A Miss That Turned into a Hit - Northern Mockingbird

On November 29, 2011 I headed to Pine Bud
Avenue in pursuit of a possible Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  I have never seen one.  I didn't know where Pine Bud Avenue was but a quick "Google" pointed me in the right direction. As I left Carpasian I was alert scanning all of the trees and yards for anything moving.  Nothing....nada!

I crossed over Bonaventure Ave. into Pine Bud Place.  At last I spotted three BC Chickadees sitting in a tree. I quickly pulled over and stopped because even this was better than nothing. I watched as they flitted around the almost empty Dogberry Tree. I sat in the car and watched.  In no time they vanished.

I sat waiting for a little while longer hoping they would return and bring their friends. I caught sight of something moving toward the left, I found it (a Northern Mockingbird) sitting on the same Dogberry Tree on the right side of the road.  Not wanting to get out of the car and spook the bird, I took a couple of shots through the window. Then in a flash....it was gone too. 

Again, more waiting.  This time I put down both windows and sat. Within ten minutes out popped the Northern Mockingbird again.  This time on the other side of the road. I got a few pictures and then decided to get a better look with my binoculars.  Sometime in between me raising and lowering the glass, the bird was gone!

This all occurred around 10:30 to 10:45 in the morning. I had been fretting a little because I got a late start on that morning.  After seeing the mockingbird I wasn't fretting any more.

I have returned to the area on four different ocassions in an attempt to see this bird again to add to the Winter List but I didn't see a single bird in the area.

I hadn't forgotten about the possibility of seeing the Rose-breasted Grosbeak so I have driven Pine Bud Ave. and surrounding roads but have yet to find a flock of finches to scan.  I must say that is about the only area that isn't bustling with finches.  I have seen huge flocks flying over the Stick Pond turnaround and on Blackhead Road. There seem to be many finches and plenty of Purple Finches to check for any irregularities.

Wow!  Two posts in one day!  I felt rather verbose this morning but will stay home today to put together my Christmas Village with my eldest granddaughter so it is not likely that I will get back to my computer for any length of time today.  Of course if a special bird turns up around town my dear granddaughter may get yet another lesson in bird birdwatching.

After thought:  On Saturday evening my granddaughter and I were sitting in the car in Torbay waiting for the Christmas Parade.  To fill the time, I made a little chip with my bird call that was in the cup holder in my car.  I asked her, "What kind of bird was that?"  Without a moment's hesitation she blurted out, "Speckled Warbler!" I was shocked.  Where did she get that?  I learned later that one of her favorite TV shows, "Max and Ruby" often carry out bird watching expeditions and they have found the rare "Speckled Warbler." Her exposure to that, I guess, has made my birding "normal" in her eyes.

Juvenile Snowy Owl

 Amazing! My first Snowy Owl in the wild! Recently, I have been in a bit of a "bird slump."  The good weather turned to not-go-great weather very quickly. The winds have been high and birds scarce, at least for me.  There have been reports of numerous birds but I couldn't find any of them. On top of this I had some family responsibilities that have kept me busy.

When December 1st rolled around, I decided to start fresh and work on a winter list. That way every bird is an important bird.  I have been out looking around quite a bit over the last week and have found a few good birds and just missed a few.  As one birder told me, "Welcome to birding."  Clearly you win some and you lose some.

Yesterday, I set out to see the Lincoln Sparrow. I gave it a good try but could only turn up the Fox Sparrow.  I decided to drive to Cape Spear and try the sparrow again on my way out. (No success on the return trip either but I did see two Golden-crowned Kinglets across the road from the Lincoln Sparrow marsh.)

As I drove out to Cape Spear I thought, " wouldn't it be nice if there were a Snowy Owl just sitting on a rock waiting for me. Hmph, not likely."

