Look! A bird!

[Langue_doc]

Birds aplenty the last few days. The black-headed night heron that I first saw on Wednesday, has now taken over the spot where the green heron used to hang out. Night heron was perched on a tree above the green heron's spot yesterday, with the green heron last seen there on Saturday. Night heron was reported to be in green heron's area on Sunday; green heron had been in that spot for at least a month and a half--hope he found a more congenial spot.

[apl68]

I heard herons croaking at the park twice this morning, but didn't spot them flying either time.  They seem to like flying when it's either too dark to see them, or when I'm on a part of the trail without a good view of the water. 

The noise they make usually makes them sound like they have a sore throat.  The second time this morning made it sound like the bird really needed to see a doctor.

[Larimar]

Last night I was awakened at about 2:30 in the morning by two or three owls hooting out in the backyard! It was too dark to see anything at all, but I woke Mr. Larimar up and we both listened. They must have had quite the conversation because it lasted a while. In the morning, I got online and started listening to audio clips of owl species that can be found in the area, and the closest one to what we heard was the great horned owl. I had never actually heard one before, just recordings. It was pretty cool! The local moles and squirrels had better watch out though...

[FishProf]

Not wild, but I took my class to the town farm and they fell in love with the Silkie Chickens.  If you've never seen one, think Muppet chicken dressed as Chewbacca. 

[Puget]

Not wild, but I took my class to the town farm and they fell in love with the Silkie Chickens.  If you've never seen one, think Muppet chicken dressed as Chewbacca. 

We had chickens when I was a kid and often had a Silkie or two, along with other exotic breeds like Araucanas (which lay blue or green eggs) and Polish (which have a bed-head topknot).

[apl68]

I heard both a screech owl and one or two hoot owls this morning.  And a heron.  Heard the hooting at about daybreak, as I was sitting for a few minutes on the far end of the city park and pond.  It was just the right time to hear both the final owl calls of the night, and the first chirping (and rooster crowing, from somewhere nearby) of the morning.

[AmLitHist]

Just got back from daughter's farm house, where I got to actually see the "dinosaur" she's been telling me about. She lives near an abandoned coal-fired power plant, and the nearby lake is home to all kinds of birds, including cranes, herons, snow geese, canada geese, et al.  As I was backing out from her house, I saw what looked like a small aircraft coming from the west; it went behind her house low enough that I couldn't see it, then emerged again, heading east about 10-15 feet off the ground. It's a blue heron, and darned if it doesn't look like those pictures of pterodactyls I remember from my grade school books! Norm the Wonder GSD had a big time barking and chasing it, until he got to the edge of the bean field that borders his yard.

[apl68]

Just got back from daughter's farm house, where I got to actually see the "dinosaur" she's been telling me about. She lives near an abandoned coal-fired power plant, and the nearby lake is home to all kinds of birds, including cranes, herons, snow geese, canada geese, et al.  As I was backing out from her house, I saw what looked like a small aircraft coming from the west; it went behind her house low enough that I couldn't see it, then emerged again, heading east about 10-15 feet off the ground. It's a blue heron, and darned if it doesn't look like those pictures of pterodactyls I remember from my grade school books! Norm the Wonder GSD had a big time barking and chasing it, until he got to the edge of the bean field that borders his yard.

I've often thought that those big herons looked rather pterodactylous from some angles.  Makes it very easy to believe in avian descent from dinosaurs.

I saw geese migrating overheard this morning.  One of my favorite seasonal sights and sounds.

[apl68]

Dawn at the park pond
A startled heron takes flight
Sorry to disturb




(I was startled too--it bolted before I saw it, when I was only a few feet away.  I don't usually get to approach a heron that close.  About half an hour later, I saw what may or may not have been the same bird at a different spot.)

[Langue_doc]

On the bird walk this morning--slim pickings considering the area/preserve--we first saw the kestrel on one of its usual spots, a merlin, a cooper's hawk chasing a merlin, a peregrine falcon, a couple of red-tailed hawks, a juvenile red shouldered hawk on top of a tree, a peregrine and a merlin atop two adjacent trees, another merlin trying to chase the one on the tree, a large great blue heron flying over one of the ponds, another great blue sitting by another pond (he or another great blue was in the same spot on Thursday and also on Friday), and the red-headed woodpecker that had been reported as having been in that area for over a week, about a dozen wood ducks flying above on of the afore-mentioned ponds, and the other usual suspects.

[Sea_Ice]

Pair of Bluebirds were checking out a nesting site this morning.  High in a tree, at the end of a broken but re-sprouting branch.  While I'm happy to see them finding traditional sites, it isn't one I can try to police for competitors and predators.  I'll still get houses put up this winter - even if they don't like my site choices, some other native species might.