"Kumlien's" Iceland Gull in centre of picture - March 22nd, 2013
Have a great early winter everyone, and good gull scanning!
Monday 25 November 2013
Scan for Icys you Okanagan birders!
Here's a fairly old picture of an Iceland Gull immature from Robert Lake this March. If you live in the Okanagan, start keeping your eyes out for this eastern stray, as one may be back by now.
"Kumlien's" Iceland Gull in centre of picture - March 22nd, 2013
Have a great early winter everyone, and good gull scanning!
"Kumlien's" Iceland Gull in centre of picture - March 22nd, 2013
Have a great early winter everyone, and good gull scanning!
Saturday 23 November 2013
DEJU, RBME, TUSWs, and RTHA from Wednesday
Here's a couple shots from Wednesday.
This Dark-eyed Junco was posing prettily at the Maude Roxby Bird Santuary.
DE J
Also a Maude Roxby, these Tundra Swans were preening daintily. ( There's a Ring-billed Gull in this picture too. )
TUSWs
Later that day, I went to the mouth of mission creek, ( for the millionth time ).
I caught up with this backlit Red-breasted Merganser, which is a good bird for the Okanagan. RB Mergs are uncommon in the valley, but they are fairly tame if you spot one. They like to forage and dive near shore.
Red-breasted Merganser
After looping around, the merganser took off.
By, by Mergy!
Finally, with the golden sun setting, I shot this Red-tailed Hawk at the Thomson Brook Marshes - close to Mission Creek.
RT Hawk
Thanks for looking!
This Dark-eyed Junco was posing prettily at the Maude Roxby Bird Santuary.
DE J
Also a Maude Roxby, these Tundra Swans were preening daintily. ( There's a Ring-billed Gull in this picture too. )
TUSWs
Later that day, I went to the mouth of mission creek, ( for the millionth time ).
I caught up with this backlit Red-breasted Merganser, which is a good bird for the Okanagan. RB Mergs are uncommon in the valley, but they are fairly tame if you spot one. They like to forage and dive near shore.
Red-breasted Merganser
After looping around, the merganser took off.
By, by Mergy!
Finally, with the golden sun setting, I shot this Red-tailed Hawk at the Thomson Brook Marshes - close to Mission Creek.
RT Hawk
Thanks for looking!
Wednesday 20 November 2013
Low-light Birding
On Sunday, I happened to be in Vernon, so I decided to check out the Allan Brooks Nature Centre for Short-eared Owl.
Upon arriving at the prairie-like expanse, a Red-tailed Hawk was spotted hunching in a tall barren tree. ( There are trees here too, not just prairie. ) I waited until dusk to make my way here, for that's when the Shorties are active, but some passerines were still around; in the form of Song Sparrows. As I made my way up the steep, narrow, roadway, there were Song Sparrow everywhere.
All of a sudden, BLAMMO! A crazy Ring-necked Pheasant called then popped his head out of the grass. He then started to sprint away from me on the right-hand side field.
Ring-necked Pheasant
Bad shot, but fun to see. Then, as this fleeing pheasant was running away, another joined him.
Ring-necked Pheasant (x2)
I counted five in total while I was there. I continued up the road, and my ears kept picking up an unknown sound, which may have been the Short-eared Owl's roosting call. He/she may have been getting ready to hunt, but seeing me scanning around may have discouraged him/her. I'm not counting that just yet. A flock of American Goldfinches floated around near-by, then settled in a new evergreen ( planted weirdly right by the field ). A female Northern Harrier sparked my interest for a split second, as it looked like a SE OW hunting.
Up in the sky was another harrier, and guess what was on a post, doing his best Short-eared Owl imitation - a third Northern Harrier. I see another bird behind the harrier in the sky.......... another NOHA. Four false alarms - a personal best for 15 seconds! The birding was still good anyway; a Rough-legged Hawk was surfing the sky overhead. Then, a bird swooped over my head. A late Western Meadowlark! My first ever for November. Not "Rare Bird Alert" quality, but still great to see, and it brightened my mood. ( The meadowlark still had its yellow chest! ) In the fading light, I picked out three European Starlings and one Ring-billed Gull in the dark sky to round out the list.
On the way back to Kelowna, I stopped at Rose's and another smaller pond for ducks. ( By then, it was CRAZY dark. ) On Rose's Pond, there were eight Northern Pintails, and on the other smaller pond, there was an abundance of ducks. On that pond, I squinted out Barrow's Goldeneye, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Pied-billed Grebe. In the dense tree behind the little pond, I heard some 'staying up late' Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrow. I also heard a blackbird in some swampy vegetation that puzzled me. Maaayyybbbeee Rusty??? It was a sound that was different than what I had heard before. Oh, well. A POSSIBLE Short-eared Owl and a POSSIBLE Rusty Blackbird. ( I have a recording of the weird blackbird. )
Anyways, it was a good evening of birding. Thanks for looking.
Upon arriving at the prairie-like expanse, a Red-tailed Hawk was spotted hunching in a tall barren tree. ( There are trees here too, not just prairie. ) I waited until dusk to make my way here, for that's when the Shorties are active, but some passerines were still around; in the form of Song Sparrows. As I made my way up the steep, narrow, roadway, there were Song Sparrow everywhere.
All of a sudden, BLAMMO! A crazy Ring-necked Pheasant called then popped his head out of the grass. He then started to sprint away from me on the right-hand side field.
Ring-necked Pheasant
Bad shot, but fun to see. Then, as this fleeing pheasant was running away, another joined him.
