I've been out birding a lot since my last report, even finding some new areas to explore that have yielded interesting sightings. A few weeks ago I was looking for Green-winged Teal in a new area I had been exploring for several days in a row. There are pools of water throughout this area and the water is brackish there with pockets of sun shining through the dense forest like spotlights, which makes the teals look like the are in black water. It's a very neat look, and I had shot a hen in that water which turned out really great. So I went back to try to get the drake in that same type of scene. Well, in my search for Teal, I heard a Robin giving off some alarm chirps perched on a branch
pointed in a direction. He few off as I walked a little closer, but he didn't go far. After finding where he landed I saw that he was even more frantic. I happened to look to my right a bit when I was stunned for a moment as a large Great Horned Owl stared back at me. He wasn't but 10 fee in front of me and the lighting was really nice. He was pretty low to the ground, so I pulled my camera up and shot the feathers off of him. He gave me some nice head turns and then flew to a branch a bit higher up and I was able to move a bit to get a better view of him on his new choice for a perch. He gave me more great shots before flying off. That was an unexpected encounter, but then again, most of them are. I was thrilled to get to shoot this exceptional bird again, this time, in a better lit environment.
Last week, while at another new area, I heard the unmistakable call of a Red-tailed Hawk. I made my way to the edge of the bluff, and just as I cleared the thick brush, I saw him take off out of the tree he was in. I managed one shot that wasn't totally blurry but it wasn't good enough to use. It made confirming the identity easier though. I was thrilled to have seen this bird a bit closer than I have previously. I was also able to get a better shot of a Varied Thrush in that area as well, since I went back a few days in a row. I will be back to that spot, since there are birds there that I have yet to photograph, including White-winged Crossbill that was a lifer for me and an Olive-sided Flycatcher which I still have not seen, but have heard it there multiple times. There are plenty of Alder Flycatchers there, which I have gotten some great shots of at some other spots in the last few weeks. Also in that area are Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Gray Jay's, and Chickadee.
I had received a report that there was a rare bird at a local bird estuary. It was a Common Yellowthroat heard calling by another birder. The next morning, I got up extra early before work to go investigate for myself. Sure enough, I wasn't there long before I heard the bird calling. After hearing it, I was able to see it for myself after awhile when it finally decided to show himself. He stuck around for several days, all the while calling for a mate that would not return his call. I don't know where he went, but last time I went to that area, he was not to be heard. A rare bird, but a great sighting and a lifer! While I was back at that area a few days ago, I saw another FOS and lifer for me, a Least Sandpiper. There was actually six of them there, foraging in the mud along with the Greater Yellowlegs.
Other birds I have seen and gotten shots of include the Yellow Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Bank Swallow, Eurasian Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, and Western Wood-pewee.
Well that will do it for today's report. I will attempt to get this back to a regular posting schedule, but I can make no promises. As always, I'm out hunting for birds every chance I get.
Until next time, keep calm, and bird on!
Here's a link to my Flickr account which displays my recent photography much better than embedded in this blog post.
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