I saw eight American white pelicans at Clinton on Saturday. I hope they have moved through or have a safe place to get through this storm. They are in my thoughts tonight. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
Pelican video.
They are marvelous. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
A little video.
One thing I’ve been learning photographing so many birds is patience is crucial. The longer I keep sudden movements to a minimum, the longer I get to observe and just hang out. I know I am anthropomorphizing, but it does seem like sometimes they are posing. 🙂 Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
I love how the hawks do this little nonchalant look sometimes as they fly over. It’s probably something like, “Hey. Look at that silly human standing out in the cold.” Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
As we brace ourselves for the coming storm, I think it is a good time for updating the blog. We have seen an unusually high number of nuthatches this year. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
Everyone was bulking up today in preparation for the big storm moving in tonight. Burrrrr! My thoughts are with everyone. Click on link below for short video.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been seeing a kestrel in the park a couple of blocks from us. When we came home from the grocery store Saturday morning, he was sitting in a tree in the backyard eating a junco. In the world of raptors, the American kestrel seems like a wee one, not particularly scary, but that’s only true if one is not a small bird, rodent, insect, etc. There is certainly a reason they are also called “sparrow hawks.” I know the life of a bird of prey is a hard one, particularly in the winter, but poor little junco! All the small birds in the yard were yelling at the kestrel. I could imagine him saying, “Hey, I’ve got to eat too.” The bluejays were dive-bombing him over and over, but he stayed until he finished his breakfast. What I found really interesting about this is how all the birds worked cooperatively to try and run him off. Bluejays are known for sometimes eating smaller birds, but they were quick to join the sparrows and juncos in the fight against the larger predator. Once again, I am in awe of the life and death struggles that take place around we humans that so many of us never seem to notice. I won’t post the particularly graphic pics (I think this one is quite enough). Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
Bluejay defends.
© Chris Taylor
Another junco looks on.
© Chris Taylor
We finally got our big snow. I know–it’s relative. We didn’t get nearly what others have. I never did hear what we ended up with, but my guess is less than a foot. It’s mighty cold with the wind blowing! An arctic blast is on the way. I’ve filled all the feeders and made some tasty vegan suet for the Carolina wrens. My thoughts are with them over the next few very cold days. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
I pulled over to watch some deer last week and noticed immediately how on edge they were. Though I wasn’t really all that close, I thought they were disturbed by me, so I started to go on. I looked on the other side of the road before pulling away and there were two coyotes watching the deer. I was right in the middle. I suppose that worked out well for the deer as they moved on after the coyotes took off in the other direction. It happened so fast that I really didn’t have time to compose the best pictures, but it certainly was exciting. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
I was driving down the road and caught a glimpse of these lovelies out of the corner of my eye. They were so far away; I wasn’t quite sure what I was seeing. I came back around and realized–turkeys! I just love watching them forage together. This is the first time I’ve seen a group this big. Click on picture to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor