Field Note: The Finch That Isn’t a Finch
Several hours north of San Pedro de Atacama, we spent the morning searching a high-altitude bofedal for the elusive Diademed Sandpiper-Plover. We never found it. Instead, among grazing guanacos and wandering Lesser Rheas, a surprisingly tame Red-backed Sierra Finch provided…
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Birding Where the Land Ends
From Humboldt Penguins on the Pacific coast to flamingos and Diademed Sandpiper-Plovers high in the Andes, this Chile birding journey follows the edge of the continent through deserts, wetlands, and some of South America’s most extraordinary landscapes.
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Dawn on the Prairie: Returning to the Wainwright Grouse Lek
This is one party where the boys do all the dancing—and the girls just watch. At dawn on the Wainwright prairie, male sharp-tailed grouse explode into motion in a high-stakes performance to win mates. It’s an ancient ritual set against…
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The Birds Are Still Calling
It’s been over three years since I last posted here. Three years is enough time for a lot to change. Enough time to lose track of something you loved, and then—quietly, slowly, perhaps even serendipitously—find your way back to it.…
Keep readingBirding at sun dawn
For a second day in a row I was sitting in my car at the parking lot of the Whitemud Creek waiting for sun dawn. At -10 C it was a “mild” morning compared to the previous day when the…
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So long 2020, and thanks for all the birds
The last birding outing of the year was to the same location as the first one 365 days ago, at the Whitemud Creek. As far as birding goes 2020 certainly did not break any personal records due to the severely…
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The Longest Night
Yesterday was winter solstice which means that in our Northern Hemisphere it was our shortest day (7 hrs 27 min 41 sec) of the year and last night was the longest night of the year (16 hrs 32 min 19…
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Anniversary Pine Grosbeaks
After a long birding hiatus the indoor isolation of these crazy times finally caught up with me. On a whim, I took a few hours off in the afternoon and headed down to the Whitemud Creek, for the first time…
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Project 366 – Post No. 366 – So long and thanks for all the birds
What is Project 366? Read more here. Its seems surreal that I actually have reached post 366, that it has been a whole year and that this project has now been completed. So much has happened during this year, I…
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Project 366 – Post No. 365 – A burglar at the bird feeder
What is Project 366? Read more here. Along a long straight stretch of the trail I noticed a squirrel run across the trail in the distance. Of course a squirrel crossing the trail is not anything particularly remarkable in these…
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Project 366 – Post No. 364 – Downy Woodpecker
What is Project 366? Read more here. The female Downy Woodpecker had made a pencil sized hole through the bark and was intent on thoroughly investigating what lied inside. I wonder how she decided to make the hole where she…
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Project 366 – Post No. 363 – Red-breasted Nuthatch striking a pose
What is Project 366? Read more here. Today’s picture captures the iconic pose of the Red-breasted Nuthatch – clinging to a tree trunk, upside down and with its head cocked checking out its surrounding. Nuthatches are curious yet cautious. Yesterday,…
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Project 366 – Post No. 362 – American Three-toed Woodpecker
What is Project 366? Read more here. In a clearing at the Grey Nuns Spruce Woodlot a lone American Three-toed Woodpecker was busy working away looking for a meal on a spruce tree trunk. It is only the second American…
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Project 366 – Post No. 361 – Colorful bird real estate
What is Project 366? Read more here. There is a spot in the Grey Nuns Spruce Woodlot, an opening in the forest where the trail takes a turn, where there is a bird feeder. Someone has scrawled “Feed Us” on…
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Project 366 – Post No. 360 – Black-capped Chickadee on birch
What is Project 366? Read more here. At the Grey Nuns Spruce Woodlot we came across this paper birch tree that the Black-capped Chickadees seemed to take a particular fondness to. A handful of chickadees were busy clinging to the…
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Project 366 – Post No. 359 – Common Raven on pipeline
What is Project 366? Read more here. In the Whitemud Ravine one often comes across ravens around the orange pipeline that crosses the creek close to the Snow Valley end. Last spring the several raven couples even tried to build…
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Project 366 – Post No. 358 – Hairy woodpecker
What is Project 366? Read more here. What is black and white and red all over? Both Hairy an Downy Woodpeckers unfortunately. I like this picture because it nicely shows the feature that distinguished the Hairy Woodpecker from the almost…
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Project 366 – Post No. 357 – Squirrel in repose
What is Project 366? Read more here. On our walk along the Whitemud Creek we came across a Red Squirrel that seemed to be just resting on a tree branch. Our presence did not bother it. Even when I slowly…
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Project 366 – Post No. 356 – Bohemian Waxwings
What is Project 366? Read more here. The forest was filled with excited buzzing trills. It was a familiar sound, yet I could not put my finger on who was making it. Fleeting fast shadows passed between the tree tops…
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Project 366 – Post No. 355 – First day of spring
What is Project 366? Read more here. So finally we have reached the end of the official winter season. Spring has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, at least astronomically speaking. While the landscape remain snow covered and the creeks and…
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Project 366 – Post No. 354 – Black-backed Woodpecker damage
What is Project 366? Read more here. Yesterday’s post was about an audacious and carefree Black-backed Woodpecker. Well, today’s post is about the damage he caused. The picture shows the “trail of destruction” he left behind. On our way back…
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Project 366 – Post No. 353 – Black-backed Woodpecker
What is Project 366? Read more here. We had just spotted two glorious Pileated Woodpeckers having a feast in a stand of old growth trees. As we continued walking down the trail we met another birder. As good birding citizens…
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Project 366 – Post No. 352 – Nobody home?
What is Project 366? Read more here. Last weekend we went by the Great Horned Owl nesting site in the Whitemud Ravine. Since the beginning of March the female has been in her cavity every day with the male perching…
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Project 366 – Post No. 351 – Black-capped Chickadee in repose
What is Project 366? Read more here. It is not often one is catches a chickadee just chilling. They always seem to be on the move, never stopping, never resting and never perching long enough for you to aim your…
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Project 366 – Post No. 350 – White-breasted Nuthatch eating sunflower seeds
What is Project 366? Read more here. At the same snow covered tree log where someone had placed sunflower seeds where yesterday’s Pine Siskin was having a snack a White-breasted Nuthatch swooped in for a quick bite as well. While…
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Project 366 – Post No. 349 – Pine Siskin eating sunflower seeds
What is Project 366? Read more here. The Pine Siskins were out in full force today along the Whitemud creek. Despite the frigid temperature (-20 C) they were chirping away in the tree tops only taking a break to swoop…
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Project 366 – Post No. 348 – Freeze dried seed pods
What is Project 366? Read more here. Just as sudden as the spring temperatures arrived, they are gone and we are back in the deep freeze. This does not seem to stop the winter birds from making a racket through…
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Project 366 – Post No. 347 – Spring or not?
What is Project 366? Read more here. As we are inching our way out of the winter and closer to the first day of spring – which now is one week away (March 19) – some days definitely have spring…
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Project 366 – Post No. 346 – Creek under construction, Part 2
What is Project 366? Read more here. So in yesterday’s post the picture showed the big all terrain machines the crews are using do reconstruct the Whitemud creek after the beavers’ handiwork. Today’s picture shows what the reconstruction entails. While…
Keep readingProject 366 – Post No. 345 – Creek under construction
What is Project 366? Read more here. The Whitemud creek can be a busy construction zone. During spring, summer and fall the beavers are busy with their engineering handiwork. In the winter, however, another form of construction, or rather reconstruction,…
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