barring) actually flew toward me to perch on this broken tree; that said, this is a cropped photo taken at considerable distance with 800mm worth of optic. There was no one else around, unless you count the small flock of Dunlin and Grey Plovers on the surf line behind me—probably what the Snowy had come to look at! I withdrew, leaving the owl and the shorebirds to work things out.

Home Front, February 22, 2021

It’s been snowing for two days straight—so here’s a blog post after a long hiatus. Nothing rare or exotic—unless you count the snow, which has been largely absent for the past couple of winters, or if you’re from a part of the world where House Finches are rare.

The bird in question:

I photographed this fellow from an attic window, high above the bird feeder, although he seemed more interested in gnoshing on Yew buds. Down below or also in the trees: Juncos, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a lone Goldfinch, a Carolina Wren, some White-throated Sparrows, and a White-breasted Nuthatch.

Colorado: September 15-20

A first visit to Colorado: bird watching did happen but very little bird photography since some health issues prompted me to leave the large lens at home.

We flew to Denver then drove to Boulder, an attractive little city with excellent street food and music—I do like me a good horn band—and falafels on the side were the cherry on top, so to speak …

The next day we made our way to Estes Park, our base for the Rocky Mountain National Park. Through the (relative) flatlands, we saw a Golden Eagle and a few Swainson’s and Red-tailed Hawks; the high pass and overlook just before Estes Park yielded the trip’s first Steller’s Jays, a Clark’s Nutcracker, and some Mountain Chickadees.

Just north of Estes Park, fields along Devil’s Gulch Road held Mountain and Western Bluebirds and American Pipits. Scrubby brush and conifers sheltered Song and Lark Sparrows, Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatches, Bewick’s Wren, a Gray Jay, and a Lazuli Bunting.

On the 17th we drove (well, Heesun drove) the long and famous Trail Ridge Road across the park to Grand Lake and back. As might be expected at such altitudes and season, birds were somewhat scarce—but beautiful to see against such a backdrop. We saw (and heard) a young Golden Eagle, from above, ranked peaks, chasms, and gulfs of air below it, in a sudden snow squall. We saw American Pipits, Ravens, Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks, and more Steller’s Jays, Nutcrackers and Chickadees. No Rosy Finches or Ptarmigan, unfortunately, but we did see little gangs of Pica (amorous and active) and a Marmot (sleeping on a sunny snag, wind rippling its rich fur). We saw Elk (and heard their bugling) and a single Mule Deer.

High Altitudes

Clark’s Nutcracker—taken with a 35mm lens!

The next day we visited some lakes within the park. Avian highlight was an unobtrusive group of three juvenile Three-toed Woodpeckers. We also had very close looks at Striped Ground Squirrels.

Back toward Denver, we stopped at two parks—Barr Lake and Arsenal Grassland. The former held numbers of White Pelicans—majestic flyers with the bright cumulus clouds behind them—and a surprise, confiding, welcome pair of Baird’s Sandpipers—my closest ever views of this scarce visitor to the East Coast.

Arsenal was a hurried visit, since evening and the threat of closing gates came on fast. We saw a distant Bison (introduced here), many Prairie Dogs, several Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks, a Kestrel and a Bald Eagle. Some very distant ducks looked to be Green-winged Teal with one or two Cinnamon/Blue-winged types mixed in. Star passerine was a Say’s Phoebe.

Owls nearby

The family of Great Horned Owls continues round and about the place: I hear the juveniles squawking (with increasingly deeper voices) for food or hunting tips from their parents, and see them occasionally during the daytime. One of our sons saw one of the owls, probably one of the youngsters, attempt an unsuccessful pass at an equally young fox ... who objected to the attentions! I hear the hooting adults from time to time.

Great Horned Owl from the previous summer at the same Pennsylvania location.

Last night I heard a first-for-the-summer-here Screech Owl--late August is almost a traditional time for them to start vocalizing from the Sycamores or Beeches near the house.

Bombay Hook

A morning only at Delaware's Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, a place I used to visit often in past years but less frequently in recent times. An adult Great Horned Owl was calling when I left the house. At Bombay Hook an hour and a half later, highlights were a Green Heron, several Great and Snowy Egrets, a few Blue Herons, a small flock of Glossy Ibises, a Double-crested Cormorant, a heard Clapper Rail; shorebirds included an Avocet, small flocks (c. 200) of Semipalmated Sandpipers, a couple of Western and White-rumped Sandpipers, some Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plovers scattered throughout, and about a dozen Short-billed Dowitchers. Raptors included a Bald Eagle, an Osprey and a Northern Harrier. A few Forster's and Caspian Terns floated past. I saw small numbers of Canada Geese, Green-winged Teal and Mallards. Smaller birds included several Blue Grosbeaks, some Mourning Doves, a single female Bobolink, a (heard) Eastern Towhee, Mockingbird and Catbird (also mostly heard), a single Ruby-throated Hummingbird, several Common or used-to-be-known-as-Maryland Yellowthroats, many Red-winged Blackbirds, a few Tree Swallows, some Goldfinches, several Marsh Wrens and, seen nearby from the car but briefly and without bins, from shape and color, a possible but unconfirmed Sedge Wren--nowadays even more uncommon than they used to be.

Common Yellowthroat

Marsh Wren

Blue Grosbeak

Common Yellowthroat