Rough-leg on Wagner

This morning I got up with hopes to get looks at the rough-legged hawk that has been reported on Wagner Road, thanks to the google map app that showed me how to get there. At any rate, I thought that I would check for snow birds on S. Nixon first. I didn't see much other than mourning doves, horned larks, northern cardinals, etc. I wasn't expecting to see much after the snow that we got last night, though I pulled my jeep right up beside a few horned larks for a quick photo shoot.

 

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

 

Suddenly, a mourning dove flew just over my car flushing the lark, and claiming it's own ground.

 

Mourning Dove

 

Since S. Nixon was just about dead, I headed for Wagner Road to check for the rough-legged hawk. I pulled into the opposite end of Wagner from where the bird was sighted, pulling off to scan the fields every so often. I began to get discouraged as I came closer and closer to Route 322, without seeing the rough-leg, or any raptor for the matter. As I passed a thin line of trees that stretched perpendicular from the road across the snow drifts and stubble, I saw a large bird perched high. I quickly pulled over and got my glass on the bird. It was rough with the snow, lighting, and distance, but after examining the bird for a few minutes I was sure that I had it, what do ya'll think...!? If only I had some better glass for my camera to get a half decent shot.

 

Rough-legged Hawk



Nixon Road Scanning

I spent this afternoon searching for the snow birds that have been reported on S. Nixon Road. I have never birded the Nixon Road area, so I was going in blind. Traveling south on W. Whitehall Road, I took a left onto S. Nixon, and the first thing I saw were birds flushing from the side of the road. I pulled off near where the birds landed a grabbed my bins. 3 American Pipits.

 

American Pipits

American Pipit

American Pipit

 

I watched the pipits forage for a while, flushing every time a car drove by. I turned my vehicle around after scanning the fields and finding nothing, and made my way towards the S. Nixon/W. Whitehall road intersection to scan the fields on the opposite side of W. Whitehall. About half of a dozen crows had flushed from a passing car, which were followed by some small birds. I again pulled off to the side of the road close to where the birds had landed. 4 Horned larks.

 

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Horned Larks

Horned Lark

 

I watched as the larks foraged and bobbed in and out of the corn stubble among the 30 or so American Crows. I didn't get an exact number on the crows because they were constantly coming and going.

 

American Crow

 

I continued heading North on S. Nixon, stopping every so often to scan the fields, finding a flock of 14 more horned larks. I came to N. Nixon to find 57 mourning doves sitting on the power lines.

 

Mourning Doves

 

There were also two large flocks of birds, one was between me and the sun so I didn't get looks at them. The other flock was on the opposite side of the road, and from what I could tell were Horned Larks. I turned onto Ernest Lane to try to get looks at the other flock, which was a plan that failed. I parked my vehicle next to a wooded brushy area that had some juncos and chickadees flying around on Ernest Lane, and killed the engine. I immediately heard a flock of Canada Geese over head, which was made up of ten birds.

 

Canada Geese

 

I heard lots of pips and chirps coming from the brushy wooded area, so most of my attention was directed that way. I heard and saw black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, and a song sparrow. For about three minutes, a great horned owl was hooting from the woods. I was really bummed that I didn't know who owned the land, and I didn't want to trespass to get photos. I heard more canadas, lots of them, but it took a moment to locate them in the vast deep blue.

 

Canada Geese, there were 142 in this flock!

 

Hopefully tomorrow I can get looks at the Lapland Longspur and the Snow Bunting.

 

 

 

 

Compesation Birding...?

Well, I got to class this morning to find out that it was canceled, the third time this has happened for this class this semester. I really should begin checking my emails in the morning. So to compensate for extra time in my usually busy schedule, I'm afraid to see what will happen if I sit back and relax, I went birding! Okay, I really went Christmas shopping. But on the way to the mall, I decided that there was no harm in stopping en route at the duck pond....right? There really wasn't much new today. The same list of mallards, American black ducks, ring-necked ducks, northern shovelers, belted kingfisher, the latest usual. The birds on the water avoided me, but some of the birds were on the banks which gave me great chances at up close shots, but the brush was an obstacle.

 

Mallards

Mallard, this shot would be SO cool if there wasn't vegetation in the way...!

Mallard, this one is a bit better I think.

 

While I was shooting the mallards, I glanced up to see a drake wood duck dabbling around in the water. Next to the northern pintail and a few others, the wood duck is one of my absolute favorite ducks to see!!! I feel like I say this allot when it comes to waterfowl....?

 

Drake woody with american black ducks

Drake woody

I love the colors and striping on this bird!

Drake wood duck with american black ducks

 

While I was shooting and watching the wood duck through my bins, the other birds seemed to accept the fact that I was hanging out for a while and came back out onto the water to be a bit more active. Among them were northern shovelers, a gadwall pair, american black ducks, mallards, and the continuing american coot.

 

Northern shovelers

Gadwall

Gadwall

Gadwall

 

Gadwall compared to mallard

Gadwall

 

I noticed some commotion on the opposite bank, and saw the woody was chasing some ducks away, seeming to defend a little resting territory for himself.

Mixed bag of resting ducks

American coot, american black duck, mallard

 

On my way back to the vehicle, the tree snag laying over the water had a number of ducks hanging around as it usually does.

 

Mallards

Mallards

Mallards

 

The juncos were also present, foraging in the brush on the banks and understory.

Dark-eye junco