Cedar Waxwing and more

It was a beautiful morning with a fresh frost on the trees. It was just too nice to stay home. I packed up all of my paraphernalia (two cameras, binoculars, gloves and liners, hat, five layers of clothing, hiking boots, super thick socks) and headed out.

I started my day at QV where there was a juvenile bald eagle perched in a tree surrounded by more than a dozen photographer and their gear. Quite a sight! I got a picture of that. I hurried into the group but the eagle didn't stay much longer. It was looking away most of the time before it lifted off. Oh, well, not to worry. There has been a steady stream of eagles this year. On one day four were spotted on the ice with ten hovering overhead. They are always a "show-stopper."

I took a quick jaunt into Long Pond in the hopes of seeing the Black-backed woodpecker. He wasn't there. But, I did get a shot of a brown creeper. There were at least two shinnying up and down the tree. I thought that I should probably go home, but I didn't. I headed out to the Bauline Line Extension and hit the jackpot. The first pair of birds that I am sharing with you is a male and female White-winged Crossbill (above). The shot was taken from about 100 feet away and is a huge crop off the original image. The same applies to the picture of the Pine Grosbeaks (below).

Nevertheless, I posted two poor images for two reasons. First it is really nice to get a male and female in the same shot and second, because of the similar shots of Crossbills and Grosbeaks. The bills of the Grosbeak and Crossbill are very different: hence, their names. The grosbeak has a very large bill among the finch family. The Crossbill, as the name implies, has a beak like tiny sissors. The female Grosbeak is larger than the female Crossbill. The colors of the males are also different. The Grosbeak is more of a rose color and the Crossbill male is bright red at this time of year. See if you can note the differences, even with these poor pictures. (Unfortunately, the formatting in this blog is not working right or I would have placed the pictures side by side.)

As if it I hadn't seen enough already, I then came upon a flock of American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Pine Siskins, and a Purple Finch. This was my big day because I have chased all over the Avalon trying to find a Waxwing. When I saw it, the wait was worth it. It is a very different kind of bird. It has a crest, with body feathers that almost look like poured wax. Its coloring it bright and happy. That's it, it looks like a stately happy bird. (Image below)

All of these birds were mixed together feeding on Dogberries. I posted an image of an American Robin and a Cedar Waxwing below. Seeing them side-by-side in the tree, the Waxwing is a little larger than the Robin.

I talked to someone nearby who tells me that there is also a woodpecker that comes in the area. Guess where I am going in the morning! Oh, yes. I also thawed out some capelin to lure the eagle to my lens!

To cap off my day, I drove to Pouch Cove to get a glimpse of the White-winged Dove that has been frequenting a feeder in the area. Glimpse was what I got. It flew by twice but didn't land, and I didn't get a picture. Maybe next time!

Black Duck & Odd Mallard

My message today is all about looking without seeing. All too often, we are taken by the splash and color of what is before us. The Black Duck is a very common, often drab looking bird when mixed among the Northern Pintails, Mallards and other colorful ducks. Yet, as this unretouched photo of the Black Duck illustrates, it is a very handsome bird.

This Mallard, a major crop of a much larger photo, is quite peculiar. Overall, this one little piece of the bigger picture is nondescript until I looked more closely at each duck in the shot. Look at the Mallard's tail feathers. Those are not the typical tail feathers of a Mallard. They are actually more like the tail feathers of a Herring Gull. Now, how did that happen?

It is one thing to go out and enjoy the birds; it is very special. The moment is filled with an array of sensory input but sometimes the sights, sounds and weather conditions can blur the eye's ability to "see "everything in its view. It is sometimes an awakening to come home and look at the shots. Once all of those blurry shots that get deleted, the images of the better pictures create a whole different learning experience. Beauty happens! Flukes of nature happen ....and I am reminded that I need to look more closely when I am in the moment. I might just miss something special.

Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot

Much to my surprise, the bad weather held off until early afternoon. Of course, that meant I had to go out to try to get a better picture of the White-winged Crossbill. I did, but it is still too far away. I will continue to pursue that because I really like its bright red color. As a bonus today, I saw a Ruffed Grouse. It didn't cooperate well for pictures, but I did get the important record shot.

Today, I chose two odd looking birds to share. The Double-crested Cormorant is such a hearty looking bird. It surely must be built for the hard weather of the shoreline.

The other bird, the American Coot, looks somewhat like a chicken. It walks like one and has feet more similar to a chicken than a duck. Some people mistake this bird for a duck, particularly when it is sitting in the water. It seems very clumsy with its big feet. This little guy is not supposed to be in Newfoundland. It must have gotten blown off course. It has been at Quidi Vidi Lake all winter.

If you want to see some amazing photos recently posted, visit Brandon Holdon Photography. The link to his site is listed on the right sidebar.

Golden-crowned Kinglet and Junco

I wanted to continue to work on small bird images this evening since I had already worked on images of sparrows and chickadees. Tonight, I am sharing images of the Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Dark-eyed (Slate Colored) Junco.

The Golden-crowned Kinglet is a pretty little bird, but I have had a hard time getting a great shot of one. They tend to stay in close to the trunk and flutter a lot. They are very busy birds and can hover much like a hummingbird. Their coloring is particularly nice. I wanted to show the color on the crown that cannot be seen on side images of this bird. Kinglets do not typically stay in the same trees as groups of junco but are often only a tree or two away. There is also a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I "think" I saw two one day but they flew by so quickly that I couldn't photograph them. I don't count the bird unless I have a clear record shot or someone else verifies the sighting.

The Dark-eyed Junco is everywhere! I shot this one from my kitchen window. Even though he is brown with brown streaking, it really is a Slate-colored Junco. This is the youthful rendition. Juncos are very friendly and will continue to feed with spectators looking on.

Birding Trip Today!

I did get out birding today and spent way too much time at it. I started watching the eagles at Quidi Vidi. I didn't get any great shots of them because I couldn't get the settings of my camera to fit the strange grey haze in the air. I am really looking forward to the sun shining again. Nothing beats natural light. I went on to Pier 17 but since the sewage outlet has been closed, there wasn't much to see there. I took a jaunt to Long Pond and it was virtually "birdless!"

Not to worry, though. There are many places to go. I headed out the Bauline Line Extension and came upon two small birds with very red heads and dark black and white wing tips. Couldn't stop the car fast enough to photograph them, and I have no idea what they were.

I drove on and came upon another group of birds with great flashes of red. I stopped the car and stayed in the car until they came out on the road again. A car is a perfect blind. When the group returned, I made my way out of the car to take some record shots. Those are the first and most important ones pictures. They prove to me that I saw the bird. I took several shots and was eager to start my comparison with the many pictures in my books.

I had something new to add to my life list, I drove on with a great deal of satisfaction. I headed to Pouch Cove and Flatrock to see if there were any signs of sea birds, most particularly the Ivory Gull. No luck there, but it was a nice drive. Great scenery. I was happy to head home to see what I had stored in my camera.

When I got home I downloaded my pictures and identified the two new birds to add to my list. I had seen a White-winged Crossbill and a Pine Grosbeak. I don't know why the crossbill is known for its two white wings when its red color is so vibrant. It's not everyday that I get to add a new bird to my life list. I just got an e-mail to confirm the identification of these two birds and much to my amazement, there is a third variety among them - a Pine Siskin. That is three new birds for my list. (They are all finch-like birds.) I am very satisfied with today's trip.

If I can't control the urge, I may go out again tomorrow ;)