Tranquility - then Not!

 With the temps edging above freezing, I have been venturing out during windless mornings. There are a few new birds starting to flow in, but the moment-of-the day came when I encountered these two.

 A yearling moose was immediately curious about me when I popped out of the woods. Very close by was his mom.

 I expected these large moose to run scared as most do and disappear in the woods. That didn't happen.

 While trying to act nonchalant, the yearling kept a close eye on me.

 It wasn't long before he decided to check me out.

 He started to work his way in my direction. Wow! This was really nice. What great views of our largest mammal.

 Mom Moose was ever vigilant in watching over her young.

 She quickly stepped into the path of the yearling and cut his movement off.

 It was now the mom that studied me closely as I stood frozen in place. I have seen enough of these to know how fast they can run or charge.

 Never taking my eye off of them, I shot several pictures.

 The yearling was quick to find a way around and continue to explore me.

 He got the outside path and now it was clear sailing.

 Mom tried to talk him out of it,

 The yearling begged, but that got him nowhere.

 Suddenly, the yearling made his move.

 He jumped out front and headed straight toward me with purpose. Wow! It was then, I realized, I needed to get out of their way. I headed up into the woods for safety.

Mom Moose gave me a clear message that I needed to go.

Her attention was torn between the yearling and me. Not wanting to mess with them any more, I backed my way out of the area. I left them in peace as they continued to meander around the edge of the pond. What a special encounter, even if it was a little edgy.

Familiar Bird in Unfamiliar Territory

 Growing up in Arkansas seeing Northern Cardinal was a daily occurrence.  Yet, there is something about this great bird that made me pause every time.

 It is the male of this species that is the most flashing, but you can't miss the brightly coloured beak on the female. Imagine looking out at your feeder in Pouch Cove, or Lawn to see this unfamiliar bird! What a delight!

 The Northern Cardinal is a hardy bird, able to survive well in harsh winter conditions. That begs the question why it is so rare for this species to show up in Newfoundland.

It is my understanding there is a male and female on the Burin Peninsula. Wouldn't it be exciting if they decided to stay and "make home" on the province.

 I watched this great bird as it seemed to feel very much at home as it frequently visited the feeder and picked seed from the ground. I also couldn't help but notice the nice cover around the feed which has to be great in preventing the seed from getting spoiled by the rain and snow as well as keeping most of the seed in the feeder.

 Can't relate how nice it was to see this bird in the "dead of winter." Conditions here this winter with raging wind and below-normal temperatures have made it difficult for me got venture out.

 Seeing this feeder bird was not difficult. I sat comfortably in my warm car until it arrived. What a bonus I enjoyed to the fullest.

White-winged Crossbills

 I headed to Cape Spear early this morning in the hopes of scanning eider. They were not there, but I was. I decided to make the most of it and walk around. There were several Snow Buntings and this sturdy Ipswich continues to survive on of the harshest environments. It looks happy and never seems to be alone.

 Having seen basically nothing on the water and facing the newly falling snow, I decided to head out. Despite the snow, I detoured through Blackhead. On first look it was very quiet.

 It was at the bus turnaround where I flushed a large flock of White-winged Crossbills. There were at least 100, maybe more. These two shots were caught after many had already flown by.

 When I turned around, they began landing in the trees. So many and so bright...

This is one of the few places around where there are cones. After this invasion, rest assured, there won't be one cone left.

There is always something new to see: A new bird, a different bird behaviour or just numbers. This is the largest flock of this species I have every seen. Nice.

Red-tailed Hawk at Signal Hill

 Needing a break mid-day yesterday, I headed to Signal Hill to see if I could catch a glimpse of the lingering Red-tailed Hawk. This rare visitor has been around for more than a month delighting many birders.

 I forced myself to get out of the protection of the car and face the ice and wind in my effort to see this bird. I pulled myself up the icy trail by holding onto the barrier wall. At the top of the hill, the wind was even more daunting. Encountering another birder there, I was distracted enough to ignore the wind for a few minutes, long enough to scan the open area for the hawk. There were no good views of what seemed to be the distant bird flying below the battery.

 I headed down the hill back toward my car. There, hovering near the parking lot, was this great bird.

 With ice under my feet and the power of the wind at play, I braced against the retaining walk to prevent a "great slide."

 The Red-tailed Hawk put on a spectacular show of hovering, hunting and even provided a fly-by. This was much more than I was hoping for.... a true delight!

Now, morning dawns. How do I beat that today? Who knows? What I do know is you have to look, or you are guaranteed to see nothing.