"birding" fun

[birder]

Its a great capture as they say! I've been looking for varieds but none yet, although had a large flock of B Waxwings, will be also looking for Northern Shrikes as a typical winter visitor here. The thrushes winter about fruit trees mostly, much like flickers, robins. Usually not a flocking bird, though. We have a bit of a hedgrow between neighbors house, and the Varied Thrush is often there.

[Don Boose]

Glen! Ash! "Our" pileated came back today. We haven't seen it for over a month and were beginning to wonder if it would ever come back. This morning, I was sitting at the laptop procrastinating over starting student evaluations for the course we just completed and now and then glancing up at the feeder outside the sunroom window to watch the cardinals and downy woodpeckers. Then I went back to typing and caught a glilmpse of movement -- there was the pileated, pecking at the suet bar at the side of the feeder. Didn't stay long, but made my morning.

Earlier, while shaving, I saw a big brown hawk settle down into the trees, but could make an identification.

In another thread (the one about snow), folks have been posting thoughts on winter. Among the good things about winter are white-throated sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, and cardinals against the snow (although we are currently sans snow).

Don

[birder]

Well described Don! I can see it myself in my imagination. We don't have white throateds here sadly, as I think they are gorgeous in the winter, subtle grays and browns with a touch of yellow and black, very nice. We have little of anything with so much snow and no drinking water for them, many move to the river with the divers. Something regal about the pileated, like the common loon (diver if uk) and peregrine. The slow manner that the Loons dive makes this more pronounced I think. I'm afraid these storms may eventually get your way, so white christmas still likely I would guess.(safe driving to all)

[Ashrunner]

We have had White-throated Sparrows mixed in with White-crowns during the winter here. I haven't seen any White-throated yet, but do see a lot of Whate-crowns, both subspecies. Between them and the Juncos (Oregon variety no less), our feeders empty quickly.

[willygoat]

I'm at my parent house for the holidays right now. I was watching a lovely pair of Cardinals on one of the feeders and swooosh! Down came a hawk and away went the female. It seemed very similar to what one of you guys said a while back. My mom said the hawk has been around for a week or so. Strangely, they live smack dab in the middle of town.

[Don Boose]

This morning, Lil watched a large hawk settle down onto a tree limb about 100 yards behind the house. I took a few snapshots with my Nikon Coolpix P4 digital camera (photo on left with max zoom), including a few through our birding scope (photo on right). Taken through a window and through the branches, they are not of high quality, but perhaps Glen, Ash, or David Sakrison can identify the bird. My tentative i.d. is a rough-legged hawk.

Don

[birder]

Nice, Don!
That looks like a first winter accipiter to me, Cooper's large female likely, more rarely a Goshawk(doesn't look like a Gos, though). We do get Goshawks here in the winter, but few and not around any town areas, unlike Coopers which are stricly a bird predator.
We are finally melting out a bit, and with it the birds moving about more, today Varied Thrushes and Flickers in the Serviceberry bush, Mourning doves and Steller's jays at the feeder. Lots of Varied thrushes, about 3 pairs in the yard off and on. Robins moving about, too, saw about 1000 in groups on the way to work yest, and Bohemians. Bald Eagles our most seen raptor presently of all things.

[birder]

While we're squinting over poor pictures, here's one for you Varied thrush from today (and Steller's jay)

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the i.d. and the photos, Glen.

I didn't think of a Cooper -- I was thrown off by the size (or apparent size) of the bird.

Don

[birder]

Sure, Don! Tried to get better photos digiscoping from behind the window. (probably the most poor quality combo)
Cooper's are a fine bird, accipiters flashier and bolder than buteos, I like them both, but falcons and accipiters more.