25 species mark. Not bad for being less than a month into 2016. I spotted a few Dark-eyed Juncos from my back deck yesterday. They haven't yet given me a good shot, but I'm patient. Today we had a few Pine Grosbeaks come to our yard and also a couple Common Redpolls. Neither one have come to my feeders but I am hoping that they will find them eventually this winter. I also spotted a Bald Eagle flying nearby.
My birding adventure on Thursday yielded a surprising, and very welcome addition to my list this year. I had parked at one of my usual spots on my lunch break. As soon as I got out of the car I heard a Steller's Jay making a ruckus. There were sounds of a few Black-billed Magpie as well, but the Jay was heard over them. I made my way to investigate, hoping to get a nice shot of the Jay. In this particular spot, the trail makes a loop and there is a woodsy area in the middle. I spotted the Jay in a large spruce tree and made my way in further, trying to get a good shot. Branches obstructed my view so I didn't get much of an opportunity to shoot him. As I got closer however, I noticed a small lump on a branch of the large spruce about 7 feet up. I thought it was odd and warranted a closer look. As I got closer I started to think, maybe that's an owl. Could it be? As I got closer and closer, I could make out the feathers and markings that gave it away. A Boreal Owl! What a neat bird to encounter! And he was perched on a branch giving me full view. I was able to shoot him from several angles. It was thrilling to see this uncommon little predator here. What was interesting was that even the chickadees got in on the harassment with the Jay. What I had not noticed then, but noticed later when I was editing the photos was that the owl had a small rodent in it's clutches underneath it. After getting some nice shots, I decided that I would let the little owl have his peace. He (or she) had tolerated me taking plenty of photos and was very patient. Now however, it was time for me to leave it be. The rest of my lunchtime birding was fun as well as a pair of Downy Woodpeckers showed up and I had opportunity to shoot them both before having to hop in my car and head back to the office.
Friday's birding was heart pounding. It may seem strange to describe birding as heart pounding but hear me out. I was at one of my usual spots (near where I saw the owl the previous day) and had come across some Common Redpoll's eating seeds in the light of the sun. I followed them from tree to tree as they went in search of food. I got many nice shots of these pretty little birds. I was pretty deep in the thicket, with my eyes in the trees, trying to get an angle on my subject when I had the notion to look down. Suddenly, no more than 10 feet in front of me, laying in the snow was a large bull moose! He looked as though he had just recently shed his antlers. He casually lay there, unaffected by my approach and I was happy for it. As soon as I spotted him, I started backing away. I was thankful that the bull continued to lay there as I made my retreat. My heart was pounding and my adrenaline pumping. Who knew birding could be so heart pounding?! It was time to head back to the office off I went. I was pleasantly surprised later when editing my photos that I had managed to capture a few nice shots of the Redpolls I had worked for.
Well that's all for now, I have the day off tomorrow and hope to get out to do some birding.
Until next time, keep your eyes to the trees and your binoculars handy.
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