West Coast Beach Birding

The beauty of bird watching is that you have something to do, no matter where you go, no matter how urban.

I had a project in Los Angeles to work on and time spent on a beach is never wasted and there always birds...though many of them were gulls (not my favorite). But I thought I would use it as opportunity to focus on the super common gulls I rarely get to see rather than trying to tease out something rare, hybridish or just odd as--gull experts are want to do.

Here's a nice comparison of a western gull (biggest gull) and a California gull (smaller gull in front). But the beach was a great time.

I was excited to pick out this guy, a young Heermann's gull! I've seen the adults before in San Francisco and though this bird wasn't in breeding plumage, I felt it was a triumph of the human spirit that I was able to pick it out.  I'll never be a true laruphile, but I'm better than I was.

Even more exciting than the beach was all the fun stuff floating just off the shore.  At least exciting to a usually land locked girl like myself.  I have a tendency to take my spotting scope out more than the average birder (yes, that will be me at Biggest Week with a scope on the boardwalk) but spotting scopes are perfect for sea watch birding. There were some loons right off the shore, here's a red-throated loon, but even more exciting was a Pacific loon, that's a life bird for me.  I wasn't able to digiscope it but fun to add a bird to the list.

The best part of the day was getting up close and personal with a surf scoter. These are crazy looking sea ducks to begin with. This particular bird was living up to name by coming in on the surf and then actually landed on the beach. It tried eating whatever is behind it...sea crap? But the bird is quite awkward out of the water...walking doesn't come naturally to these birds.

I think when the bird noticed we were watching it thought it best to sit so as not to embarrass itself any further. Those feet, so perfect for swimming, so not meant for walking on land. But what fun to get such great looking birds so close to the Los Angeles airport. This was my first trip to LA and I cannot believe how everywhere you turn, somebody is filming something.  At one point there was a small two engine plane with a helicopter right next to it racing past.  Was it a high speed chase? No, one of my colleagues pointed out, "They're just filming that plane."

But a fun way to spend the day and to get some more birds for my Big Half Year challenge.

What To Expect When You're Married To A Birder

Having been married to a non birder for a long time, we've had to negotiate certain things. You will find yourself having strange arguments and in hindsight, funny misunderstandings. Here's a video example that Non Birding Bill and I made that anyone considering marring a birder who is a non birder may want to check out.  This will give you an idea of to expect throughout that relationship (also you get to actually see NBB in this video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-NDqxVmZI

And yes...Swarovski scopes (and binoculars) are THAT waterproof.  After they are particularly dirty, I do shower with them.

Crossley Contest Winner

I love all of you.  When I send out a challenge, you try your best.  I wish I could give away a Crossley Guide: Raptors to everyone, but alas, like the immortal Highlander, there can be only one. So, I present my favorite and the overall winner of the Crossley Contest (see the original plates here)  and have posted a few honorable mentions afterwards:

It was tough because everybody got creative.  But I think this is my favorite. Congratulations to Walter Kitundu for combining gore and total domination as you ride a northern goshawk that is killing one of your friends. I also like the addition of the bloody arm perch.  You had all of your bases covered on this one. Walter, send me your mailing address so I can get you a copy of the book (sharon at birdchick dot com).

Here are other entries that I wish I could give books to for creativity and well, just making me giggle when I go through my inbox:

Love the addition of Atreyu and Falcore with my favorite bird. Way to appeal to my geek side Nathaniel Gonzales!

Andrew Wallis, I love your idea of being able to control a goshawk...I know some falconers who would like that invented as well.

Oh Drew Weber, I do so love your commentary on baiting birds with this one.  Excellent and well played.

Caitlin Bailey, this was cute.  Though, I worry that if you actually did this with goshawks, they'd fly in all different directions and strangle the man playing the crossword.

Heather Labore, I like your style...

And finally, I present the many faces of goshawk by Susan Ellis...very good.

Thank you to everyone who participated.  You are all creative freaks and I love you!

Coast To Coast...almost like a Sade song

Man, if anyone get's that reference in the title, we must be of similar ages. This is mostly a post to let everyone know that yes the blog is still active and I am currently deciding the winner of the Crossley Contest. In less than a week I have been on two coasts of the continental United States:

Here's  a beach from Los Angeles where I got my lifer Pacific Loon.

And here's the east coast via Connecticut. Boy, are my arms tired.

Somewhere in there I managed to have time to get to part of a speaking line up with Cornell luminaries as Marshall Iliff from eBird and Steve Kress with Project Puffin.  I got to be the cheese in a Cornell/Birdchick sandwich!  I also got to test out some new material for my Today's Office program that I give and I learned that the nude beach story goes over better than I expected and I'll most likely keep it in from now on.