Ring-necked Pheasant (x2)
I counted five in total while I was there. I continued up the road, and my ears kept picking up an unknown sound, which may have been the Short-eared Owl's roosting call. He/she may have been getting ready to hunt, but seeing me scanning around may have discouraged him/her. I'm not counting that just yet. A flock of American Goldfinches floated around near-by, then settled in a new evergreen ( planted weirdly right by the field ). A female Northern Harrier sparked my interest for a split second, as it looked like a SE OW hunting.
Northern Harrier
Up in the sky was another harrier, and guess what was on a post, doing his best Short-eared Owl imitation - a third Northern Harrier. I see another bird behind the harrier in the sky.......... another NOHA. Four false alarms - a personal best for 15 seconds! The birding was still good anyway; a Rough-legged Hawk was surfing the sky overhead. Then, a bird swooped over my head. A late Western Meadowlark! My first ever for November. Not "Rare Bird Alert" quality, but still great to see, and it brightened my mood. ( The meadowlark still had its yellow chest! ) In the fading light, I picked out three European Starlings and one Ring-billed Gull in the dark sky to round out the list.
On the way back to Kelowna, I stopped at Rose's and another smaller pond for ducks. ( By then, it was CRAZY dark. ) On Rose's Pond, there were eight Northern Pintails, and on the other smaller pond, there was an abundance of ducks. On that pond, I squinted out Barrow's Goldeneye, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Pied-billed Grebe. In the dense tree behind the little pond, I heard some 'staying up late' Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrow. I also heard a blackbird in some swampy vegetation that puzzled me. Maaayyybbbeee Rusty??? It was a sound that was different than what I had heard before. Oh, well. A POSSIBLE Short-eared Owl and a POSSIBLE Rusty Blackbird. ( I have a recording of the weird blackbird. )
Anyways, it was a good evening of birding. Thanks for looking.
Wednesday 13 November 2013
SOSP
Song Sparrows have been posing lately!
At Redlich Pond, Kelowna - November
At the Bunkhouse Restaurant, Kelowna - October
At Alki Lake, Kelowna - October
At Redlich Pond, Kelowna - November
At the Bunkhouse Restaurant, Kelowna - October
At Alki Lake, Kelowna - October
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Double Snow Day!!!
On Sunday, I finally got my dream Double Snow Day!
Here's how it happened.
Snow #1 - I was in the car, heading for the Lower Mission area in Kelowna. On the way, I was scanning the hundreds of Canada Geese in the farm fields along Gordon Road. Finally I found something interesting; there was a nice immature Snow Goose within the Canadas! My third Snow Goose of the year. I positively don't think this was the same one at Munson Pond two weeks ago. It looked whiter.
Snow #2 - My destination in the Lower Mission was the OKM school, where I play sports on Sundays. Today, we ( the group of players I was with ) didn't have access to the gym, so we opted to play road hockey in the parking lot. I was goalie, and me ( always listening for random birds overhead ) caught something calling. That something was really someone, or three someones, as I was hearing three Snow Bunting flying up in the sky! I craned my neck up, but the goalie mask does not allow the art of looking up for birds. In a restricted field of view ( looking dead straight, like a race horse ) I opted to just listen to my year bird - and BC Lifer- fade away in the distance.
Double Snow Day - ACHEIVED!!!
Snow Bunting : Okanagan lifer = 244, Okanagan Year Bird = 236
British Columbia lifer = 276, BC Year Bird = 262
Overall ( BC & Las Vegas ) Year Bird = 303
Here's how it happened.
Snow #1 - I was in the car, heading for the Lower Mission area in Kelowna. On the way, I was scanning the hundreds of Canada Geese in the farm fields along Gordon Road. Finally I found something interesting; there was a nice immature Snow Goose within the Canadas! My third Snow Goose of the year. I positively don't think this was the same one at Munson Pond two weeks ago. It looked whiter.
Snow #2 - My destination in the Lower Mission was the OKM school, where I play sports on Sundays. Today, we ( the group of players I was with ) didn't have access to the gym, so we opted to play road hockey in the parking lot. I was goalie, and me ( always listening for random birds overhead ) caught something calling. That something was really someone, or three someones, as I was hearing three Snow Bunting flying up in the sky! I craned my neck up, but the goalie mask does not allow the art of looking up for birds. In a restricted field of view ( looking dead straight, like a race horse ) I opted to just listen to my year bird - and BC Lifer- fade away in the distance.
Double Snow Day - ACHEIVED!!!
Snow Bunting : Okanagan lifer = 244, Okanagan Year Bird = 236
British Columbia lifer = 276, BC Year Bird = 262
Overall ( BC & Las Vegas ) Year Bird = 303
Monday 11 November 2013
Friday 8 November 2013
Quiz
Quiz time!!!
What's this?
A - juvenile Willow Flycatcher
B - juvenile Western Wood-Pewee
C - juvenile Eastern Phoebe
D - juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee
Shot by me at ( you guessed it ) Munson Pond in Kelowna - a topic of many of my posts.
Deadline is November 31. If there's no reply, I'll tell the answer by that date.
What's this?
A - juvenile Willow Flycatcher
B - juvenile Western Wood-Pewee
C - juvenile Eastern Phoebe
D - juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee
Shot by me at ( you guessed it ) Munson Pond in Kelowna - a topic of many of my posts.
Deadline is November 31. If there's no reply, I'll tell the answer by that date.
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