tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82536081647744707292024-03-18T20:47:46.118-06:00For the birdsW. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-69534850166342543032011-12-15T09:30:00.001-07:002011-12-24T21:25:25.655-07:00Alphabet on the wings of birdsInspired by my young grandson who loves books and birds, I tried my hand at composing a 6x6" alphabet book. Here is a link to it <a href="http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2859488">B is for Birds</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxcQQOS324M/TufXpS7c9KI/AAAAAAAAfmk/5xgVaJ3F8R8/s1600/Happy+Holidays+-+Snowy+Owl_Dec062011_9734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxcQQOS324M/TufXpS7c9KI/AAAAAAAAfmk/5xgVaJ3F8R8/s320/Happy+Holidays+-+Snowy+Owl_Dec062011_9734.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-41282437307648067412011-07-02T10:04:00.004-06:002011-08-02T09:21:33.821-06:00Badlands, Ranchlands, GrasslandsIn late June I had to travel to Regina for an assignment at the university there. Thought I'd drive, even take an extra day, to zig and zag my way through the badlands, ranchlands and grasslands of east-central and south-eastern Alberta and south-western Saskatchewan. Even take a swing through Grasslands National Park in SW Saskatchewan, if time allowed. It was too late for even straggling migrants, but the grassland birds are busy nesting and breeding and it would be fun to see as many as I could, mostly from my truck along off-the-beat dirt roads. Maybe I'd see a few birds I had not seen before or be able to photograph some I had seen but had not been able to "capture" yet. Both turned out to be true.<br />
<br />
I had long wanted to see the Upland Sandpiper, not all that rare of course, but very localized. I must have seen about a dozen, both in SE Alberta and around Chaplin Lake along the Trans-Canada Highway a bit west of Moose Jaw. In Alberta, the Upland's breeding areas are restricted to the southern grasslands and the Peace River area.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFjLn0HE36zwim5QI0Jgkn30kcMxsjEO5eoJqebFTU4ZFRCbgnNx-4Gd0gCHXyW-4hE2vPYnLsoddsJJ6p7MmAf0TkyTt5S3c0g25uS3Vhb42cPSnB-JrUrFCkkZk0cYctgY52JL1pOo/s1600/UplandSandpiper_20110625_4657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFjLn0HE36zwim5QI0Jgkn30kcMxsjEO5eoJqebFTU4ZFRCbgnNx-4Gd0gCHXyW-4hE2vPYnLsoddsJJ6p7MmAf0TkyTt5S3c0g25uS3Vhb42cPSnB-JrUrFCkkZk0cYctgY52JL1pOo/s320/UplandSandpiper_20110625_4657.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="speciesTitle">Upland Sandpiper - <span class="latinName">Bartramia longicauda</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Often called the "shorebird of the prairies," the Upland Sandpiper is not truly a bird of the shores, but a resident of upland prairie habitats. Typically the Upland is seen because of its preference to perch on a post or stump from which to watch over its nesting area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwRbARO1AIk2CnqMdq6N4v1xqteItyjB0V80YQnPBN81QehsELFoZL2kl5hIMspBpxpykWh5ZRsh9Ucljwl_hvDbNIboJnw4yrN4nQaEyMiWn1S3oetuIKu-Gat7dOKD3QeZasU0yopY/s1600/UplandSandpiper_20110623_4318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwRbARO1AIk2CnqMdq6N4v1xqteItyjB0V80YQnPBN81QehsELFoZL2kl5hIMspBpxpykWh5ZRsh9Ucljwl_hvDbNIboJnw4yrN4nQaEyMiWn1S3oetuIKu-Gat7dOKD3QeZasU0yopY/s320/UplandSandpiper_20110623_4318.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqnBs1vYx5mf5p9dmEbxfQQrr_FLejwrRC1bo-FL1e2-hB8o4hX7qQWJsFiKZHYywAlHeojVBu8c9FvpwqoonhdWRx0T3XeRJSxKyZt39kmCR5imxSyeTGqmoDl5dSHxubK3rIi64b48/s1600/UplandSandpiper_20110623_4335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqnBs1vYx5mf5p9dmEbxfQQrr_FLejwrRC1bo-FL1e2-hB8o4hX7qQWJsFiKZHYywAlHeojVBu8c9FvpwqoonhdWRx0T3XeRJSxKyZt39kmCR5imxSyeTGqmoDl5dSHxubK3rIi64b48/s320/UplandSandpiper_20110623_4335.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIy1UXgSi4wMAwTsiMRC6TTCbgJydOVGBiG4pDcG81rAblrlnOpH7Tgs401FPnQNN-xN5y6A5Z8g4tAzXyoizDoBV90q9jMbtiyCehO3t8CyIIjf_66HGOxTodb-Y2TCvN7TT5kUa5js4/s1600/UplandSandpiper_20110625_4695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIy1UXgSi4wMAwTsiMRC6TTCbgJydOVGBiG4pDcG81rAblrlnOpH7Tgs401FPnQNN-xN5y6A5Z8g4tAzXyoizDoBV90q9jMbtiyCehO3t8CyIIjf_66HGOxTodb-Y2TCvN7TT5kUa5js4/s320/UplandSandpiper_20110625_4695.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQPNz8-zdD48fNig9tpiZi6jcVi16TZwe0uznjyDqNjTY8czbQMHjCy-NSYRd3gbI5op_I3XtV8kU3j_EepjupFGY_cpe8rQGnH-f20tlVd9XQovQ38LbqEVaRu-tlVbd_YBfzkLCxWA/s1600/UplandSandpiper_20110625_4664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQPNz8-zdD48fNig9tpiZi6jcVi16TZwe0uznjyDqNjTY8czbQMHjCy-NSYRd3gbI5op_I3XtV8kU3j_EepjupFGY_cpe8rQGnH-f20tlVd9XQovQ38LbqEVaRu-tlVbd_YBfzkLCxWA/s320/UplandSandpiper_20110625_4664.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
At this time of year it is also common to see the Wilson's Snipe standing sentry over its nesting area. Normally they are easier to hear than to see because of their insistence to stay under cover in wetland grasses. I was pleased to come across a small colony of them in a wet sedge field in the SE Alberta.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAiMH0cssQ4eJX0g4WpXPGnMs74gqf9NGmNZGUKifPQ2vM2A-Xd97xD8plCYw5tuhefgPYst4hTW9b_QuKdohT_B-dd58wMlxPbA_c2QYPlUExbGiBu8JkS0ZKNelGjK1RCq4Uxw9Gik/s1600/Wilson%2527sSnipe_20110624_4435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAiMH0cssQ4eJX0g4WpXPGnMs74gqf9NGmNZGUKifPQ2vM2A-Xd97xD8plCYw5tuhefgPYst4hTW9b_QuKdohT_B-dd58wMlxPbA_c2QYPlUExbGiBu8JkS0ZKNelGjK1RCq4Uxw9Gik/s320/Wilson%2527sSnipe_20110624_4435.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson's Snipe - <span id="scientific_name">Gallinago delicata </span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MfF7vrUNZFJfNFaImDOAW64CNMQxZdWS6Ag99X6weLHu5T9aySetnhG7UIMo09TBUXGmzWmiokesznQ8rFMYhivnnHL0TnBMDAcsecSggTLqhm0WULuC03I5Ap63FLP5dcJqiqjrKCA/s1600/Wilson%2527sSnipe_20110624_4453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MfF7vrUNZFJfNFaImDOAW64CNMQxZdWS6Ag99X6weLHu5T9aySetnhG7UIMo09TBUXGmzWmiokesznQ8rFMYhivnnHL0TnBMDAcsecSggTLqhm0WULuC03I5Ap63FLP5dcJqiqjrKCA/s320/Wilson%2527sSnipe_20110624_4453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwU5GEW_W9X26_mS8iMb-suvtWp0Jqsh64fdcJuhk45qRNcfGP8jCEYSV29YlFc44NhBdNtN6nUCAO9zSgwoDm4JSdVTC9y3l40uxpl61BmE7RvfFhyiag570n49CQyVR0qZoxvA4e58/s1600/WilsonsSnipe_20110624_4475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwU5GEW_W9X26_mS8iMb-suvtWp0Jqsh64fdcJuhk45qRNcfGP8jCEYSV29YlFc44NhBdNtN6nUCAO9zSgwoDm4JSdVTC9y3l40uxpl61BmE7RvfFhyiag570n49CQyVR0qZoxvA4e58/s320/WilsonsSnipe_20110624_4475.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
Continuing with birds on a post theme ... the Willets, breeding in high grass adjacent to wetlands, have hatched their young and watch over them vigilantly, often sitting on a post to oversee the brood and watch for predators.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qJBWKd2qi4e4WRI2ZqdQkWUY3FQ6iFU6yH5NFwKIgOe_JCBFvL4PZZd3qnBuYn3RxaODgmJLNFmItVX91qnHWxdUkLxc63NeOaWfHKOumNDdk55yalwkwGvOA-paCFaqEr5M1VWDAtk/s1600/Willet_20110623_4265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qJBWKd2qi4e4WRI2ZqdQkWUY3FQ6iFU6yH5NFwKIgOe_JCBFvL4PZZd3qnBuYn3RxaODgmJLNFmItVX91qnHWxdUkLxc63NeOaWfHKOumNDdk55yalwkwGvOA-paCFaqEr5M1VWDAtk/s320/Willet_20110623_4265.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willet - Tringa semipalmata</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xIju1qKwSJmQPOejjz3e2d_dcn3ed_Szyyou6klYyfRG1smsIL0OBf8SlibL7GFoxkvhumIwfWZU00y-pPUN1z5Ptnctj7BxATS2ep7wC0oVwuTibIjVhVdJS6jdFRECQL8iEk3j4Vc/s1600/Willet_20110623_4272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xIju1qKwSJmQPOejjz3e2d_dcn3ed_Szyyou6klYyfRG1smsIL0OBf8SlibL7GFoxkvhumIwfWZU00y-pPUN1z5Ptnctj7BxATS2ep7wC0oVwuTibIjVhVdJS6jdFRECQL8iEk3j4Vc/s320/Willet_20110623_4272.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you stop nearby and step out of the vehicle they raise a righteous ruckus and buzz you. I could not resist trying to get some flight shots to show their remarkable wing plumage pattern that is not seen unless the bird flies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZNg3OCWmezLzwWepA7oviE7J9eqqPrSHJ6h0tahAIMCVVx7A0WGgNImzdbKLOsMdjJSI50Jlbl2YRNK4k0PmB1pCio2FMwd8DnRY6g_3EJ_YZDGb7um5CKWqH7hBddqttrPJUfoGasg/s1600/Willet_20110623_4275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZNg3OCWmezLzwWepA7oviE7J9eqqPrSHJ6h0tahAIMCVVx7A0WGgNImzdbKLOsMdjJSI50Jlbl2YRNK4k0PmB1pCio2FMwd8DnRY6g_3EJ_YZDGb7um5CKWqH7hBddqttrPJUfoGasg/s320/Willet_20110623_4275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInCryqgx9lE9LOwqUZpinPYffflFQ-kVc2yLzY5Up_bcWkFz-4F2q5jRwMVVHGw9RRm32DulKKnQXA28IYmcLVit_8GzFTOaaYbX0Ln64QFcEGyaCO5-NF-9c1RZ6VsnSViIqM0ucJWk/s1600/Willet_20110623_4292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInCryqgx9lE9LOwqUZpinPYffflFQ-kVc2yLzY5Up_bcWkFz-4F2q5jRwMVVHGw9RRm32DulKKnQXA28IYmcLVit_8GzFTOaaYbX0Ln64QFcEGyaCO5-NF-9c1RZ6VsnSViIqM0ucJWk/s320/Willet_20110623_4292.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I had half hoped to catch a burrowing owl since I went through parts of their shrinking breeding area, but no such luck. But, I was not unhappy to see several Short-eared Owls at the edge of an area in which an irruption of them has been reported this summer.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroFgxcrzoa_3s5wy3Ms2p1l7fAQEyWP-CHpYEMFFzR_qRFv5Z3oIWvh_3MKb4dbtSrBrRlY5AgSMF1i6TTrt1xD63v8nQSDKpniqyBClzWjueTI81ZszZp8CVtaUkpr6XcxBK4maKK_g/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110623_4426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroFgxcrzoa_3s5wy3Ms2p1l7fAQEyWP-CHpYEMFFzR_qRFv5Z3oIWvh_3MKb4dbtSrBrRlY5AgSMF1i6TTrt1xD63v8nQSDKpniqyBClzWjueTI81ZszZp8CVtaUkpr6XcxBK4maKK_g/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110623_4426.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNV676UqCOIFNQ-N24-P_wc28SwRphnwoClhdqsZD8pEtS_msctNk6ysrZVjrXVadxkZr_wSA-23oYwwgCrw-CTlIl8afkOWC4WNhJDrYPQCqwIFN-FATE6zuoit3aK8KCwo3eoxdHxI/s1600/Short-earedOwl_20110623_4424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNV676UqCOIFNQ-N24-P_wc28SwRphnwoClhdqsZD8pEtS_msctNk6ysrZVjrXVadxkZr_wSA-23oYwwgCrw-CTlIl8afkOWC4WNhJDrYPQCqwIFN-FATE6zuoit3aK8KCwo3eoxdHxI/s320/Short-earedOwl_20110623_4424.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Many, many more species made the drive very entertaining: lots of the expected Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Common Nighthawks, even a couple of Ferruginous Hawks, several variety of sparrows, Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks galore, Western Bluebirds, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Bobolinks, several Loggerhead Shrikes, countless Avocets with fledglings, many Marbled Godwits, and the usual ducks and teals.<br />
<br />
Besides the Upland Sandpiper, a lifer, two other highlights. The first, a flock of Lark Buntings, also a lifer, which one can see only in the very southern prairie grassland regions.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGEq-c1zJhc_SWVTMqii28ib7KNH0CbZfHB_h2EhfG3m6PsDu5Xc1xJx65a4zDDIxTQOkaWz_dumj2psTBYooRe-4N8lbBe5oFcLBYEZKUS9lup3Oaeu0XM1ntPC3BF8S6j8OzZfjR-o/s1600/LarkBunting_20110624_4559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGEq-c1zJhc_SWVTMqii28ib7KNH0CbZfHB_h2EhfG3m6PsDu5Xc1xJx65a4zDDIxTQOkaWz_dumj2psTBYooRe-4N8lbBe5oFcLBYEZKUS9lup3Oaeu0XM1ntPC3BF8S6j8OzZfjR-o/s320/LarkBunting_20110624_4559.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lark Bunting - Calamospiza melanocorys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The other, a good number of Chestnut-collared Longspurs. At this time of year they are easily spotted because the males do a high areal display before landing on a sage brush or a rock to sing their lovely song.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_4TDHDZ1rAFxHmdfCykZkkH7HvPEWshznxeF8bWv-qNz1z3Va2KTMF6BKDS5_EOoUWLO9U6y-c6_RYohpvHJq2Jq2ES_UXjMxdQTa_kphDOCnqQRWqgj7LMy3cbJZuMLBLTpy3P1aI4/s1600/Chest-collaredLongspur_20110624_4623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_4TDHDZ1rAFxHmdfCykZkkH7HvPEWshznxeF8bWv-qNz1z3Va2KTMF6BKDS5_EOoUWLO9U6y-c6_RYohpvHJq2Jq2ES_UXjMxdQTa_kphDOCnqQRWqgj7LMy3cbJZuMLBLTpy3P1aI4/s320/Chest-collaredLongspur_20110624_4623.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-collared Longspur - Calcarius ornatus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VtND8CQa1nwBxIw9RvQTZHQOuna-Qm5bG8-Ccbtg7sGivvo5ISfYR8pKL8vMxvYIcbHrq8BKTPf4B8EEZ4JzLS8HhrO7dS-ycWbCdYNDCWFqSoy3e-95meZgUhr_LHxlwOMGRJuF5uM/s1600/Chestnut-collaredLongspur_20110624_4615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VtND8CQa1nwBxIw9RvQTZHQOuna-Qm5bG8-Ccbtg7sGivvo5ISfYR8pKL8vMxvYIcbHrq8BKTPf4B8EEZ4JzLS8HhrO7dS-ycWbCdYNDCWFqSoy3e-95meZgUhr_LHxlwOMGRJuF5uM/s320/Chestnut-collaredLongspur_20110624_4615.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Every birder should be lucky enough to spend some days on the open prairies during late spring!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-18216033986183108412011-05-19T15:18:00.001-06:002011-05-19T19:10:50.297-06:00Piping Plover - Charadrius melodus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This is a brief tail (pun intended) of a bird that is in need of a fighting chance of species survival. The Piping Plover is endangered, i.e., threatened to disappear from regions in which it lives and breeds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2iJ3rOzCrONiJzvISMb2yBbSmnmPP0kWBxYhVxThCNHfvYFdYFGRbbfGgeQmln-A6F2Jixj26vh31uzAgEtC4-xFxsB7VhJ7ufEnD4jCLe6C2CPDs3UfbWc7LUBzqI78xQdtmv6QpYA/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2iJ3rOzCrONiJzvISMb2yBbSmnmPP0kWBxYhVxThCNHfvYFdYFGRbbfGgeQmln-A6F2Jixj26vh31uzAgEtC4-xFxsB7VhJ7ufEnD4jCLe6C2CPDs3UfbWc7LUBzqI78xQdtmv6QpYA/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Populations of the Piping Plover (<i>Charadrius melodus</i>) have declined alarmingly in North America in recent decades, enough to be placed in the "endangered" or "at risk" category in most of its historical breeding regions -- the Great Lakes region (where no successful nest has been recorded for over 20 years), sections of the Atlantic coast from the Maritimes to Virginia, and the Northern Great Plains (which has the largest population, consisting of about 1,400 breeding pairs). In Canada it is nationally endangered and hence protected by the federal Species at Risk Act since 1985 and protected also under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. It is also protected by provincial endangered species legislation in all provinces in which it breeds, including Alberta.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7WDC5HQntImMyc_U__vIozIa6xYdsp_RS3bJzsV97EYyX61w4E0aYtuYk8DHmiTrFtV0yvOzyqlqrTHoIh6h7fkWYCCqD8Ppb8GWRV9URN4NNpI-SXvJ6HIfbuD5hAeJrf0Zq0DYDRc/s1600/PipingPlover-1_20110516_2058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7WDC5HQntImMyc_U__vIozIa6xYdsp_RS3bJzsV97EYyX61w4E0aYtuYk8DHmiTrFtV0yvOzyqlqrTHoIh6h7fkWYCCqD8Ppb8GWRV9URN4NNpI-SXvJ6HIfbuD5hAeJrf0Zq0DYDRc/s320/PipingPlover-1_20110516_2058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>In Alberta, and elsewhere too, the Piping Plover is a bad news story, but the story has begun to improve. Between 1986 and 2001 census results (yes, birds too, at least some, are required to say tweet!) indicated a 50% population decline, the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) reports. According to the ACA, "research ... annually over the past 20 years ... has shown very clearly that predation of eggs is one of the biggest problems for the Great Plains/prairie population, limiting its recovery. Although few people have actually witnessed predation of plover eggs, through their research, field biologists know that the main egg predators are crows, gulls and mammals such as raccoons, fox, coyote and skunks." Isn't that a stretch? -- one might think. These predators have always been around. True, but recreational use of beaches and other human encroachments and the detritus humans leave behind have increased populations of gulls, crows, foxes and skunks in some areas where these plovers breed. There are other factors that inhibit the plover's breeding success -- nicely described at <a href="http://www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/plover_limits.htm">http://www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/plover_limits.htm</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDl3zmil7LvOu-oiy1dss6DMHcg3xzCSamTC0sSvfGkBGNO6fBvpgfcfzs9sibhdpi9wn4Rz12ab3FrhUsJx5SH2u_IkR-K6tC9KTbV-smFu5xIyQe5FIoyuy-gt-Kj2Y_5LaWif8avwA/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDl3zmil7LvOu-oiy1dss6DMHcg3xzCSamTC0sSvfGkBGNO6fBvpgfcfzs9sibhdpi9wn4Rz12ab3FrhUsJx5SH2u_IkR-K6tC9KTbV-smFu5xIyQe5FIoyuy-gt-Kj2Y_5LaWif8avwA/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Though by no means out of the woods (or salt flats) yet, the story is heading in a happier direction in recent years. Again, according to the ACA: "Since 2001, the Alberta piping plover population has increased by over 95 percent, from 150 adults to the 295 adults counted in 2008!" This is due to several recovery measures, most importantly perhaps, protecting as many nests as possible with predator exclosures. These exclosures are round mesh cages that allow the piping plovers to enter the nest but exclude their predators that like plover eggs. The incubating plover simply runs between the holes in the mesh of the exclosure and is then protected from most predators.</div><br />
Enough on the plight of the plovers. Now to these lovely little creatures themselves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE1qG9Mi7BbBNufjqBQegekUAYBvT68kwkU5WvWs_N2HWsJHehoT1QmlLtWQ9-nkQseq2swn-Oc-vUIupr9sn4K-j_Dsm86L2nDXTZ5G5RaHz7ZjCn6vmXVgkAiSoOO7TlLFOrGfUYE4/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE1qG9Mi7BbBNufjqBQegekUAYBvT68kwkU5WvWs_N2HWsJHehoT1QmlLtWQ9-nkQseq2swn-Oc-vUIupr9sn4K-j_Dsm86L2nDXTZ5G5RaHz7ZjCn6vmXVgkAiSoOO7TlLFOrGfUYE4/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It is a fairly stocky little (about the size of a large sparrow) member of the plover family (<i>Charadriidae</i>) that belongs to the Shorebird order (<i>Charadriiformes</i>). Its most distinguishing visible field marks are a black head stripe that goes from one eye to the other, a single black band across its neck, a long white eyebrow, a bill with bright orange base and black tip, orange legs. In the photo below, a male-female pair, you may spot the differences between male (right) and female (left): look at the thickness of the necklace and the colour of the beak.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkPQKTZvAnk7dM8u7bUKW_NecgmyelCAI7-gh3-x001iLCyo3cb_kNf19KMPvHTlN7G5a4FPjbB5idBv6iLp3dD5T1SHCVx1qwicp6urhnnhL2b_zlOYDNIVWRo5btFi0q-gKGhyphenhyphenKfi8/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkPQKTZvAnk7dM8u7bUKW_NecgmyelCAI7-gh3-x001iLCyo3cb_kNf19KMPvHTlN7G5a4FPjbB5idBv6iLp3dD5T1SHCVx1qwicp6urhnnhL2b_zlOYDNIVWRo5btFi0q-gKGhyphenhyphenKfi8/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2106.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female (left) and Male (right) pair: spot the differences!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNuIsZnqmfZLvRK48nrt7Lsi2YSupfQugTVIWWjLNQhtZXMRFe7CzdPcYqb2Av7PdnLYSVrMjWxHYAabmybsbhEtQvSk7pKeOS-lBOoI3NnmopgYquI-dnIDJrZizm9H55XW0FVD2xV0/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNuIsZnqmfZLvRK48nrt7Lsi2YSupfQugTVIWWjLNQhtZXMRFe7CzdPcYqb2Av7PdnLYSVrMjWxHYAabmybsbhEtQvSk7pKeOS-lBOoI3NnmopgYquI-dnIDJrZizm9H55XW0FVD2xV0/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2031.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frontal view of the male's head and neck band</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Its habitat requires wide sandy or gravely shores of lakes or large river sandbars. In Alberta and elsewhere on the prairies it is typically found on the "salt-flat" shores of shallow, saline lakes. It needs a wide swath of vegetation-free or sparsely vegetated beach where it scrapes out its nest in the sand or gravel. Nests are often lined with small pebbles or shell remnants to keep the eggs off the wet sand and to provide camouflage. Below is a typical salt lake in Alberta (name and location undisclosed) that the Piping Plover looks for, and an image that shows how well this little creature blends into the salt-covered gravel.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/paraguayanmeister/image/134809418/medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/paraguayanmeister/image/134809418/medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qFpqSrHIHWKY_7Pq8u0iemvCWo6MD2PL6qLgYeVantxlFHVTGxnWL9B7AdVEhIpqREU1P48amyT7VAQI1gZGvgXZMLYTSBqE3RYF7f1KJWsspqv_u3ZkInkj_tadn1uMLtwD7MMNLD4/s1600/PipingPlover+-+Habitat_20110515_2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qFpqSrHIHWKY_7Pq8u0iemvCWo6MD2PL6qLgYeVantxlFHVTGxnWL9B7AdVEhIpqREU1P48amyT7VAQI1gZGvgXZMLYTSBqE3RYF7f1KJWsspqv_u3ZkInkj_tadn1uMLtwD7MMNLD4/s320/PipingPlover+-+Habitat_20110515_2525.