Somewhere in there, I have managed to go birding and add birds hand over fist to my Sax Zim Bog Big Half Year like the above western scrub-jay.  I've got to be close to 90 birds, can't wait to get them loaded onto the Flickr Album.

Birdchick Podcast #138 National Audubon Caves To Feral Cat Lobby

This is an emergency and short podcast about The National Audubon Society severing ties with writer Ted Williams due to pressure from feral cat groups. How many feral cat people are Audubon Members? Somebody, send this guy to a writing class.

Podcast 138

Crossley Raptor Guide Contest

Hey Gang! It's another contest! In case you have not heard, there's a new Crossley Guide:Raptors coming in April that combines the talents of Richard Crossley, Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan. If you have enjoyed his field guides, you will love the individual attention given to each bird of prey found in North America in the new one.

I'm a fan of the guides and use them for reference when I have a bird in a photo with that needs better ID or just use it for some boning up before I go out in the field. I asked Princeton University Press if I could do a contest for a book give away and in the spirit of the fun loving Robert Mortensen at Birding is fun...I think we have a good one.  OK, above is a page from the new guide with my favorite raptor: the northern goshawk adult plumage.

Here is the immature northern goshawk page.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it...photoshop yourself (or a friend or family member) in one of these pages and email to me: sharon at birdchick dot com before 12 NOON Pacific Time on Thursday, March 22, 2013. The best one wins an autographed Crossley ID: Raptors Guide. Best entries and winners will be shared in the blog no later than Monday, March 25 (I have some crazy travel next weekend and my internet might be uncertain).

I'm not saying you have to go hog wild like this image of Robert Mortensen as a common nighthawk, but have a goshawk carry you away, share a beer, gardening--who knows.  The entries that make me giggle the best chances of winning!

Also, there's a sort of online Birds and Beers going on with Crossley and Sullivan on Friday, March 22, 2013 (BYOB).  I'm signed up for it, it looks like fun.  But again, I may very well be on a plane and have to miss it.

Winter Won't Stop Coming

This time last year, I was kind of freaking out because it was crazy warm and I was tapped to help out with some eagle nest surveys. The leaves were fast approaching and there was concern that we wouldn't be able to see into the nests from the plane, much less if there were eggs or chicks.

This year, March is living up to it's reputation as Minnesota's snowiest month. One weather man said, "You know, we're only 11 inches away from our tenth snowiest March...and we have enough snow events coming that we could actually make that record before the end of the month."

So, as I see my friends in the south rejoicing about returning field sparrows and towhees...I try to keep enjoying the winter finches that are remaining in and around the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. Mr. Neil's feeders are still covered in common redpolls. I hear them sometimes fly over as I'm on my evening run around the Chain of Lakes and watch them devour seed at friends feeders. While I was digiscoping the above birds with my iPhone, I thought I would play around with the Vine app.  This app lets you take 15 second videos that look and viola, you have a gif to share all over social media. I'm not sure how much I'll use it for birding, after all how many people need a 15 second loop of redpolls?

This was digiscoped with the Nikon V1.  One of the advantages to the iPhone with the scope eyepiece is a wider field of view.  But man, the photo quality with the Nikon V1 is fantastic. It occurred to me as I was digiscoping the redpolls that I didn't have a pine siskin yet for my Big Half Year Challenge.

There was a pair of siskins hanging around, but they stayed away from the flock of redpolls, preferring to gather seeds on the ground. So I got bird #63 for my challenge. The siskins may stick around, sometimes they nest around Mr. Neil's house, so I may get a chance for a better shot later on, but wanted to make sure I got at least one before they headed back north.

I also got a cardinal photo too.  I'm so pleased with how this turned out, I may replace the cardinal photo that's already in the Big Half Year album...also, I like how I managed to frame the bird in such away that you can't tell there's three feet of snow on the ground.  With the buds on the tree, it almost looks like spring.

Next week brings a crazy travel jag that starts in LA.  I should get some crazy birds for the challenge a respite from the ice...which I just noticed has turned to snow that I'm getting this week.

Springing Forward

Just a reminder that there is a Birds and Beers next Monday, March 18, 2013 at The Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis. Anybody is welcome, if you are interested in birds--it's for you! Have a birding project, tour or book you want to promote? Bring it! I'll be bringing a box of birding stuff--review items, birding samples from various companies--you may go come with a prize! I'll also be bringing along my first copy of this:

I got my very fist copy of my book 1001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know (coming out May 7, 2013)! Spring is always a busy with birds and bird festivals, but I also have this to contend with (in a fun way).  It will come out right while I'm in the middle of The Biggest Week in Birding which is already an action packed week for me. Looks like I'll be doing a couple of Digiscoping with an iPhone workshops as well as a Birds and Beers and hopefully...a book signing for my new book!

