Common Loon

One afternoon last week I was stalking a loon down at Cap Sante Marina.  The loon, which I assume to be a Common loon, has been hanging around the marina for several weeks now, ever since there was a break in a dock construction project.  I was there in the afternoon because the lighting was better for the location where the loon usually is and the location from where I planned to take photos.  But you know what they say about the best laid plans! 

When I arrived at the marina the loon was not in its usual location.  By driving down the row of boat docks I finally found it (or maybe I should say 'one'), so I parked the car and started my journey out to the end of the long dock with my heavy camera, lens and monopod.  The boats prevented me from looking down the waterway between docks, and when I neared the end of the dock I hadn't encountered the loon... but I saw one out in the main body of water at least 200 yards distant.  I was not happy! 

I trudged back to my car and decided to drive to the other side of the marina to see if I could intercept it.  When I arrived I spied the loon... it was about halfway out another dock.  I had a choice of which dock to walk out and fortunately made the right choice.  By the time I arrived at the loon's approximate last location it was nowhere to be seen.  I walked over to the other side of the dock and there it was, in an empty slip on yet another dock over.  Now I was really discouraged!  I had walked probably the better part of a half-mile with my camera and monopod and the loon was again out of range. 

As I watched the loon it began hunting and with each dive it grew closer.  I positioned myself behind one of the posts used to anchor the docks but it was aware of me and would give me a stare each time it surfaced.  It gradually worked itself over towards me.  At one point it appeared to bring up a crab about as big as my hand but it dropped it.  It finally approached to where it nearly filled the frame of my 400mm lens and I managed several photos, one of which appears below. 

At one point in its fishing it brought something else up from one of its dives and I realized I had an opportunity for a photo with something in the loon's beak.  I quickly pointed my camera and snapped a photo but realized as I viewed the photo that a gull had swooped down and taken the fish, or whatever it was, from the loon.  Considering the size and sturdiness of the loon's bill I decided that maneuver must have taken some courage.  So the photo I got was not the loon with some seafood morsel in it's mouth, but the splash the loon made as it submerged and the gull flying away with the loon's food! 

You might want to click on the image to enlarge it.  

Back to Panama!

These first two photos were taken on Isla Iguana, Panama.  This first bird is hopefully a Spotted sandpiper, one of two I encountered on the island.  I use the word 'hopefully' because identification of shorebirds is a weakness of mine and not one I'm likely to overcome in the time I have left.  This identification came courtesy one of our naturalists. 

This is another photo of the indigenous male Yellow warbler (as previously noted, also known locally as the Mangrove warbler).  This is a spectacular bird!

You're undoubtedly saying to yourself, this isn't like any bird I've ever seen!   This encounter occurred in Coiba National Park, one of Panama's largest.  I was set up on a hillside in preparation for photographing anything that might fly by when this agouti wandered out of some bushes and slowly headed toward me.  From what I understand it's a rodent-like animal who, while its luck holds out, exists at the bottom of the food chain.  

If I remember correctly, and this is the trouble with photography expeditions to unfamiliar areas, this is a male Red-legged honeycreeper.

 A Bananaquit...

So Many Snowy Owls, So Little Time!

This is an eruption year for Snowy owls.  For whatever reason, shortage of food, successful breeding year, etc., the owls come down to more southern environs during some winters.  This occurs about every 4-6 years and I've experienced one other since we've lived here.   

While the owls around Skagit County haven't been that plentiful it's well-known in the birding community that the owls can be reliably seen at Boundary Bay in British Columbia, Canada.   For us it's about an 80-mile trip... 65 to the border and another 10-12 beyond.  So Saturday morning, after our usual communal breakfast a friend and I headed north to photograph the owls.  Our start was with some reservations because it was raining on us slightly.  However we pushed on, hoping that the weather would be better at our destination. 

When we arrived we were treated to the sight of a couple of hundred people lined up along the dike to view the owls.  My lens is a Nikon 200-400mm but many of the photographers had lenses that made mine look positively puny... and I'm not exaggerating!  It didn't matter... we all obtained our photos.  We managed to last about 45-minutes to an hour in the cold conditions trying to protect our shutter fingers from the cold. 

