Local Birding

One of my favorite things to do is travel around looking for wildlife to photograph, particularly birds.

There's a dirt road a few miles from our house that borders a long lake/slow river. Each spring this body of water is always brimming with birds. Some returning from the long migration, some stopping temporarily before moving even farther north to their breeding grounds.  As in the case of these Common Mergansers.

Pair Common Mergansers

We usually visit the lake earlier in the year when there are upwards to 50 Common Mergansers stopping for a short rest before heading north. At this time in the year, there were only a few pairs left.

Pair Common Mergansers

While I always aim to take the best photos possible,... often when I'm birding, I will simply settle for a recognizable documentation. As was the case with many of these images. The birds were simply too far away to get a quality image with the lens I have.

Female Common Merganser has a brick red/orange-y brown head with a crest of feathers that flail backwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Male Common Merganser

Pied Billed Grebe

 We also saw a Pied-Billed Grebe. I find them to be adorable. They're a tiny duck-shaped bird with a stubby little bill and huge eyes. 

Pied-Billed Grebe

 

They have an incredible ability to dive and are mostly silent birds. 

Canada Goose

 We saw many Canada Geese. 

Canada Goose

 This one is sitting on a well built nest. 

Belted Kingfisher

 We also saw a beautiful belted King Fisher. 

Pair Mute Swans (Nesting Canada Goose)

 And a pair of Mute Swans. See the Canada Goose in the background sitting on the nest? 

I have a swan goal this year. I want to see a Trumpeter Swan. I've been reading that they are making a comeback in our area. I've done some research and spoken with a few birders who told me where there are some good areas to find them. 

Red-Tailed Hawk

 This Red Tailed Hawk dove in front of the Jeep trying to escape the packing of two very upset Crows. Most likely this hawk was trying to rob the Crow's nest and the pair attacked, chasing the hawk away.

Crows = Orange Circle, Hawk = Yellow Circle