Hanging in there
February 28th, 2011
All winter this Hermit Thrush has spent at my local feeders--and survived, well north of his usual wintering grounds. This despite the fact that, according to several reports and my own observations, he has a bum foot. He lives on dried fruit that people scatter on the ground for him, bits of fallen suet from the woodpecker feeders, and the occasional sunflower seed.
Here's hoping that he successfully convalesces and returns to the wild. I remember seeing the 2007/08 Hurdman Hermit Thrush in the spring thaw, still lingering in the area, but no longer dependent on humans--he was back where he belonged, hopping around in wet woods picking newly emerged insects out of the underbrush. I wish the same for this fellow!
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Cooper's Hawk
February 27th, 2011
There was quite a panic at the Hurdman feeders when this visitor flew in. Hint: he wasn't there to eat birdseed.
Chowing down
February 22nd, 2011
Male Pileated Woodpecker at the Shirley's Bay feeders.
Bohemian Waxwings
February 21st, 2011
I've been chasing these guys all winter. They finally sat still for me!
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Waxwings are sociable and gentle birds, and sharing berries (one will pluck it, then feed it to another) is one way they show friendliness to their flockmates. This behavior is especially common among mated pairs.
Many of them were feeding on the ground--presumably on fallen berries. I managed one quick shot of this cluster before they scattered.
A rear view showing this bird's strikingly colored wings:
American Tree Sparrow
February 14th, 2011
This boreal sparrow is marked by a chestnut cap and a single, diffuse black spot on an otherwise unmarked breast. It has a less than accurate name: it breeds in tundra and nests on the ground. Even on its wintering grounds (which include Ottawa), it prefers open areas to woods. I see them at marshes in Stony Swamp and at the edges of farmer's fields in the west end.
But the number one place to find Tree Sparrows in Ottawa is the Shirley's Bay feeders. There's always a flock of them there in winter. They forage in the snow and on the rocks, where people leave piles of birdseed for them. Next time I go back I think I'll give them a proper photo shoot. I snapped just a few pictures of this guy between photographing redpolls.
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More Redpoll Pix
February 13th, 2011
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The feeding frenzy!
Frosty The Redpoll
February 11th, 2011
The artistic prize may have been yesterday's subject, but here's the birder's prize:
This redpoll's (mostly) unstreaked white rump, minimal flank streaking, tiny bill and overall "frosty" appearance all mark her as a rare Hoary Redpoll. While Common Redpolls are birds of the boreal forest and tundra scrub, Hoary Redpolls breed in the treeless high arctic. Even in a "redpoll winter", like this one, only a few of them ever make it as far south as Ottawa. This was my second-ever sighting of the species.
For comparison:
Redpollarama
February 10th, 2011
Redpolls in Ottawa have burgeoned again. I was amazed and delighted by the sheer numbers of them at Shirley's Bay this afternoon, teeming around the three nyjer feeders. And so tame. They do startle easily--but return to feeding within seconds of the startle. I got hundreds of photos as the sun peeked in and out of the clouds. I'll share the best of them over the next few days.
The prizes, at least artistically, are the ones with significant amounts of red on their breasts. Right now they're a small minority. (There will be more of them as spring approaches.) So I was thrilled when I managed to get a quality portrait of this guy:
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Winter Playground
February 4th, 2011
I saw this fellow romping with his owner in the newly-fallen snow at the arboretum, and couldn't resist taking a few pictures. He looked like he was having the time of his life.
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Watchful Eye
February 2nd, 2011
This is one I didn't get around to posting before. I took it at Andrew Haydon Park in late May.
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