Month: December 2010

Sunday’s Special Moment

Despite a relative lack of birds, Sunday’s walk at Belfair was a delight. It’s hunting season, and it’s impossible to ignore the duck hunters blasting away at the edge of the wetlands. Needless to say, as a result birds are easily spooked, and rightfully so. I try to avoid harassing them, even if that means not getting any closeups.

This was about as close as I could get to a small flock of Northern Pintail ducks without disturbing them.

Northern PIntails

There weren’t even many songbirds, though I did encounter a small flock of Purple Finches

Purple Finch

feeding on what’s left of last Fall’s berries.

The special moment of the morning took place just as a I was leaving when this Hawk flew straight down at the path at me and gracefully landed on a branch slightly above my head

Hawk

At first I was sure it was a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, but the more I read the less sure I am. It could also be a Cooper’s Hawk (maybe a sharp-eyed reader will be able to identify it more positively).

Birding From the Kitchen Window

I haven’t managed to get out birding since winter descended here about two weeks ago. The first week I avoided driving on icy roads except for necessities, like bird feed, and the second week the rain returned with a vengeance and it seemed impossible to get good pictures as dark and wet as it was.

However, with the cold spell I relented on my resolve to not feed the birds because of the rats that have been attracted to the feeder. Hopefully they won’t return before I quit feeding the birds once it warms up.

Until then I’ve been birding from my kitchen window. While out filling the feeder, though, I saw a bird I was sure that I’d never gotten a picture of before. Of course, by the time I went upstairs to get the camera it had disappeared. I decided to wait awhile to see if it would return.

Of course, I can’t stand around with a camera and not take a picture of nearby birds, even if they are just Chestnut-Backed Chickadees,

Chestnut-Backed Chickadee

common House Finches,

male House Finch

or Stellar Jays.

Stellar Jay

Most of these seemed quite willing to pose for pictures, but this Red-Breasted Nuthatch,

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

which finally returned, wouldn’t pose. He grabbed a nut from the feeder and flew off without so much as a thank you.

That’s okay because I’m pretty sure I enjoy the feeders more than the birds have.