December 2-6

I haven't been doing any serious birding for a while now. Usually when I go out, it's only for an hour or so, not really long enough to bother making a list. But I usually have my camera, so I do take something away from the short-term outings. Friday I had about an hour and a half between class and work so I decided to run to the Tannery dam, where there were many canada geese and mallards. I thought that it would be cool if I could get a photo of a banded goose, and post it. Canada geese are banded regularly, so it didn't take long before I found my subject.

Canada goose with leg band

The left leg is usually banded, each band has a unique number. These leg bands help biologists track migration, monitor survival rates and so on.

I then headed for the DuBois Reservoir to check on the waterfowl species. While there, I saw the usual ring-necked ducks, hooded mergansers, mallards, canada geese, etc. There was a family of tundra swans, 2 adults and 5 first winter were present. I managed to get a few photos showing differences between the first winter and adults, as well as comparing sizes between tundra swans and canada geese.

 Adult tundra swan and first winter tundra swans

note color difference in bills, plumage, and the immature lacks the adults yellow spot on the base of the bill

 in this photo, size of canada geese and tundra swans can be compared

Tundra swans and canada geese

After a brief photo shoot with the swans, I noticed a belted kingfisher perched in a tree. This is another species that I can never seem to be able to get a good shot of.

Belted kingfisher male

a female will have a rusty orange band under the blue band across the breast





Yesterday I didn't have much time for birding, but I ran to the wetlands along platt road to see if I could come across a raptor that was perched in a tree the other day, but didn't allow me to get a positive i.d. No luck with the raptor, though I ran into a flock of black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, a few hairy woodpeckers, blue jays, american crows, a red-bellied woodpecker, and 2 red-tailed hawks. I also heard the call of a pileated woodpecker, but could not get a visual or i.d. I spent a few minutes snapping photos of the nuthatches, none of which turned out great. They are a neat little bird if you ask me. In the winter months when food isn't readily available, these little guys hoard nuts and seeds in the cracks and crevaces of tree bark. With thicker shelled nuts, they drill them while in these cracks to get to the nut, or "hatch" the nut or seed. And so came the common name, "nuthatch". They build nesting holes in dead wood. Here are a few of the not-so-good photos of the white-breasted nuthatch. (I WILL get a good nuthatch photo by the end of winter!)

 White-breasted nuthatch with acorn

 hoarding food

 White-breasted nuthatch

Today, I went to the DuBois Reservoir between classes thinking that maybe the rain would bring in some waterfowl and make for some good photo opportunities. I have been wrong before, so I wasn't shocked when I had found that I was wrong today. A few mallards, ring-necked ducks, tundra swans and canda geese were hanging around feeding. So I went to the Anderson Creek end of the reservoir in hopes of catching a few song birds in the brush. I parked and got out of my truck, after waiting a minute I began hearing a familiar "zeet" call, I began scanning the trees and bushes. I saw movement, a pinkish buff colored breast, a yellow terminal tail band, I lifted my nikon and crouched into the brush. I had 3 cedar waxwings right on top of me. This is one of my favorite songbirds, just because of its coloration. This bird has bright red spots on the ends of its' secondary wingfeathers resembling drops of sealing wax, hence "waxwing". It also has a bright yellow tipped tail, contrasting to the rest of its overall grayish slate tail and back. The head and breast is a pinkish buff with a very contrasting black face mask, the bottom of which is outlined with a narrow white line, and a slick crest matching the color of its' head. Cedar waxwings eat alot of berries supplemented by insects, and nest high in conifers. Here are a few photos. The birds were very cooperative and let me get within 15 yards without fluttering. There was a time that one of the birds had its' head behind a branch, so I gave a couple chirps and he came a few branches closer to find out what was making the noise. It's a shame that it was getting dark, or the photos would have come out much better. Guess where I'll be tomorrow before work..

 Cedar Waxwing

 Cedar Waxwing with an American Robin

 Cedar Waxwing

note the red spots at the end of the secondary wing feathers and yellow tipped tail

 Cedar Waxwing

black face mask with narrow white underline, upward crest

 Cedar Waxwing

Everytime my shutter released, he would tilt his head to the side like this

 Cedar Waxwing



Cedar Waxwing

While photographing the waxwings, there was movement in the grass and underbrush, american tree sparrows. Which were hard to get photos of because the brush was so thick. And like most small songbirds, they do not hold still for long...at all. There were 4 or 5 in the group.

American Tree Sparrow

It started to rain a little heavier, and I didn't want to get soaked before histroy class, so I went back to the breast of the reservoir to watch for waterfowl. As soon as I got to the breast, fog started to roll in, knowing I wouldn't have a chance at any visuals on rafting ducks, let alone photos, I headed back to campus. I snapped this photo of Canada geese before leaving.

Canada geese

Being the end of the semester, I am really anticipating winter break to try and pick up a few winter bird species and maybe even a few photos of them as well. Stay tuned for that nuthatch photo....!!