After awhile we decided that the owls weren't going to move, or if they did it could be a long time before they did so we headed back.  I guess I took something over 60 photos and saved most of them since you just don't get this opportunity very often.  So without further explanation, here are some photos of Snowy owls...

This was our most photogenic owl, one of the closest and most active.  At one point it hopped (with wings spread) from the top of this log to a position lower down.  It looked like it might take to flight but never did while we were there. 

 

The owls' favorite area to preen seemed to be their feet.  After a little preening they would suddenly look up with an intense stare.  These owls are made for cold weather... note the feathers on the owl's feet!

You should be able to click on any of these images and the image will be enlarged to show detail.  Happy viewing! 

We Again Interrupt This Program...

As a famous woman named Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home."  So you might have guessed that I'm again interrupting the Panama/Cost Rica trip for some birds I photographed in our yard a couple of days ago.  I considered it a banner day, not only because of what I photographed but because of the quality of the photographs.  These images cost me about two hours of sitting in the cold trying to keep my fingers viable for operating the camera. 

Here we have a male Hairy woodpecker...

This is a photo of a female Downy woodpecker.   These two woodpecker species are virtually identical but for two factors... the Hairy is larger and the Hairy's bill is considerably longer and perhaps stouter than the Downy's. 

This is our beloved White-throated sparrow that has been in our yard off and on for the past 2-3 weeks.  It was a new yard bird when it first reported to the yard!  I'm going to miss it dearly when it finally leaves! 

This is a male House finch, a common bird but this photo shows not only the color on the head but also the red patch on the rump which is often hidden beneath the bird's wings. 

This is a female Varied thrush that has been with us for the past three weeks or so.  While we often have both sexes here in the winter, especially in colder weather or snow, the male has not been a regular visitor lately.  Thrushes (which include the American robin) are primarily insect and berry eaters.  This female seems very content to eat the sunflower seeds that fall from the feeder.

Finally, what must be a male Spotted towhee.  These birds are with us year-round but it's sometimes difficult to get good photos of them since they generally prefer the interior of brush piles or thickets and when out of that environment they are fairly active.  I managed at least a dozen very good photos of this towhee while it was touring our brush pile.

Back to Panama/Costa Rica!

There were several points on our voyage where we saw a lot of Magnificent frigatebirds.  When I say 'lots', I'm talking about hundreds!  These birds are wonderful fliers and often steal fish from albatross.  They are also capable of flying right down to the water, stopping and retrieving things off the surface without landing.  However the birds are virtually incapable of walking were were told. 

This first photo is of a juvenile frigatebird as told by the white head...

This is a male frigatebird as told by the throat pouch that they inflate.  As you can see, the pouches are quite large and prominent...

This isn't a bird but I thought it was noteworthy.  We visited an island that had a large number of iguanas in residence but unlike the iguanas in the Galapagos these were rather shy.  Their habit was to crawl up in the bushes and sun, and if anyone got too close they would scamper (or drop) to the ground.  The first indication you usually had of an iguana was a crashing of the bushes along the trail. 

This is the Central American version of the Yellow warbler which is often referred to as the Mangrove warbler and is of the resident race.  The male is a spectacular bird and I spent a considerable length of time in very humid conditions attempting to get a good photo of one.  This was one of my first photos but not the best... you'll see a better one in a subsequent post.  This one was photographed near a 'sacrificial well' (a pit with water in it) as identified by my new friend Don.  We later found out that the sacrificial well was actually a bomb crater... the island had been used for bombing practice at some time in the past.  What a waste! 

It's difficult to tell from this photo, but as the photographer I think this is an adult male of the migratory Yellow warbler race.  I presume that it's of the same race that migrates to the US. 

Finally... a Photo of Our White-throated Sparrow!

Whatever I might have said about returning to photos taken in Panama and Costa Rica will have to wait for one more post from the yard.  Today I sucessfully, if somewhat crudely, photographed the White-throated sparrow that has been hanging out in the yard for the past couple of weeks. 

