Tastes Like Chicken

It was a very windy morning as I joined Will and Kathy for the weekly bird census. The wind was gusting up to 50 miles an hour which made for a cold walk and fewer birds.

When we first arrived a Northern Harrier was feasting on the carcasses of two dead coots on the edge of the open water in the lower impoundment. This isn't a good month for coots, we later saw 4 other carcasses floating in the upper impoundment. With the purpose of the day being birding not photography and with the gusty wind, I though it prudent to not bring my 500mm, so you'll have to satisfy yourself with some crops from my zoom lens.








This is the harrier with the stick in the back, affectionately nicknamed "Spike". However, we have since learned that it is a female. Somehow Spike no longer seems appropriate. May I suggest her nickname become "Stiletto". Even she wanted to find shelter from the gusty breezes. We later saw her resting in the cattails on the lee side of the trees.




The gusty winds started last night and there were downed branches along the road and on the impoundments.




Broken windblown trees are nothing new at the refuge. This one is an impressive home for moss & fungi.


This cute red squirrel didn't seem to mind the cold breeze


Hairy Woodpecker


Red-Bellied Woodpecker


I thought this was interesting. It appears that there is either snow/frost or trapped air bubbles on the stones captured under the ice.

Radio Controlled

Frustrated that I had missed Monday's exciting action of Eagles, Peregrines, Harriers and Goshawks I wandered over to Great Meadows,Tuesday morning hoping that maybe one or two of these may make a return visit.

The eagle was perched in the tree at the near end of the Cross Dike Trail. Unfortunately he was on the wrong side of the tree for good photos. He flushed when a walker arrived and flew down the river.



Far across the lower impoundment this harrier was cruising. At first I thought it had a radio antenna attached, but looking at the photographs more closely, I believe it is a stick. These are extreme crops, so you can reach your own conclusion.





While standing on the deck in the freezing cold (where was that sun they were predicting) with fellow observers I took a few shots to entertain myself.


This coot appears to have some cattail reed fluff frozen to his beak. Funny how coots would rather walk 1/2 across an impoundment rather than fly for 10 seconds.


Lotus pod on the ice


The eagle returned and perched in one of the pines near the maintenance barn. Later something on the ice caught his attention before flying away.

Not What I Was Looking For

Though I am sick, I ran over to Great Meadows for a quick photography visit. I hoped to confirm that the Screech Owl remained and to catch him early enough that his eyes would be fully open. Failing that, I was hoping that the Bald Eagle would come visit the Coots clustered in the open water of the impoundments. Final score - Birds:2 Larry:nil

The day wasn't a total wash out. Here's what I did encounter during my cough filled walk.


Downy Woodpecker doing serious construction


Female Bufflehead among the Canada Geese on the river


Did the refuge tile the spillway?


Lotus pods frozen in the ice. Waiting for the thaw and flooding to take it to its new home


Song Sparrow on Cattail


I made one last pass, by the "owl hole" but the owl still wasn't there. While hanging around hoping that maybe he would show, this Red-bellied Woodpecker started working on a dying tree in the background. The sun was making his red head shine.


Redbellied Woodpecker