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saline lake in eastern Alberta</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTg0D_hYPVWEEoFEm8FL5DXvsmIrMxRPaRp9r8NT2wY7Cnf6Vt9q1Zn5SLyl5hg5U2sTVUN8IZCvbCqGsfXCrVwDKXATWTjUMU1PILsb53TmDwSxdJrwDBiRs7o0zVOHDDGigs7vsWx8/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTg0D_hYPVWEEoFEm8FL5DXvsmIrMxRPaRp9r8NT2wY7Cnf6Vt9q1Zn5SLyl5hg5U2sTVUN8IZCvbCqGsfXCrVwDKXATWTjUMU1PILsb53TmDwSxdJrwDBiRs7o0zVOHDDGigs7vsWx8/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/paraguayanmeister/image/134809418/medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/paraguayanmeister/image/134809418/medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Why "Piping" Plover? I used to think it had to do with the "piping" that encircles its neck, the neck band. Not so, actually. The Latin species name <i>melodus</i> for once gives the clue. The name refers to its distinctive whistles that are often heard before the bird is seen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaW5IJavF6q8Cqlr1Fln8qdNjILuRaXXesk_JqApUO5JviTOOU5ro-a0PaaPaEm_2k0ne_6jnHAcrDsBMJOl0yAY5YSLCb-k2YW1knBhRAoID69bINP0q_VkjiPV8rSethOnWumst_Pk/s1600/PipingPlover_20110516_2073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaW5IJavF6q8Cqlr1Fln8qdNjILuRaXXesk_JqApUO5JviTOOU5ro-a0PaaPaEm_2k0ne_6jnHAcrDsBMJOl0yAY5YSLCb-k2YW1knBhRAoID69bINP0q_VkjiPV8rSethOnWumst_Pk/s320/PipingPlover_20110516_2073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you happen to see a Piping Plover, count yourself lucky to meet this rare bird. Give it lots of room to feed and tend its nest or young chicks -- who, by the way, emerge fully feathered from the eggs in early June, begin to run a few hours after hatching, and feed themselves on small insects found on the surface of the sand found at shorelines. The adults provide protective cover for the chicks until they can fly, about 20 to 25 days after hatching.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7WDC5HQntImMyc_U__vIozIa6xYdsp_RS3bJzsV97EYyX61w4E0aYtuYk8DHmiTrFtV0yvOzyqlqrTHoIh6h7fkWYCCqD8Ppb8GWRV9URN4NNpI-SXvJ6HIfbuD5hAeJrf0Zq0DYDRc/s1600/PipingPlover-1_20110516_2058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7WDC5HQntImMyc_U__vIozIa6xYdsp_RS3bJzsV97EYyX61w4E0aYtuYk8DHmiTrFtV0yvOzyqlqrTHoIh6h7fkWYCCqD8Ppb8GWRV9URN4NNpI-SXvJ6HIfbuD5hAeJrf0Zq0DYDRc/s320/PipingPlover-1_20110516_2058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-79695936089190790552011-05-13T16:48:00.006-06:002011-05-17T11:47:48.999-06:00Blackbirds in the cattail marshes<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The wetlands with cattail growths come to noisy life in late April and early May. The male blackbirds are back, often three kinds in the same marsh, competing with each other for prime nesting territory. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The three blackbirds mentioned here all belong to the <i>Icteridae</i> (a Latinized derivation from the Greek ikteros, "jaundiced one," on account of yellow as a prominent plumage colour in many, but by no means all of the Icterids) that includes all varieties of New World Blackbirds and Orioles, as well as the Meadowlarks, and the Bobolink,<b> </b>close to a hundred species in all. This is one of the oddities of taxonomic classification: Icterids = Blackbirds. Not all black birds are Icterids and not all Icterids are black -- nor jaundiced, for that matter. Going up one level in the taxonomic pyramid, the <i>Icteridae</i> are a family that belongs to the order <i>Passeriformes</i>, Songbirds. Yet many of the Blackbirds, the three species mentioned below, for example, can't carry a tune to save their wings.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Icterids are found only in the Americas. In Alberta, their early arrival and their throaty, growling "song" are happy indications of the return of spring.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The boldly coloured Red-winged Blackbird (<i>Agelaius phoeniceus</i>) </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">is the most familiar sight atop cattails. Glossy-black males have scarlet and yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how puffed up they feel. Its Latin name is derived from the Greek terms <i>agelaios</i> ("belonging to the flock") and <i>phoinkeos</i> ("purple-red" or "crimson," i.e., deep red). The history of the classification of this bird is interesting. Linnaeus, the 18th-century father of scientific classification of species, called it <i>Oriolus phoeniceus</i>, identifying it in relation to a another species. Later it was moved to the <i>Agelaius</i> family, an identification based on its behavioural trait of living in flocks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQOObUbWoaM/ShGgLvHUTdI/AAAAAAAAVEM/EvA_6Gz2vz0/s1600/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQOObUbWoaM/ShGgLvHUTdI/AAAAAAAAVEM/EvA_6Gz2vz0/s320/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9754.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dDAO-7LFBZFK2vLVRhXpASkoXA2FtpkcSAY0Y16yOoHw93ousOk8ejdqCAeWVgHTjDCTU8trN6PWUd2S-BSgA7k9fToBP4mJyBYgdXXaGOGS3Fc3BvZoZm-aB8GY_qChVHjGAYdeoa8/s1600/BlackbirdRW3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dDAO-7LFBZFK2vLVRhXpASkoXA2FtpkcSAY0Y16yOoHw93ousOk8ejdqCAeWVgHTjDCTU8trN6PWUd2S-BSgA7k9fToBP4mJyBYgdXXaGOGS3Fc3BvZoZm-aB8GY_qChVHjGAYdeoa8/s320/BlackbirdRW3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx4JrxjknnI/ShGgHt6LKcI/AAAAAAAAVDs/OzFTFBlCVOQ/s1600/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx4JrxjknnI/ShGgHt6LKcI/AAAAAAAAVDs/OzFTFBlCVOQ/s320/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9732.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHPZwYGofrBnBQyI6F4x56QcQVdX2TU2SHnfIjb9XGx7Q0_NFONcfZZ3-td6GGumOPq6BJRx_wy0RB7kcXeNWLXJmvcoQrChU-RxvNd6aa76N617NgtuC2Itb5bwNQbwqimFrTLrINpk/s1600/BlackbirdRWfem1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHPZwYGofrBnBQyI6F4x56QcQVdX2TU2SHnfIjb9XGx7Q0_NFONcfZZ3-td6GGumOPq6BJRx_wy0RB7kcXeNWLXJmvcoQrChU-RxvNd6aa76N617NgtuC2Itb5bwNQbwqimFrTLrINpk/s320/BlackbirdRWfem1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Male Red-winged Blackbirds are not shy; they do everything they can to get noticed, sitting on high perches and belting out their </span><i>honk-a-ree</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> song all day long. "Song" is overstating it. Though not unpleasant to the human ear, their song is remarkable more for its volume than for its tonal beauty. They are aggressive defenders of their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territory defense. He chases other males out of the territory and attacks nest predators.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcihpm8g4BM/ShGf81iVZmI/AAAAAAAAVDI/k4ecI7nfK3Q/s1600/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcihpm8g4BM/ShGf81iVZmI/AAAAAAAAVDI/k4ecI7nfK3Q/s320/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9556.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6NzQV0WCmXU/ShGgOvGAdFI/AAAAAAAAVEU/tUmtYjh_iVc/s1600/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6NzQV0WCmXU/ShGgOvGAdFI/AAAAAAAAVEU/tUmtYjh_iVc/s320/RW+Blackbird+DSC_9882.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Females are more subdued, staying low, and skulking through vegetation for food and quietly weaving together their nests and later feeding their young.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvZvvNSkOVbAJcjrhSfurrd2dLgrlktt-q5SNICExY3Y_kRax-t-guxTP1z0r6ON0E7cMDS-Xo1SlelpaGpxz_XNIzlBtUXNHJjXK-vYzuC1DdHjZPKbMrNJ56_AZFNt5U4YDfdqnJyY/s1600/Blackbird+fem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvZvvNSkOVbAJcjrhSfurrd2dLgrlktt-q5SNICExY3Y_kRax-t-guxTP1z0r6ON0E7cMDS-Xo1SlelpaGpxz_XNIzlBtUXNHJjXK-vYzuC1DdHjZPKbMrNJ56_AZFNt5U4YDfdqnJyY/s320/Blackbird+fem.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Red-winged Blackbird is a highly polygynous species, meaning males have many female mates – up to 15 in some cases. But research has shown that the territorial male may not be able to prevent his females from hanky-panky with other males: according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology up to a half of nestlings turn out to have been sired by someone other than the territory holder.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQk6CTtIiX8HV5NXUOJMWxB2iRIIjXB2eNye8FeqI3ifVDGCVKQOHXqOwL80fguTGlX-8ytn9NjXYux6BjI4C9RVhKX462naxLwMimdCEPDubsRkTPDWi0CYwSuDhoRbA4wa0tV7dnXI/s1600/RWBlackbird_20110501_1659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQk6CTtIiX8HV5NXUOJMWxB2iRIIjXB2eNye8FeqI3ifVDGCVKQOHXqOwL80fguTGlX-8ytn9NjXYux6BjI4C9RVhKX462naxLwMimdCEPDubsRkTPDWi0CYwSuDhoRbA4wa0tV7dnXI/s320/RWBlackbird_20110501_1659.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSTRlUTi1r505yk-FMMG0wgWUThDhcWh1garY6rcEsn8n4esrpXxaamnklSun0uHbiRQIQYOVOkR8zgAy2ZIoecO8ofBBthm2SrgiBGZnMFpxbCF7-TPxgi0D4NdXSmzSRQDZfqcCzxg/s1600/RWBlackbird_20110501_1660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSTRlUTi1r505yk-FMMG0wgWUThDhcWh1garY6rcEsn8n4esrpXxaamnklSun0uHbiRQIQYOVOkR8zgAy2ZIoecO8ofBBthm2SrgiBGZnMFpxbCF7-TPxgi0D4NdXSmzSRQDZfqcCzxg/s320/RWBlackbird_20110501_1660.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin43oMin6JT3dTbFaWvbAp8t98xYG_CjQi52-LCzTKK1fUl56rhPWo16cCJg_I2hb7WUcqlXijzGQM4tV0WwDtbHTG87vyBLYnYLLzcoRAwEdcmwXufZQD1yJysFWOVF_dFQ9wCgtX7ds/s1600/RWBlackbird_20110501_1740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin43oMin6JT3dTbFaWvbAp8t98xYG_CjQi52-LCzTKK1fUl56rhPWo16cCJg_I2hb7WUcqlXijzGQM4tV0WwDtbHTG87vyBLYnYLLzcoRAwEdcmwXufZQD1yJysFWOVF_dFQ9wCgtX7ds/s320/RWBlackbird_20110501_1740.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Yellow-headed Blackbird is a startling, conspicuous, and quite beautiful breeding bird in many prairie deep-water wetlands with cattail or rushes. Its name, <i>Xanthocephalus</i>, means “yellow head,” a remark on the male’s striking saffron-yellow head, neck, and breast that contrasts sharply with the black plumage on the rest it</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">s body – except for a white wing patch that is visible in flight</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4GHBv92aeWI/ShGhowrGz3I/AAAAAAAAVIs/Czz64pCNCdw/s1600/YH+Blalckbird+DSC_0415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4GHBv92aeWI/ShGhowrGz3I/AAAAAAAAVIs/Czz64pCNCdw/s320/YH+Blalckbird+DSC_0415.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq3DsIIrtsm1pnrZbWNCxujNokQaNf69yKlTFKsUBLqGsol2KjkWhgAyvBD5cplrCYa7D0OYn7iQ-VNSQKCS3XX9SCD0lr__17VS8tiWmJgnKYWcG2kR6eF34s_giqOLY5MV0SQfTy1E/s1600/BlackbirdYH2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq3DsIIrtsm1pnrZbWNCxujNokQaNf69yKlTFKsUBLqGsol2KjkWhgAyvBD5cplrCYa7D0OYn7iQ-VNSQKCS3XX9SCD0lr__17VS8tiWmJgnKYWcG2kR6eF34s_giqOLY5MV0SQfTy1E/s320/BlackbirdYH2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Females and young males are duller in plumage: bodies dull black and brown, with pale yellow primarily on breast and throat.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjW9M_IO7FRLYBQIu0xve39prBo-zXEVIig6J5EPcj6IH9MHYO6qAoo7q-0x2AJkH-9HsHS7glXTKRQ2qJiTyhYNHWYESCT21rhX3Hjr_G4KZm1pvMMyeK0R63JxWMT_uFgj4fU3c-dE/s1600/BlackbirdYHfem1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjW9M_IO7FRLYBQIu0xve39prBo-zXEVIig6J5EPcj6IH9MHYO6qAoo7q-0x2AJkH-9HsHS7glXTKRQ2qJiTyhYNHWYESCT21rhX3Hjr_G4KZm1pvMMyeK0R63JxWMT_uFgj4fU3c-dE/s320/BlackbirdYHfem1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWkEnk8LGuQTDxV8Sehz-L-Noc1gTW1hj-m1jVJtYDaDkblvmzDHPSI9F56ZfN0NQF_uDCc0ZZVhjrSqzEo06BS6qm3ze8brd_Id_fKtm6saztPnuMYRSU94mPV9auQovCVfhEyvlwRM/s1600/BlackbirdYHfem2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWkEnk8LGuQTDxV8Sehz-L-Noc1gTW1hj-m1jVJtYDaDkblvmzDHPSI9F56ZfN0NQF_uDCc0ZZVhjrSqzEo06BS6qm3ze8brd_Id_fKtm6saztPnuMYRSU94mPV9auQovCVfhEyvlwRM/s320/BlackbirdYHfem2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The YHB is classified among the songbirds, but frankly, this must be an embarrassment even in the bird world. Its song, if you can call it that, is a hoarse, scratchy buzzing noise. Imagine the sound of an opening barn door that sits on very rusty hinges and you come close to the noise of the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Not really pleasant to the human ear, but amusing nonetheless. What counts is that it is pleasant to the ears of female YHBs – or, possibly, threatening to other males and other intruders.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN2eKIsAoANIvDaINH_1PPya8tMsAcsP-WX_GDey5c0294lWnhz2n9s5UTZZylFe5_frRo07nL5IGyNy3yiS3zEVvxKqH2LEA9883gLH89v3ELnAWa14ei6nvhvR-4w2TCBdXtRhBUZs/s1600/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN2eKIsAoANIvDaINH_1PPya8tMsAcsP-WX_GDey5c0294lWnhz2n9s5UTZZylFe5_frRo07nL5IGyNy3yiS3zEVvxKqH2LEA9883gLH89v3ELnAWa14ei6nvhvR-4w2TCBdXtRhBUZs/s320/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1774.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1ba73h608B9AlCtHcz-M86z2kBh0QMoPSxEJ14UnAJc-ZL8wWqTySGoLdyrF36AEDWFj1wM5puNgq6_fL34v5ayVBo0gQ6oZM6EA_-yu9thUi1XFGxVjGQox0JDl-OyRG_HePXCQBw8/s1600/YellowheadedBlackbird20110505_1821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1ba73h608B9AlCtHcz-M86z2kBh0QMoPSxEJ14UnAJc-ZL8wWqTySGoLdyrF36AEDWFj1wM5puNgq6_fL34v5ayVBo0gQ6oZM6EA_-yu9thUi1XFGxVjGQox0JDl-OyRG_HePXCQBw8/s320/YellowheadedBlackbird20110505_1821.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Highly social, these large-bodied blackbirds breed in loose colonies that consist of grouped territories. The male defends a small territory of prime nesting reeds. Like the Red-winged Blackbird, this species too is polygynous – each male attracts up to eight females to nest within his area. Males arrive first at breeding locations and compete with each other for prime real estate before the females arrive. When the girls do show up, they select nest sites within a male’s territory. Nests are constructed by the female. The are always placed over open water and consist of a cup woven of strips of reeds, attached to reed stalks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9N6mRVUUoc46YLmDqw7IZrosbXjOEifzbjcNLywDIFzppjB9pcfUHPvCDz6AA0Syqi5MRnNNS3ocPQIJB2624dhiVSWfLEvAUwVwkhrAj4Xp6efhYrMeHJxK_eSH3PO_mBCk-fY6VwMY/s1600/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9N6mRVUUoc46YLmDqw7IZrosbXjOEifzbjcNLywDIFzppjB9pcfUHPvCDz6AA0Syqi5MRnNNS3ocPQIJB2624dhiVSWfLEvAUwVwkhrAj4Xp6efhYrMeHJxK_eSH3PO_mBCk-fY6VwMY/s320/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1809.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KAqZIrzBrNJpr1D9Rmia2HkGtMKSOyDGDMAuBjYKXEKsLv4EKw2a8ZxXq_sIQq_QcQtoLB4XlhGjIrQZabrhUdOtg5HZg2LSf6-jQNsXhhNwmkJMMVTEhsDWGXibxGvnbkZee0_9MMI/s1600/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KAqZIrzBrNJpr1D9Rmia2HkGtMKSOyDGDMAuBjYKXEKsLv4EKw2a8ZxXq_sIQq_QcQtoLB4XlhGjIrQZabrhUdOtg5HZg2LSf6-jQNsXhhNwmkJMMVTEhsDWGXibxGvnbkZee0_9MMI/s320/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1806.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhan6GqufnmzpBdYpJEjeu_qH0rkvgvr-L8dzcTJ6SeMvHI5WMaWlTPYu-f1a4WqImmXLrgLRDHzvis3ykeJ_2-bEvcMQKKDhANIvyVRiBfKQuKMlR-BTdTJPeJFYWbLEstN9zRYyPM4/s1600/BlackbirdYH5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhan6GqufnmzpBdYpJEjeu_qH0rkvgvr-L8dzcTJ6SeMvHI5WMaWlTPYu-f1a4WqImmXLrgLRDHzvis3ykeJ_2-bEvcMQKKDhANIvyVRiBfKQuKMlR-BTdTJPeJFYWbLEstN9zRYyPM4/s320/BlackbirdYH5.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The YHBs clearly are the rulers of the cattails. They often, but not always, nest in the same marsh as the Red-winged Blackbird and the Common Grackles. The larger Yellow-headed Blackbird is dominant to the Red-winged Blackbird and displaces the smaller blackbird from the prime nesting spots. The Yellow-headed Blackbird is also aggressive toward Marsh Wrens, probably because the Wrens’ habit of destroying the Blackbird’s eggs. Among the entertainments that some cattail marshes offer is the shouting matches between Blackbirds and Marsh Wrens.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8hyphenhyphenURO8G6ZA7lRWdi_HZYYB1Q_Oy5B7rlrTVbFQoHspQYWA1RsRfH7IW6MebrWoYkrvCvHHo7einWTpAqVUtpPW2k9d_pPFpMzE2IHK4sViojk5VFW-wAyo_0iMppPe7GzLiLmczW8Q/s1600/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8hyphenhyphenURO8G6ZA7lRWdi_HZYYB1Q_Oy5B7rlrTVbFQoHspQYWA1RsRfH7IW6MebrWoYkrvCvHHo7einWTpAqVUtpPW2k9d_pPFpMzE2IHK4sViojk5VFW-wAyo_0iMppPe7GzLiLmczW8Q/s320/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1794.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEizDjnxT3gz3cYe-uhxT53xZlrL6JjpRtodjUm8i4ysGPjB8cf2Ebmw49IW_yPk6RJcq_98VZvFRyhTOQrQxkLpEr1Bh3Q1FE2MZOHIyz9SfCt0_UE1N8U62TX52slP6xuAYxegAPQGM/s1600/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEizDjnxT3gz3cYe-uhxT53xZlrL6JjpRtodjUm8i4ysGPjB8cf2Ebmw49IW_yPk6RJcq_98VZvFRyhTOQrQxkLpEr1Bh3Q1FE2MZOHIyz9SfCt0_UE1N8U62TX52slP6xuAYxegAPQGM/s320/YellowheadedBlackbird_20110505_1831.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In my area, central Alberta, another blackbird that is often found in the same cattail marshes as the RWB and YHB is the Common Grackle, the largest of the three species mentioned here. Its scientific taxonomic name is <i>Quiscalus quiscula</i>. Both names (first = genus, second = species) are puzzling because they derive from the Latin word for quail, even though there is nothing quail-like about the Grackle. I have been trying to find an explanation for this but have not found one so far. Why Grackle as the common name? This comes from the Latin <i>graculus</i>, a term that is used to refer to Old World birds that are closely related to our crows -- jackdaws and choughs, for example. The Grackle does have some faint crow-like features, such as the size of its beak, its overall size, and its habit of rooting for grubs and other food items in lawns and fields. For these reasons in some areas folks refer to it as the Crow Blackbird.</span><style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaqrrhd1DlRRBHFVp2EFTl5VSBfoIAgSiUSNicf08uw11SZOPW4hIjjNA2viXTdcY0ej20yTkt4oDuz9VmnffX7cfMk0sNtX08ZocgEiihrWakIa4n_5rtF1GA4iD_y4wafaC0KMdix8/s1600/Grackle_20110501_1691-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaqrrhd1DlRRBHFVp2EFTl5VSBfoIAgSiUSNicf08uw11SZOPW4hIjjNA2viXTdcY0ej20yTkt4oDuz9VmnffX7cfMk0sNtX08ZocgEiihrWakIa4n_5rtF1GA4iD_y4wafaC0KMdix8/s320/Grackle_20110501_1691-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In contrast to the other two, the Grackle not only gets little respect, but has historically been despised as a “maize thief” and general destroyers of crops. Here is how J. J. Audubon (<i>The Birds of America, 1840-1844</i>) describes “their nefarious propensities,” as the popular sentiment of early 19th-century farmers had it: “Look at them: The male, as if full of delight at the sight of the havoc which he has already committed on the tender, juicy, unripe corn on which he stands, has swelled his throat, and is calling in exultation to his companions to come and assist him in demolishing it. The female has fed herself, and is about to fly off with a well-loaded bill to her hungry and expectant brood.”</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQpYmrlrOSULvKA26P2kMsEgmEXTN6PtI15do10LoDXQR1P5wbwQ11WuNIuGiMQzVf47TkC8Xhd_a_eucNfuw_px_OsoPjbrlBWllpejm31zmnq-mMmCXvelaPJgUAlxyQVg_spfeDlk/s1600/Grackle_20110501_1718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQpYmrlrOSULvKA26P2kMsEgmEXTN6PtI15do10LoDXQR1P5wbwQ11WuNIuGiMQzVf47TkC8Xhd_a_eucNfuw_px_OsoPjbrlBWllpejm31zmnq-mMmCXvelaPJgUAlxyQVg_spfeDlk/s320/Grackle_20110501_1718.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">During the breeding season the birds are stunningly gorgeous; they sparkle with rainbow-like iridescence, the hues changing as the angle of light changes. There are actually two forms of the Common Grackle, the purple Grackle and the bronzed Grackle. The first is found in the southeastern US, the second everywhere else, including in my region. Notice its bronzed body, especially in the first picture above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Grackles live in flocks and are not as habitat-restricted as the other Blackbirds, both for nesting and food, but in some places they inhabit the same marshes as the other two blackbirds. They are virtually omnivorous.