A New Year for Birds and Bad News

 

Rough-legged Hawk from late last year

Yesterday marked the first bird count of 2025 for me, as well as the last of the 2024 season. Once again George Steele was leader, driver, best bird spotter, (although I did find a couple,) and general all around good sport about the trials and tribulations of driving around with the windows down in January squalls, listening for peeping from the shrubbery.

It was, as always fun. We found some excellent first-of-the-year birds, including some awesome raptors. Said birds have been unusually obliging lately, sitting still for ID and portraiture quite kindly. I think, not unlike humans, they really don't want to move in the cruddy weather. 

George

They included some Bald Eagles, a Cooper's Hawk, a Merlin, a couple of Northern Harriers, and several Red-tailed Hawks. We went around later looking for Short-eared Owls. Lots of outstanding habitat but no birds. I blame the weather.

Alas, we returned home to horrific news for the first of this new year, as I am sure you have read. I hope those in charge can prevent further incidences of same. Pretty scary stuff.

Meanwhile, it is time for me to head out to find all the birds from last year all over again, as well as to look for new lifers...of which there have been several pretty fancy finds by others already this year, including a Varied Thrush in the county to the north.

I want to wish you all a very Happy....and Safe....New Year, and great birding if that is your thing.

Hugs from Northview to all of you!

Update: I meant the national news from New Orleans and Las Vegas. Nothing personal. Sorry

A Tale of Two CBCs

 

Day 2 Barred Owl Number 3

I participated in back-to-back Christmas Bird Counts this weekend, not a chore for the faint of heart.

The first was the Fort Plain Area Christmas Bird Count. This was the third time for me and the first ever CBC for my dear friend Kris. The weather was not awesome, although it was in fact much nicer than had been predicted. Birds seemed to be hiding out from said weather and we had to work for every one. However, Kris did a fantastic job driving and helping with navigation and I feel like we got it done right well....not to mention it was a lot of fun, at least for me. Hope we can do it again next year, the Good Lord willing and all.

Day 2 Barred Owl Number 1
Just call him bashful

Then yesterday I joined George Steele and another CBC newbie for the Johnstown count. My folks did that one almost as long as it had been in existence, and when my mom got sick of driving the roads counting every single bird, Dad recruited me to help. As he and Mom failed (or in Moms case got bored with it) the boys and I slowly took over their territory, Mayfield South. Lacking a driver I let that go not too many years ago, but when George invited me to join him on his portion of the same count I was glad to do so. I infinitely prefer to let someone else lead, drive, find the birds, compile etc...which he does quite professionally. I am content to help look for birds and click, click, click on my phone all day, making check lists and a trip report of our finds of the day.

It was a great weekend and I want to thank everyone involved, including Ralph, who took me to meet the driving folks...not that I couldn't have driven myself, but he offered....Kris and George for doing the hard part, and all the compilers and folks who get out there and count the birdies.

Also I truly hope Riley was able to get warm and will enjoy future counts in the coming years.

Day 2 Barred Owl Number 2
George called him at midday.

Merry Christmas

 

Winter Day One

 

Mature Cooper's Hawk

So, it's the first day of Winter. Do you know where your lawn ornaments are?

(Under the snow I expect.)

Around Northview we have a few inches, the boss is sick, although improving (man cold...he will get over it in time I expect) and birding is still lackluster. I am barely tempted to go down to the river a couple of times a week. Sure saves on gas.

If you are local you are probably aware of the rodeo on the roads yesterday. A few inches of snow brought so many crashes and near disasters that it was just plain nutz. Sirens and fire alarms were the song of the day...all day. We stayed off the roads except for getting Becky to and from work and were thankful that we could.

I mean, seriously, there was even a plane involved. On the Thruway no less.

An interesting few moments in the backyard yesterday morning. I was in the kitchen when I heard two Black-capped Chickadees alarm-calling in exact unison. That was enough for me to drape my bins and camera around my neck and sneak out into the yard to see what was up. By the time I got out there there were at least five chickees, a couple of Tufted Titmice, and an assortment of other small birds complaining noisily.

Up on the hill in the old heifer pasture there is a tree, quite distant from the house, where passing birds particularly raptors, like to perch. There was a Merlin sitting on the very topmost twig. At first I thought that he was the reason for all the drama, but it seemed odd that the feeder birds would get so excited about so distant a bird. He was obviously uninterested in hunting, as he was still sitting there half an hour later.

I walked around the corner.

There was a small, mature Cooper's Hawk, staring intently at the feeders. I was able to grab a couple of photos before he flew. I think he hung around in the brush for a bit though, although I couldn't see him, as the birds still alarmed for a bit before they settled back down to nomming sunflower seeds.

I have learned to go right out if I hear that chorus of danger calls, as you never know what you will find right there in the backyard.

Anyhow, welcome to Winter. Ticks and mosquitoes are less of a problem than in sunnier months, the next season in the sequence is Spring...and that is the best I can offer you today.

Invasive

 

Eastern White Pine

The  boss kindly ventured out on Seven-county Hill to collect two Christmas trees, one for our house and one for the eastern extension of the family.

In recent years the hill has slowly been colonized by fluffy Eastern White Pine trees, pinus strobus, after decades in pasture and years in hay.

He found two nicely shaped ones, a little too tall even for our high ceilings, but what are chainsaws for? I had to choose. Last year I left the nicest one for Liz, but this year they were nearly identical.

Or so I thought until I brushed my hand affectionately over them.

One of these things is not like the other.

The first tree had soft, silky needles in clusters of five. The bark was greyish green and smooth.

The other had greenish-yellow-gold bark and needles in pairs. Stiff, sharp needles.

Becky went to work on the conundrum.

Her verdict was Scotch Pine, pinus sylvestris. My folks chose this tree almost exclusively when we were kids, but white pine has a special history here at Northview, so I chose that one.

I was astonished to find a wild growing Scotch Pine and to discover that they are considered invasive in many parts of the county, as they often invade prairie areas. 

I guess the old saw that you learn something every day is true...and I like it that way.

Scotch Pine