Another Out-of-Yard Excursion

There was no rain again on Thursday (11/1/2012) so I was able to get out with the camera in the afternoon.  I retraced the same route as my last posting, but there was little or no wind blowing so I saw a lot more birds.


The first bird I came across was another grebe, this one I think a Horned grebe as evidenced by the light-colored bill tip and the relatively flat top of the head.  This bird (actually one of a pair) was only a few hundred yards from the location where I shot the Western grebe shown in my last post. 

 

 My next bird of consequence was a prize indeed... a Northern Shrike.   This bird was near the northern end of Channel Drive.  While I've seen at least one other in that greater area, I encounter most of these on Fir Island. 

Here is what is probably a male Spotted towhee, a very fine specimen...

In the same set of bushes were many American robins, a flock of Pine siskins, a Song sparrow, at least one Ruby-crowned kinglet that narrowly avoided having its picture taken, and a couple of Black-capped chickadees, one of which is pictured below...

Finally, I encountered this Golden-crowned sparrow in a bush at the side of the road at about minimum focal distance...

After my 'official' birding trip had ended I headed over to La Conner and encountered an American kestrel on a relatively low power line and the bird let me stop almost under it for photos.  For a kestrel this is very unusual... they are usually very sensitive to any slowing of a vehicle anywhere in their vicinity.  (No photo included.)