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilnMym09etwzX3mTMo_fx-FrqLM1HM4wSB250WVnNn2YIsY0q1hdz2Gq5TmpjfuY-sEcQxuGdR92MxPgKXXfD7FEVKLMAjT7K4LsE4Vc2blziC228qyder9FT8VJ7HVEDiOmB6MK95z0/s1600/Grackle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilnMym09etwzX3mTMo_fx-FrqLM1HM4wSB250WVnNn2YIsY0q1hdz2Gq5TmpjfuY-sEcQxuGdR92MxPgKXXfD7FEVKLMAjT7K4LsE4Vc2blziC228qyder9FT8VJ7HVEDiOmB6MK95z0/s320/Grackle1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">This too is a songbird by taxonomic classification only, not because of the tonal quality of its vocalization. Pete Dunne, a renowned American bird expert, has it about right: "Noisy! Song is loud and harsh -- a gutteral protest followed by a breathy, strangled screech."<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">So, Songbirds they all are, songster, they are not! They are noisy, conspicuous denizens of our wetlands. They come early to announce the end of our long winters. I love them and look forward to their arrival. In fact, this year I was so eager for winter to end that I drove out to the local cattail marshes regularly from early April on, hoping to be there when the first of the Blackbird boys arrived.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-934049778312505052011-04-23T09:48:00.002-06:002011-04-24T11:28:36.008-06:00Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo Lagopus)Today, out on the range west of Bittern Lake, the Rough-legged Hawks outnumbered the Red-tails. I must have seen a dozen as they hunted on the range while moving north to their breeding grounds. The Rough-Legged Hawk (<i>Buteo Lagupus</i>) is a circumpolar Buteo -- the Hawk of the North. It nests in the far north, generally above the tree line of Alaska and Canada, including the lower high arctic islands. In these regions lemmings are the main food item. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz2I4EDExXLGMcRyXIShSQZRnvbOtnvUxsln8ZfyvB0mLJOSAJfSSp3UEHbdmGm5CppkVtw-j89qw6UXj_1ejXlXhdyND-GSwRBV6vq0xlO5qFxIj-bXKhuuDZzncvRJ0jDawvs6_hNo/s1600/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz2I4EDExXLGMcRyXIShSQZRnvbOtnvUxsln8ZfyvB0mLJOSAJfSSp3UEHbdmGm5CppkVtw-j89qw6UXj_1ejXlXhdyND-GSwRBV6vq0xlO5qFxIj-bXKhuuDZzncvRJ0jDawvs6_hNo/s320/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1269.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We see them here throughout Alberta during migration, from mid-October through November, and again from mid-March to May. Some will overwinter in the province if the winter is mild and the snow cover not too deep; most will move the lower US during the winter. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYVadFxatmynnMUgaONaMjvBo5sA9vAMz2UvwbGXvwn16wXnApHAC7f__57ajh30qqanaUOdIxHil0Hbe18HKqdYoithKRsQdQMo8jRAIQP7ycV__JsZSOJ-xtwqR2dLhp6ags_OJro0/s1600/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYVadFxatmynnMUgaONaMjvBo5sA9vAMz2UvwbGXvwn16wXnApHAC7f__57ajh30qqanaUOdIxHil0Hbe18HKqdYoithKRsQdQMo8jRAIQP7ycV__JsZSOJ-xtwqR2dLhp6ags_OJro0/s320/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1255.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is a big hawk, about 48-60 cm tall. The name "Rough-legged" Hawk refers to the feathers on its legs that go down to its toes. The Rough-legged Hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk, and the Golden Eagle are the only American hawks to have legs feathered all the way to the toes. The rear view in the photo below shows is leg jammies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9aClvv2i5g59niygcY09eJ53n9r8b4lr76oFLVqPOi49QLnfJpovuy0DiTu7vxECP9A2zfj9NhOh8f-XtuNIRHoliSDiBqBsT5e2AvTRi3qvpZsFcYAoAVb2ChXvv2iA_Z24H-nLfMU/s1600/Rough-leg_20110422_1244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9aClvv2i5g59niygcY09eJ53n9r8b4lr76oFLVqPOi49QLnfJpovuy0DiTu7vxECP9A2zfj9NhOh8f-XtuNIRHoliSDiBqBsT5e2AvTRi3qvpZsFcYAoAVb2ChXvv2iA_Z24H-nLfMU/s320/Rough-leg_20110422_1244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROnVGG8WpXXXtjGLIZ_TaUHbS7SeLbs7vXGuaGZj0FwfXIHY7wakDAywkMvCMTAQp91rBfnRSrR2cbwMX5sAtpX5-19Vu5tBSEkxyStBxDTCNpo5la3zHVchoa8T3K8ksGO6_hkIfGIM/s1600/RoughleggedHawk_20110410_0864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROnVGG8WpXXXtjGLIZ_TaUHbS7SeLbs7vXGuaGZj0FwfXIHY7wakDAywkMvCMTAQp91rBfnRSrR2cbwMX5sAtpX5-19Vu5tBSEkxyStBxDTCNpo5la3zHVchoa8T3K8ksGO6_hkIfGIM/s320/RoughleggedHawk_20110410_0864.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif96MJBKUkaeJcTARsr_XQa2caTAye19aIjgTgjxHg3-_9NFMMi7VwWTExhv93zRB-JJmjkR2hQt9Zgk5Zq1ukdW1wJuUf3SluW6xxeuDxfWA2XEzenJ5rDsnXIz1yvnc_MmlU86yPHM/s1600/Roughleggedhawk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif96MJBKUkaeJcTARsr_XQa2caTAye19aIjgTgjxHg3-_9NFMMi7VwWTExhv93zRB-JJmjkR2hQt9Zgk5Zq1ukdW1wJuUf3SluW6xxeuDxfWA2XEzenJ5rDsnXIz1yvnc_MmlU86yPHM/s320/Roughleggedhawk4.jpg" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Commonly with pale, streaked chest and broad dark belly, but it also has an all dark form, but still with pale wing feathers and white at base of tail.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJ6rfzWHPANEieDNjXTRYNcjkcCfcfThkWhqaU-zLGSWI97yzoXU44c6ufi_iq5TCUr918enGuky8XF8OjKb8EQ_tpk7nyhl8DWDSUN986oOPm2EE10TPAD6sY996lLadlCUNteZJZdY/s1600/1.Roughleggedhawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJ6rfzWHPANEieDNjXTRYNcjkcCfcfThkWhqaU-zLGSWI97yzoXU44c6ufi_iq5TCUr918enGuky8XF8OjKb8EQ_tpk7nyhl8DWDSUN986oOPm2EE10TPAD6sY996lLadlCUNteZJZdY/s320/1.Roughleggedhawk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9cBBFo1j5jvEzb51DzGaV1BkDByjWeygA5MZPUDUq2KsPJHQzaCpo7ipyKhzzmfC6dTxQ6YstBgUPFDp6Ok6EIfI87Vw1ZgoOd_ltNbYkBN-xQzx03A75TgyP9-cHqbvHtGcp-TjQ5o/s1600/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9cBBFo1j5jvEzb51DzGaV1BkDByjWeygA5MZPUDUq2KsPJHQzaCpo7ipyKhzzmfC6dTxQ6YstBgUPFDp6Ok6EIfI87Vw1ZgoOd_ltNbYkBN-xQzx03A75TgyP9-cHqbvHtGcp-TjQ5o/s320/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1241.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Its nest is a large bowl of sticks, sometimes including cariboo bones, typically on a cliff ledge. It is lined with grasses, sedges, small twigs, and greenery.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnc16_R3927OCihT9ELcci8lSxqpOHmAqSb3-oiHv3HgRRoq4x6HJyoaw93l5eTlKJcwTYNVKhQTM5g0PalDrV8Cjzf2dcARy6J2RFVOw9X61L-3DeTTcs3BN4xAiCHtZe4qrqgg3mwA/s1600/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnc16_R3927OCihT9ELcci8lSxqpOHmAqSb3-oiHv3HgRRoq4x6HJyoaw93l5eTlKJcwTYNVKhQTM5g0PalDrV8Cjzf2dcARy6J2RFVOw9X61L-3DeTTcs3BN4xAiCHtZe4qrqgg3mwA/s320/RoughleggedHawk_20110422_1227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-23034048901002818892011-04-18T06:41:00.023-06:002011-04-22T08:35:12.597-06:00Merlin (Falco columbarius)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtyj2j3gJpzFzmWDEUyCcZu1UyuMQvUHqSAnf_tUSRDdIYOkSaA_GUXr6_bpPQi2O0Z-hw2UWTS-pCXtr7ejV1KfjQ-ZKtxitvDqL8xC-O8brUEDbK173vxSYXn7gRS9p7C3FI-rHp2Y/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtyj2j3gJpzFzmWDEUyCcZu1UyuMQvUHqSAnf_tUSRDdIYOkSaA_GUXr6_bpPQi2O0Z-hw2UWTS-pCXtr7ejV1KfjQ-ZKtxitvDqL8xC-O8brUEDbK173vxSYXn7gRS9p7C3FI-rHp2Y/s320/Merlin_20110417_0977.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The Merlin is a small falcon -- similar in size to a blue jay -- of the prairies, boreal forests, and subarctic areas of North America. Males average 24-27 cm long, with a wingspan of 53-58 cm. As in most raptors the females are somewhat larger, with measurements of 28-30 cm and 61-68 cm, respectively. Merlins are unusual among raptors in that the sex of adults can be told apart by plumage. Males are slate blue-gray above, with bold black tail bands; females are brown with buff-coloured tail bands. Both have a whitish throat and a buff breast moderately to heavily streaked with brown. In general the plumage of juveniles is similar to that of adult females. I would call this an adult female. She was waiting for her mate while I was photographing. When he arrived they both fluttered off with their "keek, keek, keek" spring mating calls.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5J4VM8ultqNVY2HIpX3pMixDDIe7ndU08SP1ttIkK6Y9K3EDZCuzTUjHUIDccxS4FwDZUN7XuM5vQN8oa_PNMWKUY59kVP0ELlp25wVoyHq2r2iboA7a3lHgZHktMZk9kS62tyk82R4o/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5J4VM8ultqNVY2HIpX3pMixDDIe7ndU08SP1ttIkK6Y9K3EDZCuzTUjHUIDccxS4FwDZUN7XuM5vQN8oa_PNMWKUY59kVP0ELlp25wVoyHq2r2iboA7a3lHgZHktMZk9kS62tyk82R4o/s320/Merlin_20110417_0984.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_Jyz5TSU9732HRdNuY_JBlLcH-V1IOuI47g3cn06hXzP-cGOp4Fyoi5PAQeQuvEzFeyOiiGubCaTAz-peT_dPN9sNnp8BVYYdz41ZylL9LYGRla4H6zV4Yd7evKlIJqG3K92g80BP3E/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_Jyz5TSU9732HRdNuY_JBlLcH-V1IOuI47g3cn06hXzP-cGOp4Fyoi5PAQeQuvEzFeyOiiGubCaTAz-peT_dPN9sNnp8BVYYdz41ZylL9LYGRla4H6zV4Yd7evKlIJqG3K92g80BP3E/s320/Merlin_20110417_0953.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Its scientific name is <i>Falco columbarius</i> - a reference to its original North American name of "pigeon hawk," as <i>columbarius</i> means "pertaining to a dove or pigeon" in Latin. “Pigeon hawk” alluded to the Merlin’s pigeon-like flight, though it does in fact prey on pigeons. I’ve seen a Merlin take down a Rock pigeon a good number of times on the campus of the University of Alberta. The Old French esmerillon is the root of both "Merlin" and the modern French name for the species, "Faucon émerillon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibADWiZzQd2XlF1NASNkyVJdcoZsqvSMHiqKbReW9ZAOgmfQ5FTyHm84ydF7USkP-vxGAzn325L_hhxt_rBSk6qMp8OsqjFmYo1s5THaq2feK4vuG0JU80gJNCMPkuP104855B_lxejWw/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibADWiZzQd2XlF1NASNkyVJdcoZsqvSMHiqKbReW9ZAOgmfQ5FTyHm84ydF7USkP-vxGAzn325L_hhxt_rBSk6qMp8OsqjFmYo1s5THaq2feK4vuG0JU80gJNCMPkuP104855B_lxejWw/s320/Merlin_20110417_0966.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk41X3hzHdm_xZ-3EkHFjsRDJViJtwa2877mX0cPFv36WnaL4Tdlcqgb2XUG2-xuJasVOxxjOX3gUqf1aeYQYTbWITBIcfccoPugfC5_o0a1dm8Nxgt1D2FIaSlTcV8DfulSvlwviWiY/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk41X3hzHdm_xZ-3EkHFjsRDJViJtwa2877mX0cPFv36WnaL4Tdlcqgb2XUG2-xuJasVOxxjOX3gUqf1aeYQYTbWITBIcfccoPugfC5_o0a1dm8Nxgt1D2FIaSlTcV8DfulSvlwviWiY/s320/Merlin_20110417_0945.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
In the photo above you see what appears to be a streak of blood on its undertail. Likely mess left after a recent kill. The bulk of their diet consists small songbirds. When hunting, the Merlin typically flies over open forest or grassland at high speed (up to 70 km/h), flushing out birds and snatching birds who react too slowly. Merlins are extremely agile, able to make remarkably rapid changes of direction to keep up with their quarry. Alternatively, Merlins may hunt by watching for activity from a perch, and then launching into rapid flight from there. Merlins also feed on insects, especially in migration when they often grab dragonflies or butterflies out of the air and eat them while in flight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONNAw9rSXAzPgfZf6_-0oTKv3Ofc-HIOY4G_ILjNnPyi-VOjVLfXmnAD9D6ips8AK8SrFyS96rM6JVfzE56TkzPsMLONn9x_CbgGkc5TU4DvfgB6s3xu8pmdt5ITkArjp5gxbLj9vi78/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONNAw9rSXAzPgfZf6_-0oTKv3Ofc-HIOY4G_ILjNnPyi-VOjVLfXmnAD9D6ips8AK8SrFyS96rM6JVfzE56TkzPsMLONn9x_CbgGkc5TU4DvfgB6s3xu8pmdt5ITkArjp5gxbLj9vi78/s320/Merlin_20110417_0994.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqxZwn0ejfNadtWUmv9aSW4bVf_-0wpLNviHo-kU1Itfc_p0oYLjYOdEvTOlz_YhgLbR0alUZoSeFHLObllupOqzxRiKDaKWZx954tW2itALDOHFMnx4JzqCJzBsv4RJYGHfqwmPdBno/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqxZwn0ejfNadtWUmv9aSW4bVf_-0wpLNviHo-kU1Itfc_p0oYLjYOdEvTOlz_YhgLbR0alUZoSeFHLObllupOqzxRiKDaKWZx954tW2itALDOHFMnx4JzqCJzBsv4RJYGHfqwmPdBno/s320/Merlin_20110417_0970.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
The Merlin is rapidly colonizing urban areas on the prairies. It is the most abundant hawk in the city precincts of Edmonton. I have seen it hunting in my backyard, even colliding with my living room window. At the moment, they are noisily courting and establishing nesting territories.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwreSo0KpBDV6EJmUawcYZg0tzHo-AKS1VJQ95MEg3xYF4Jgu_RIgvSUZP-Js-lS8Vv70rsqKHBkjNgvqIS30fXZJYaAgN00UyiJPo1ZoTIRZ_RtnmSpAnxVQ-Uj83dGJO7Q4-XIxzfVY/s1600/Merlin_20110417_0946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwreSo0KpBDV6EJmUawcYZg0tzHo-AKS1VJQ95MEg3xYF4Jgu_RIgvSUZP-Js-lS8Vv70rsqKHBkjNgvqIS30fXZJYaAgN00UyiJPo1ZoTIRZ_RtnmSpAnxVQ-Uj83dGJO7Q4-XIxzfVY/s320/Merlin_20110417_0946.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-81227379598794478632011-04-16T08:15:00.003-06:002011-04-20T18:39:59.663-06:00Spring arrivals<div style="text-align: left;">Here is a set of spring arrivals from the last few weeks. I'll add a few more comments as I have time.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2vB-o2rH6MvR5a8568hvX60YgUtZq2l_QgU_LYpkMlIqil0oV8l11gEuB0vpxgrCZPZF0AbSXaRvGEMJ0Nws6HT1YGoaoA7DWULm1gpJzZuHsDEcSJD35Qg7pnGj3V3BLmoOzkdXSok/s1600/HornedLark_20110330_0488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwvv0L2k_yNdm2Kfp3PXZspWUhwdKfAdzbqGJygZAGByde3KYx6U21j33m0UoldpgyqVfyfdqmsvpdcgRlwVWrwwvpNN6i61DcyeUpqZ1LM8GzLCzN0oE7XSHGyfxyeguqtjjBVDq5Z4/s1600/HornedLark_20110410_0836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwvv0L2k_yNdm2Kfp3PXZspWUhwdKfAdzbqGJygZAGByde3KYx6U21j33m0UoldpgyqVfyfdqmsvpdcgRlwVWrwwvpNN6i61DcyeUpqZ1LM8GzLCzN0oE7XSHGyfxyeguqtjjBVDq5Z4/s320/HornedLark_20110410_0836.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2vB-o2rH6MvR5a8568hvX60YgUtZq2l_QgU_LYpkMlIqil0oV8l11gEuB0vpxgrCZPZF0AbSXaRvGEMJ0Nws6HT1YGoaoA7DWULm1gpJzZuHsDEcSJD35Qg7pnGj3V3BLmoOzkdXSok/s1600/HornedLark_20110330_0488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2vB-o2rH6MvR5a8568hvX60YgUtZq2l_QgU_LYpkMlIqil0oV8l11gEuB0vpxgrCZPZF0AbSXaRvGEMJ0Nws6HT1YGoaoA7DWULm1gpJzZuHsDEcSJD35Qg7pnGj3V3BLmoOzkdXSok/s320/HornedLark_20110330_0488.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkbu7tmdm74t2sA5XZOP8gtQPCIsgPF71yEJbZD8AOtfam3JgaWDxVL1COSWBHuX0l2LZv6H04CF2Swlq2FfgesRl9jlJ49Y3sDmKH9N5bMmZOqPcaTUJZbQXt3zDPGsAMdVNI1H2VSE/s1600/Junco+in+snow_20110328_0272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkbu7tmdm74t2sA5XZOP8gtQPCIsgPF71yEJbZD8AOtfam3JgaWDxVL1COSWBHuX0l2LZv6H04CF2Swlq2FfgesRl9jlJ49Y3sDmKH9N5bMmZOqPcaTUJZbQXt3zDPGsAMdVNI1H2VSE/s320/Junco+in+snow_20110328_0272.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aJ1DeGFYQ7eVmtGlDrWLeN8iH5M09PjFfFvqe_ugMFd2xbzZy-RuOpr0RwTreE_khfEAcS4lID_aYWTkabnupgyAhKSq2gGptue_KM9Q5095ovSY931y3azI_hWSD1Tf6aXpq1G5jyA/s1600/Junco_20110328_0317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aJ1DeGFYQ7eVmtGlDrWLeN8iH5M09PjFfFvqe_ugMFd2xbzZy-RuOpr0RwTreE_khfEAcS4lID_aYWTkabnupgyAhKSq2gGptue_KM9Q5095ovSY931y3azI_hWSD1Tf6aXpq1G5jyA/s320/Junco_20110328_0317.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYqc4UlitouD5ov1b6ObzVUfSO-jtxQqGx9tuFdwJXWi1nkcXpKf9u71lI60JLuDnmkylUMNAkIoBrlHOEAkIzp0hbbmzczbbdLvMAW9XTdGo2FA_8x7srxRObx3szueuUWyrMKwlhrk/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYqc4UlitouD5ov1b6ObzVUfSO-jtxQqGx9tuFdwJXWi1nkcXpKf9u71lI60JLuDnmkylUMNAkIoBrlHOEAkIzp0hbbmzczbbdLvMAW9XTdGo2FA_8x7srxRObx3szueuUWyrMKwlhrk/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0756.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYt8zmL9oMxV74g2yvAM1iR7LZH8xYCs2zCISK52ruq3UUenDETXi7ZcgIQWDIICga5HHIT3S9LVNiJX8dD_x9sUG-Fb6wwvCNm_E8I_gACp-UxnvcqfRCi5DQByWSI4TMIJkW4seBJA/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYt8zmL9oMxV74g2yvAM1iR7LZH8xYCs2zCISK52ruq3UUenDETXi7ZcgIQWDIICga5HHIT3S9LVNiJX8dD_x9sUG-Fb6wwvCNm_E8I_gACp-UxnvcqfRCi5DQByWSI4TMIJkW4seBJA/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0782.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-XHwd2MScK-zKGMP78RbMd9fbvehwWAQ1zeCTo9I8m9V-lMhLkRg5cEDez_3tLE55y0a5sENhHsGBaET5T4TqgWbtWLuticAKPm6XWa6zQYQfzTqxdRKkmxrFJOePqdGpAYDlJh9zMA/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-XHwd2MScK-zKGMP78RbMd9fbvehwWAQ1zeCTo9I8m9V-lMhLkRg5cEDez_3tLE55y0a5sENhHsGBaET5T4TqgWbtWLuticAKPm6XWa6zQYQfzTqxdRKkmxrFJOePqdGpAYDlJh9zMA/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0810.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7pdHQlnc_DLslhN_Oz_kfFvJCw0fkX7uy1ITtvOthR8wkbhCBTDBEa3YAZKq7HVVmSYswiJuD3M2JZxWjHVLoVLIvx3sjObhVRHKEemV9ddFOyEt1LOpLh8gd-5KzywVIA6cX2ILtlQ/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7pdHQlnc_DLslhN_Oz_kfFvJCw0fkX7uy1ITtvOthR8wkbhCBTDBEa3YAZKq7HVVmSYswiJuD3M2JZxWjHVLoVLIvx3sjObhVRHKEemV9ddFOyEt1LOpLh8gd-5KzywVIA6cX2ILtlQ/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0799.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGioVsUzfkL5_CMHXYII7XrtTTeSk56p839s6rsjPy0ZCvn4OuPZFpXYb1iRx8SpnBokbyYfpaqJxbtdInuYl2rkitdf9PiFlzCXLV_1KQaXhv_luWaCM_7zUWgdKjKbGvXLFdQVmasl8/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGioVsUzfkL5_CMHXYII7XrtTTeSk56p839s6rsjPy0ZCvn4OuPZFpXYb1iRx8SpnBokbyYfpaqJxbtdInuYl2rkitdf9PiFlzCXLV_1KQaXhv_luWaCM_7zUWgdKjKbGvXLFdQVmasl8/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0809.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uZtkHzacymbhBI0Qxlgh3ZHqB8hLO2Zd4rD0w7CTrR7hYuDezERD8InJ1_xUXkNmhp-B84Z5evzXvxrye-bsIvch8xSOK4F3dJpD_QywsoJZiUOYQxraDPHZ9ha_EYUbF4NMkH3ndtg/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uZtkHzacymbhBI0Qxlgh3ZHqB8hLO2Zd4rD0w7CTrR7hYuDezERD8InJ1_xUXkNmhp-B84Z5evzXvxrye-bsIvch8xSOK4F3dJpD_QywsoJZiUOYQxraDPHZ9ha_EYUbF4NMkH3ndtg/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0817.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9JdJV6w3_0BtxrU53WJwxqYYNEGOE8bhc6fHR6qEuzd_V47dumwWILhCZBRHj8Wf4V5EY7Vid5SKTu3QuXwYUfIdAOl9uawQGtEtkMB-j4iUHzeciAhXRzcdlQSDlN45kCVJhah8-pQ/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9JdJV6w3_0BtxrU53WJwxqYYNEGOE8bhc6fHR6qEuzd_V47dumwWILhCZBRHj8Wf4V5EY7Vid5SKTu3QuXwYUfIdAOl9uawQGtEtkMB-j4iUHzeciAhXRzcdlQSDlN45kCVJhah8-pQ/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0835.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ9Kc-BMYV7vkxivoycsF2pQcv09SYhTa0A96RiD_wXllnc7P24tXQBzCPIYjrVs-emSsn01Ed0K5KeqPMt_kv5vivskzDo2PuH3zEof_psXJjsPTGRxCDgcZlqUrvVJv3ZwoFA_8qAU/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ9Kc-BMYV7vkxivoycsF2pQcv09SYhTa0A96RiD_wXllnc7P24tXQBzCPIYjrVs-emSsn01Ed0K5KeqPMt_kv5vivskzDo2PuH3zEof_psXJjsPTGRxCDgcZlqUrvVJv3ZwoFA_8qAU/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0850.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGXDsh4rcKxsO3MvGPA6aZiND5CR6PhEt6xHYYjnPTln2qPATiD4Ro6gvE_KURCTzm8lraaZ7R0rt89L3Jsqa0DVQgCJezH2pMUPoHpxxH8TiIqGd7oYLcL3sODDiwQGC1gshBOcqn6k/s1600/MountainBluebird_20110410_0851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGXDsh4rcKxsO3MvGPA6aZiND5CR6PhEt6xHYYjnPTln2qPATiD4Ro6gvE_KURCTzm8lraaZ7R0rt89L3Jsqa0DVQgCJezH2pMUPoHpxxH8TiIqGd7oYLcL3sODDiwQGC1gshBOcqn6k/s320/MountainBluebird_20110410_0851.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekJUlPC2QAsvpO18nS7W5JSuYvzbcuE8c5BsozvvY3minGqCyOLIp63V32RuVtfwHoehu61WSEKG2MZhmxFpyhJ-gbONRT6XoIL4XeXSXzc_n2QvFwW63-cXTtmThXt2XQtW5P-j78a0/s1600/MountainBlueBird_20110410_0852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekJUlPC2QAsvpO18nS7W5JSuYvzbcuE8c5BsozvvY3minGqCyOLIp63V32RuVtfwHoehu61WSEKG2MZhmxFpyhJ-gbONRT6XoIL4XeXSXzc_n2QvFwW63-cXTtmThXt2XQtW5P-j78a0/s320/MountainBlueBird_20110410_0852.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt35ITInfdcWyzVX9K5_tze6WM4Fu-3otR5dHyI-ngxHqqTUOki8ZIBm5tvde-S_zDqqzpxmnSRzmnDZC6BkFOxQ5G3ACm2DlPWAAagnWFCuqHgzwJHnas7MjAV9-4BnHfad69dC68uxc/s1600/NorthernShrike_20110410_0775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt35ITInfdcWyzVX9K5_tze6WM4Fu-3otR5dHyI-ngxHqqTUOki8ZIBm5tvde-S_zDqqzpxmnSRzmnDZC6BkFOxQ5G3ACm2DlPWAAagnWFCuqHgzwJHnas7MjAV9-4BnHfad69dC68uxc/s320/NorthernShrike_20110410_0775.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-mnIr-pdLis8EAzrm4WKbdSHCWI9ECGbHPxmjZ9LZHvVoRla4KEVtFJIpaUFG5r5RZAL8m1ZYNE1lmbPMyqgHgH8JKzO3Mu3cQf9XWXHqPLO1HDfzZBdM8eSeC-SSsP8bZ4XcU-sNEw/s1600/RedtailedHawk_20110410_0731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-mnIr-pdLis8EAzrm4WKbdSHCWI9ECGbHPxmjZ9LZHvVoRla4KEVtFJIpaUFG5r5RZAL8m1ZYNE1lmbPMyqgHgH8JKzO3Mu3cQf9XWXHqPLO1HDfzZBdM8eSeC-SSsP8bZ4XcU-sNEw/s320/RedtailedHawk_20110410_0731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLTREE42v9TZunwy7wz0Ng2jodZLDY63aMsD-vYSLJ8qWUt3D22JC86QnGtlsuCJDIQ2QV16PXtgMB3zxlq-2UvHGEemPLQTcbkzUjOkVN1EFR0_ROTnBf-un6DpfL9Zwn81ht4jKWec/s1600/RingbilledGull_20110410_0887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLTREE42v9TZunwy7wz0Ng2jodZLDY63aMsD-vYSLJ8qWUt3D22JC86QnGtlsuCJDIQ2QV16PXtgMB3zxlq-2UvHGEemPLQTcbkzUjOkVN1EFR0_ROTnBf-un6DpfL9Zwn81ht4jKWec/s320/RingbilledGull_20110410_0887.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBl7IA6b_swoWSNz5xmG9Gu6_hUzpR8nllCNhPy8mAUcXEIiqEo2WtMTcBZydaIXk5UrBfbw7sebSjfZW_SguzxjfltJxaIqjkbrOLu0-rjoepRm273K4PlAF5mAAHTWL2yGs-ItCJNcc/s1600/RingbilledGulls_20110410_0876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBl7IA6b_swoWSNz5xmG9Gu6_hUzpR8nllCNhPy8mAUcXEIiqEo2WtMTcBZydaIXk5UrBfbw7sebSjfZW_SguzxjfltJxaIqjkbrOLu0-rjoepRm273K4PlAF5mAAHTWL2yGs-ItCJNcc/s320/RingbilledGulls_20110410_0876.