This book is not going to change the world, but my goal is that someone who is aware of birds may pick up a few fun tidbits, maybe some interesting dinner party conversation or inspiration and take their birding to the next level. Hopefully, I won't get disbarred from the birding world for revealing all of the secrets!

The fun thing is to flip through the book and see photos I took and remember where I was and who I was with when that photo was taken.  It's kind of an odd little birding scrapbook of my life. I hope people enjoy it and that it doesn't irritate people too much.

Birdchick Podcast #137: Top Birding Questions Answered!

Recent bird jobs. Hey, remember how we talked about Georgia hanging up fake vultures to scare away vulutres...well New Jersey is hanging up real dead vultures.

Ambient traffic noise can kind of emasculate singing male birds. Also, some species change their songs over the years.

Remix your birdsong contest.

Huh, crystals can be formed from birds poop.

The New York Times just doesn't care about the sage grouse issue because they illustrated their article with this:

Screen Shot 2013-03-12 at 8.39.29 PM

The Gunnison sage grouse should be on the endangered species list. Please consider commenting on it to US Fish and Wildlife.

If you haven't seen this on Facebook, check out the yellow cardinal in Ohio.

Birdchick Podcast #137

One Tough Old Bald Eagle In Red Wing, MN

If anyone is in driving distance of The National Eagle Center wants to play with the new Swarovski ATX spotting scopes or try out some digiscoping, I will be hanging out at the Big River Optics booth this Saturday and Sunday (March 16 and 17) from 10am  - 4pm. We can practice with a smartphone or SLR. You can even try my Nikon V1. The center has a ton of fun things on tap this weekend, so you can really make a day of it. Also, I highly recommend including a stop right across the river from Wabasha to the Nelson Creamery for some cheesy goodness.

Speaking of The National Eagle Center, I had the privilege of doing a ranger program before Scott Mehus from the National Eagle Center went on.  This was a real treat for me, he is a master at giving programs to kids and all audience ages. When you see a pro at work, even if you already know the information they are going to present, it's a pleasure to watch them in action. If you ever see Scott advertised for your local bird club, even if you think eagles aren't your thing--go.  I bet he could even make accounting interesting!  You can also meet him at the National Eagle Center too.  A great guy...who not only knows his way around a bird of prey, but also makes some very tasty cookies (his wife is a lucky lady).

So of course after my program, I had to do some digiscoping. Colvill Park in Red Wing, Minnesota is a well know spot for watching eagles from November through March.  Though, with the nests in the area, you can see them any time, the eagle numbers are simply larger in winter.

There generally seems to be one adult bald eagle that perches regularly in the park itself, sometimes right over the well used trail along the river. I was digiscoping that bird (as were several photographers) and it seemed completely oblivious. It didn't pay us any mind. As I looked through my scope, I noticed a crack in its beak. I wondered if it flew into something at some point or if it had an altercation with another bald eagle over territory.  It certainly didn't perch near the other bald eagles along the river.

As I was taking photos, the bird would look around and I noticed that on the other side of its face, they eye didn't look good. Let's take a closer look:

That doesn't look like a functional eye.  Then I remembered an eagle that Non Birding Bill and I saw in Colvill Park a few winters earlier.  When I came home, I dug through my photo archive:

I took this photo on January 17, 2011.  I wonder if it is the same bird?  I don't have any shots of the other side of the beak to see the crack, but the eye looks similar and this was a bird you could get fairly close to in the park:

I'm willing to bet money that this is the same bird. There's plenty of easy food opportunities around Red Wing for an eagle that is not at the top of its game. If this is the same bird, it was an adult in this photo from 2011--so at least 5 years old.  I took a photo two winters later, making it at least 7, but when I took the original photo, it could have already been 10 years old.  It's tough to say.

I'm always amazed by a bird's resiliency.  Many wildlife rehab centers wouldn't release a bird with one eye.  The bird could become an education bird or in some cases, euthanized. But more and more, I see examples of birds that appear to do well and even thrive with one eye, here's at least one red-tail that I've talked about and you have you read about Julie Zickefoose's titmouse she calls Scarface that most likely survived an accipiter attack? Here's the initial photo...and here it is over a month later.

So, if you are in the Twin Cities, maybe make a day of it.  Drive down to Red Wing's Colvill Park and see if you can find this eagle, then head a bit further south to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha and say hi to me...and don't forget Nelson for some tasty, tasty cheese.