Photographicbirdlistomania: Working Like a Dog - 19Feb2017

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Working Like a Dog - 19Feb2017 - 06Mar2017

Do dogs work hard? Maybe sled dogs. The past several weeks have been tough due to work. I usually am able to get out and bird at least 30 minutes a day but lately I have had a string of days where I don't even leave my house. That being said, I count myself lucky as many people are struggling to find a good job.

Here are some random pics from the past several weeks.

Hermit Thrush - UNCW campus - I had spent a couple hours looking for Red-breasted Nuthatches but failed.

Question Mark! Note the tiny white question mark on the hind wing. Also seen at UNCW campus.

Plenty of Brown-headed Nuthatches but no Red-breasted.

Red-breasted Mergansers were obliging at the South end of WB. None of those pesky Brown-headed Mergansers to interfere.

Razorbills have been moving into the inlet and feeding relatively close to land.

A fieldwork of Razorbills is the white underwing which is useful in flight.

Horned Grebes are so cute from a distance but close up they are more sinister with their red eyes and gape area.

Mute Swans - controversial but undeniably beautiful. At Airlie Gardens a pair has bred for many seasons.

Right on time, they have rebuilt their nest.

American Black Duck - I have been scrutinizing the many Mallards and American Black Ducks around town to no avail. Am I doomed to miss Mottled Duck once again this year?

Migratory Ospreys are back. We have some over-wintering birds but this one seems to have re-appeared after an extended absence at Airlie. He/She sure was hungry.

American Crow - Why do crows attack Ospreys? We know they hassle other raptors because they predate on crow nests and young. Surely crows know the difference between an Osprey and other predatory raptors? Maybe this crow was just trying to hassle the Osprey into giving up it's breakfast. You might say, surely this is a Fish Crow since it is going for a fish. However, it was calling like an American Crow and particularly did the "crackoh" call that I believe is specific to American Crow. That call is somewhat close to some of the amazing calls that the Cuban Crow was making on my recent trip to Cuba and is very different than the rest of the American and Fish Crow calls. I recently read that another field mark for American and Fish Crow ID is to look at the neck feathers when it is calling. A Fish Crow will fluff out the feathers when calling where an American does not.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Hermit Thrush

Love the "Bokeh" on this shot of a Carolina Chickadee.

Northern Harrier at the North End of WB.

Adult male Northern Harriers are frequently referred to as Gray Ghosts.

This Yellow-rump at Airlie originally had me thinking of an Audubon's subspecies with the yellow throat but it may just be environmental - pollen staining.

Blue Jay - one of the most under appreciated birds in North America.

Blue-headed Vireo

Last week I had a work trip to Delaware but managed a short chase to find some Barnacle Geese in a field in NJ.

I found the flock and the one Greater White-fronted Goose that was previously reported with the Barnacles but dipped yet again. Barnacle Goose might be reaching nemesis bird for me.

Back home Sam called me with a report of a Glaucous Gull on the North end of WB found by Matt S. It was about 5:15 pm and I was watching Africa (David Attenborough series) with my family but the urge was too strong so I threw my wife's beach cruiser in the back of my truck and sped down to WB.

Glaucous Gull - the light was failing but I found the gull and managed some record shots. It's not easy going for the New Hanover Crown. Sometimes you have to mobilize with very little notice and sacrifice family time.

Wood Duck - Oleander Memorial Gardens

Another Osprey

This past weekend my family and I went to Myrtle Beach for a soccer tournament. It was a nail biter coming down to the final game for the championship. We needed to win the game in order to win the tournament. The other team would win if we tied as they had more overall points in the Round Robin style tourney. The game was amazing and our team was up 2 goals until the final 8 minutes and everything just fell apart. We ended up 2nd place which is still great and I was so proud as it was a hard fought tourney where no one player was weak. The whole team played it's heart out.

Luke in lower left.

Luke receiving his medal from Coach. He scored in every game but the last and had many assists.

Ok back to birds. In the morning we managed a 30 minute visit to my favorite place in South Carolina - Huntington Beach SP. Nothing special was hanging out but I did manage my best photos of a Bufflehead.