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1xey3YqEGqPA9S6_P-wFbmRzLLKBiEInrQPgYDAiGrgDeDSJ-_JQu9ALLWW2gZiTOf1buRQ7LJ4Na-eEclBQDVLPJ0NLoTJjUzA_dv5FmxqegxlNBGobAKlXPVYm9UD6o-gMxgrFh2M/s1600/Robin_20110224_7764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1xey3YqEGqPA9S6_P-wFbmRzLLKBiEInrQPgYDAiGrgDeDSJ-_JQu9ALLWW2gZiTOf1buRQ7LJ4Na-eEclBQDVLPJ0NLoTJjUzA_dv5FmxqegxlNBGobAKlXPVYm9UD6o-gMxgrFh2M/s320/Robin_20110224_7764.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa-mNSteaNZKmTJoXVpuqpy8tZ1AnPSo_xIEzDu-R2_QbW57b9cHVByeLv0WVjY1Qdk6_yqxdKusu0LEgHXk__Od1M2gO5WCq9mGkxTKGrzcFOMbbcNAUrwRWcQdlicE7j35LRF9hct8/s1600/RoughleggedHawk_20110410_0864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa-mNSteaNZKmTJoXVpuqpy8tZ1AnPSo_xIEzDu-R2_QbW57b9cHVByeLv0WVjY1Qdk6_yqxdKusu0LEgHXk__Od1M2gO5WCq9mGkxTKGrzcFOMbbcNAUrwRWcQdlicE7j35LRF9hct8/s320/RoughleggedHawk_20110410_0864.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPfTvCPLdbYeHSHfa6C_agf50jaCevf8K0PKB87dcfJ49fo7KGXRZnbQctpjQnhgckSU5YZhS_y6wQWs3irferEvklpEvMkyjQPaA7PYRIsRtPt6JQ224dQfJF6VXyDh55QdGpmjLON4/s1600/RedtailedHawk_20110410_0731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynrvtBx3cPppWuNeIu8EUeBU6Ot13u8lHk1bVAn2G_W5qBg5olYQ55BlWB0VSi0ElxL5P_WvUmV8DcUQ0svITIs5tsDrVtMOF427BnI2t_oXKRk9L1kKVX-jkFichyphenhyphenF8orYyfpDFtGdE/s1600/RedtailedHawk_20110413_0920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynrvtBx3cPppWuNeIu8EUeBU6Ot13u8lHk1bVAn2G_W5qBg5olYQ55BlWB0VSi0ElxL5P_WvUmV8DcUQ0svITIs5tsDrVtMOF427BnI2t_oXKRk9L1kKVX-jkFichyphenhyphenF8orYyfpDFtGdE/s320/RedtailedHawk_20110413_0920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPfTvCPLdbYeHSHfa6C_agf50jaCevf8K0PKB87dcfJ49fo7KGXRZnbQctpjQnhgckSU5YZhS_y6wQWs3irferEvklpEvMkyjQPaA7PYRIsRtPt6JQ224dQfJF6VXyDh55QdGpmjLON4/s1600/RedtailedHawk_20110410_0731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oJiK-gzXoMjGOCDsbWl6eweZRQPYlBCgdUgdODTH3abj2_anRpxJquYSEvp1HpqyYjO2vL2mfJsQR05WS9FL-nH7EuHpSKi71tCcpc8qjFfz87z-WjNAM9U8rKjvokDTJAS9PvlioOg/s1600/RedtailedHawk_20110413_0917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oJiK-gzXoMjGOCDsbWl6eweZRQPYlBCgdUgdODTH3abj2_anRpxJquYSEvp1HpqyYjO2vL2mfJsQR05WS9FL-nH7EuHpSKi71tCcpc8qjFfz87z-WjNAM9U8rKjvokDTJAS9PvlioOg/s320/RedtailedHawk_20110413_0917.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPfTvCPLdbYeHSHfa6C_agf50jaCevf8K0PKB87dcfJ49fo7KGXRZnbQctpjQnhgckSU5YZhS_y6wQWs3irferEvklpEvMkyjQPaA7PYRIsRtPt6JQ224dQfJF6VXyDh55QdGpmjLON4/s1600/RedtailedHawk_20110410_0731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-38302026561370283252011-04-11T15:06:00.002-06:002011-04-11T15:12:29.080-06:00Barred Owl (Strix varia)<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The Barred Owl (<i>Strix varia</i>) is common, though sparse, in much of Alberta’s forested regions. I have heard and seen them regularly in Edmonton’s ravines that are rich in the riparian habitat, with mature conifers, water and open spaces, that they like. During the day these nocturnal hunters tend to roost and doze rather high up and under cover of thick foliage, so spotting them is a challenge and getting good unobstructed photographs even more so. The Barred Owl is a highly vocal owl, giving a loud and resounding "<i>hoo, hoo, too-HOO; hoo, hoo, too-HOO, ooo</i>" which is often mnemonically phrased by ornithologists as "<i>Who, cooks, for-you? Who, cooks, for-you, all</i>?" – the last syllable descends and fades noticeably. Because the song has eight hoots, ending in a descending <i>oo-aw</i>, one of its nicknames is Eight Hooter. They will call in the daytime as well as at night. Now, during the mating and early nesting season, I most often hear them especially near dawn and dusk, then I try to follow my ear to their perch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi4WgCzp6fkHJ7VFiqp01LeevCwkhNEs6xGYSfJoK9dKa5Ex3K7FHQ3x0reLI2D0ijwu055CMsSBMOT6sydZ2kGiaJH0NKP5EKDn5I7FVv09TVVsc-DLq-OeJcP95rX2ie20-9UcGdJA/s1600/BarredOwl_20110305_8807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi4WgCzp6fkHJ7VFiqp01LeevCwkhNEs6xGYSfJoK9dKa5Ex3K7FHQ3x0reLI2D0ijwu055CMsSBMOT6sydZ2kGiaJH0NKP5EKDn5I7FVv09TVVsc-DLq-OeJcP95rX2ie20-9UcGdJA/s320/BarredOwl_20110305_8807.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">They get their name from the white horizontal barring on the chest and vertical barring on the belly. They are round-headed with a whitish/brown facial disk with dark brown trim. The eyes are blackish-brown, and the beak is bright yellow and almost covered by feathers. They have a long tail. There is no difference in plumage between males and the larger females.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lXr0Q8nRi0crx07tvLYgFASYlluMaWgNbH1xAIN3bd629k4AVToUkY4E5K4aRNs8xQMr2eFp15iy2rpCO19iBm0klSFxuqe8gFP7G3V4j3NlOhmERkpFbLC_sGmT26CIX0gAsKR3zgg/s1600/BarredOwl_20110305_8802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lXr0Q8nRi0crx07tvLYgFASYlluMaWgNbH1xAIN3bd629k4AVToUkY4E5K4aRNs8xQMr2eFp15iy2rpCO19iBm0klSFxuqe8gFP7G3V4j3NlOhmERkpFbLC_sGmT26CIX0gAsKR3zgg/s320/BarredOwl_20110305_8802.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjvaqTKlrsvUdnt-R-fk3_e0bMwIo7pTuFTaMomeKgw1QQXLkdbfXmgxhMTNaHehPGBCs_5Kihmfo0KQQcma34eoBeUe0roP6eQbu52cXA70UDSj56xf9rKfoncEDQeXCSykxgqsw-nI/s1600/BarredOwl20110409_0662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjvaqTKlrsvUdnt-R-fk3_e0bMwIo7pTuFTaMomeKgw1QQXLkdbfXmgxhMTNaHehPGBCs_5Kihmfo0KQQcma34eoBeUe0roP6eQbu52cXA70UDSj56xf9rKfoncEDQeXCSykxgqsw-nI/s320/BarredOwl20110409_0662.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It hunts mainly from a perch, feeding on small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects. It prefers to nest in a natural tree hollow, but it will also use an abandoned stick nest of another species. I have read that they prey on birds on the wing, but I wonder about that, given their lumbering flight. Being nocturnal hunters it is more likely that they take birds once they have settled into their nighttime roosts.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBMYjxleGanG_zEbmxAhFAO881AZB-b4jV39j_WkLKXKJzeZ0nMVKKsRCbdQ6y40qJ0pPSz9dcz_zdSEgI9ToHlRdeAPi6a1FsUU3wm2Wzafobmza_Xx_WAfUkliX2O-RzPmBQzjojaI/s1600/BarredOwl_20110409_0636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBMYjxleGanG_zEbmxAhFAO881AZB-b4jV39j_WkLKXKJzeZ0nMVKKsRCbdQ6y40qJ0pPSz9dcz_zdSEgI9ToHlRdeAPi6a1FsUU3wm2Wzafobmza_Xx_WAfUkliX2O-RzPmBQzjojaI/s320/BarredOwl_20110409_0636.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Barred Owls have been known to live up to 23 years in captivity and 10 years in the wild. The Great Horned Owl is the most serious predatory threat to the Barred Owl. Although they often live in the same areas, the Barred Owl will avoid parts of its territory that is occupied by a Great Horned Owl. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdSdx0wMku8jrso97GZS3H2Ujq0OmKonCZV-rPfqF7TkdDmsDgJPifwWlmXZnquPuYW3lgaSy9B5D8TciMg99cGcn33g8FvhgXVffFyVAudJTGD0PceB5c08PQBgtVrkga5-YGhM-0Jk/s1600/BarredOwl_20110409_0644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdSdx0wMku8jrso97GZS3H2Ujq0OmKonCZV-rPfqF7TkdDmsDgJPifwWlmXZnquPuYW3lgaSy9B5D8TciMg99cGcn33g8FvhgXVffFyVAudJTGD0PceB5c08PQBgtVrkga5-YGhM-0Jk/s320/BarredOwl_20110409_0644.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cShkiTjh4lxN8nWHu8sr-oc5wYBRkdERBYEeeQg5HVZ5_GonV2z5BPReMzS_uBMzqxcyFNedaBh-1-0hP2cvtTKRy8_THjKOEID5FlzYJtfxMlotBpqEsO6wehuCTs54_OShsPy2CKc/s1600/BarredOwl_20110409_0678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cShkiTjh4lxN8nWHu8sr-oc5wYBRkdERBYEeeQg5HVZ5_GonV2z5BPReMzS_uBMzqxcyFNedaBh-1-0hP2cvtTKRy8_THjKOEID5FlzYJtfxMlotBpqEsO6wehuCTs54_OShsPy2CKc/s320/BarredOwl_20110409_0678.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wonder why its second Latin name is <i>varia</i>? In Latin, <i>varia</i> is a form of the word “various,” meaning diverse. Barred Owls have also been known as Northern Barred Owl, Swamp Owl, Striped Owl, Hoot Owl (a widely used popular name), Eight Hooter (because it calls in a series of eight hoots), Round-Headed Owl, Laughing Owl, Crazy Owl, Black-Eyed Owl, Le Chat-huant du Nord (French for “The Hooting Cat of the North”) and Wood Owl, among others.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB1UU-HLXTQSz6oVFWbZpDN56XEoc3FIQkM8lmcmpDYjdAyYSEc7Wf0CJpZAPgmOJItcu4XibyapNMb5UAFO6Q0vL5P4p2vzFrEa8Un2pL-_jdOxzAFDIzak4x6PW00hlDN2ZP8UdIGU/s1600/BarredOwl_20110305_8803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB1UU-HLXTQSz6oVFWbZpDN56XEoc3FIQkM8lmcmpDYjdAyYSEc7Wf0CJpZAPgmOJItcu4XibyapNMb5UAFO6Q0vL5P4p2vzFrEa8Un2pL-_jdOxzAFDIzak4x6PW00hlDN2ZP8UdIGU/s320/BarredOwl_20110305_8803.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-20509022441768592282011-03-18T07:26:00.001-06:002011-04-05T06:20:47.942-06:00Pileated Woodpecker<div class="MsoNormal">It is always a thrill to see this large, brilliantly red-crested woodpecker (<i>Dryocopus pileatus</i>). In the Edmonton area we are lucky that this distinctive woodpecker can be heard or spotted all year, especially in the forested river valley, the many ravines, and in city parks with stands of old trees. Several times a year they even come around to my feeders at home and they are regular visitors to a treed quad just in front of the building in which I have my office at the University of Alberta. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday, this pair spent about an hour near the birdfeeders, including some suet treats, at Hawrelak Park, adjacent to the South Saskatchewan river in south Edmonton. Normally these birds are quite shy and wary. On this day they seemed not to mind being approached, perhaps because they were too interested in each other. It is early mating season for these guys. Male and female took turns flying about 70 feet up a poplar tree, throwing their heads back, and clucking while the mate listened and watched from nearby.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-cAmiPM5gj2LM9Id5v7HLGi3L5L6j-76ItAHzzQ4sw6tdccAwiuHz0wUKznuvcz8EQhhCmVYKM0QONLWkN24i-D5YxwL4bwXI0PGHp8UjHN-6I8NpzruPT8VQp6yhH-JpdJxeQyCpbQ/s1600/PileatedWoodpecker_20110314_9870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-cAmiPM5gj2LM9Id5v7HLGi3L5L6j-76ItAHzzQ4sw6tdccAwiuHz0wUKznuvcz8EQhhCmVYKM0QONLWkN24i-D5YxwL4bwXI0PGHp8UjHN-6I8NpzruPT8VQp6yhH-JpdJxeQyCpbQ/s320/PileatedWoodpecker_20110314_9870.jpg" width="213" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNBXlMFDFVQSf51GqQREiLX8db7Y43Qnvq4cSDkD7JH_VNtU7E009xrODBj0Ms9jH9Xm-q4ATe8jr6ki6V-6z4HEzNSxIcG2jrCMGQ72q2R9_aLx0J-BtHH3ufP3PqIgpgzg9KnIiAZU/s1600/Pileated+Woodpecker+20110317_0050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNBXlMFDFVQSf51GqQREiLX8db7Y43Qnvq4cSDkD7JH_VNtU7E009xrODBj0Ms9jH9Xm-q4ATe8jr6ki6V-6z4HEzNSxIcG2jrCMGQ72q2R9_aLx0J-BtHH3ufP3PqIgpgzg9KnIiAZU/s320/Pileated+Woodpecker+20110317_0050.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Males and females are easy to tell apart. The male has a vivid red crest extending from the bill to the nape and a distinctive, easily noted red moustache mark extending from the bill. Females are a bit smaller than male and with a forehead that is gray to brown and, for me the most tell-tale fieldmark, no red moustache.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Pileated Woodpecker's choice of meal is carpenter ants. Large rectangular holes in dead wood are signs of a Pileated Woodpecker's excavations for these large ants. They also eat other insects, supplemented by seeds and fruit. Excitingly, they will also come to suet feeders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nests are excavated 15 to 70 feet high in a large dead tree. The unlined nest cavity may be as much as 24 inches deep. Both parents incubate three to five eggs for 15 or 16 days. The young may take a month to fledge. Last summer I had discovered a nest in a cottonwood tree and had looked forward to watching the hatchlings emerge, but then travel intervened. Perhaps this summer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihclQyWLWngUTQPs7-gQCzzD4D5aC4Nt8iUIO1VCArBff5779Icfx7RcE0ZXMDEtXFDIPPkhn_JfXY657H9hY2Qj9aV4EbVwVyjcEMQYXdGPRDNE38L5ILmmiV87lltudhjGHNUhSxHzI/s1600/Pileated+Woodpecker+20110317_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihclQyWLWngUTQPs7-gQCzzD4D5aC4Nt8iUIO1VCArBff5779Icfx7RcE0ZXMDEtXFDIPPkhn_JfXY657H9hY2Qj9aV4EbVwVyjcEMQYXdGPRDNE38L5ILmmiV87lltudhjGHNUhSxHzI/s320/Pileated+Woodpecker+20110317_0052.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
An interesting quirk about this species is that they excavate square holes. Here is an example of a female preparing a cavity in a dead cottonwood trunk. It is nearly nesting season so I will watch this one to see if this will turn into a Woodie Condo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwaLWkXl2yuvV91nijT66uA0IC18Hoz1dEWkVgL2hP3z-gQVzS5BjV8VC6shjOoSezFsH5dCqBrViSLKEWpHO1qZM9hvGhVhyphenhyphenfGVjUVuMTTzZz9lobiPKdkiXKg7UlVgHOWtWLLIO02w/s1600/PileatedWoodpecker_20110404_0584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwaLWkXl2yuvV91nijT66uA0IC18Hoz1dEWkVgL2hP3z-gQVzS5BjV8VC6shjOoSezFsH5dCqBrViSLKEWpHO1qZM9hvGhVhyphenhyphenfGVjUVuMTTzZz9lobiPKdkiXKg7UlVgHOWtWLLIO02w/s320/PileatedWoodpecker_20110404_0584.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JnLNP3Webwedi38yKDax4zfATZ4Mw1TeMVm37a41lSOzmHqcj30J3-AjVlRVqf5RzwuQbhkyJUoAt1ycEjunIR4lKFfDzqRUVigMhfksJMOZfxHHHrsxkfMtP01QilqTAhrKtlwAS1w/s1600/PileatedWoodpecker_20110404_0582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JnLNP3Webwedi38yKDax4zfATZ4Mw1TeMVm37a41lSOzmHqcj30J3-AjVlRVqf5RzwuQbhkyJUoAt1ycEjunIR4lKFfDzqRUVigMhfksJMOZfxHHHrsxkfMtP01QilqTAhrKtlwAS1w/s320/PileatedWoodpecker_20110404_0582.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
</div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-20216378417935547812011-03-12T17:51:00.062-07:002011-03-21T10:28:39.152-06:00Great Gray day<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Wednesday, March 9, sunny , started out -18C in the morning but warmed -2C by about noon. My aim was to comb the range and township roads (snow-covered dirt roads), looking for Great Gray Owls (and Hawk Owls, of which none were found) in the wooded areas of the Halfmoon Lake Natural Area and Opal Natural Area, roughly bounded by TWP 570 in the south, TWP 592 in the north, RR 221 in the east and RR 235 in the west. It’s prime Great Gray country. And on this day it actually was!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FzskNu54xrv0xl6kRSl3Jnfyb4J4J2XwCmmicSA5blpMYVCF34bzcQMnyZeoV3_jOwsPlRHR_f8Fz5BeK3MioV7dBY9El8qctoSrKbwYt-7PTK090sJ77e4ZzMaCphDPp5r6ayC0Wss/s1600/GG+in+habitat_20110309_9595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FzskNu54xrv0xl6kRSl3Jnfyb4J4J2XwCmmicSA5blpMYVCF34bzcQMnyZeoV3_jOwsPlRHR_f8Fz5BeK3MioV7dBY9El8qctoSrKbwYt-7PTK090sJ77e4ZzMaCphDPp5r6ayC0Wss/s320/GG+in+habitat_20110309_9595.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUK_mxV95miVMNYFf2o71kb_xhTpn5YYs5w8mMsaUVfI9kGapWXpj4XKfk6WWvzwmigQURA9UsDuPkN_C2lvLzk_vIUc1AG0z-uYO47DhAfNAvtcgRutpMfTXyDM6rKak7n4Omwkt2Dc/s1600/GG1_20110309_9425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUK_mxV95miVMNYFf2o71kb_xhTpn5YYs5w8mMsaUVfI9kGapWXpj4XKfk6WWvzwmigQURA9UsDuPkN_C2lvLzk_vIUc1AG0z-uYO47DhAfNAvtcgRutpMfTXyDM6rKak7n4Omwkt2Dc/s320/GG1_20110309_9425.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwfWU9wrrpxof2q3QgPYUeTrLRS6QVd3Jc4MURv1IHeKX-zkHVzbtZoY_8ohafnjRxmmQbKAfJDwp2GRlKUSkWj711SfNN1MOfDy1BPFlfYdZxBc0JZebuursdtXlon7fc8YphelmzyQ/s1600/GG+in+habitat_20110309_9599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwfWU9wrrpxof2q3QgPYUeTrLRS6QVd3Jc4MURv1IHeKX-zkHVzbtZoY_8ohafnjRxmmQbKAfJDwp2GRlKUSkWj711SfNN1MOfDy1BPFlfYdZxBc0JZebuursdtXlon7fc8YphelmzyQ/s320/GG+in+habitat_20110309_9599.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8UzzlpWw-ZpMqGUsXa8OoqpBhDeWsrUsBT3UjlM0tHRnN1_0LTmmsJ-jnelEmvjcv3eYNR7T-heYQp7EcGAlVOmvEQUBu9ilZlj6jZnyaGI7E9aMrXw2jtHm_8SBzv7YqjsrElSPc74/s1600/GG4_20110309_9150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8UzzlpWw-ZpMqGUsXa8OoqpBhDeWsrUsBT3UjlM0tHRnN1_0LTmmsJ-jnelEmvjcv3eYNR7T-heYQp7EcGAlVOmvEQUBu9ilZlj6jZnyaGI7E9aMrXw2jtHm_8SBzv7YqjsrElSPc74/s320/GG4_20110309_9150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScO04bQqGxQsumRbGAecofS3FRA2pLLnrzkxgIPAvAa8HlK3nF7rSmlC_HMIL0o4PkCQDqkEryXKcymUTrhRg5rt9T3-IlHpZeCEISEI_c5IDka4QVSZAGHzG-TeIVSVjHPUIXWeAw04/s1600/GG0W_DSC_6283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScO04bQqGxQsumRbGAecofS3FRA2pLLnrzkxgIPAvAa8HlK3nF7rSmlC_HMIL0o4PkCQDqkEryXKcymUTrhRg5rt9T3-IlHpZeCEISEI_c5IDka4QVSZAGHzG-TeIVSVjHPUIXWeAw04/s320/GG0W_DSC_6283.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
In Alberta, the Great Gray inhabits forests of the boreal regions and foothill regions in the central and northern parts of the province, but their total range includes the circumpolar coniferous forests of the world. The Great Gray owl is a naturally scarce species. This along with its need for declining mature forests during the nesting period has earned the classification as Sensitive in the current General Status of Alberta Wild Species report.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEsXIBAYOKlPhKY_SLXo9_xLWygEJsk0e9Kj5JFtx_pAzB7iWCr8IV2Ix8HUqI_-bXXnkzHVVy2dlB16XDTnIsN1fggK-DNP5QSbYM6e8oDCuZ60sqrUSb9mLgBWVN6RvMjtooXZUhdk/s1600/GG5_20110309_9236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEsXIBAYOKlPhKY_SLXo9_xLWygEJsk0e9Kj5JFtx_pAzB7iWCr8IV2Ix8HUqI_-bXXnkzHVVy2dlB16XDTnIsN1fggK-DNP5QSbYM6e8oDCuZ60sqrUSb9mLgBWVN6RvMjtooXZUhdk/s320/GG5_20110309_9236.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK_9OX5QD5gnjqWa6SLWGGFIsQTR1N0XpfksJ_jIBlYvtRN-cEhSvOGyHaVxafwbkIK2O016JX4uEjJjKy8H7zkayS7o53WtQfcNIlRaSPVglh7P_fvAchr_CW5R8VxR6Tez7u4405UQ/s1600/GG+launch_DSC_6459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK_9OX5QD5gnjqWa6SLWGGFIsQTR1N0XpfksJ_jIBlYvtRN-cEhSvOGyHaVxafwbkIK2O016JX4uEjJjKy8H7zkayS7o53WtQfcNIlRaSPVglh7P_fvAchr_CW5R8VxR6Tez7u4405UQ/s320/GG+launch_DSC_6459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Since they hunt from a perch, either tree a raised dead snag or a fence post, they are often easy to spot from a distance as a large feathery blob outlined against the sky.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdA3XOGrgm9LNTLD6kkEtyI0SWEEASdXJ8srNxktUpY8FysN-WXCSXUKLtWAz4yVoUVLHG5tuolXh7IYJWkvzAjjX1ihUZ4hEVjd1Nv7p482awox_5tbNONwjVkGu21xbwt4Pm93SW0h0/s1600/Perching_20110309_9442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdA3XOGrgm9LNTLD6kkEtyI0SWEEASdXJ8srNxktUpY8FysN-WXCSXUKLtWAz4yVoUVLHG5tuolXh7IYJWkvzAjjX1ihUZ4hEVjd1Nv7p482awox_5tbNONwjVkGu21xbwt4Pm93SW0h0/s320/Perching_20110309_9442.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL_h6hbcaam-lywYhxgMK3puVeoTj0aJGaQx_YdpUfpSCc9Vc8T7_Tqw7WD06jLityZIS3L_pc59ZDQWGddmuLysOoOixRflbfhRM8Vz_qU86lcJn4O9kFn5uZVXTVLSHXveuE5h7ds0/s1600/GG+on+post_20110309_9176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL_h6hbcaam-lywYhxgMK3puVeoTj0aJGaQx_YdpUfpSCc9Vc8T7_Tqw7WD06jLityZIS3L_pc59ZDQWGddmuLysOoOixRflbfhRM8Vz_qU86lcJn4O9kFn5uZVXTVLSHXveuE5h7ds0/s320/GG+on+post_20110309_9176.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HVhiULVH4uHq9EppARcnBsxDnns0o7uG8fgLNQY8X3uhFu1hklWLBs-dp59avZfugNvHWfI8KY6jvBhWVS0ocHf89xHIrZYlDal5ccveyvYqn1FomXDqfovpEN8_l7cbWBTlH9TuRnM/s1600/Perch2_20110309_9536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HVhiULVH4uHq9EppARcnBsxDnns0o7uG8fgLNQY8X3uhFu1hklWLBs-dp59avZfugNvHWfI8KY6jvBhWVS0ocHf89xHIrZYlDal5ccveyvYqn1FomXDqfovpEN8_l7cbWBTlH9TuRnM/s320/Perch2_20110309_9536.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHa_Mq9c3nZ1PJnwJKYCL2XyLV70TOhnarj2omht2NWYKI29MY62oqRxovmoc8srZIOzwzA7i8sES4jTZ3GNkyp_6uZ3fO-jlK0liFRfXmgbVT1tqrmP8ptmcv_xvQFQv8gARLhQTc3k0/s1600/GG+on+snag_20110309_9540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHa_Mq9c3nZ1PJnwJKYCL2XyLV70TOhnarj2omht2NWYKI29MY62oqRxovmoc8srZIOzwzA7i8sES4jTZ3GNkyp_6uZ3fO-jlK0liFRfXmgbVT1tqrmP8ptmcv_xvQFQv8gARLhQTc3k0/s320/GG+on+snag_20110309_9540.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmmKasdopRabWqMSwD-fu5Qcx9g7G62PgpRcgKGEc4O4cOBLUsGVVSgoojegqbOZQCmXHltBU7XCKQNO-1135Kh4bw-x0gsrTt02feMVEoqKizckLV5qIXCS_xkS-cSghZPkGNO0Q2Ag/s1600/GG+in+habitat_20110315_9966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmmKasdopRabWqMSwD-fu5Qcx9g7G62PgpRcgKGEc4O4cOBLUsGVVSgoojegqbOZQCmXHltBU7XCKQNO-1135Kh4bw-x0gsrTt02feMVEoqKizckLV5qIXCS_xkS-cSghZPkGNO0Q2Ag/s320/GG+in+habitat_20110315_9966.jpg" width="213" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuJXIpXwWdhKfc0XJfc9p1DWiKvv8lXeXIdWHz0TTZ7la8A0GA1xbbFhXmeudvB_Jw3WAyJ6n9rNoNSAAJ9BMQyF_56sptZePBiRfXMywXDudnR6oOxu7J5nboWcmOcjX2sQ1ilM8iGI/s1600/GG+launch_20110315_9967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuJXIpXwWdhKfc0XJfc9p1DWiKvv8lXeXIdWHz0TTZ7la8A0GA1xbbFhXmeudvB_Jw3WAyJ6n9rNoNSAAJ9BMQyF_56sptZePBiRfXMywXDudnR6oOxu7J5nboWcmOcjX2sQ1ilM8iGI/s320/GG+launch_20110315_9967.