-For all of you who have been to my YouTube channel and have been wondering why I do not have a COBirdingVid or much other material up, here is the answer...my computer won't let me install my editing program. Alas, I have tried installing it from the disk, downloading it from online, and it won't work. So it may be a little while yet till I have a COBirdingVid up. I will continue to post bird videography videos though, a White-breasted Nuthatch will be the next video I upload.
-I made my first birding trip of the year on Friday, went to my local haunt: Standley Lake. Was a very fun little trip. Saw a Song Sparrow minutes into my walk. I was really hoping to get American Tree Sparrow(love those little guys!) and some waterfowl on this trip, so those were my targets. Shortly after seeing the Song Sparrow, a lone American Tree Sparrow landed in a bush not 10 feet from me. After some wonderful, close-up views of one of my favorite little birds, another soon joined it's company. A Common Goldeneye(one of my favorite waterfowl species) soon grabbed my attention and I enjoyed watching him dive on reappear for a few minutes. A scan of the lake revealed American Coot and Ring-billed Gulls. I did another scan farther out and discovered a Common Merganser hanging out on the lake, a very nice surprise. I started walking along the shore, admiring the ice formations that had been pushed up against the shore. I then meandered over to the trail up the gazebo. No sooner had I set foot on the trail then I saw a hawk dive and disappear behind the ridge at the top of the trail. The prairie dogs scattered and I stood, ready to spot it should it reappear. Seconds later the hawk roared over the top of the ridge, took a sharp turn right and sailed a few feet over the ground to a resting spot on the top of the ridge, perfectly backdropped by a clear, blue sky. It was a Ferruginous Hawk. That will always be one of my most memorable birding experiences. I walked up the trail to the gazebo and then went back to my car. I picked up Mourning Dove and House Sparrow along the way, and spotted a pair of coyotes farther out in the park.
-I made my first birding trip of the year on Friday, went to my local haunt: Standley Lake. Was a very fun little trip. Saw a Song Sparrow minutes into my walk. I was really hoping to get American Tree Sparrow(love those little guys!) and some waterfowl on this trip, so those were my targets. Shortly after seeing the Song Sparrow, a lone American Tree Sparrow landed in a bush not 10 feet from me. After some wonderful, close-up views of one of my favorite little birds, another soon joined it's company. A Common Goldeneye(one of my favorite waterfowl species) soon grabbed my attention and I enjoyed watching him dive on reappear for a few minutes. A scan of the lake revealed American Coot and Ring-billed Gulls. I did another scan farther out and discovered a Common Merganser hanging out on the lake, a very nice surprise. I started walking along the shore, admiring the ice formations that had been pushed up against the shore. I then meandered over to the trail up the gazebo. No sooner had I set foot on the trail then I saw a hawk dive and disappear behind the ridge at the top of the trail. The prairie dogs scattered and I stood, ready to spot it should it reappear. Seconds later the hawk roared over the top of the ridge, took a sharp turn right and sailed a few feet over the ground to a resting spot on the top of the ridge, perfectly backdropped by a clear, blue sky. It was a Ferruginous Hawk. That will always be one of my most memorable birding experiences. I walked up the trail to the gazebo and then went back to my car. I picked up Mourning Dove and House Sparrow along the way, and spotted a pair of coyotes farther out in the park.
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