Birds on Christmas Bird Count

Had 5 Rough-legged hawks on the Christmas bird count that I was a part of this past weekend. 

The first four shots are of same bird - perched, then took off as crow harassed it. 

Next three are of a different individual.

Then finally a bald eagle that was harassed - again by crows.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Released a rehabbed Northern saw-whet owl not long ago.  I chose a spot that would give him an opportunity to hunt successfully until he decided his next move. Close to a little bit of water, which was still running and therefore had mice and birds that would come down, and and lots of cover!

Sax Zim Bog, December 2014

Common redpoll

 Visited the Sax Zim bog with friends over the weekend.  Saw lots of the usual suspects there. 

Gray jay

Pine siskin

Black-capped chickadee

Purple finch

Great gray owl

Snowy Owl on Church

This female snowy owl perched on the cross on a church in WI.  Can't tell you how many people walked in and out of the church while I was there and didn;t look up once.

Common Eider, Duluth MN

Was with some friends this past weekend in Duluth, and able to re-locate this female Common Eider.  She was hanging out with some mallards - see the middle pic.  What a beauty!

SD Raptors

What a small perch!  You can see the "pants" -
feathers on the legs.

The rough-legged hawks were in town in SD.  Also saw red-tailed hawks and great horned owls.

Dark rough-legged!

You can see the "pants" here, too!

This red-tailed hawk just had lunch - look at the crop!

Great horned being 007.

Northern Harrier Hunting

 What a recent treat on trip to SD.  Got to watch a male northern harrier hunt! 

The bird did not know I was there - about a quarter mile away.
Got to watch it stretch!

Thought the bird was going to fly off - still just stretching!

The gig might be up - how on earth do they hear you that far away?

Must hear a mouse . . .see the feet come down?

Thought the bird was getting ready to pounce . . .

Look at the start of that wing-over!

Heading down!

Look how the wings tip up as the bird gets into the tall grass.

You can see how tall that grass is.

Getting back up - see how the body is almost straight up.

Again - the bird hardly needed an incline to get height.

This is how well the bird blends in.  This is with a zoom.

This is the landscape without a zoom.