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Although <style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> the Great Gray is the tallest owl in North America, measuring about 75cm long, most of its apparent bulk comes from its fluffy plumage and large head. Its body weight, at about 2.5 pounds, is less than that of the Great Horned Owl and the Snowy Owl. From <style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style>its perch this Great Gray listens for prey. Though their vision is good, hearing is an even more valuable tool for these forest hunters. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR_Rj9XngvB2HdfE3enlwdF_3zj_NikbikEMKEUolYYxnsimaG0O5cduDqtjvYVPzefcLVyU1HKTX7Xc35r5ZQ2rx1kShj9fkfRhgS68EGpCPavHbIaqnqVHIaLj0dVy1f34gu6G6joU/s1600/GG+hunting+on+post_20110309_9447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR_Rj9XngvB2HdfE3enlwdF_3zj_NikbikEMKEUolYYxnsimaG0O5cduDqtjvYVPzefcLVyU1HKTX7Xc35r5ZQ2rx1kShj9fkfRhgS68EGpCPavHbIaqnqVHIaLj0dVy1f34gu6G6joU/s320/GG+hunting+on+post_20110309_9447.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzhyY5d8cMUMUKJ9XrcInC41_AHSmg1Fa-WgyXSf6uSQ86OJIaS2XdZu1EXQGU3OkkbRqAs4NhAuk33IcMWzcxhed2ZfiTkQnNNtxejmt3JsUBjn0ORtAzbkGnniHWjDu-eecMpFn2wo/s1600/GG+stare_20110313_9704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzhyY5d8cMUMUKJ9XrcInC41_AHSmg1Fa-WgyXSf6uSQ86OJIaS2XdZu1EXQGU3OkkbRqAs4NhAuk33IcMWzcxhed2ZfiTkQnNNtxejmt3JsUBjn0ORtAzbkGnniHWjDu-eecMpFn2wo/s320/GG+stare_20110313_9704.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzjqKq6drUsG85GGzyJrO8W8XHxrNWUTikrvn2bXuh2oQ0EfcDKVc7jjH6479hC-a_Tr5jP9M15K9mlWkiBUZHyqHdt4EQPp97Z2mtd8qWRDD7SXT_s9qkIz7luqzXdeVfq_wgsKRTYA/s1600/GG-hunting+from+post_20110309_9197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzjqKq6drUsG85GGzyJrO8W8XHxrNWUTikrvn2bXuh2oQ0EfcDKVc7jjH6479hC-a_Tr5jP9M15K9mlWkiBUZHyqHdt4EQPp97Z2mtd8qWRDD7SXT_s9qkIz7luqzXdeVfq_wgsKRTYA/s320/GG-hunting+from+post_20110309_9197.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-mvNlGgZXQczHgJxws-guoYc8zlA6c1_j8f2rkMI5ftgELb0r7CA4y_8I9a675t7YSSU4jwy9EKGG0t4p-MgHFlAlErCG6k42v868GH30fRjCnJxJezo4ho9y1lTN0I9IvacFWKVUe0/s1600/GG-2_20110309_9189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-mvNlGgZXQczHgJxws-guoYc8zlA6c1_j8f2rkMI5ftgELb0r7CA4y_8I9a675t7YSSU4jwy9EKGG0t4p-MgHFlAlErCG6k42v868GH30fRjCnJxJezo4ho9y1lTN0I9IvacFWKVUe0/s320/GG-2_20110309_9189.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd94PvW049FP6CnIjPCfCfTD9dNWMNB-BWIjOr6c10XPJFh8xGQxSdqAMLf-K2XTYLqMxBz7WR8P3vZkmwtdy6ta_tEzMjBH4wFV7T0K_Fh6jAdw26gowaKA1uRE-fXd_OEM2YGxvngk/s1600/GG+in+Snow_20110309_9295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd94PvW049FP6CnIjPCfCfTD9dNWMNB-BWIjOr6c10XPJFh8xGQxSdqAMLf-K2XTYLqMxBz7WR8P3vZkmwtdy6ta_tEzMjBH4wFV7T0K_Fh6jAdw26gowaKA1uRE-fXd_OEM2YGxvngk/s320/GG+in+Snow_20110309_9295.jpg" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgcjZZmTXtZkDgtTcInaz9FVccSdO7tmm1SS4omnkM5UeMAhzf4-XudGADkcZk71Pnx7IZSaUkyOD2sH0RM7-Faoy4jBBOuPcx_Rshr8h_e-OIhb0HY6_gB78BFmhP4XCUV2DzWKn5k4/s1600/GG+in+Snow_20110309_9284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgcjZZmTXtZkDgtTcInaz9FVccSdO7tmm1SS4omnkM5UeMAhzf4-XudGADkcZk71Pnx7IZSaUkyOD2sH0RM7-Faoy4jBBOuPcx_Rshr8h_e-OIhb0HY6_gB78BFmhP4XCUV2DzWKn5k4/s320/GG+in+Snow_20110309_9284.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmkVtiw2v-RStto5koqpFZknSqtfUknDDARcXRswL50Bp-TmdqOAMBHtTkSRwhNEXYA87kb2ZJprkkVXSn5-wi_VlmS6SE01gx5j3HUtKWC9tcN5kL7eK4RboqR_7sQO8aPVHuF7tvfk/s1600/GG3_20110309_9405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmkVtiw2v-RStto5koqpFZknSqtfUknDDARcXRswL50Bp-TmdqOAMBHtTkSRwhNEXYA87kb2ZJprkkVXSn5-wi_VlmS6SE01gx5j3HUtKWC9tcN5kL7eK4RboqR_7sQO8aPVHuF7tvfk/s320/GG3_20110309_9405.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfiqtEu6V67v2RTK5R30-trQ60v0cFkPfyejSEtuh0NLb2ivnipOoGHdGRhHbmMMHm56Nq5xtqBdusyT23o4FgT8BKlidu3LTdWz1mE8ItgkqCpBT5H9WXtYUyYqW5kgHR5o9-FuCwNs/s1600/GG+in+flight1_DSC_6219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfiqtEu6V67v2RTK5R30-trQ60v0cFkPfyejSEtuh0NLb2ivnipOoGHdGRhHbmMMHm56Nq5xtqBdusyT23o4FgT8BKlidu3LTdWz1mE8ItgkqCpBT5H9WXtYUyYqW5kgHR5o9-FuCwNs/s320/GG+in+flight1_DSC_6219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbphYJnDcY-UAoqJj3cqV8FpCEi1Sa5pMjEH3ODczqwJLntJ2vscE6mgfMHD0QJNP07gYjRDedXRj49sCcXISli9QkBpvf4TRh_6cAX_HVuCDohQd6RyNvDoRD0YW3312Kfkse8hkaj0Y/s1600/GG+in+flight+DSC_6240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbphYJnDcY-UAoqJj3cqV8FpCEi1Sa5pMjEH3ODczqwJLntJ2vscE6mgfMHD0QJNP07gYjRDedXRj49sCcXISli9QkBpvf4TRh_6cAX_HVuCDohQd6RyNvDoRD0YW3312Kfkse8hkaj0Y/s320/GG+in+flight+DSC_6240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHZ-sMazbOI54GQ0fVCQ_jJybj4NZK174Gb5J8rHvPaB6CSY0mlkaJnY383GimcxlYbL21Pyy_zKGfhvzythurpyry-hjx6H_1neRKHTx7nmPnKJhX60a1RWrir-AGZ2MOOloUEmE-H0/s1600/GG+hover_20110315_9947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHZ-sMazbOI54GQ0fVCQ_jJybj4NZK174Gb5J8rHvPaB6CSY0mlkaJnY383GimcxlYbL21Pyy_zKGfhvzythurpyry-hjx6H_1neRKHTx7nmPnKJhX60a1RWrir-AGZ2MOOloUEmE-H0/s320/GG+hover_20110315_9947.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">When their ears pick up the rustle of a vole or mouse beneath the snow, these owls don't just pounce, they plunge. With ice-pick talons tucked under their chins, Great Grays hurtle head-first into deep snow to snatch voles—diving with such power that they can shatter snow crust thick enough to hold a 180-pound person. They locate hidden prey with the help of large facial disks that funnel sound to their ears. When the plunge succeeds, the hunter wriggles out of the snow then carries the prey to a safe spot for consuming. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0iD5BZFYg4GQI2pI5zg0lq-x9hKz3oQ6MxzcIXrxwrfrUofGaB8cYan0_vlrroOpa9pp5k6AnYmvX8vLIrEcFqrGF_A_oRk_9YkpH8bYZX6xWkgSLkUL3ZhIhyXb3vNvZQB2PWvqrQo/s1600/GGinflight_20110309_9262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0iD5BZFYg4GQI2pI5zg0lq-x9hKz3oQ6MxzcIXrxwrfrUofGaB8cYan0_vlrroOpa9pp5k6AnYmvX8vLIrEcFqrGF_A_oRk_9YkpH8bYZX6xWkgSLkUL3ZhIhyXb3vNvZQB2PWvqrQo/s320/GGinflight_20110309_9262.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zfF1CZlZBSv8HoRbaN304JbkPD5lHPGwLUiUr-Hbu8AqaZ5hzPrryS2uTiAGGn729QlsR3VSROSr7IgA8j0sAEsPwf86aGFMsbzMZN5_WUSk-tscCDvw_Cp3RgpqFnCn2ybFQ6cpWlY/s1600/GG+in+flight+closeup_DSC_6336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zfF1CZlZBSv8HoRbaN304JbkPD5lHPGwLUiUr-Hbu8AqaZ5hzPrryS2uTiAGGn729QlsR3VSROSr7IgA8j0sAEsPwf86aGFMsbzMZN5_WUSk-tscCDvw_Cp3RgpqFnCn2ybFQ6cpWlY/s320/GG+in+flight+closeup_DSC_6336.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The following photos are of a close encounter with Great Gray. When I spotted a pair of GGs on a range road in the Halfmoon Lake Natural Area, I stopped and got out of my vehicle with my binos. Almost immediately an owl approached and landed on a tree about 10ft above my car. I returned to the vehicle to retrieve my photo gear and proceeded to mount my lens on a tripod. When I reached into my pocket to retrieve a glove I pulled out my car keys inadvertently. They fell to the ground on the road and, in a flash of a feathery blur, GG pounced on them and lifted off with them in its talons. Oh my, I thought. Here I am on a lonely, little travelled country road, without a phone and GG has my only keys! It flew about 100ft into the forest, landed, inspected the keys, then promptly dropped them into the snow. Inedible, it must have thought. I waded through hip-deep snow, dug out my keys, and returned to my tripod. A minute later GG flew out of the forest and landed on a fence post about 50ft away, looking at me expectantly. By now I was a bit puzzled. GGs are relatively approachable, but this one is acting too oddly towards humans, I thought. It must have been fed or baited by humans before and had learned to associate people with handouts, I thought to myself. Then I noticed that it had a swath of primary wing feathers missing on its right wing. This did not affect its ability to fly (or to hunt, as I observed later), but it may be that it had been injured, nursed back to health in a wildlife hospice, then released once it could look after itself again. All the same, it looked to humans for food, as I would find out in a minute. I trained my lens on GG sitting on a post. Through my viewfinder, I saw it duck down into launch pose. Still through my viewfinder I saw it launch toward me, rapidly blurring out of focus. A split second later I felt one of its talons close on the middle finger of my right hand, my camera shutter hand. Startled, I looked up and saw GG sitting on a tree behind me. Evidently it must have seen the slight wiggle of my shutter finger and assumed that I had food in my hand. Its whack drew blood but was really quite gentle, more in the way of assertively begging for food than attacking a potential predator too close for comfort or too close to its nest.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">[UPDATE: I have now found out a bit more about this owl. According to Gerald Romanchuk, among Alberta's premier birders and photographers, this owl was captured by his friend, Ray Cromie, an owl bander, a few weeks ago. Acccording to Ray, this same owl was banded by him 7 years ago, when it was aged as an after third-year bird and sexed as female. That makes this GG lady about 10 yrs old, quite remarkable, since, according to the textbooks, the average age in the wild for the GG is about 7 years. The missing wing primaries and some inner primaries, Ray and Gerald guess, is the result of an attack by a Great Horned Owl or a goshawk. As a way of helping the old lady out now and then, she has been given a mouse now and then, which explains her begging behaviour around humans. Thanks to Gerald Romanchuk for this information!] </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQEjypfl92X8l4u2W4goeDdk9O4V_9uWjnbF_YwJJcAYH6Ae3hrYsJAs7dMAefwThgCQK6CwFQ3b5Gaf_dJF_-1sSxximiZkQ9jTSByyyLhissgr4PYBA0aeDZXtG6XHz2OWg9rgz2tA/s1600/GG5_20110309_9216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQEjypfl92X8l4u2W4goeDdk9O4V_9uWjnbF_YwJJcAYH6Ae3hrYsJAs7dMAefwThgCQK6CwFQ3b5Gaf_dJF_-1sSxximiZkQ9jTSByyyLhissgr4PYBA0aeDZXtG6XHz2OWg9rgz2tA/s320/GG5_20110309_9216.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBFkPpHRQgRrOyLZo3Sw6Wf5m_J49Ega4BlN8revs9woo53X6DqY7bqXN1i4F5IPjcXYsQnbeNUvM9BuZ_3PRqalHh3AnxjwtYiSw4LGKE60GOS0oKKQqGh4Z6xThNnu-48A4r0ZfRB0/s1600/GG+head-on_20110309_9246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBFkPpHRQgRrOyLZo3Sw6Wf5m_J49Ega4BlN8revs9woo53X6DqY7bqXN1i4F5IPjcXYsQnbeNUvM9BuZ_3PRqalHh3AnxjwtYiSw4LGKE60GOS0oKKQqGh4Z6xThNnu-48A4r0ZfRB0/s320/GG+head-on_20110309_9246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXOF0iqZkplMLbEpn0X90p2SjkYIsL4cnweWXJvube1BFxEjfp4rsz9InU3bexVheoDLqsb_YdfI4jJk8p_plgi25HhPqtVgl21iC_IzExO9q6-Fb4ifbkOS9PG6WPKU7LeFbixnQXLE/s1600/GG+in+fligh_DSC_6365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXOF0iqZkplMLbEpn0X90p2SjkYIsL4cnweWXJvube1BFxEjfp4rsz9InU3bexVheoDLqsb_YdfI4jJk8p_plgi25HhPqtVgl21iC_IzExO9q6-Fb4ifbkOS9PG6WPKU7LeFbixnQXLE/s320/GG+in+fligh_DSC_6365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4q85bfeS-K1SacAvRFni2xs-I165satSp9LXhOQG3B5jbEWG6rP4c52sOjvjdUD6rPXKXEPccjxC_M7_nNsnYmbnX29w3CDyksu1AX5KuhlyredNlQbqyZIVgiA3B8mLmY9eMRF_pc0/s1600/GG+attack_20110309_9600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4q85bfeS-K1SacAvRFni2xs-I165satSp9LXhOQG3B5jbEWG6rP4c52sOjvjdUD6rPXKXEPccjxC_M7_nNsnYmbnX29w3CDyksu1AX5KuhlyredNlQbqyZIVgiA3B8mLmY9eMRF_pc0/s320/GG+attack_20110309_9600.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After about 20 minutes of shadowing me from post to tree, this GG concluded I was not a sugar daddy. It flew off some distance and began to hunt. I saw it plunge into the snow about 6 or 7 times, but not with success. But I also saw the other Great Grays hunting, more often than not emerging from the snow without a catch. Of course, a vole is small, and GG's legs heavily feathered, so I may not have seen the catch even with my binoculars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few more of this magnificent hunter! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FC0VGOSMmlBDTaBFaonIpHUKGBHwL18LKbxEtmXaPWn7lqgF4b0HsC18LoJguX9-HXSL-O6HorB5N7mdmX4IRGsBfRn1xDz5Vl1ed3-w_sOUuqTU-kKNpdenyG6Qvz3a6ldeBI83OTk/s1600/GG+landing+DSC_6388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FC0VGOSMmlBDTaBFaonIpHUKGBHwL18LKbxEtmXaPWn7lqgF4b0HsC18LoJguX9-HXSL-O6HorB5N7mdmX4IRGsBfRn1xDz5Vl1ed3-w_sOUuqTU-kKNpdenyG6Qvz3a6ldeBI83OTk/s320/GG+landing+DSC_6388.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoySUNjg8QjAb1g0e_Uu-btF78J-HJsZZ4FPalPzIg-EvpktTcMuFCtBWaiGga2HwtFblTvgWyG6nOk_FFVqoF5N6YcpIsDHcalt2iMuuEcKAJ4P0PI8oy3Y5ATaMBEl2j1k1nRq8GWEQ/s1600/GG+stare_20110309_9300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoySUNjg8QjAb1g0e_Uu-btF78J-HJsZZ4FPalPzIg-EvpktTcMuFCtBWaiGga2HwtFblTvgWyG6nOk_FFVqoF5N6YcpIsDHcalt2iMuuEcKAJ4P0PI8oy3Y5ATaMBEl2j1k1nRq8GWEQ/s320/GG+stare_20110309_9300.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWc4oZzVYfWfJ6LVE_IXLO_eJBNGJmo2hvRSwf2ZggdroIW2R4gnnG16WKsripfrsPmdqetuiO17TEadVpll9WJcc3QnJaAD7r0eQAl-veTU4Lm8Qw3M6QFv_NgcoVRrXPDlbmRDATZc/s1600/GG+perching_20110309_9473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWc4oZzVYfWfJ6LVE_IXLO_eJBNGJmo2hvRSwf2ZggdroIW2R4gnnG16WKsripfrsPmdqetuiO17TEadVpll9WJcc3QnJaAD7r0eQAl-veTU4Lm8Qw3M6QFv_NgcoVRrXPDlbmRDATZc/s320/GG+perching_20110309_9473.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoSLilnLCJEXZnsu9k9oL3LW09LMs6GbiZuOJZdLWxy2LVThKtA4ryB9f89y6Wwhou5V1ZEEBRH7jQqbEIJBuZTo9uer2m7bI2XUEUGJdlE4BVwn2cGDpCQNXS6gdTxfqrz-UmiCLbQA/s1600/GG+on+alert_20110313_9684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoSLilnLCJEXZnsu9k9oL3LW09LMs6GbiZuOJZdLWxy2LVThKtA4ryB9f89y6Wwhou5V1ZEEBRH7jQqbEIJBuZTo9uer2m7bI2XUEUGJdlE4BVwn2cGDpCQNXS6gdTxfqrz-UmiCLbQA/s320/GG+on+alert_20110313_9684.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1s3A8AQYEiKETZJinYGrYrl2GPwUQn5kF9lA6B1J5jO46ASKaFzSeH2CzeEu_nMvlEL4seIXV2hbDV5p4nvCQ70WqsrCCni1Z2Moe-9otwKLvGGSmcn8kIss0OT_AiNk2d0Huy4_upyY/s1600/GG+Portrait+side+view+_20110313_9695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1s3A8AQYEiKETZJinYGrYrl2GPwUQn5kF9lA6B1J5jO46ASKaFzSeH2CzeEu_nMvlEL4seIXV2hbDV5p4nvCQ70WqsrCCni1Z2Moe-9otwKLvGGSmcn8kIss0OT_AiNk2d0Huy4_upyY/s320/GG+Portrait+side+view+_20110313_9695.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh yes, while entertaining myself with the owl (and, for a while, it with me) a moose ambled by, showing only glancing and mild interest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjKOkSA3_9Tk0FqFS69JWTzRXWZoZcXb3ioHSyMvWY32vd_z6vBTFkFx1JXbtD4t_c0Kb58zGD_bn87OfbJki5qNDrYvGh-pt9M9JxCmP-BAfro2FNLSEV2j71bAFyJvDDV43SWrN2kQ/s1600/Moose_DSC_6123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjKOkSA3_9Tk0FqFS69JWTzRXWZoZcXb3ioHSyMvWY32vd_z6vBTFkFx1JXbtD4t_c0Kb58zGD_bn87OfbJki5qNDrYvGh-pt9M9JxCmP-BAfro2FNLSEV2j71bAFyJvDDV43SWrN2kQ/s320/Moose_DSC_6123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRftn2cQxwmadfI1v8WOm2kHDYLElMCYrNfM4S9Ftw8FbcLBnojt7Pxnt7tul5onB39BWily4QD9ia4lmogUIBLNixSr7kr_tp9aW09E7PTZkDRx2Zuki3yEEnpxLR8wMksr6IFAEwwQY/s1600/Moose_DSC_6124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRftn2cQxwmadfI1v8WOm2kHDYLElMCYrNfM4S9Ftw8FbcLBnojt7Pxnt7tul5onB39BWily4QD9ia4lmogUIBLNixSr7kr_tp9aW09E7PTZkDRx2Zuki3yEEnpxLR8wMksr6IFAEwwQY/s320/Moose_DSC_6124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-66367047929480299572011-02-28T21:53:00.003-07:002011-03-02T12:35:37.706-07:00"Shortie"<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The Short-eared Owl (<i>Asio flammeus</i>) is a world traveler! It can be spotted in every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Indeed, it is one of the most widely distributed owls on the planet. It breeds in every province and territory in Canada. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxo8fkJpk0CYRAK_ABMmvV8RJu9Y4q5c0wPCn9-wpZ8sktSP4hKMtcqol3aN8aUvu2f9cs2O26GApmuaMp61VI4H3H6RvQiZiIn6FAF1lZh48CZDzfqz5AfRFCf4D0YEn-j_iPzNBE8hg/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxo8fkJpk0CYRAK_ABMmvV8RJu9Y4q5c0wPCn9-wpZ8sktSP4hKMtcqol3aN8aUvu2f9cs2O26GApmuaMp61VI4H3H6RvQiZiIn6FAF1lZh48CZDzfqz5AfRFCf4D0YEn-j_iPzNBE8hg/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8692.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A medium-sized owl, about the size of a crow, this species likes vast stretches of fairly open habitat, particularly marshland and deep grass fields. Prairies, grassy plains and tundra are some of its preferred summer haunts. Large-scale destruction of native prairie grasslands, wetland drainage, urban expansion and increasingly intensive agricultural practices are contributing to the decline of the Short-eared Owl. It is on the “blue list” (species at risk) in Alberta and British Columbia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDff7vfFnz_7alYzXXFRCQWzgPwFkWQnH8dzbzNh4h_1BAwN-oObe8dvzGkiNjajYznXspKE5NOhYX5acqscMlERLTIGxZ6HiF_XqJJIfD6LYLtqJcOMT_gs4GJ8ocd3VUISCkH5wT9E/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDff7vfFnz_7alYzXXFRCQWzgPwFkWQnH8dzbzNh4h_1BAwN-oObe8dvzGkiNjajYznXspKE5NOhYX5acqscMlERLTIGxZ6HiF_XqJJIfD6LYLtqJcOMT_gs4GJ8ocd3VUISCkH5wT9E/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvWM85QaILcBH-jNcHgI1UmSo3-ZHOpSP1JV0qypfCbXz0higjkGUt7-Or9K7gxQFz33WpH4oR1y60tqHlVXIi1-WFAJlWeoRTqDS5koujDY9wro_Ez9AUNquYof9xEyfpuM-6LvZu54/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvWM85QaILcBH-jNcHgI1UmSo3-ZHOpSP1JV0qypfCbXz0higjkGUt7-Or9K7gxQFz33WpH4oR1y60tqHlVXIi1-WFAJlWeoRTqDS5koujDY9wro_Ez9AUNquYof9xEyfpuM-6LvZu54/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8693.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I spent a most delightful few hours with this female “shortie” in Boundary Bay in south Delta, BC. Much of the bay is surrounded by marshland and grass fields and it’s proximate to the Fraser River delta, which is Shortie’s prime wintering area in BC.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fGG4su0L0t_1mKtdyoKS1SOsaouQYxtdmZVzUo9me0TUZaI6pZ4pBaHlg4-JvpxEzkmsu8GKXisTGaPWQyLz1TALbbapVqNrdWiU60E804QKpLyEiHWZKbIztJ0QwDZw-IsN7PEeydc/s1600/ShortearedOwl4_20110224_7896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fGG4su0L0t_1mKtdyoKS1SOsaouQYxtdmZVzUo9me0TUZaI6pZ4pBaHlg4-JvpxEzkmsu8GKXisTGaPWQyLz1TALbbapVqNrdWiU60E804QKpLyEiHWZKbIztJ0QwDZw-IsN7PEeydc/s320/ShortearedOwl4_20110224_7896.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The scientific name is from the Latin words asio, used by Pliny to specify a horned owl, and flammeus, meaning flaming or fiery and refers to the appearance of the bird’s plumage. The common name indicates the short feather tufts on its head that are difficult to see except when the owl is excited. This bird has also been called a Bog Owl, Flat-faced Owl, Grass Owl, and Marsh Owl.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1-E-iM_y4SPaWo4HKoL54fLA8MLAGGccgYyZBCMEewAGiEqYmfaAG-oIWFmi0zhKennACYnwnrL8plHx8DT7DmS85wQhlQdD5KhtEb_1wi3WBRSdKfksJjSFv7oyc1uhh81PtOiMjcE/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110225_8293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1-E-iM_y4SPaWo4HKoL54fLA8MLAGGccgYyZBCMEewAGiEqYmfaAG-oIWFmi0zhKennACYnwnrL8plHx8DT7DmS85wQhlQdD5KhtEb_1wi3WBRSdKfksJjSFv7oyc1uhh81PtOiMjcE/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110225_8293.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qWAcyoxZbpbyPFrrb4nDveebgTJ8l6tMmFD3S_Bwemqg1Ueg0-ru0EHIMY2I09U4jmcIlK5Xjqrh9LgC3OvobJYSZzTmfvs0pPuuRAtT5qYOpCTFa0-kLuYArds_ShxgOAlUTPmTNAs/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110225_8378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qWAcyoxZbpbyPFrrb4nDveebgTJ8l6tMmFD3S_Bwemqg1Ueg0-ru0EHIMY2I09U4jmcIlK5Xjqrh9LgC3OvobJYSZzTmfvs0pPuuRAtT5qYOpCTFa0-kLuYArds_ShxgOAlUTPmTNAs/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110225_8378.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsJpAz5NhwJg00sbILy-bxCC5vrXZVDlqt5oEMAhKbfY7M1fE54N-ZostNiwJAsq2JFMznp2jDkNvnylQXQWAzBpqcHSfY_9lPm5WVYgeXgPNo6A53b-6yljJT7eKnNKU-O73FSTPYv4/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsJpAz5NhwJg00sbILy-bxCC5vrXZVDlqt5oEMAhKbfY7M1fE54N-ZostNiwJAsq2JFMznp2jDkNvnylQXQWAzBpqcHSfY_9lPm5WVYgeXgPNo6A53b-6yljJT7eKnNKU-O73FSTPYv4/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8680.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5rPfcpmrZZa5WlZo7lAyNpAczsUWlwERnuyaxBt4XaIubJ0OZNNkQU5EFwQFLPhOx4csBlFvgOxNVgsEby3dgGrY9792PatDESKx_DQaS0nSKfHDYrL2b9H3it3F986EQqHfo1AJysk/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5rPfcpmrZZa5WlZo7lAyNpAczsUWlwERnuyaxBt4XaIubJ0OZNNkQU5EFwQFLPhOx4csBlFvgOxNVgsEby3dgGrY9792PatDESKx_DQaS0nSKfHDYrL2b9H3it3F986EQqHfo1AJysk/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8675.