This morning I looked out the kitchen window and spied the White-throated sparrow... yet again.  Instead of trying to sneak out for a photo I decided to spread a little 'habitat enhancer' on the ground.  In doing so I noted that, for apparently the first time, the sparrow returned to the area while I was still out in the yard.  I viewed this as a good sign and went back in for my camera.

It was a cold morning with a nasty wind blowing, but I bundled up and waited in a chair directly under the kitchen window.  I waited... and waited... and waited and the sparrow wasn't showing although it certainly had a lot of encouragement from the other birds.  But I wasn't giving up and I finally glimpsed a promising prospect at the base of our pine tree.  I had been fooled before but this was indeed the White-throated sparrow.  I seemed to have a major problem though.  The sparrow was on the other side of a green wire ring used to protect one of our Japanese maples from the deer. 

In a timely coincidence, I have a 'depth of field' demonstation scheduled for the point and shoot camera class I teach this Thursday night.  I brought my long lens (200-400mm) to bear on the sparrow and sure enough, the green fencing vanished in the foreground!  I shot several photos before the sparrow disappeared and it never did come out in the open where I had planned to photograph it.  But I had my record photo of the White-throated sparrow in our yard! 

In a crowd, and especially in less than stellar light, the White-throated sparrow can fairly easily be mistaken for the White-crowned sparrow as both have similar crown patterns and  colors.  However this bird's head  stripes, which are normally white, are tinted an ever so subtle gold color.  It was the thing that drew me to this bird's identification in the first place.  In this photo you can clearly see the bright white throat patch and the yellow lores. 

Just for good measure I'm throwing in a couple of photos I took the previous day.  The first is of a female Varied thrush who has become addicted to sunflower seed over the past couple of weeks...

This second photo is of a Fox sparrow who is taking the opportunity for a bath in the cold, cold water at the head of our watercourse...

Yard Birds - Snow and Post-Snow

Just a few more yard bird notes and a photograph and I'll return to the birds of Panama and Costa Rica. 

Here's a male Downy woodpecker waiting to access the suet feeder.  

I may have mentioned that we had a Bewick's wren that had been frequenting our suet feeder in the yard.  This is the wren poised below the suet feeder waiting for the opportunity to access it. 

 

And finally, this is the male Anna's hummingbird that has made the decision to spend the winter with us.  Before our recent snow we had at least two hummingbirds because I saw them sparring on several occasions, but I'm unsure whether the second hummingbird is male or female... I've only seen a male at the feeder.   

The White-throated sparrow, although seen on several occasions has proved reclusive and elusive.  The White-throated sparrow was back today.  While out in the yard photographing we had an American robin, Oregon junco, Fox sparrow and House sparrow come to the bird baths or water course.  You've got to hand it to them for the feather insulation... I only put my hand in that water when I absolutely must.  They seem to revel in taking baths.

And late this afternoon we were visited by an accipiter... a most unwelcome guest from the rest of the birds' view and too late for any photos.  

More Snow

We received a reinforcing snow over the night of 1/15-16 and at 9am we still have a light snow falling.  It appears that we might have received as much as almost two inches of snow. 

In my last posting I mentioned that we had seen a White-throated sparrow in the yard in the morning.  I wasn't able to see the bird the rest of the day.  However we did note a couple of other interesting birds in the yard.   We had at least two Varied thrushes in the yard for awhile on 1/15.  The snow always seems to bring them to the yard, and I theorize that the snow drives them from the higher elevations down to areas with less snow where they have a better chance of finding food.  The Varied thrushes eat mainly berries and insects but in past years they have dined on the hull-less sunflower seeds when we actually have snow on the ground. 

But the most interesting sighting was one my wife made... a Bewick's wren eating from our inverted suet feeder.  For a few weeks I've suspected that we might have a wren around the yard, but the wren is difficult to pick out of all the other bird activity.  Yesterday my wife saw the bird hanging upside down on the suet feeder, and it made repeated trips to the suet for food.  (As a matter of fact, it's again on the feeder as I write!)  In the past we've had an Orange-crowned warbler visit our feeder on a regular basis as well as one of the kinglets.  As the saying goes, when the going gets tough the tough get resourceful! 

