Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
One of my favorite parts of the chilly month of November is the return of the Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) which becomes widespread after most of the other sparrow species have passed through or established winter territory. As you may have seen at your feeders this relatively large sparrow is a big time kicker, making feeding in the early season leaf litter and snow much easier. They are often difficult birds to dig up on Christmas Bird Counts as they are shy and like to remain hidden or close to a ready escape most of the time. If you have never had one in your yard try placing seed on...
Read MoreSnowy Owl photos: a day in the life
This is less of a “day” than a 15 or 20 minute period of me photographing and taking video of a Snowy Owl in the southern part of Jamestown, New York during the Christmas Bird Count for the city that took place on December 15, 2013. However, the photos do depict most of what goes on during the day at our latitude for a Snowy Owl. This bird looked to me like an immature male with a lot of barring over the body though not as dark, thick or bold as some are with a rather large white bib. Let’s let it narrate… “Oh, hello there, human. I’m not very interested...
Read MoreRough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) by Scott Kruitbosch
This light morph Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) was another fantastic raptor from the Jamestown Christmas Bird Count. I spotted it sitting on this pole before it flew off to a tree and then west. I do not believe any others were seen in our circle yesterday in the constant lake effect snow.
Read MoreSnow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) by Twan Leenders
Are you participating in a Christmas Bird Count sometime in the next month? Our local counts are this weekend with tomorrow in Warren, PA and Sunday in Jamestown, NY. It’s always a great time to get the whole family outside. Even if the terrain is frigid and covered in white you can still enjoy seasonal birds like this Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis).
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