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Short-eared Owls actively hunt during the day (diurnal), at night (nocturnal), and at dusk and dawn (crepuscular). By using a low slow flight over the ground, they hunt small mammals such as voles (by far its preferred diet), moles and occasionally other birds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEklCsFqFVsv6yP8pt3l32vnNYjjS1440uD3HTdG6-0eepXlU2-OdmTvAmr7gQ7vEPejR2irsV-It6zbOCJ5z0z3uRKAsyf2WkCcspovN2v1KRzWWJlnWEKa7-9-ghKX9zGvpb0NZ_R8/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEklCsFqFVsv6yP8pt3l32vnNYjjS1440uD3HTdG6-0eepXlU2-OdmTvAmr7gQ7vEPejR2irsV-It6zbOCJ5z0z3uRKAsyf2WkCcspovN2v1KRzWWJlnWEKa7-9-ghKX9zGvpb0NZ_R8/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwDXYSSYf7VV8JRlEYhzSFEELi1vzfMlKoH6prFBRcQFDfyXxi8J-54tRQpQ8dVlNpo6JQoK5KKHNfbAWh4AEnHbWypSIrgZP4_6PJfnp82eEm7lESZ_oCPEWsBpztqkwtDddxTKRQlc/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwDXYSSYf7VV8JRlEYhzSFEELi1vzfMlKoH6prFBRcQFDfyXxi8J-54tRQpQ8dVlNpo6JQoK5KKHNfbAWh4AEnHbWypSIrgZP4_6PJfnp82eEm7lESZ_oCPEWsBpztqkwtDddxTKRQlc/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8715.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The owls fly close to the ground and are noted for their erratic, bounding, hovering flight reminiscent of a butterfly. A hovering bird that sees prey dives toward the ground and carries its catch away in its talons. Short-eared owls often hunt while standing on the ground as well, or perching on a fence post in a characteristically horizontal position (unlike other owls that sit very upright). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSysL6u2g817nbLv4rb65qRYM1izg3sJ2NKueC751EAKV_auxyi39R2vAY0gX8SbI3s2sCfBvMGTVTencKJErvjeNwfjuDyiSVbvKLiFJ1aYdxRPA-47wX4TFrmwGNT1ABkdYBa197hc/s1600/ShortearedOwl20110225_8296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSysL6u2g817nbLv4rb65qRYM1izg3sJ2NKueC751EAKV_auxyi39R2vAY0gX8SbI3s2sCfBvMGTVTencKJErvjeNwfjuDyiSVbvKLiFJ1aYdxRPA-47wX4TFrmwGNT1ABkdYBa197hc/s320/ShortearedOwl20110225_8296.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBW4HTUvVTzMdaG19uYxe0UuoxUZGsrQBv0EXBjqf043k7Kmzxdt8t_ZHH-B3y364L1jy3miE0GFvxnLUdZy5bzHvyDvDLn38pkxXSSBEbwwjEKEQ4phpK61vomV5C8Pi8PSkDPkpfwPo/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110225_8328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBW4HTUvVTzMdaG19uYxe0UuoxUZGsrQBv0EXBjqf043k7Kmzxdt8t_ZHH-B3y364L1jy3miE0GFvxnLUdZy5bzHvyDvDLn38pkxXSSBEbwwjEKEQ4phpK61vomV5C8Pi8PSkDPkpfwPo/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110225_8328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Shortie in these photographs is a female. The male is a bit smaller and paler on the chest, with less streaking, and paler in its facial disk.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOPrvtw0UkwcJpSObgSlSBK20Ac05JEkmn385cfv582S1yGybtOGODTkjhuWfZ960qLk5xIiQXmMYv9vIVKUyfyRtnsbtnc8tQqkZuWeMKfcignf3AT8cNKVv-bc8vIQ-woyoS2FtQVY/s1600/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOPrvtw0UkwcJpSObgSlSBK20Ac05JEkmn385cfv582S1yGybtOGODTkjhuWfZ960qLk5xIiQXmMYv9vIVKUyfyRtnsbtnc8tQqkZuWeMKfcignf3AT8cNKVv-bc8vIQ-woyoS2FtQVY/s320/ShortearedOwl_20110228_8706.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkgSD3QhOIvqUNi3kQhlceAxVO5PsSyEcvkc6f0Ptp8wUkaFRX7PCpXrbD2KaA0I-EHzQ8QmIT9RyWv99xyv0HFBE7WRzCOFGv2yodfWeU7vuNlW5_8MsG26cbP4FT09T_EO3Rk0bGxc/s1600/ShortearedOwl+2_20110228_8692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkgSD3QhOIvqUNi3kQhlceAxVO5PsSyEcvkc6f0Ptp8wUkaFRX7PCpXrbD2KaA0I-EHzQ8QmIT9RyWv99xyv0HFBE7WRzCOFGv2yodfWeU7vuNlW5_8MsG26cbP4FT09T_EO3Rk0bGxc/s320/ShortearedOwl+2_20110228_8692.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-32043207094456041482011-02-20T08:36:00.004-07:002011-02-22T06:20:22.545-07:00Steel cold and blueAn usually cold late February day, - 28C when I left the house with camera, binoculars and coffee. The aim was to meander the range roads of Strathcona County, checking to see if the Hawk Owl was still around (it was) and looking for the Snowie Owls that have been seen there (none found). I did see a Goshawk, and the other usuals, Magpies, Chickadees, Ravens, Snow Buntings, and a few Redpolls. When I stopped in a layabout near an aspen stand I was almost immediately approached by 4 Bluejays. Although quite approachable in the city, they tend to be shy in the country. But these guys were both curious and evidently hungry and must have had some memory of humans as sugar daddies. Fortunately I had a handful of peanuts in my pocket and fed them to the jays one by one, enjoying their noisy fight over each peanut I threw at them. In return they sat around for a while, puffed up against the cold.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnNBXwTYEvHFTVZoJQcCJZ9mCeD3RCNWaRzJ5TrRafDketVx-c9zp0cAvyqM71EmDq6iiZU42fB2F2eVn8ZilMqi-guAwCuJcds4B2rsrQ7taPf2mMljxTydD-rnzZuS7-P_1A1vpJLQ/s1600/BlueJay1_20110219_7611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnNBXwTYEvHFTVZoJQcCJZ9mCeD3RCNWaRzJ5TrRafDketVx-c9zp0cAvyqM71EmDq6iiZU42fB2F2eVn8ZilMqi-guAwCuJcds4B2rsrQ7taPf2mMljxTydD-rnzZuS7-P_1A1vpJLQ/s320/BlueJay1_20110219_7611.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
The Blue Jay, which occurs from southern Canada south to Texas and Florida, breeds in the mixed-wood forests of central Alberta, Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba, and from there east through central and southern Ontario to southern Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. It is rarely found on the western side of the Rocky Mountains. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D4M_03iOALiV_RhLsiefAj7MlzK9UiCWJFN_KWgISf8jMtu5TXke4aIvps6WzLKZJL-HlwuPdTLeKmWdyYj49v4j1UUTQPf6D0YmOD2Q1_4u6PGo5u6Og1yzLSNQwXxhqa2dNxTvQGU/s1600/BlueJay2_20110219_7616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D4M_03iOALiV_RhLsiefAj7MlzK9UiCWJFN_KWgISf8jMtu5TXke4aIvps6WzLKZJL-HlwuPdTLeKmWdyYj49v4j1UUTQPf6D0YmOD2Q1_4u6PGo5u6Og1yzLSNQwXxhqa2dNxTvQGU/s320/BlueJay2_20110219_7616.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
The Blue Jay’s scientific name (<i>Cyanocitta cristata</i>) is derived from Greek and Latin words and means, "crested, blue chattering bird," an apt designation. The Blue Jay belongs to the crow family, or Corvidae, a group of 100 related species including ravens, rooks, jackdaws, crows, magpies, and jays. Some of these species are the largest members of the order Passeriformes, or perching songbirds. These birds are ancient in evolutionary terms; fossil remains of corvids have been identified from Miocene deposits 25 million years old. Perhaps no wonder that Corvids are the most intelligent birds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5lAmclWZFZ_wrJKM-qX7qnqmELnN5LixAaLx4RiiOkaHQlB39C8kDQJLDK3YTPTYhDgi-zYcq8GfOghrYeCBnGx5iap9M0IvFmIsqAQgWdKsDKcvKCrzgWGrj6bHGj4Fw_zM-sHpa8M/s1600/BlueJay3_20110219_7657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5lAmclWZFZ_wrJKM-qX7qnqmELnN5LixAaLx4RiiOkaHQlB39C8kDQJLDK3YTPTYhDgi-zYcq8GfOghrYeCBnGx5iap9M0IvFmIsqAQgWdKsDKcvKCrzgWGrj6bHGj4Fw_zM-sHpa8M/s320/BlueJay3_20110219_7657.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwgjJXXhVAX5h_nN44eK-ZZr1TswZl-yEtIEegsKKQ_4SJUaGz8E9KaJ0E7F_yR9i7kW2-ejsl0d8UrZkXeE03pdln4g6hX3DAes8QoryjsDFH8zyOkVmXjiwSujCQgUsgBsCk41ZRRE/s1600/BlueJay7_20110219_7646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwgjJXXhVAX5h_nN44eK-ZZr1TswZl-yEtIEegsKKQ_4SJUaGz8E9KaJ0E7F_yR9i7kW2-ejsl0d8UrZkXeE03pdln4g6hX3DAes8QoryjsDFH8zyOkVmXjiwSujCQgUsgBsCk41ZRRE/s320/BlueJay7_20110219_7646.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This Jay is a truly noisy creature; cries to warn other birds and mammals of an approaching predator, to announce a find of food, and often, for no apparent reason. The 19th-century writer Henry David Thoreau described the Blue Jay’s most characteristic sound as an "unrelenting steel-cold scream,” that is particularly grating on a steel-cold day. Actually, they do have a wide variety of other calls, particularly a mellow whistle, <i>kloo-loo-loo,</i> quite musical in form, and also a softly delivered courtship song, a continuous sweet warbling heard in spring. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4fj3yYqS6tLFlf0hyphenhyphenlGHAJlVaYCwMMOw-5cdFkQipT_BWcHEbHMLBBg38WecOD02k7wm84tRjF2mPY9X3gOBohcRhwHwQi5gIitucXT7ggw4kJQcM9C-UjHdfYlGQsf44hHVveLHjDM/s1600/BlueJay4_20110219_7516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4fj3yYqS6tLFlf0hyphenhyphenlGHAJlVaYCwMMOw-5cdFkQipT_BWcHEbHMLBBg38WecOD02k7wm84tRjF2mPY9X3gOBohcRhwHwQi5gIitucXT7ggw4kJQcM9C-UjHdfYlGQsf44hHVveLHjDM/s320/BlueJay4_20110219_7516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMjItOhGKvCRUARfITVBuSMHoe_t8bnOHO4MNPj_DaNLlupOisf1fJkIaG1ZgSlM1hO8eP-48bV7P8caDZ2GObmm7K6CjpNUpoy7iMlhSTRMuvOmWeIM8vSwblWL4sMG_JS9YkYCyrVo/s1600/BlueJay5_20110219_7499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMjItOhGKvCRUARfITVBuSMHoe_t8bnOHO4MNPj_DaNLlupOisf1fJkIaG1ZgSlM1hO8eP-48bV7P8caDZ2GObmm7K6CjpNUpoy7iMlhSTRMuvOmWeIM8vSwblWL4sMG_JS9YkYCyrVo/s320/BlueJay5_20110219_7499.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The most attractive visual feature of the Blue Jay is its vivid cobalt or azure-blue tail and wing feathers that make an exotic contrast against brown leaves or green grass or white snow. However, these feathers are not truly blue. Blue pigment is unknown in birds. The Blue Jay’s feather colour results from refraction, or distortion, of light by a peculiar inner structure of the feather substance. If the feather is crushed, the blue colour disappears. A cool fact!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO419Eg6Y7QPxIqKIQur1-a1aczoTPq_KZEpfbcSg5gMhGn52ijMQ4X2wlSZxvA9dTjxpNCFXi5klP6MLdaD-nfVigbfsXRNkIufS1tfNz1pKR0K8WE7RukpoiL_xoVIfVJ2XAQL8sxsY/s1600/BlueJay6_20110219_7524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO419Eg6Y7QPxIqKIQur1-a1aczoTPq_KZEpfbcSg5gMhGn52ijMQ4X2wlSZxvA9dTjxpNCFXi5klP6MLdaD-nfVigbfsXRNkIufS1tfNz1pKR0K8WE7RukpoiL_xoVIfVJ2XAQL8sxsY/s320/BlueJay6_20110219_7524.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOs3zFOrB9jD8EGZfcpJ847zKoYU3hxf4WnGxz5oWfamN6nerIbw-63skqFY3ndcIp3jNIHC9TuxF3jWuh2tUAjhwEoXQM8mwfneSYjL6Ix3bzE_G9NwDhFUz0klYHrV2KhqwLyDpdxk/s1600/BlueJay_20110219_7594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOs3zFOrB9jD8EGZfcpJ847zKoYU3hxf4WnGxz5oWfamN6nerIbw-63skqFY3ndcIp3jNIHC9TuxF3jWuh2tUAjhwEoXQM8mwfneSYjL6Ix3bzE_G9NwDhFUz0klYHrV2KhqwLyDpdxk/s320/BlueJay_20110219_7594.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
On the way home a coyote, hunting for rodents in the stubble fields, warily stopped to give me a dirty look! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDNyPWSEds8V3E7Wad-cciuIpvnbEQTu6lIFD4Nu_Wunaogu1NZztl7DtDvOmHmVUT-ey453O9dBjv1FnQCcIfae13PgsFew-CbodPqoxa_Vve4-ax-YblF9-W0jH_su4PU00LbAP_MM/s1600/Coyote_20110219_7462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDNyPWSEds8V3E7Wad-cciuIpvnbEQTu6lIFD4Nu_Wunaogu1NZztl7DtDvOmHmVUT-ey453O9dBjv1FnQCcIfae13PgsFew-CbodPqoxa_Vve4-ax-YblF9-W0jH_su4PU00LbAP_MM/s320/Coyote_20110219_7462.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eL3JLHI0YLUhOZT3tK4308Caib2IFRRzEV5XE4v6GVa42EYBeh-p78rUn0Bv6YVF-D9jgzM72kBzAZSA64FBjovcuq02vki5Wvp6zQnw4SGOf0-jBlMTRZPl97zdJS_iXsvlg_VA-OE/s1600/Coyote_20110219_7463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eL3JLHI0YLUhOZT3tK4308Caib2IFRRzEV5XE4v6GVa42EYBeh-p78rUn0Bv6YVF-D9jgzM72kBzAZSA64FBjovcuq02vki5Wvp6zQnw4SGOf0-jBlMTRZPl97zdJS_iXsvlg_VA-OE/s320/Coyote_20110219_7463.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-25165162444104774222011-02-13T16:34:00.001-07:002011-02-21T13:19:32.446-07:00Snow BuntingsSnow Buntings (<i class="specieslatinname">Plectrophenax nivalis</i><span class="specieslatinname">)</span><i class="specieslatinname"> </i>are one of the two most northerly-breeding passerines in North America. (The other being the Hoary Redpoll.) They breed on arctic and far northern alpine tundra. In Alberta we see them only as migrants and winter residents, often in flocks numbering anywhere from a few dozen birds to a few hundred. Typical locations are roadsides, stubble fields and shortgrass prairie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi6Mb9ZXs3oj14cnuJQXtwEExCQH07TDFY_Ix_0eKxO4amoOtA59CVqXD4mPUwe8vThXxfj4u7TrzXdLsEdp952UjAJNt9ZhiM-DxtnnTGoiOi7XA_RrdHZXNWUCA-5AVQn-6dPFixz0/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi6Mb9ZXs3oj14cnuJQXtwEExCQH07TDFY_Ix_0eKxO4amoOtA59CVqXD4mPUwe8vThXxfj4u7TrzXdLsEdp952UjAJNt9ZhiM-DxtnnTGoiOi7XA_RrdHZXNWUCA-5AVQn-6dPFixz0/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixo2zm56dQon3OMWhR_3ueEqShg851TFJayN1kr5oJV3LLQJ9kbYgw2dMgTD9qnoFkGXlo_tnwO2HRfNYxYR19qdUZlm3IOdTZO-7Oeu0Y2Gt3lo7I4gqVHI0tnXoIRX-UFpVI_8rowy8/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixo2zm56dQon3OMWhR_3ueEqShg851TFJayN1kr5oJV3LLQJ9kbYgw2dMgTD9qnoFkGXlo_tnwO2HRfNYxYR19qdUZlm3IOdTZO-7Oeu0Y2Gt3lo7I4gqVHI0tnXoIRX-UFpVI_8rowy8/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7417.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Though commonly seen (any trip along the farm roads east and north of Edmonton is bound to scare up flocks of them) they are shy and difficult to approach for photography.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjV0GMzg6KDIiZmJUUvesowdMDAFDFYtKBl3OYc070Gb2CiwM36dntLxJBP7_FFx5adVxtx9eFtdXL0N4tYhTVctWKCagUowWXRSAPPJ3Kj9byQhltfogB3hegfE3QFSJkzj9oQTah7Y/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjV0GMzg6KDIiZmJUUvesowdMDAFDFYtKBl3OYc070Gb2CiwM36dntLxJBP7_FFx5adVxtx9eFtdXL0N4tYhTVctWKCagUowWXRSAPPJ3Kj9byQhltfogB3hegfE3QFSJkzj9oQTah7Y/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7412.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD051qiLEA4pIJViBpfJ3ig9D0P4iBrHmgygPjOkR01gpOXRCCegJ9k9AEW32FB0QZYWZvupWlLeKme8pAD7Q8LQq1Yz_S20EEY8Qad15gwZV-houV-F_Y9QvjyQ8eAsY05Xtn2wys-eU/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD051qiLEA4pIJViBpfJ3ig9D0P4iBrHmgygPjOkR01gpOXRCCegJ9k9AEW32FB0QZYWZvupWlLeKme8pAD7Q8LQq1Yz_S20EEY8Qad15gwZV-houV-F_Y9QvjyQ8eAsY05Xtn2wys-eU/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7419.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A long lens helps. Sometimes the car can serve as a hide. For these pictures I set up my truck as a blind, put up my 500mm lens on a tripod, pulled a chair from the truck and sat down to wait for where I had first seen them and scared them away. An oilfield installation near a railway track. The oilfield facility is regularly plowed to allow service vehicles to approach. The windrows contain clumps of dirt and straw that attract these birds.A thermos full of coffee, a book, and a sunny +5C temperature made the wait comfortable. I knew they would return. They did. Clearly they knew I was there but eventually they came close enough for a reasonably decent set of pictures. These are from a flock of about 200.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqu9-hmxKxyfamYCuQ0SQ6TkqOJaddNkNI1sehajZTB_Y1VL22mHhq0AbbV_3q_I7-JowM2L1lxFhuMOlwAeWguxtb38ng3n2ssyzsM9NHw1enUvwQITX1lqdKNnfh2V30j35_N6t02io/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqu9-hmxKxyfamYCuQ0SQ6TkqOJaddNkNI1sehajZTB_Y1VL22mHhq0AbbV_3q_I7-JowM2L1lxFhuMOlwAeWguxtb38ng3n2ssyzsM9NHw1enUvwQITX1lqdKNnfh2V30j35_N6t02io/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7426.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMwEBO4ei1EOGP3Jp21toq_H45Kuc03vBeBkfjV8uSqHCAcgppuicSD2IGFsqsdmD36_qwN0n0mynGQXgiasgYWgVpeRXfSh1sD1gXsJUjxKI7f-ko8Q6h0bok-TEBwDgkcUy8Xv8Q-0/s1600/SnowBunting_20110220_7674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMwEBO4ei1EOGP3Jp21toq_H45Kuc03vBeBkfjV8uSqHCAcgppuicSD2IGFsqsdmD36_qwN0n0mynGQXgiasgYWgVpeRXfSh1sD1gXsJUjxKI7f-ko8Q6h0bok-TEBwDgkcUy8Xv8Q-0/s320/SnowBunting_20110220_7674.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vHuAEbmf7A3jcXbHoqjeHl-1Ppk12eEnf0zpD7glGnLklkh1jiclapUdYWQxxtL7jmOouLRltVW96NLtfiNyusC4PN3Ejc_XwHlIUF_PIBp0apIcUzaj7uAmRH6qsfCg6xL271e2788/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vHuAEbmf7A3jcXbHoqjeHl-1Ppk12eEnf0zpD7glGnLklkh1jiclapUdYWQxxtL7jmOouLRltVW96NLtfiNyusC4PN3Ejc_XwHlIUF_PIBp0apIcUzaj7uAmRH6qsfCg6xL271e2788/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7414.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Vx3ACs7ZAySWUcG2lG4smciHfjfM1ck8aiSv5g5SbekUu0QbJf29U_Fa7VULHANPtpOIjgtHr-Y3JpHI4WvVgg49ZSYZ5lTT3_2rsVoRgAyo4lydN4RYFXN-PPI3vzFDfPp9TTW1_w/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Vx3ACs7ZAySWUcG2lG4smciHfjfM1ck8aiSv5g5SbekUu0QbJf29U_Fa7VULHANPtpOIjgtHr-Y3JpHI4WvVgg49ZSYZ5lTT3_2rsVoRgAyo4lydN4RYFXN-PPI3vzFDfPp9TTW1_w/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7428.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PK1cxA3CE8HshXThbSLt-waB6cKZvORLrqWKpkn0gYDzY5R2Ttg2pQuuhWuHEMi3vEJAoNSN73Dg3JYbIGGAK6vzhuI7VMamVhiKhy1Lqp4m8QkIrFGvA6G5eYikMONWaNk706ymngA/s1600/SnowBunting_20110213_7410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PK1cxA3CE8HshXThbSLt-waB6cKZvORLrqWKpkn0gYDzY5R2Ttg2pQuuhWuHEMi3vEJAoNSN73Dg3JYbIGGAK6vzhuI7VMamVhiKhy1Lqp4m8QkIrFGvA6G5eYikMONWaNk706ymngA/s320/SnowBunting_20110213_7410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-91531005309646159042011-02-13T08:32:00.002-07:002011-02-13T15:17:44.135-07:00Larks announce springYesterday we went to Elk Island National Park along the backroads north of Highway 16. We'd hoped to have a look at the Northern Hawk Owl that has set up hunting territory near Ft. Saskatchewan. We saw the owl.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3dzffAlOHXcl_QAKatIeV1rOpUGQzfSJ1yLf84Aoyy_XM46wPQWE_eaI26AkK2too3mUJ2Qo4Skc9G1ZpL3sZMUoOa66F_dGCjVCCWv2kx9mRlGyzwOHcM8-8q4TX2lM0WeguXxNmTg/s1600/Hawkowl_20110212_7243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3dzffAlOHXcl_QAKatIeV1rOpUGQzfSJ1yLf84Aoyy_XM46wPQWE_eaI26AkK2too3mUJ2Qo4Skc9G1ZpL3sZMUoOa66F_dGCjVCCWv2kx9mRlGyzwOHcM8-8q4TX2lM0WeguXxNmTg/s320/Hawkowl_20110212_7243.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
More exciting, though, was coming across a pair of Horned Larks (<i class="specieslatinname">Eremophila alpestris)</i>. These are Alberta's earliest spring migrants, arriving in February, finding food on wind-swept farm fields or on the bare plowed edge range roads and township roads. Once the Horned Larks arrive I allow myself to get just a touch of spring fever.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0hwhHKB9fhV2CGvL0_E3c2t0fVF4dgRB0JXSWFbcTSIVILTAmfhyakO-tl4Sqfrz5fQefc7A9eYhzh5A8SZTbF05DgTNL2ssCyFtd_3CryOva3n9jbJx64pIVEbOOiQZ4WKQisdQm70/s1600/Horned+Lark_20110212_7314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0hwhHKB9fhV2CGvL0_E3c2t0fVF4dgRB0JXSWFbcTSIVILTAmfhyakO-tl4Sqfrz5fQefc7A9eYhzh5A8SZTbF05DgTNL2ssCyFtd_3CryOva3n9jbJx64pIVEbOOiQZ4WKQisdQm70/s320/Horned+Lark_20110212_7314.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHJPMnLmQWSYEKjB8gLpxpDCGAnNkECImgowe-Zf8hrnT2j9MRxXtgPcwGSEUhiL9L8Uf4edtNApP0Ron9fIXjpib8Zz-cQ57kWiRMvC-1q6P_-jQHsKWG9Ny6eRnxgUJADqZRQfVq_I/s1600/HornedLark_20110212_7310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHJPMnLmQWSYEKjB8gLpxpDCGAnNkECImgowe-Zf8hrnT2j9MRxXtgPcwGSEUhiL9L8Uf4edtNApP0Ron9fIXjpib8Zz-cQ57kWiRMvC-1q6P_-jQHsKWG9Ny6eRnxgUJADqZRQfVq_I/s320/HornedLark_20110212_7310.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViFa1JuY_g_eVjfLEVrVF22HS8BmMitxT_2-h9EX04xRRRBjwNSEcCPvUc342HWJPnzNOftWHeZ6m4QmNjLWIg3z3uC6p-CfWTIXz_U8dDMBEc8kr5JVoZs52SOH7mJraAuYfyb72G1E/s1600/HornedLark_20110212_7324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViFa1JuY_g_eVjfLEVrVF22HS8BmMitxT_2-h9EX04xRRRBjwNSEcCPvUc342HWJPnzNOftWHeZ6m4QmNjLWIg3z3uC6p-CfWTIXz_U8dDMBEc8kr5JVoZs52SOH7mJraAuYfyb72G1E/s320/HornedLark_20110212_7324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhla9NUVeEo46kJ1G3sad6dJPz8gmgd6BtM3huYrA5r-udxeHAScqqje7VNk44EiwgsL75zMe5MUBSmwIGlT3V7cWN57HuLXc_o4NLQtLy3aUvxiDTHMKL1vtjc_o3Rb1O3PnTZRfgY2hQ/s1600/HornedLark_20110212_7327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhla9NUVeEo46kJ1G3sad6dJPz8gmgd6BtM3huYrA5r-udxeHAScqqje7VNk44EiwgsL75zMe5MUBSmwIGlT3V7cWN57HuLXc_o4NLQtLy3aUvxiDTHMKL1vtjc_o3Rb1O3PnTZRfgY2hQ/s320/HornedLark_20110212_7327.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-67966720668880507062011-02-10T07:39:00.001-07:002011-02-10T07:44:05.781-07:00Redpolls: Hoary and CommonHoary Redpolls and Common Redpolls are among my favourite winter finches. The Hoary's breeding and summer region is the high arctic. They and are not known to breed anywhere in Alberta, but do come down from the far north in winter in small numbers. The Hoary's most southerly breeding area is in the Churchill region of northern Manitoba. The Common Redpoll wanders down in the winter in much greater numbers. It too breeds in the arctic regions, though their range includes extreme north-eastern Alberta.<br />
<br />
