Banded Solitary Sandpiper

Had a recent treat at a banding program - solitary sandpiper in the net!

Note the webbing between digits

Measuring wing cord

Black capped chickadee - cavity excavation

I stumbled on a great find this past weekend - black capped chickadees actually doing some of their own home building!  Two birds, assumed male and female, spent time in and out of the cavity you can see in the pics.  They were taking out material from inside the cavity, most likely enlarging the cavity itself.  

Birds at the Feeders During Storm

Am goldfinch - can see plumage molt

 The recent storm brought a lot of activity at feeders.  I had FOY Common redpoll, Fox sparrow and Am tree sparrow. The ATSP and CORE are on their way out of town, too, along with the juncos who have been around since last fall.

Am tree sparrow - on its way north

common redpoll - first of the season and ever

FOY fox sparrow - and junco

junco jumping on the top of clothes line pole

junco at thistle feeder

many juncos at the sparrow station - stumps brought back from SD

junco at suet feeder

Great Horned Plus

 Posting a few pics - great horned owlet learning how to get around on a tree branch.  Surprisingly quick and agile!



Boreal chickadee from an earlier trip to Sax Zim.

Finally - a sharp-shinned hawk from a few weeks back - much less snow, as you can tell.

Great Horned Owlets

Female came in as I watched the youngsters

This youngster made an interesting
first choice when he left the nest

This nest site does not have youngsters out yet.

It's that time of year when great horned owlets are starting to leave their cavities or nests that their parents appropriated.  The following pics are from three nest sites in the metro area.  Heard about one site where kids threw snowballs at the owlets in attempts to get them to fall off their branch.  One would hope that an amazing opportunity to see these youngsters would be something that is respected with some space and general common sense. 

Sleepy Barred Owl

It's been a while since I've posted.  Have to make sure I don't lose the URL!

Here is a barred owl - little sleepy! - taken this past weekend.  It will soon be baby season for great horned owls!

TGiving Wishes

Hope everyone has a nice and safe holiday.  And - as the note says - don't eat too much frozen squirrel.