These are two different views of our watercourse as of just after 9am. The first view is towards the south.  The main basin is the dark area just behind the rock in the lower left of the photo. 

This is the view to the east.  The water is pumped from the basin in the lower right of the photo up to the top of the rock mound where it cascades down the dark watercourse to the right of center of the photo.  The water then runs from right to left behind the step in the lower part of the photograph back to the basin on the left.  

 

The water is a popular feature when the temperature is below freezing, and the Varied thrushes are some of the heaviest users.  

New Yard Bird (No Photo)

We’re ringing in the new year with a new yard bird. 

We had our first snow the night of Jan 13-14.  Although snow had been forecast for later in the weekend, it was unexpected this night.  I was alerted to something unusual happening when I began hearing some strange sounds about 4am.  Upon investigation it was apparently the sound of globs of snow falling from our madrone tree onto our skylights as the temperature warmed slightly.  I could see from the window that the ground was covered in snow. 

Later that morning (before my morning nap!) I filled all of the bird feeders so they would be ready for the snow that was forecast for the afternoon/evening of the next day (Jan 15).  We drove to Bellingham, which was uncharacteristically mostly snow-free, that afternoon for a couple of errands.  By the time we returned home most of the snow had melted. 

We received no snow the night of Jan 14-15 but I knew all of our ground feeders would appreciate a handout so about 8:45am I spread some sunflower seed off our south patio.  As is usually the case, the area was soon inundated with our usual sparrow population (Song, Fox, Golden-crowned and House) along with our most populous winter bird, the Oregon junco.  I noted that our Slate-colored junco was still with us along with a couple of Spotted towhees.  As I retreated inside I got my binoculars to see if there was anything really interesting in what I will term ‘the usual crowd’. 

After a minute or so I spied a sparrow with unusual head markings, not only as to their placement but also their color.  There was a central stripe down the bird’s crown and parallel lateral stripes down each side of the bird’s head.  But the thing that caught my attention most was the color of the stripes… they weren’t white or even faded white but had a distinctive burnt golden tone.   As I was puzzling over the stripes the bird turned and presented its full breast to my view and I saw the very distinct, very white patch on its throat.  I realized then that it was a White-throated sparrow which I confirmed by locating the yellow lores on the bird, somewhat difficult to see in the relatively dim light of early morning. 

I rushed for my camera (which I had uncharacteristically left in my car overnight) but by the time I got back to my viewing post all the birds had gone.  It would have been nice to document the presence of our first known White-throated sparrow but I have no doubt as to its identity and I’ll be keeping a close watch over the next few days to see if it returns. 

And while I’m on yard birds, we have at least two Anna’s hummingbirds that are determined to make it through the winter.  At least one of the birds is a male but I’m uncertain about the sex of the second hummingbird.  And hardly a day goes by without me seeing one of the hummingbirds taking a bath in our watercourse.  This is water so cold that I can barely tolerate submerging my hand for just a brief period to change the filter! 

So we’re off to a great start for the new year with a new yard bird!    

We Interrupt This Program to Bring You...

We had one of those rare sunny days yesterday and I took the opportunity to freeze my fingers off at the Rawlins Road access to the Fish and Game area on Fir Island.  The sun was bright but the air was cold and there was a slight breeze blowing.  I sat for about an hour and a half hoping either a Northern Harrier or a Short-eared owl (or maybe both!) would land close to me.  I saw only harriers and they all gave me a wide berth. 

The marginally hospitable piece of driftwood on which I was perched finally told me I had been there long enough so I began my long trudge back to the car.  On my way back I encountered a Short-eared owl sitting on a small vertical stick.  I began taking photos as I approached but it seemed oblivious to my presence.  It finally flew, but only to mix it up with another raptor that was flying over and it quickly returned to the same stick!  Eventually it returned to the hunt and I continued my trip to the vehicle. 

A short time later I was driving around Fir Island and I encountered this American Kestrel, and as usual in the farmland in this county it was sitting on a wire instead of in a tree.  But I've found kestrels very sensitive to approach by vehicles so I'll take what I can get.