On their breeding grounds Hoary Redpolls, like Common Redpolls, hang out in patches of scrubby birch and willow. In winter, Hoary Redpolls are occasionally seen with flocks of Common Redpolls and I always scan flocks to look for the scarcer Hoary. The two Redpolls look very similar to each other. The Hoary Redpoll is paler overall, whiter on the chest and displaying little or no streaking on flanks. Hoarys appear bulkier, probably due to greater feather mass and fluffier plumage. Their bill is shorter and stubbier and surrounded by denser feathering at base so that it appears even smaller. <br />
<br />
This winter the Hoarys have been reported more frequently than in recent past winters. I was lucky to have one pose for me yesterday just for a second. Below is the Hoary and the Common, both females. You can see the difference when they are side by side.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_xawWtJmHgRJVq9QW0_agTng1PiMROws1xltByqG1njdothbpEigBAhR64MbdMZwHnDRMXFWkhqdl2xS_yO56z51KJdso0Icq_GGY8MLYsQ-9MN_UVuBjn-v2tJZMVM9bduQ6t_VRrE/s1600/HoaryRedpoll_20110209_7017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_xawWtJmHgRJVq9QW0_agTng1PiMROws1xltByqG1njdothbpEigBAhR64MbdMZwHnDRMXFWkhqdl2xS_yO56z51KJdso0Icq_GGY8MLYsQ-9MN_UVuBjn-v2tJZMVM9bduQ6t_VRrE/s320/HoaryRedpoll_20110209_7017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoary Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhyphenhyphenJ54ZecPMPqIVEP7kl-YTr47mddizZPdBdI2mThtUbFkZu7LmTf9nFwi7rJXk9LgU-GIhk8wwuMZwApOOi14zhDsC-KGhGttFDCkluQVLf3A470KpXcFDbSThaB1pe7RHxw2yv3nHg/s1600/Redpoll_20110118_6705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhyphenhyphenJ54ZecPMPqIVEP7kl-YTr47mddizZPdBdI2mThtUbFkZu7LmTf9nFwi7rJXk9LgU-GIhk8wwuMZwApOOi14zhDsC-KGhGttFDCkluQVLf3A470KpXcFDbSThaB1pe7RHxw2yv3nHg/s320/Redpoll_20110118_6705.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-68046544034018910702011-02-09T20:18:00.008-07:002011-02-12T07:32:46.862-07:00Partridges in a stubble fieldToday I had a few hours to ride the range roads east of Edmonton. The sun was out, the recent cold snap receded. A lovely day for partridges, though they were not an intentional target bird. I was lucky enough to run into several coveys ranging from a group to six to one that numbered about 20.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYApVQsdcrG0q1iTQIeY2Y0gM3s4dPxio7NLHLTp_FccdSzBlxhUGwsexE1wbZuQdvw25hDzXVPcwgheHoSW4clIJoktnxAdH2jN-6OFyTH50zYLPvIipRYksJgOAniv6bJPk50dujH0c/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYApVQsdcrG0q1iTQIeY2Y0gM3s4dPxio7NLHLTp_FccdSzBlxhUGwsexE1wbZuQdvw25hDzXVPcwgheHoSW4clIJoktnxAdH2jN-6OFyTH50zYLPvIipRYksJgOAniv6bJPk50dujH0c/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7123.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8BzLDKHfCLPmZCIKcqPVRFV-m3VhgQ9t83WeiZ57_lUEJQfT4KMObnS6qJbIaN4WZwf9cjudmXZgBqEbY94BcbXQ5jehykYLlMplWGje1tNoGl8p2r0_1CTnzwQ38FqICgngKSvBwqI/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8BzLDKHfCLPmZCIKcqPVRFV-m3VhgQ9t83WeiZ57_lUEJQfT4KMObnS6qJbIaN4WZwf9cjudmXZgBqEbY94BcbXQ5jehykYLlMplWGje1tNoGl8p2r0_1CTnzwQ38FqICgngKSvBwqI/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVMr2-1nxp7mnADKq-dmdzdkMDAaJOyn6byaj87c7YWtnft_hJy0PPP2jeWfpuYYPRpMl0djHft4cvI0vvV2CKSurJtrs3GkKemH7GTFbEpvbY5Wvtgw_iV1AfhdLh46KYSZmlECR1ww/s1600/GrayPartridges_20110209_7046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVMr2-1nxp7mnADKq-dmdzdkMDAaJOyn6byaj87c7YWtnft_hJy0PPP2jeWfpuYYPRpMl0djHft4cvI0vvV2CKSurJtrs3GkKemH7GTFbEpvbY5Wvtgw_iV1AfhdLh46KYSZmlECR1ww/s320/GrayPartridges_20110209_7046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) is a grayish-brownish partridge, a bit larger than a quail. It has a rusty face and<i> </i>chestnut bars on the sides. Both sexes are nearly identical, but the adult male has a distinct horseshoe-shaped, chestnut patch on its breast. When flushed, it displays a short rufous tail.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtAKrNnszkh7JIMtvUR-Psd5bCIYB39ujVNOfnb2zQ3nr3ZB_uVtUDzkdz9QlzUpu14E90a0-TGMFYPWoOGnp8_PPXZ9piU7sz3QYhTbLo7TmckRELvfO7Wh487wxzkdYgtQ3Zf-Rtf4/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtAKrNnszkh7JIMtvUR-Psd5bCIYB39ujVNOfnb2zQ3nr3ZB_uVtUDzkdz9QlzUpu14E90a0-TGMFYPWoOGnp8_PPXZ9piU7sz3QYhTbLo7TmckRELvfO7Wh487wxzkdYgtQ3Zf-Rtf4/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVwh-zoYfcegi6buwzT6K7NrlDzoTRlvZ2M6E2F-_whyCUFKloordPpX6hGS6tP1zHH6UX2-5EIPcP7npBqo1fz5jFuTtD5vN8xlMa-5Kl7GY4G6yVgN3U7O9lp21Y89vGmkGvFNJW9A/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVwh-zoYfcegi6buwzT6K7NrlDzoTRlvZ2M6E2F-_whyCUFKloordPpX6hGS6tP1zHH6UX2-5EIPcP7npBqo1fz5jFuTtD5vN8xlMa-5Kl7GY4G6yVgN3U7O9lp21Y89vGmkGvFNJW9A/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoS0prv43lrPb8e3IWKTnPXJHXhxbQq44J6hfUPRmtj7TlfxVRP6b2sL3QhDw5PfU3bjKQSyt8k5MKJlVCqJBwso1fX_ldn7UxhTgNpgqVCJWLGO3OkvC0Ij70n4JsYly8qfHQPybDYc/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoS0prv43lrPb8e3IWKTnPXJHXhxbQq44J6hfUPRmtj7TlfxVRP6b2sL3QhDw5PfU3bjKQSyt8k5MKJlVCqJBwso1fX_ldn7UxhTgNpgqVCJWLGO3OkvC0Ij70n4JsYly8qfHQPybDYc/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7076.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">A native of the bush plains of Europe and western Asia, the species was introduced to central and southern Alberta in 1908</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">for</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">hunting purposes. Perhaps it came from Hungary; its alternate name is Hungarian Partridge, often abbreviated to Hun – as in a covey of huns.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">It is now well-established in the prairies and parklands of Alberta. </span></div><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqfhg7XwXpOB7cRSdw4qN6CidVjzzsiKjJxXlsDLKEcqAzsMNIy6CyOM3Wm8zW5H8s06Izy-2Qea6724mg6opLM-u1CN92f_x035xW3jhJh4iX2W0U7GZ0Tm4mxNSJM3ijUuhs4fToR4/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqfhg7XwXpOB7cRSdw4qN6CidVjzzsiKjJxXlsDLKEcqAzsMNIy6CyOM3Wm8zW5H8s06Izy-2Qea6724mg6opLM-u1CN92f_x035xW3jhJh4iX2W0U7GZ0Tm4mxNSJM3ijUuhs4fToR4/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7127.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIrCMKav0KNfqh5eEQ8CzQe9ugzj97vdkfDfbDAOEiXacpGuZIAWRk-Eb94Fl7wDPJLkObVOf7TBMQ3WugJ-FY8FO6TtbZbfZ2w2WlUtqPZdAbzsvdrmISR1a2FUgoe0HboOpl5ikdN0/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIrCMKav0KNfqh5eEQ8CzQe9ugzj97vdkfDfbDAOEiXacpGuZIAWRk-Eb94Fl7wDPJLkObVOf7TBMQ3WugJ-FY8FO6TtbZbfZ2w2WlUtqPZdAbzsvdrmISR1a2FUgoe0HboOpl5ikdN0/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFAhaXANyoVpltfXKGHryNY5AeCaNkW3Gnr5YvqyJXmz_Mn4BlUk510ctGc5zyuTA_HLttInS23u0UpHMubRitPVNh2UwPyGLruPW4QI_iZUdwQuQTFJfPWj8sKzspTAx5Duz2jpe0Is/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFAhaXANyoVpltfXKGHryNY5AeCaNkW3Gnr5YvqyJXmz_Mn4BlUk510ctGc5zyuTA_HLttInS23u0UpHMubRitPVNh2UwPyGLruPW4QI_iZUdwQuQTFJfPWj8sKzspTAx5Duz2jpe0Is/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7133.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The gray partridge is well-suited to prairie winters, using windbreaks and straw piles for shelter, and foraging</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">on</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">stubble fields of grain especially during the winter months.</span><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">They feed also insects during the summer months, as well as green leaves, shoots, and buds.</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hjCgEcJoA6t8xb-jDjk2RdWdm1UOKlHIS9t7xcGWUM7xSKRLw1cI-o0OVb8NmOAVMCXf7Zf32nD-DcGEhzrTP4jF_K08wVMGJuyIsUvy-VBhTUtXk2_EjZ5kpQ11Pqu_D0065CnlKi8/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hjCgEcJoA6t8xb-jDjk2RdWdm1UOKlHIS9t7xcGWUM7xSKRLw1cI-o0OVb8NmOAVMCXf7Zf32nD-DcGEhzrTP4jF_K08wVMGJuyIsUvy-VBhTUtXk2_EjZ5kpQ11Pqu_D0065CnlKi8/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7170.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJsOoO2PmcfdZck-oE5EcFr54D06iFH93Ii9YzauQeXHWBWyNf5af8g8z5ISFbmYsdaPqbMpvbUfM8rm-IFL0vAHS0BRr1HliOyzsHEQaztRjMbpzKIEX32Wa_ryuTHN341IqPohyphenhyphenabg/s1600/GrayPartridges_20110209_7111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJsOoO2PmcfdZck-oE5EcFr54D06iFH93Ii9YzauQeXHWBWyNf5af8g8z5ISFbmYsdaPqbMpvbUfM8rm-IFL0vAHS0BRr1HliOyzsHEQaztRjMbpzKIEX32Wa_ryuTHN341IqPohyphenhyphenabg/s320/GrayPartridges_20110209_7111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPvQ8_srJgLLC89H2jwE7EukXUkgwhm0d56O4_HAqL1lo94qfEfn3L_I-fkkYeZaizGxrdc_4oqQXCKX8Ie2kxyMSUznuguJm8QrVfW9M091aFWhQ_lsz9YUfPA2HlRIus8kxj0XQDNQ/s1600/GrayPartridges_20110209_7047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPvQ8_srJgLLC89H2jwE7EukXUkgwhm0d56O4_HAqL1lo94qfEfn3L_I-fkkYeZaizGxrdc_4oqQXCKX8Ie2kxyMSUznuguJm8QrVfW9M091aFWhQ_lsz9YUfPA2HlRIus8kxj0XQDNQ/s320/GrayPartridges_20110209_7047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcEgn9kPZpXQ02n9Gx5jo07pIbtttI88yL-tGMHGH-KVWB-lFceHVX9cnM4XyG-NG4KgMDRuJAhnrHiN8yWeAO_1OsJgKWpGSiad-M7HOM-bF9-tEFhF3qbK9UGA6LLVxooNhXBXg2ws/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcEgn9kPZpXQ02n9Gx5jo07pIbtttI88yL-tGMHGH-KVWB-lFceHVX9cnM4XyG-NG4KgMDRuJAhnrHiN8yWeAO_1OsJgKWpGSiad-M7HOM-bF9-tEFhF3qbK9UGA6LLVxooNhXBXg2ws/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7072.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOaGegHL-ybEExevGOZhWVKzyt1Neg0GP4b1_PqUGxlUQotTNoPKHIItgF1PCfwcvh_N3-IdZ4gzeuIz37dWiaiW_fJ2_iNg3mskfNh8l2WovvMyEdZ7gjJAMuds6-sLL5aLZLK5bygE/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOaGegHL-ybEExevGOZhWVKzyt1Neg0GP4b1_PqUGxlUQotTNoPKHIItgF1PCfwcvh_N3-IdZ4gzeuIz37dWiaiW_fJ2_iNg3mskfNh8l2WovvMyEdZ7gjJAMuds6-sLL5aLZLK5bygE/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCM6ACjqf1rq4SsEeOcFUKBhYKnOvEEOgcWD9u65czIV2JmSPRlBTcZsz9Or0_ZJjGvf_f6yihh57StHSFkWx3Yb4VNI4IZkZFmsYlGev0dOzbbKWb6FRwnb_BjMTbDcpiVFFtCOcsgo/s1600/GrayPartridge_20110209_7077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCM6ACjqf1rq4SsEeOcFUKBhYKnOvEEOgcWD9u65czIV2JmSPRlBTcZsz9Or0_ZJjGvf_f6yihh57StHSFkWx3Yb4VNI4IZkZFmsYlGev0dOzbbKWb6FRwnb_BjMTbDcpiVFFtCOcsgo/s320/GrayPartridge_20110209_7077.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm;"><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></h3><span class="style12"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"></span>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-88847261691183240632011-01-24T09:31:00.002-07:002011-01-24T09:50:28.960-07:00Goshawks and MallardsOn Edmonton's eastern outskirts on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River, the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant handles the waste water requirements for the greater Edmonton area. In one year, the treatment volume at the plant is roughly 100,000 million litres - enough to fill 37,000 Olympic-length swimming pools (more than 100 per day). All this warm treated water flows in the river and keeps a sizable stretch of it from freezing. During the winter this stretch of water is home to 1000s of Mallards, a few Common Goldeneyes and, occasionally, some other waterbirds. This contained smorgasboard of course attracts predators. Several Bald Eagles and Northern Goshawks have taken up winter residence here and regularly dine on ducks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviAPWsGxL7eCDk18BjF_c6yICoSUrwA0Q_CU3IX5-_BAh4QrUjUs6DFAH2tzTE2TcN9RrdEpVnSwZtjwZPDoUZx8dWs6jKrU0hyphenhyphenOF327L1ZeAjo_HHdVdm4275u3YrvemEOIspYVPSYk/s1600/NSaskRiver_20110123_6872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviAPWsGxL7eCDk18BjF_c6yICoSUrwA0Q_CU3IX5-_BAh4QrUjUs6DFAH2tzTE2TcN9RrdEpVnSwZtjwZPDoUZx8dWs6jKrU0hyphenhyphenOF327L1ZeAjo_HHdVdm4275u3YrvemEOIspYVPSYk/s320/NSaskRiver_20110123_6872.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIarZKklPaK-5U1e5V34_ksFUUM3boO-pOMCumTvSy31YEBYmdyyPyBU9OwuDlFfakm4P2LLiEyrEGf2njfYzSo_bCBPMR7YETqPrLl5x-Gv11orXIcqaZeEx9Td4EoSYMCgcWWu9ROY/s1600/Mallards_20110123_6843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIarZKklPaK-5U1e5V34_ksFUUM3boO-pOMCumTvSy31YEBYmdyyPyBU9OwuDlFfakm4P2LLiEyrEGf2njfYzSo_bCBPMR7YETqPrLl5x-Gv11orXIcqaZeEx9Td4EoSYMCgcWWu9ROY/s320/Mallards_20110123_6843.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWzXgRWtsdEe0xxJEoodbInkTUzQDe_XGvo8Z4VDTv1tHF3dLOq6u5RbD1ZkiBkj60ewMIrEP4LJJbES7cUxE2FP7yxLNSW4k0tKpzvA9zMUPfhKL5JzXBmjORva-ZhAnQPcSkR4-OJI/s1600/Goldeneye_20110123_6846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWzXgRWtsdEe0xxJEoodbInkTUzQDe_XGvo8Z4VDTv1tHF3dLOq6u5RbD1ZkiBkj60ewMIrEP4LJJbES7cUxE2FP7yxLNSW4k0tKpzvA9zMUPfhKL5JzXBmjORva-ZhAnQPcSkR4-OJI/s320/Goldeneye_20110123_6846.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The Northern Goshawk (<i><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Accipiter gentilis</span></span></i>) is the largest and heaviest of the three North American accipiters. Goshawks are larger than Sharp-shinned Hawks (<i>Accipiter striatus</i>). Male Northern Goshawks can be of similar size to female Cooper's Hawks (<i>Accipiter cooperi</i>), but Northern Goshawks have broader wings and a relatively short tail compared to Cooper's Hawks. The Northern Goshawk has a long tail with a broad, dark sub-terminal band and three to four narrower dark bands, rounded wing tips, and a conspicuous pale eyebrow. The sexes are similar with adults having a dark crown, blue-gray back, white underparts with fine, dense gray barring and conspicuous white undertail coverts. The eyes of adults are deep ruby-red and the feet are yellow. Immature Northern Goshawks are brown above, buffy below, with dense, blurry streaking.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJtRznbg1zpvna61JN6WT6M-UaW1Z4IvBD_fSz-bzhEQnmaWD2uadJ7Q1DK0GQzqOhIBHnKILGp7HMAfKRUpmLkk3WlNip9r2ngjGGYXMHRtub3nbEXpi-By47gAI2mn-p_L9BVpJ-7A/s1600/Goshawk20110123_6831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJtRznbg1zpvna61JN6WT6M-UaW1Z4IvBD_fSz-bzhEQnmaWD2uadJ7Q1DK0GQzqOhIBHnKILGp7HMAfKRUpmLkk3WlNip9r2ngjGGYXMHRtub3nbEXpi-By47gAI2mn-p_L9BVpJ-7A/s320/Goshawk20110123_6831.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Goshawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrwn_R__RrQQmlYaYt30Uqdpl918hMK9D1vhDxFO7oyLFH00RI_TJjpRbXDq_4J2c5wh5MhFqbvzGmg-_CkGwKKH7931TI2rBRxoH79NeQhFu0XcrAzIZsGy5ULVDCKlvFTQ0fbhlG9o/s1600/Goshawks_20110123_6870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrwn_R__RrQQmlYaYt30Uqdpl918hMK9D1vhDxFO7oyLFH00RI_TJjpRbXDq_4J2c5wh5MhFqbvzGmg-_CkGwKKH7931TI2rBRxoH79NeQhFu0XcrAzIZsGy5ULVDCKlvFTQ0fbhlG9o/s320/Goshawks_20110123_6870.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soaring in the updraft of the North Saskatchewan River bank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This aggressive predator is built to move quickly and quietly. It approaches its prey stealthily, moving unnoticed through dense cover, until it is close enough to overcome its prey in mid-air with a burst of speed, or drop out of a tree and swoop down on ground-dwelling prey. The are opportunistic feeders, eating a wide variety of prey. Squirrels, snowshoe hares, grouse and medium to large songbirds are all potential prey of the goshawk. In Goldbar, Mallards are the overwhelming protein of opportunity.W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-28371532837614620852011-01-22T20:52:00.003-07:002011-01-23T07:36:45.982-07:00Great Gray Owl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Great Gray Owls (<i>Strix nebulosa</i>) are the largest owl species in North America. They have a wingspan over 4 feet with a body length of up to 27 inches. They can weigh over 2 pounds. Females are usually larger than males, but they are otherwise identical in appearance. Great Gray Owls have a large, rounded, half-domed head with a large, flat facial disk and no ear tufts. The Great Gray Owl was first described by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1772. The name "<i>nebulosa</i>" is derived from the Latin nebulosus, "misty, foggy." Perhaps for this it has also been called Great Gray Ghost or Phantom of the North. It's the provincial bird of Manitoba.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3GHlPiMrFW55cqa40v8aTTV255LF8wHGoSSqUY5Nkmg-pJvsjTT4tJc220UYp-yPNRlIe4ANEywy6z2EYEB3mLfhkbW4Go7OkwgvTHMvhzJPES6izj_oWTLWn8JN1PBLBtE7_QenQiQ/s1600/GGOwl_20110122_6724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3GHlPiMrFW55cqa40v8aTTV255LF8wHGoSSqUY5Nkmg-pJvsjTT4tJc220UYp-yPNRlIe4ANEywy6z2EYEB3mLfhkbW4Go7OkwgvTHMvhzJPES6izj_oWTLWn8JN1PBLBtE7_QenQiQ/s320/GGOwl_20110122_6724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Yesterday, Saturday January 22, Brenda, Vaia Touna and I went shlepping along the range roads north of Opal and toward Thorhild, looking for the Ghost. On two previous occasions this winter we had no success, but on this day we saw the owl, only one, and spent about an hour enjoying its patient "sit and wait" mode of hunting. It's prey consists almost entirely of small rodents (mice, voles, chipmunks) but will also take snakes, frogs, toads, even weasels and insects and, rarely, other birds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr42eovV-66zS6cFha5KJsJEX4_y1Z_9DUDIROWdZrChy3ExyzfzK5cMcmbfDDaX1RJPd3FnvGXBthXbhmhHHEF5E1Btut3GdpNczwsEsKrtur-jNX2Z35r6hyphenhyphen-GGk7bzecyu2AQUa2o/s1600/GGOwl_20110122_6727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr42eovV-66zS6cFha5KJsJEX4_y1Z_9DUDIROWdZrChy3ExyzfzK5cMcmbfDDaX1RJPd3FnvGXBthXbhmhHHEF5E1Btut3GdpNczwsEsKrtur-jNX2Z35r6hyphenhyphen-GGk7bzecyu2AQUa2o/s320/GGOwl_20110122_6727.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLYWDOIC_kUHDCsvr5eU9uPIymCwsqUX3dCkOJ2NXAoQLWEBZ0ShrFlZkETCxD5NT2brQDB-rdMHjIsjnOAqVQumnGurrhEva9cY-0R57jXofKdT0PvOHKjfKpIVDj4dUOUbPD-nJWeA/s1600/GGOwl_20110122_6732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLYWDOIC_kUHDCsvr5eU9uPIymCwsqUX3dCkOJ2NXAoQLWEBZ0ShrFlZkETCxD5NT2brQDB-rdMHjIsjnOAqVQumnGurrhEva9cY-0R57jXofKdT0PvOHKjfKpIVDj4dUOUbPD-nJWeA/s320/GGOwl_20110122_6732.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrmFnUdFFkj7x3CUv0ZJcR0Lu0LPEMgkogXotn_TDUVC0Tqflc-7iryQ2vzSdew3yenIs-46r7EZYS2rRP1fp8-nckvpSYaEBzHVj1WuNYweRfJdDdnxEKmA9NMrPZO1eUt9rPBHjOZA/s1600/GGOwl_20110122_6746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrmFnUdFFkj7x3CUv0ZJcR0Lu0LPEMgkogXotn_TDUVC0Tqflc-7iryQ2vzSdew3yenIs-46r7EZYS2rRP1fp8-nckvpSYaEBzHVj1WuNYweRfJdDdnxEKmA9NMrPZO1eUt9rPBHjOZA/s320/GGOwl_20110122_6746.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqtM_d3nAeFMkvwFqszlOYHpr_RYybtzikEXVDdmp_-V0tsZUDgwyuUsvo8pgCXgrYSyNcguHJJuHvmivXj7cO-1mpeQ0zmxIjokFIPoK81WVMxHvpbbfPRvuseYwGwEwk8SoO5YieeU/s1600/GGOwl_20110122_6771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqtM_d3nAeFMkvwFqszlOYHpr_RYybtzikEXVDdmp_-V0tsZUDgwyuUsvo8pgCXgrYSyNcguHJJuHvmivXj7cO-1mpeQ0zmxIjokFIPoK81WVMxHvpbbfPRvuseYwGwEwk8SoO5YieeU/s320/GGOwl_20110122_6771.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RG2Z3LAXQNH4yHX6X3lH8Sy1XQaQLQFp-UYaU9cIGbwZsMbrSPhH5sPZlvsuiZh0Y0S6FvUmtRl1kswE19M7NCgllFzy4ls2FFXSGBGN1Os9BjA6H40kvHsrgo-EQfmLJY6TI9NrTX8/s1600/GGOwl_20110122_6780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RG2Z3LAXQNH4yHX6X3lH8Sy1XQaQLQFp-UYaU9cIGbwZsMbrSPhH5sPZlvsuiZh0Y0S6FvUmtRl1kswE19M7NCgllFzy4ls2FFXSGBGN1Os9BjA6H40kvHsrgo-EQfmLJY6TI9NrTX8/s320/GGOwl_20110122_6780.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-31907408623543980992011-01-21T12:30:00.000-07:002011-01-21T12:30:49.534-07:00Lord of the WoodiesThe large and spectacular Pileated Woodpecker (<i class="highlightme">Dryocopus pileatus</i><span class="highlightme">) </span>is the second-largest woodpecker in North America<span class="highlightme"></span>, second only to the Imperial Woodpecker (<i>C. imperialis</i>) of montane western Mexico. (I am not counting the probably extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker (<i>Campephilus principalis</i>) of the southeastern United States.) When it flies in with its 70-75cm wingspan it is a startling sight indeed. It is common, though not numerous, in the forested corridors of the central Canadian prairies (among many other regions of Canada and the US) and a regular sight in the city of Edmonton, including the campus of the University of Alberta, where I work.<br />
<br />
