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Reports from at Home and Away (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter snowyowl
- Start date
snowyowl
Well-known member
On Wedesday morning we headed out to look for the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher but before I get into that I should tell you how I heard about the sighting. the people who first saw the bird didn't know what it was so they searched the internet for it and made a correct id. Then they didn't know who to tell so they did another search and came up with Bill Thomsom lll, owner/editor of Bird Watcher Digest, so they emailed him in OHio. He remembered me from pictures I have on his web site, Birdbuzz, etc. and forwarded the sighting to me. I thought that it was a pretty neat way to hear about a sighting.
We found the bird without difficulty and spent the next 2 - 3 hours watching and photographing it. This was the first time that a scissor-tailed flycatcher has been reported in Prince Edward Island and without Bill we could easily have missed it instead it's now part of the official record.
More pictures in My Gallery.
Definitely a three bounce day. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
We found the bird without difficulty and spent the next 2 - 3 hours watching and photographing it. This was the first time that a scissor-tailed flycatcher has been reported in Prince Edward Island and without Bill we could easily have missed it instead it's now part of the official record.
More pictures in My Gallery.
Definitely a three bounce day. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
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snowyowl
Well-known member
It's been a busy week for birding. I am trying to get the spring birds before I go out of province. On Thursday we went for the flycatcher, on Friday I went to East Point for seabirds. I didn't get many, just a lot of scoters and Common Eider. There were lots of Northern Gannets. the lobster fishermen were pulling their traps just off of the point and there were thousands of gulls folloing them. Unfortunately I wasn't able to id. anything unusual.
There were at least 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks in the area plus one Merlin. The first sharpie that I saw seemed very hungry and landed about six feet from me to try and catch a Song Sparrow. It was so close that I couldn't digiscope it.
Later that day I got some really good Piping Plover pictures but I haven't got to cropping them etc yet.
Last night I had to do my Nocturnal Owl Survey route. We picked up two Northern Saw-whet Owls and a Barred Owl came right in to us. A bonus bird was a American Woodcock that was calling at one of the owling stops.
I was supposed to go on a walk today but decided that I had better stay home and garden,
There were at least 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks in the area plus one Merlin. The first sharpie that I saw seemed very hungry and landed about six feet from me to try and catch a Song Sparrow. It was so close that I couldn't digiscope it.
Later that day I got some really good Piping Plover pictures but I haven't got to cropping them etc yet.
Last night I had to do my Nocturnal Owl Survey route. We picked up two Northern Saw-whet Owls and a Barred Owl came right in to us. A bonus bird was a American Woodcock that was calling at one of the owling stops.
I was supposed to go on a walk today but decided that I had better stay home and garden,
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Not much activity here since I've been gone - to Nashville to see the grandkids!
Had some help this morning filling feeders and she rushed in to say that the large
"squirrel proof" feeder had fallen into the azaleas and there was a large bird stuck inside it - I hobbled out to find a dove indeed stuck as each time it tried to back out it's feathers would get hung up on the feeder holes. I had to stick in my hand and gently work the wing feathers flat to back the bird out - it lost quite a few small feathers in the process but eyeballed me and took off flying!!
Had some help this morning filling feeders and she rushed in to say that the large
"squirrel proof" feeder had fallen into the azaleas and there was a large bird stuck inside it - I hobbled out to find a dove indeed stuck as each time it tried to back out it's feathers would get hung up on the feeder holes. I had to stick in my hand and gently work the wing feathers flat to back the bird out - it lost quite a few small feathers in the process but eyeballed me and took off flying!!
Then that was your good deed for the day, Sara. 
Not much going on around here lately but the tree swallows were definitely checking out the house in the peak of the garage. They were in and out of it all afternoon. It's comical to watch them peeking out and surveying their neighbourhood from the new perspective.
Not much going on around here lately but the tree swallows were definitely checking out the house in the peak of the garage. They were in and out of it all afternoon. It's comical to watch them peeking out and surveying their neighbourhood from the new perspective.
amasara said:
One more week till I can DRIVE - hence the shutterbug photos.
Looked out today to see my dog laying in field where I feed deer and 2 yearlings were not 10 feet away from him - then mama came out of the woods and also eyed the dog - who eyed them back! He's 11 yrs old and no longer interested in chasing and they know it. Redwings is a favorite esp his song - I always know when he's around. The cute birdfeeder was made by my husband's patient and his son for his recent 65 b'day bash at his office.
The main "feeder" is a chipmunk - haven't caught a good photo of him yet.
Looked out today to see my dog laying in field where I feed deer and 2 yearlings were not 10 feet away from him - then mama came out of the woods and also eyed the dog - who eyed them back! He's 11 yrs old and no longer interested in chasing and they know it. Redwings is a favorite esp his song - I always know when he's around. The cute birdfeeder was made by my husband's patient and his son for his recent 65 b'day bash at his office.
The main "feeder" is a chipmunk - haven't caught a good photo of him yet.
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For US TV viewers - Jack Hanna will air a special on worldwide birds next Sunday.
You can go to www.jackhanna.com and click on your state for air time. Maybe you Canadians can catch a US channel or you can order a CD from the internet.
You can go to www.jackhanna.com and click on your state for air time. Maybe you Canadians can catch a US channel or you can order a CD from the internet.
snowyowl
Well-known member
Sorry! NWT - Northwest Territories, specifically Yellowknife and the surrounding area. The southern part of the Territories are classified as sub-arctic but become arctic as one moves north past the tree line. Bordered by the Yukon, Nunavit and the Arctic Ocean. I didn't want to come home.amasara said:
snowyowl
Well-known member
I saw 54 species of birds in in the Northwest Territories. That may not sound like many but for up there that was a pretty good total. I couldn't get over the number of waterfowl. There were ducks and grebes on every little pond and lake. The only new lifers that I got were Tundra Swans and California Gulls. The local birders here were all chasing down a single Canvasback duck that showed uop this winter. I saw hundreds of them up north. The same with a Mew Gull, one here, hundreds in the North.
I'm attaching a few pictures of the landscape for anyone interested. I'm still working on the bird pictures and will probably post some later.
The first picture shows the sign at the start of one of the ice roads. Ice roads are what makes travel up there much easier in winter than it is the rest of the year.
I'm attaching a few pictures of the landscape for anyone interested. I'm still working on the bird pictures and will probably post some later.
The first picture shows the sign at the start of one of the ice roads. Ice roads are what makes travel up there much easier in winter than it is the rest of the year.
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Loved your last photos looking forward to the next - you are quite the travel bugs - now that I'm mobile again - Maybe we'll get on the road - other than the obligatory grandkid trips like we're doing this next weekend for 4 JUNE B'DAYS!! On the bird topic - watched Jack Hanna's TV show this a.m. - Panama Canal is a must for birders - over 250 species in that small area!! Also showed the blue footed boobies (sp?) in the Galapagos - real "clowns"! In my backyard I observed a grackle feeding a nestling - not really a nice sight!
