Oooops

Yes, I missed last week. There was not a whole lot to talk about, though. The feeder has become just as popular as the bowl was, and we even have two or three Western Scrub Jays that have become regular visitors. It is fun to watch them land and shovel in just as much as they possibly can as quick as they can and then fly off. They like to hang on to the vertical part or the shepherd's hook and try to reach over to the feeder. They never stay very long, but they come by between about 8AM and 9AM just about every morning. We can usually hear them well before they appear at the feeder.

While the jays are fun, watching the sparrows can be quite interesting as well. They hang out in the bushes at the side of the house or by the neighbor's yard and just kind of scope the place out for awhile. Before long, one will fly to the feeder and then it is not long before they are all taking turns. I have seen as many as 12 birds near the feeder, with as many as 6 eating at the feeder at one time. They don't seem too concerned with us looking at them through the window, but they are easily startled by activity outside. The tabby cat that has been skulking around out there since just after I started feeding the birds still hangs around, but has yet to have any success as far as I can tell.

We spent some time today just sitting in the car and watching the sparrows in the bushes near the feeder. One would fly up and eat a little bit before flying back, but they seemed extremely cautious and there was never more than one at the feeder as we watched. In the past, they have been all over the feeder while we watched from the car. Maybe the tabby was lurking nearby and we just couldn't see it. Anyway, someone upstairs seemed to be wondering what we were doing just sitting in the car. We saw curtains open a bit and then close again, as if someone was looking at us trying to figure out what we were up too. I am sure they have noticed the feeder, but I don't think they realize how much we like watching the birds as well. Besides, Merilee was enjoying the warmth in the car, as well as the sunshine falling on her side. It was fun to see the sparrows and they hung out in the bush.

After watching the sparrows, we took a drive up Provo Canyon and then the South Fork just to get out in nature a bit, but there was understandably no avian activity. We had a lot of snow yesterday, and even though the day was sunny today, the canyon was obviously not the place to see many birds at this point. I was hoping for a possible Wild Turkey sighting, but that will have to wait I am sure. Still too much snow and too cold.

No recent photos again this time, I am afraid. I did take a few of a couple of sparrows and the feeder, as well as some House Finches I saw up in the trees a couple of Wednesday's ago, but I have not taken the time to download them and get them ready to share. I will get those up next time. In the meantime, I will share this photo of a Western Grebe with a couple of Pied-billed Grebes that I took back in the autumn.

Slow Week For Birds

Nothing too exciting on the bird front this week. Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to see a small flock of House Finches in the trees outside the house, and yesterday we saw the scrub jay that has been hanging around, as well as the Hairy Woodpecker that seems to love the walnut tree. On Wednesday I also bought a couple of shepherd's hooks and used one to hang up the three-tube feeder I bought a few weeks ago. I have three different seed selections, but the birds have been slow to accept the feeder. I can't blame them because they are going from an open bowl of seed to the feeder, which takes a little more work. Today some of the sparrows were using the feeder, so maybe it will catch on more. I am also thinking about getting a feeder that has two baskets for suet blocks and hanging that out in the garden. Hopefully, with a break in the snow storms, bird activity will pick up a bit over the next few days.

This evening I picked up 'The Big Year' on Blu-Ray. I read the book a little while ago and really enjoyed it. I am excited to see the movie, though I do not imagine that it follows the book very closely. It should still be fun. I am a big fan of Steve Martin, though less so of Jack Black and Owen Wilson. I'll let you know what I think.

A Cold Day Out On The Levee

This afternoon, Merilee and I decided to drive out the the levee by the airport. With all the cold and snow we have had, I really didn't expect much bird activity. It was more a way to get out of the house and see some nature, even if that nature was mainly views of the frozen lake and snow-covered grasses. Our first wildlife sighting was of the human variety; two girls with a pink upholstered wing-back chair, one taking photos of the other in the middle of the road under the trees. They kindly moved the chair so we could pass, and they were still there when we drove back. Once we were in the open again, it was not long before we saw this guy.

It's not the best photo, but it is a Northern Flicker. I was rather surprised see one in February, but when I checked my books, they said they are year-round residents here. This is the first time I have photographed a male. I have a photo of a female that took me forever to identify.

Speaking of taking forever to identify, how about this fine specimen.

My identification skills are still in their infancy in may ways and I find myself at a loss when it comes to this raptor. At first I thought it might be a juvenile Northern Harrier coming into it's adult plumage, but I really could not say for sure.  Any ideas anyone? The only thing I am sure of is that he was an amazing sight and he seemed totally unconcerned with our presence.

Not far from the mystery bird, I noticed some activity on the ground. At first I was not sure what it was, but a closer look through my camera revealed a Ring-necked Pheasant, apparently foraging in the grass under the snow. I wonder if the raptor was watching this guy as well.

We didn't drive very far because I did not relish the thought of getting stuck in the muck and mire I was certain existed in the rougher parts of the road. We drove on to where the paved portion of the road ends and turned around. On the drive back, as we were passing an old beaver lodge that is often used as a roosting spot by numerous birds at other times of the year, I was very surprised to see this.

That is a Great Blue Heron. I wish I had a longer lens at times like these. This is zoomed in as far as I could get. Both Merilee and I wondered what the heron could possibly be finding to eat. We also noticed that it was standing on one leg, keeping the other warm no doubt. The Great Blue Heron is one of favourite birds to see while on the levee, and it was quite the sight on a cold winter afternoon by a frozen lake.

Just for curiosity, I decided to drive to the other side of the levee road and see what condition it was in. I put the rodeo in 4WD as the road was covered in snow, mud, and slush. I was soon glad that I decided to chance the road because we saw a Red-tailed Hawk perched up in one of the trees.

All in all, a rather productive winter afternoon at the levee. It makes me look forward even more to the activity that comes with spring. We also saw some robins, but I decided that I have enough photos of robins right now.

Activity at the seed bowl at home remains brisk, though it is mainly the House Sparrows that I see these days. I have heard the scrub jay a couple of times, but have not seen him again. I need to find a way to get a feeder hung up because the increased bird activity has led to increased feline activity. We have seen as many as four different cats in the immediate vicinity, and they all look well cared for. That means they are simply up to no good as far as I am concerned. I'm not a big fan of people who let their pets roam free, especially when they are caterwauling right under my office window. Anyway, it appears that there have been no casualties to the cats, and I would like to keep it that way.

So far this year, I have 27 species sighted (maybe 28 depending on what the mystery raptor is). Not a bad start for the dead of winter.