Yesterday this spectacular male (distinguished by the red bar under his chin) came swooping into the Arts quad and starting working on a pine tree. I had to rush to get my camera from my office. When I returned he came towards me and landed on a tree so close by that I had too much lens to get the entire bird into the picture.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfnFMchTpLLsFGEkttQzMb589gBjN4T0H-JajWlkIa7U7484zLtyEp9ND8KJ4vDlLS-GPyo8r-dQxV7-XrdLTwC3Xcwwh_PlbRMZ67vq-dAERdfP3E4jAVcV5h61VOMlROc6eRM7xjgM/s1600/PileatedWoodpeckerDSC_0195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfnFMchTpLLsFGEkttQzMb589gBjN4T0H-JajWlkIa7U7484zLtyEp9ND8KJ4vDlLS-GPyo8r-dQxV7-XrdLTwC3Xcwwh_PlbRMZ67vq-dAERdfP3E4jAVcV5h61VOMlROc6eRM7xjgM/s320/PileatedWoodpeckerDSC_0195.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Pileated Woodpecker (<i class="highlightme">Dryocopus pileatus</i><span class="highlightme">)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-83757617517746276672011-01-19T06:18:00.003-07:002011-01-19T08:37:37.066-07:00RedpollsYesterday a single female Common Redpoll was busily flitting about among the Chickadees at the Hawrelak Park bird feeders. I have seen them in flocks of 10-50 this winter, usually high up on birch stands, foraging on the birch seeds. They come to my own feeders occasionally.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qm57WSWFR-NvHaudTbwpWGY6ObVvGot_L-2VDXunwhjQ4efWGVFHCrb_43oxooNEitCEzZQ_4SNylFC8YXWXxAwSxwbbMF2bexE5TmQhS53_WJmT0RQy8YAOcvG6B51hdi5bBnSNKw0/s1600/Redpoll_20110118_6705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qm57WSWFR-NvHaudTbwpWGY6ObVvGot_L-2VDXunwhjQ4efWGVFHCrb_43oxooNEitCEzZQ_4SNylFC8YXWXxAwSxwbbMF2bexE5TmQhS53_WJmT0RQy8YAOcvG6B51hdi5bBnSNKw0/s320/Redpoll_20110118_6705.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b> Female Common Redpoll - <span class="latinName">Acanthis flammea</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
This little finch breeds in the open subarctic areas of largely coniferous forest and scrub; it nests on tundra and above timberline where shrubby deciduous and sometimes coniferous vegetation occurs in hollows and sheltered places. It feeds on small seeds and other plant material throughout the year. In the winter it wanders southward in search of food. It is one of our most delightful winter finches.W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-56127432181508570472011-01-15T20:26:00.001-07:002011-01-16T08:03:46.367-07:00A lone DownyThe largest January snowfall in decades and now days of very cold temperatures (-25 to -30 C). I went out the river valley woods for a bit today to how the winter birds are coping. Saw all of the usual: chickadees, nuthatches, magpies, a raven, and heard a group of Redpolls fly overhead. I came across this Downy Woodpecker, sitting unusually still. I thought he might be hypothermic, but after 10 minutes he resumed foraging. Perhaps he was just having a nap.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-gXOvwYf52I-Kay05LzKMOGX0uySUHJY58WZ284xEsqfRtuAw_saLRn5Lj1_k2oq1giaXugQDqXWxTwwbZfA3YO7m4VXgALBSiAZTmu1jPIdrV9Ww9qWxG-E6656ZorSBhZzqcDT3ws/s1600/Red+Squirrel+20110105_6477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-gXOvwYf52I-Kay05LzKMOGX0uySUHJY58WZ284xEsqfRtuAw_saLRn5Lj1_k2oq1giaXugQDqXWxTwwbZfA3YO7m4VXgALBSiAZTmu1jPIdrV9Ww9qWxG-E6656ZorSBhZzqcDT3ws/s320/Red+Squirrel+20110105_6477.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Squirrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9HAoymeBUDM-GUY-1ERg79ejEaEE1CN2bKChKPNWvsV_721AK6Tpmfp_vy5CRLIarmDMaoReR26r1QH_STxcXjFtMLzdl4TKNXYe1ma9s3z1iSztwOTsVQELbqyL-HN4d-lbQ-g1glo/s1600/Chickadee_20110105_6478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9HAoymeBUDM-GUY-1ERg79ejEaEE1CN2bKChKPNWvsV_721AK6Tpmfp_vy5CRLIarmDMaoReR26r1QH_STxcXjFtMLzdl4TKNXYe1ma9s3z1iSztwOTsVQELbqyL-HN4d-lbQ-g1glo/s320/Chickadee_20110105_6478.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-capped Chickadee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU5tz-cP4pXfXa6RLsoFs_HDzdlke6gvmZ3OOgqPBDmj2TTDBjuu9udwm_JxGhoXaEbhyphenhyphenkdRK4Au05W9t7rGQHe8VJXowufk_Ytzt19RLiboiDncfevZKino3SS2hSesu6Ix8cdThR2g/s1600/DownyWoodpecker20110115_6648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU5tz-cP4pXfXa6RLsoFs_HDzdlke6gvmZ3OOgqPBDmj2TTDBjuu9udwm_JxGhoXaEbhyphenhyphenkdRK4Au05W9t7rGQHe8VJXowufk_Ytzt19RLiboiDncfevZKino3SS2hSesu6Ix8cdThR2g/s320/DownyWoodpecker20110115_6648.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Downy Woodpecker <br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-47158326982464554442011-01-13T13:08:00.000-07:002011-01-13T13:08:24.413-07:00Creeping around<span class="speciesTitle">The Brown Creeper (<span class="latinName">Certhia americana) is the only North American species of the Creeper family. It gets its name from its distinctive behaviour. </span></span>It creep up tree trunks, starting at the base of a tree, then spiraling upward around the trunk until it nears the top.Then it repeats its upward spiral creep either on the same tree or a different one. Not a vegetarian by preference, it forages for a variety of insects and larvae, spiders and their eggs, and ants in the tree bark. It prefers mature, unlogged coniferous forests and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. I have only seen it on trunks of large trees.<br />
<br />
It is difficult to spot this small, well-disguised bird, but recently it has appeared now and then in my backyard. Last seen yesterday, January 12, 2011.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvyKIK0MytOJ3ldilbl3sTjRztLgaFMEDnoIkn-b95o9NPb7jkrt-PcTsgBVnw29VJu-70ojqzD9Lcx07nOpDJpcHqtdzqiXBxPKa54jLJyhTL96HXRP0hZPKreIaqHh_eJGQSNdSXoY/s1600/TreeCreeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvyKIK0MytOJ3ldilbl3sTjRztLgaFMEDnoIkn-b95o9NPb7jkrt-PcTsgBVnw29VJu-70ojqzD9Lcx07nOpDJpcHqtdzqiXBxPKa54jLJyhTL96HXRP0hZPKreIaqHh_eJGQSNdSXoY/s320/TreeCreeper.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="speciesTitle">Brown Creeper (<span class="latinName">Certhia americana)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-17353501473599269812011-01-10T20:33:00.000-07:002011-01-10T20:33:20.355-07:00Blizzard and birdsOn Friday, January 7 to Sunday, January 9 we had the single largest snow storm since 1989. About 40cm of snow, blown into meter high drifts by high winds. Most birds hunker down and wait it out. Bohemian Waxwings seem to love this weather. While shovelling snow on Sunday a flock of an estimated 2000 frolicked through the neighbourhood, descending like a cloud on mountain ash trees and other berry trees.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPd9DpcSrKcq9cP6mv-5LxefaGIENg-voPfIeSb7vuZmN1Kv2Xw46q14GR31Ue_Jge8xB4f8b8bxmCNFG0BPvSiartAPOGqCjn18CRplwtdT65uGX8OeE1FgEWiZBSc7DxJzb4G7Nw_NY/s1600/BohemianSwarm_20110109_6627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPd9DpcSrKcq9cP6mv-5LxefaGIENg-voPfIeSb7vuZmN1Kv2Xw46q14GR31Ue_Jge8xB4f8b8bxmCNFG0BPvSiartAPOGqCjn18CRplwtdT65uGX8OeE1FgEWiZBSc7DxJzb4G7Nw_NY/s320/BohemianSwarm_20110109_6627.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAquTYHuvWpoI6z2UyuRQXrcDmelHqdTDVm9csasTZsbWRVCRf9atrOV7Xpk_Mi-WVCY8FxDsuUNohjsIFsqAONIWJc_OPVjffAbMJeyf4-U2Y1rKBkiD2azPHH7wOlQ9rySbzF-OHvAY/s1600/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAquTYHuvWpoI6z2UyuRQXrcDmelHqdTDVm9csasTZsbWRVCRf9atrOV7Xpk_Mi-WVCY8FxDsuUNohjsIFsqAONIWJc_OPVjffAbMJeyf4-U2Y1rKBkiD2azPHH7wOlQ9rySbzF-OHvAY/s320/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6612.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_JN6DPJCWf98cF_cJ8IbDDexgC9n4CvwmlCEBCJ-2NMwXhNI9w9gr9vZMpx4pdOU6L4CFJKU-ooNry8T-ciWOyOhC-nhQNJtFJ7iZt7ARkBWX8tgN26h4RRZWa3GpRjmACgk-rVF4QU/s1600/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_JN6DPJCWf98cF_cJ8IbDDexgC9n4CvwmlCEBCJ-2NMwXhNI9w9gr9vZMpx4pdOU6L4CFJKU-ooNry8T-ciWOyOhC-nhQNJtFJ7iZt7ARkBWX8tgN26h4RRZWa3GpRjmACgk-rVF4QU/s320/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6613.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGClUOkpkF4P8prz3KBBMzOLcCdB9KOnoONZhoYd4RQVFjdmM-V04TDXWR9m-5tAbMvnRyo3U6t049XnmmWOWxGAVI_c4QiwrdTxUq8X1sAMoboVBKLc86Kq4sdbCtlYLurs1PSIpAoYU/s1600/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGClUOkpkF4P8prz3KBBMzOLcCdB9KOnoONZhoYd4RQVFjdmM-V04TDXWR9m-5tAbMvnRyo3U6t049XnmmWOWxGAVI_c4QiwrdTxUq8X1sAMoboVBKLc86Kq4sdbCtlYLurs1PSIpAoYU/s320/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6614.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wna2XL4QoDgwO0hHBnWmE7XmMq9ok4iM67rhRXAPSOkjtGAPQu3wNVTQgCn-zr4WU3Wwx4124N3YV9lHmdh-bdk_agGYLDH21E288ZLMTEw44OiSYZ5-xDgbKnDz2MpsthTf_S6tGCQ/s1600/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wna2XL4QoDgwO0hHBnWmE7XmMq9ok4iM67rhRXAPSOkjtGAPQu3wNVTQgCn-zr4WU3Wwx4124N3YV9lHmdh-bdk_agGYLDH21E288ZLMTEw44OiSYZ5-xDgbKnDz2MpsthTf_S6tGCQ/s320/BohemianWaxwing_20110109_6616.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-70155996962417271502011-01-06T20:49:00.007-07:002011-01-08T17:09:21.940-07:00Evening or Wandering Grosbeaks?Today I went along with two birding friends, Don Delaney and Ken Hansen, to the Tomahawk area where Don has friends who own a 9-acre plot of woodland and pasture. The objective: to watch and photograph grosbeaks, Evenings and Pines, and whatever else we might encounter. We did not see any Pine Grosbeaks, but were favoured by a rather large flock (30-50) of Evening Grosbeaks. A sunny and warm January day (+2 C), a bonfire, coffee and Grosbeaks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5agVDbI0yHzBNO4V_gvBFlx1fqTUiuW_8q0FSFXDLQlQY047jnEDgngaVADfq3jRNftdMgLCq6zPXWx2QVhU-4Uj-ddWDZLtBrTWn_v9N9FJGNQfRHGwx0e1YweqwPAvI-_1AwxC_-M/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5agVDbI0yHzBNO4V_gvBFlx1fqTUiuW_8q0FSFXDLQlQY047jnEDgngaVADfq3jRNftdMgLCq6zPXWx2QVhU-4Uj-ddWDZLtBrTWn_v9N9FJGNQfRHGwx0e1YweqwPAvI-_1AwxC_-M/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6543.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QiJSETvO5fU0QJpaezu-8FEYyt_9fDpQBWVD_aabTofoDi7P_J9sO7pVmglZe0Yhz5Nx0REQ8ucT2k4ubUMHfIjsU5xKXlz7-Y9YpXBfITfMRfJOmVZjXdNmRbSuKB5WOwA_17debEA/s1600/EveGrosbeak_20110106_6512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QiJSETvO5fU0QJpaezu-8FEYyt_9fDpQBWVD_aabTofoDi7P_J9sO7pVmglZe0Yhz5Nx0REQ8ucT2k4ubUMHfIjsU5xKXlz7-Y9YpXBfITfMRfJOmVZjXdNmRbSuKB5WOwA_17debEA/s320/EveGrosbeak_20110106_6512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6K6_ra_tp7l3nAj5byUZFXE-EzHPCifqjBrGlUGp_2og4oyYv_Eddtew9IJnVEmS6XNZ6FiToO9abcdFI-DojmQNF3Ae5IVuAytPDPO2m0ZKLsARCmGy1vIG0hW98aEUUmMVWRUVBII/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6K6_ra_tp7l3nAj5byUZFXE-EzHPCifqjBrGlUGp_2og4oyYv_Eddtew9IJnVEmS6XNZ6FiToO9abcdFI-DojmQNF3Ae5IVuAytPDPO2m0ZKLsARCmGy1vIG0hW98aEUUmMVWRUVBII/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6520.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Why is this large, sturdy finch with the large, cone-shaped bill called the Evening Grosbeak or <i>Coccothraustes vespertinus</i>, its official Latin name?<i> </i>There is not a good reason, in fact, at least if good reason is based on some prominent aspect of the bird's appearance or behaviour. Some people have suggested that "evening" names the time or, perhaps, evensong quality of its warble. Not so, because the Evening Grosbeak is not a distinguished songbird. It has an extensive repertoire of chirps and calls but not a song, although on rare occasions it does a kind of warble. Nor is it particularly active at vesper time over other parts of the day.<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGTroBMDGhNBBCMfd8ZJOODvpsECijy5MxNAPfXDpDd-Q-FysO1unkOUVFcLq4ArmTB2cUL6OHsErBwPqesoiP7s_uo7eRJZCfXlNWw-Cn50t8R_tgMwIwazSNfLghpms9GAm_hPdZAo/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGTroBMDGhNBBCMfd8ZJOODvpsECijy5MxNAPfXDpDd-Q-FysO1unkOUVFcLq4ArmTB2cUL6OHsErBwPqesoiP7s_uo7eRJZCfXlNWw-Cn50t8R_tgMwIwazSNfLghpms9GAm_hPdZAo/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6577.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10srkFTqOZ2pmJhcOlzdkAGbbZCKk0tyShFZ35Iuh0fIAkZ7DN_kW1rb4PlM81Q4Hk88dzONtKeGVwDNOXHUKktNmI4kzzp-K8BdQ0F87G5VvpxNlD-x4Ot7D96NJFfm4QJGvhZEMHbc/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10srkFTqOZ2pmJhcOlzdkAGbbZCKk0tyShFZ35Iuh0fIAkZ7DN_kW1rb4PlM81Q4Hk88dzONtKeGVwDNOXHUKktNmI4kzzp-K8BdQ0F87G5VvpxNlD-x4Ot7D96NJFfm4QJGvhZEMHbc/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
According to <i>Hinterland Who's Who</i>, "in the early 19th century, English-speaking settlers in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains came across a beautiful big-beaked bird that appeared mysteriously from somewhere in the distant west. They named it Evening Grosbeak in the mistaken belief that it came out of the woods to sing only after sundown. French-speakers named this bird more appropriately <i>le gros-bec errant,</i> the wandering grosbeak."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtuQXPgnzeYug461dqobauaOhI2zo162JeOtHuel9NBbT30Ew-2OcIVUCzzPu3NOFtu8FOqBodeUcP0-6CnRFhvy7Zv-mi7Q3fn1B32rszV5sNSrp4pchEr97EY9qrk0ncUnfE6mwIqg/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtuQXPgnzeYug461dqobauaOhI2zo162JeOtHuel9NBbT30Ew-2OcIVUCzzPu3NOFtu8FOqBodeUcP0-6CnRFhvy7Zv-mi7Q3fn1B32rszV5sNSrp4pchEr97EY9qrk0ncUnfE6mwIqg/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6547.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZDyGalt0PUKRjapbTdV8pJLExg-HGpQMCJKXH4_G6NjBzngnxBfCX6OOscNy6Crl7KXyFrdDhre122Yybu4LXEXT0jG9E9JlLrPQaVbemaNf27bJaYr2FyKUQKs9S1GWMPAFAYgRfvM/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZDyGalt0PUKRjapbTdV8pJLExg-HGpQMCJKXH4_G6NjBzngnxBfCX6OOscNy6Crl7KXyFrdDhre122Yybu4LXEXT0jG9E9JlLrPQaVbemaNf27bJaYr2FyKUQKs9S1GWMPAFAYgRfvM/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6566.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30o_KylGBL5PzvqyzV54azmwx37QKOrr6Hvl5bbhFMVdufwcyurF1UOVQDBWwsMdl63qAjYJBp1aUk6JBw5umxtMz9dcTghi2z43wl4GJ81BFavxeUMi1w3-H8e5GDv7vDVYasYc9pLg/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30o_KylGBL5PzvqyzV54azmwx37QKOrr6Hvl5bbhFMVdufwcyurF1UOVQDBWwsMdl63qAjYJBp1aUk6JBw5umxtMz9dcTghi2z43wl4GJ81BFavxeUMi1w3-H8e5GDv7vDVYasYc9pLg/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Evening Grosbeaks feed on seeds from the cones of spruce, balsam fir, and pine but they like almost any seed, including sunflower seeds which they can hull with remarkable speed and efficiency.<br />
<br />
The two pictures below show the difference between the female and the male in colouration. The female is less brilliantly yellow and more silvery than the male. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHYVxzi-b6Spgc3ADvNPPppVXxDZQors2WvhyphenhyphenEib1NRnEZQGlt4-x2b-7Le74F_cJeaDfFYFngoLfjiocQ8fPG4bmvaqLaAVwXRbXtp372PDOq-rC8hFJAWwbmdmZkIxlOkPxAQzdgo8/s1600/EveGrosbeak_20110106_6557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHYVxzi-b6Spgc3ADvNPPppVXxDZQors2WvhyphenhyphenEib1NRnEZQGlt4-x2b-7Le74F_cJeaDfFYFngoLfjiocQ8fPG4bmvaqLaAVwXRbXtp372PDOq-rC8hFJAWwbmdmZkIxlOkPxAQzdgo8/s320/EveGrosbeak_20110106_6557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipXB9p-TaGdF-hzZ6JWuwjXio4S1EjsgkFImLC5Kxws-uru8W6m6GuzgqUk8Vyzela8L3VPLZ2PmEX64piQGz_1s_OviFwqUK3jKcFivStMrx9qS24aykIBHepICjbwmqYlOM3sl3uDY/s1600/EveGrosbeakPortrait_20110106_6565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipXB9p-TaGdF-hzZ6JWuwjXio4S1EjsgkFImLC5Kxws-uru8W6m6GuzgqUk8Vyzela8L3VPLZ2PmEX64piQGz_1s_OviFwqUK3jKcFivStMrx9qS24aykIBHepICjbwmqYlOM3sl3uDY/s320/EveGrosbeakPortrait_20110106_6565.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9CcrW7LcuKuq_AKZlOhTTukfZIhcyRHWOIAHoc_wkFoG62Z1d4rx_To29wwFE8L07vCFy1qndZTIKCIbMLZQS_oXSF-pJp4H79epmUyHsKOv77-7EkkVrv-DwFquMNGfywMH-FVk8qg/s1600/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9CcrW7LcuKuq_AKZlOhTTukfZIhcyRHWOIAHoc_wkFoG62Z1d4rx_To29wwFE8L07vCFy1qndZTIKCIbMLZQS_oXSF-pJp4H79epmUyHsKOv77-7EkkVrv-DwFquMNGfywMH-FVk8qg/s320/EveningGrosbeak_20110106_6565.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253608164774470729.post-67085392798071012852011-01-03T21:04:00.003-07:002011-01-04T16:13:01.803-07:00A lucky two hoursAn unusually warm and sunny January day (-4 C). I borrowed two hours of afternoon time to be paid back with a very early morning start tomorrow to get my work done before the teaching term starts at the University of Alberta. The two hours were worth it. I went to visit the male Snowy Owl again just north of St. Albert. He was in his usual area along RR261, the so-called "Egg Lake Road," perching on a rural power pole. I'm still waiting to catch him on the ground or on a tree perch or, if I'm lucky, in flight.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCBwW7zHNZkUr9lCXBnF-OoOq5a9PnefqFlCR5q2skQkImsI8d5nVoC6SKqoV0TW51koXprNvKvozrzY-H_hvqyOEtvOCYkioi5G0TbUYOli4isPEBlbbBnJZge6fGm-BYAqrn1PDEKQ/s1600/SnowyOwl_20110103_6454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCBwW7zHNZkUr9lCXBnF-OoOq5a9PnefqFlCR5q2skQkImsI8d5nVoC6SKqoV0TW51koXprNvKvozrzY-H_hvqyOEtvOCYkioi5G0TbUYOli4isPEBlbbBnJZge6fGm-BYAqrn1PDEKQ/s320/SnowyOwl_20110103_6454.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Snowy Owl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While watching Snowy from my truck a flock of Common Redpolls landed on some nearby bushes, then hopped onto the snow-covered range road looking for morsels. I have seen these guys before this winter, but this is the first photo of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiUJ1KKaDycnkqAmtECoQSHUHaUgn8_4N79ZFt7ZV29lZ4h7fvuTscAvBciTe7biV8hOYZTjyqOwT8Xzybf3-CyqfUrN5u_UMJdbI0zXivJEJr8De1l8r-0tv9m8GB5Emv_xyQVk4aUA/s1600/Redpoll_20110103_6445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiUJ1KKaDycnkqAmtECoQSHUHaUgn8_4N79ZFt7ZV29lZ4h7fvuTscAvBciTe7biV8hOYZTjyqOwT8Xzybf3-CyqfUrN5u_UMJdbI0zXivJEJr8De1l8r-0tv9m8GB5Emv_xyQVk4aUA/s320/Redpoll_20110103_6445.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Redpolls foraging in snow banks beside a range road</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzRNIHy0okUmVxK0k9DtHrHbvz6CVadliQs3FRzhiECepwpbjAeqJHJiGLqHQ7ZWugOhxUZ0PHRBm76K9mlQVOexDLEaquKsG_uqHvwQdn4NxFnkmKIyqC71kb6Owt5lllljHSD2Em9c/s1600/Redpoll_20110103_6449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzRNIHy0okUmVxK0k9DtHrHbvz6CVadliQs3FRzhiECepwpbjAeqJHJiGLqHQ7ZWugOhxUZ0PHRBm76K9mlQVOexDLEaquKsG_uqHvwQdn4NxFnkmKIyqC71kb6Owt5lllljHSD2Em9c/s320/Redpoll_20110103_6449.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
On my way back home I could not resist making my usual loop through Hawrelak Park just to see if anything unusual is around. Again, I was lucky. I'd seen several Northern Goshawks in the river valley near the park before, but today one posed long enough to let me snap some shots from a long distance. Goshawks have been reported in numbers much larger than I recall from other years. Nice to add this mature adult to my photo album for 2011.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5lkNrp1KZWkd7Sc6T1anzLCgyroia7j2BBwMzgISWpVINOlt0U2d3xoyC98MihjAT0f4D1ZJOETsjBccDvKALCp8cmzLAUN-fbcKo6VAANtjrg5eZiOEAOiDaZmrWNPAshzPJGeBgn4/s1600/Goshawk_20110103_6451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5lkNrp1KZWkd7Sc6T1anzLCgyroia7j2BBwMzgISWpVINOlt0U2d3xoyC98MihjAT0f4D1ZJOETsjBccDvKALCp8cmzLAUN-fbcKo6VAANtjrg5eZiOEAOiDaZmrWNPAshzPJGeBgn4/s320/Goshawk_20110103_6451.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Goshawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I was about to pack up my equipment when a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers landed close by and posed in good light. These are not rare in this area, but always entertaining and beautiful birds. Like I said, a lucky two hours.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUnNG3isUkEss2aGoEF8cVQw_HH-4tnLzIk8l9uHFY7JWcGB7Jm14v-Q4UewnSMTUCcQKbultvXHMtcwG1D3VMywyRB2EqIv-eGLn-t3GGyNCSBzVR-YTWa9YMmPoe47mIXdu9Jz49nA/s1600/HairyWoodpecker_20110103_6435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUnNG3isUkEss2aGoEF8cVQw_HH-4tnLzIk8l9uHFY7JWcGB7Jm14v-Q4UewnSMTUCcQKbultvXHMtcwG1D3VMywyRB2EqIv-eGLn-t3GGyNCSBzVR-YTWa9YMmPoe47mIXdu9Jz49nA/s320/HairyWoodpecker_20110103_6435.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Hairy Woodpecker</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQKytiNP3c18iHj7PasiS4kTUf-eEdHJMlOH2AP19eKJR4LsqVoyO1HLcZEVkUtjVk0kbeXsnw0e5Nk-3hdvd9tj9kDvrUeRgRqPu_sq5v_SDwlNl-eoLXs5KjkY0bPkSXAaoHqfYmh8/s1600/HairyWoodpecker_20110103_6416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQKytiNP3c18iHj7PasiS4kTUf-eEdHJMlOH2AP19eKJR4LsqVoyO1HLcZEVkUtjVk0kbeXsnw0e5Nk-3hdvd9tj9kDvrUeRgRqPu_sq5v_SDwlNl-eoLXs5KjkY0bPkSXAaoHqfYmh8/s320/HairyWoodpecker_20110103_6416.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hairy Woodpecker set for take off</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieAElek8_Jwgwh4vucA398DAlW9yptIuLt_aqI0VfLiZ7S3_4FMMzbK0_PcWQo2-11pnEqWIdDTZgVZCubaN6K376UkV0txxk3OoPB3CAUMULGv8Yyf3hNyShF_gfRjsrs6AJXGq29B0/s1600/HairyWoodpecker_20110103_6438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieAElek8_Jwgwh4vucA398DAlW9yptIuLt_aqI0VfLiZ7S3_4FMMzbK0_PcWQo2-11pnEqWIdDTZgVZCubaN6K376UkV0txxk3OoPB3CAUMULGv8Yyf3hNyShF_gfRjsrs6AJXGq29B0/s320/HairyWoodpecker_20110103_6438.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Hairy Woodpecker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>W. Braunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07001557828834720711noreply@blogger.com0