birding
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Raptor Wednesday
One of the local feral cats was passing by below. Cooper’s hawk at Bush Terminal. I’d say a male because it wasn’t so big. (Females are substantially larger.) *** It all seems so tenuous sometimes. Here is awful news on the American Kestrel front. The Montreal population is in free-fall, mirroring downward trends across North…
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American Coot
Those toes, though. Looks like some serration in the upper jaw… And is this a tongue? This bird, and a few others, were on terra firms because somebody was feeding them. And it looks like the feeders were not spreading bread, which is actually quite bad for waterfowl. Yes, the time-honored tradition of throwing bread…
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Kingfisher!
A male Belted Kingfisher patrolling the bays at Bush Terminal. Yesterday I saw one in Green-Wood. I wonder if this is the same bird moving between fresh and salt water? The Green-Wood bird, which I’ve seen twice now, is very vocal, calling between flights and while rattling away while perched. N.B. All the strings and…
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Goldeneye
We surprised each other. I think this Common Goldeneye had just come up from a dive when I reached the end of the pier. It shot off. I shot off a few pictures. The eyes are really something, aren’t they? Even from some distance, they jump out as gold on the black and white face.
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More of That Kestrel
This male was on a familiar kestrel-tree. From 2018. From 2017. Different tree, but same hunting grounds. This is a gentle slope leading to a corner of the cemetery fenced off from the streets. It’s filled with modest headstones. Trees along the edges provide great perches. This one perched in four different trees while I…
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Raptor Wednesday
Happy New Year! Ready… setgo!
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Iced Out
The other day, this young Great Blue Heron landed close to me by the Valley Water. I guess it was on the other side, but I hadn’t noticed it. Some people walking over there must have spooked it. I had just seen something small and dark run into the plants by the side of the…
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Raptor Wednesday Holiday Delay
An American Kestrel male in Green-Wood. Same American Kestrel and a Northern Mockingbird. .Aerial Boxing Day?
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Hooded Merganser
A female Hoodie hanging out on the Sylvan Water with some Mallards and Canada Geese. She was not nearly as tame as the other waterfowl. One of the Mallards was hollering. The Hoodie made some horse grumbly-grunty noise as well. It may have been because of the Red-tailed Hawk perched high up on the southeastern…
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Lingering Phoebe
Last winter, an Eastern Phoebe was a regular around the Dell Water. This year one has been reported there as well. (Ok, I guess it’s still technically fall.) This one was at the Sylvan Water, Green-Wood’s largest waterbody, last week. Same bird? Another? Clearly finding something to eat, although the pickings must be slim indeed.…
Backyard and Beyond 