Calm Before the Snowstorm

Today was a great day to be out-55 degrees and sunny. The beautiful weather here is often short lived this time of year as we transition from winter to summer. This latest round of warm and sunny weather is about to come to an end tomorrow as a huge blizzard is going to cover the area with 12+ inches of the white stuff. No this is not some late April Fools joke! I can't believe that we are going to have such a big snowstorm so late in the season. I hope the snow melts quickly!

Anyway, today I went out and did some birding with Paul R, a birding friend of mine through the hill country and saw some nice birds. The most interesting thing of the day were the three Loggerhead Shrikes we saw. We found one pair and then a bird all by itself. We also found a pair of Cooper's Hawks but we couldn't find a nest anywhere in the vicinity of where they were. We did confirm nesting for Belted Kingfisher however, because we saw one go into a hole in a dirt bank near the road. It was neat to see that. Year birds included Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, and Rusty Blackbird. I must not forget to add Harris's Sparrow for all those out of the Midwest.

We also got a few shorebirds in the Missouri River valley at the dairy farm ponds. Dunlin, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Baird's Sandpipers were the shorebirds that weren't Killdeer. There were lots of ducks as well but nothing to interesting. The wetlands in the area were full of ducks as well as some FOY American White Pelicans. Two Northern Harriers were also found.

Today was "the calm before the storm" and it was great to be out birding. I might need to get out and look for longspurs on the back roads in our area, so if I am insane enough to head out I will post about my finds then.

Backyard Visitor: Harris's Sparrow

One bird that regularly visits out yard in the fall, winter, and spring seasons is the Harris's Sparrow. We usually have them every winter on and off, showing up sporadically. These sparrows have the a small range. In the winter they live in the Midwest from Southern South Dakota down through the plains to Texas. They spend the summer in northern Canada in the stunted boreal forests there. They can be found rarely from coast to coast and it is not uncommon to hear about them showing up miles from home. The number of Harris's Sparrows in our yard had increased in the past couple weeks. I think they are getting ready to head north. They sing quite often, giving away their hiding place in the bushes. I got a video of a non-breeding individual hopping around under my feeders today. I always like to watch them in the spring because they often transition from their non-breeding to their breeding plumage right in my backyard!

Owl in the Yard

The Eastern Screech-Owl is a relatively small owl of eastern woodlands. They are fairly common where I live and I see them from time to time. Last night while outside I heard a screech-owl calling from a small woodlot behind my house. I could not locate the bird at all and it didn't help that he quit calling every time I would head his way.

Today while going out to get the mail I saw a couple nuthatches and a robin near a tree. They sounded distressed. I figured it must be the owl that I head the night before. The tree has a spot where an owl could nest or roost so I went up and checked it out.
I got up next to the tree and out pops an owl. I went inside to get the camera but when I came back out it was gone. He must have went back inside the hole. By this time the goldfinches showed up and the birds were everywhere in the trees above looking to see what was the matter. Eventually I gave up trying to find him since I had a test to get back to. I can't wait to find out if they are nesting. This was a nice surprise to raise my spirit during a long week of test-taking.

Other things of note in my yard today was a singing Harris's Sparrow and the first butterfly of the year.

Feeder Visitor Photos

I headed out this afternoon to get some pictures of the birds that were visiting our feeders. I took a chair and sat in it until the birds came in after getting used to me being there. Eventually they came in and I got some nice photos. A flock of Pine Siskins invaded our feeding stations for a while and they were very cooperative.A few Harris's Sparrows came in to and fed on the ground near the feeder adding to the fun.