When I got to the cape there were two other cars in the lot and I recognized one as belonging to Margie.  I thought she and her son, Paul, might be down by the "look out."  I got out of the car and headed down the path just below the lot.  I got about half way between the lot to the water when I noticed something sitting on a rock. Ooooo, I thought, "maybe a Peregrine Falcon." I slowed my pace and began to move with more respect for the bird.

I finally got close enough to see through my binoculars that it was a Snowy Owl!  What? I couldn't believe it! I took a few distant pictures and began to move a little closer, all the while looking over my shoulder to see if Margie and Paul might be around. There was no sign of them so I continued to inch toward the small deck below. Without warning, the owl lifted off and disappeared behind the rocks along the shore. I stood there stunned.

I began to walk along the path overlooking the rocks to see if I could relocate the owl.  It was then that I saw Margie and Paul at the upper "look-out."  I shouted "owl."  They knew already.  I asked if they saw it.  "No."  "How did you know?"  They had run into Terry James who showed them a picture of an owl that he had just seen. By this time I had reached them, tip-toeing through the wet grass to reach them.  I showed them these pictures and their first reaction was that the bird in Terry's pictures was not so dark. Hmmm...

We went separate ways.  They walked the path that I just left and I walked up the east face toward the light houses.  We met up again in the parking lot and neither of us had seen the owl on this jaunt.

Could there be two owls out there?  I don't usually post my new pictures right away as it takes me time to sort through things, but I decided to upload these images for a point of comparison if anyone else may see an owl at the Cape.  Could there be more than one owl out there?  Short of seeing two together, only pictures will tell.

Ruddy Turnstone - Unmistakable

While "shore birding" last year was really all about just seeing different birds, this summer progressed into the challenge of identifying shorebirds.

It is a great relief to come across a bird that is so different from all the others that I can identify it quickly and accurately upon first sight, unlike the White-rumped Sandpiper that is leading this flock of Turnstones. The black and rusty colors coupled with the bright orange feet are a quick giveaway.

The Ruddy Turnstone breeds on the tundra in the Arctic and by the time it reaches our shorelines, it is usually still in its breeding plumage as seen above. However, very quickly it begins to molt into its winter suit. Even then it is unmistakably a Ruddy Turnstone.  The rusty color is gone and the black is all but gone but the shape, size, orange legs and brownish breast are so distinctly different from the other shorebirds, that it is hard to NOT identify this bird.

Shorebird watching is tricky. It is important to reach the beach when the tide is going out or is already out.  When the tide comes in, some birds often move away from the beach. Then there are the rocks which are difficult to navigate and, of course, there is the incessant wind that tosses you around over the slippery, lumpy terrain.

Yet, when movement is detected and birds are spotted all of those elements plus the wind chill seem to dissolve into a moment.  While looking at the birds it is like standing in the midst of a tropical oasis.

Once the birds move away or the watching comes to an end, it is like the wind and cold intensify and the rush is on to make it back to the warmth of the car.

The Ruddy Turnstone often turns up on the Newfoundland Winter Bird List but so far no one has reported this bird yet. Maybe I will find one....

Fox Sparrow - 2011

 The Fox Sparrow is one of the easiest sparrows to identify. Its rusty colors flash even at a distance.  Among the streaked sparrows it is among the largest and can be up to 7.5" long.

Its large body is matched with a large melodious song.  It is easy to identify this bird by its song alone long before it is seen.

 The Fox Sparrow was extremely plentiful this year.  I can't say if this is typical or not because this is the first summer that I really had to study the birds of summer.

I did, however, find this sparrow to be among the first to arrive and among the last to leave. These shots were taken on September 13, 2011 just off the East Coast Trail beyond the light houses on Cape Spear.


This was my first season to explore this area for birds and I was really surprised by the number and variety of birds that congregated here.  The trail is very busy during good weather but that didn't seem to drive the birds very far from the trail.

I have now learned so many areas to bird that I can't possibly visit them all regularly but given my experience on this trail, I will venture there much earlier in the season next year.