Fall Birding November and December

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The birding group went to Carburn Park a couple of times this fall. On the November trip, the mammals were more co-operative with me than the birds but there were a few new sightings.

Perhaps the most interesting were the Tundra Swans. This one was sitting quietly by itself across the river from the pathway.  So quietly, that at first someone thought it was dead – until it lifted its head.  This one still seems a little grey and still has a pink beak so I am guessing that it would still be considered a juvenile.  

There was also a Cackling Goose mixed in with the Canada Geese. That’s it in the top left corner of the photo. It is a smaller version of the Canada Goose and until fairly recently was considered to be a sub-species but scientists have found that there are enough genetic differences to classify them as a species on their own. Other than the overall size, the bill is proportionately smaller than that of the Canada Goose. 

There were at least two coyotes wandering around the edge of the pond and the rivers. The deer were out too and this was the first time I have seen a buck with antlers at Carburn Park.

There were both white-tailed and mule deer were at Bebo Grove one weekend. Look at the satellite dish ears on these mule deer!

There has been an assortment of small birds at different spots in the past month. The Whitebreasted Nuthatches and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers have been plentiful. There was also a Townsend’s Solitaire at Bebo Grove, some White-winged Crossbills at Glennfield and some Redpolls in the Weaselhead.

Another small bird that I saw for the first time is this Merlin. It isn’t as small as the Nuthatches and little Woodpeckers, of course, but still much smaller than I had imagined. Somehow with a name like “Merlin” I expected a bigger bird of prey. This one was having a bath in a stream until a Magpie came down to hassle it.

Probably the biggest hit of that morning was a Mink that had all of the photographers, including those using their cell phones, lining the bank of the creek, waiting for the perfect shot for quite some time.

There were only two Sunday outings in December. The first was in Griffith’s Woods where the pathways were so covered in hard-packed snow and ice that we all had to wear ice-grips on our boots. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH! With all the noise we were making it’s amazing we saw anything at all.

Three Great Horned Owls flew from one perch to another, no doubt wanting to get away from us.

One very lucky find was this Ruffed Grouse who was just standing on a log a few feet from the path until she suddenly flew across and disappeared in the trees.

On the final Sunday at Mallard Point, some Hooded Merganzers put on a bit of a show but the new birds for me were a Song Sparrow and a House Finch.

 

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One Reply to “Fall Birding November and December”

  1. This is a wonderful selection–it makes a person feel as though they are right there. Thank you for the vicarious experience

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