Anyhow, whether you watch THE GAME or try to make like a bear and hibernate while eating snackies, enjoy your day. Don't shovel too much!
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| Otsego Lake |
As is not unusual, I wanted to chase good birds, so we combined the two, with the added attraction of inviting our good friend Kris along.
The boss drove. He is a great birding driver, as he knows just how to put you on the bird you want to see. He did a great job of just that all day. Kris found me a Merlin, which I needed for my 2025 county list, plus we found Savannah Sparrows, also FOY for me.
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| Fish |
We started out in Cooperstown, getting the American Coots, and assorted other wildfowl that congregate there to take advantage of the open water provided by the bubblers that protect the docks. Coots are uber cute! It was great fun to watch them striding, all big-footed and funny, over the ice, and to listen to their squeaky-toy peeps and chirps.
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| And more fish |
We tried a number of other good spots over the course of the day, seeing everything from the Merlin to a number of daytime Short-eared Owls.
The boss suggested we drive up into the Van Hornesville fish hatchery. We had driven by hundreds of times over the years, and never entered. What a place! Pool after pool of Rainbow Trout of assorted sizes, throngs of the creatures, circling and swirling madly. There were hundreds of thousands of them. We were fortunate to encounter some of the staff there, who patiently answered our dozens of questions. I can't wait to visit again in the spring.
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| An old spring house at the hatchery |
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| Which Kris noticed was occupied |
I believe that a good time was had by all...It was a great way to spend someone else's birthday. lol. Thanks Becky, Ralph and Kris.
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| The massive spring that feeds the fish pools |
LOVE YOU BECKY! Hope you have a wonderful day!
Later some elements of the Allied Union cruised the streets around Grandma and Grandpa's house in my uncle's car, which was doing double duty as a Sherman tank or maybe a fighter plane. We were just enough years younger than he for the hero worship to run strong. He had a car and a sense of fun and we sure loved our time with him...still do as far as that goes. He is a great guy.
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| Brandy |
Fast forward a few years to the Doggie Doo Dah Olympics. Matt was stationed in the Air Force on another continent on the other side of the world. We communicated with him via....gasp....actual mail...the kind with stamps and all.
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| Two Bears, another Olympic contender |
As evidenced by tape holding the envelopes shut when they arrived at their destination, someone was opening and reading that mail. Although we have always blamed local individuals who had access to those snail mail missives, I wonder now if it was happening on the other end of the mail run. It wasn't exactly the U S of A over there or anything.
At any rate we decided that if someone wanted to read our letters we would give them something to ponder over. Thus the Olympics were born. A Doo Dah, btw, is what we jokingly called a milking machine cup liner, made of high-quality rubber, and designed perfectly for tossing and fetching. We all grew up around farming or worked on farms and had access to the worn out ones, which the dogs loved to play with.
I had a rescue dog named Brandy that was literally on the table ready for the last needle when I talked my veterinarian boss into giving him to me instead. He would do ANYTHING you could make him understand just for attention and praise. Frisbee, digging where asked...he helped put in our waterline...climbing ladders to run around on the roof, leap tall buildings at a single bound. There was no stopping him. It's a shame things like Dock Dog, Frisbee competition, agility and the like did not exist then, because he was that dog.
Oh, the mail order drama and the tense rivalry between Brandy, his family, and that felonious French floozy, er, poodle, Fifi Lafayette. With all the tricks he knew it was easy to elaborate on the many adventures of the gymnastic, bombastic, fantastic pups. We used pages and pages of hand printed...in a teeny tiny font...and colorfully illustrated, lined paper. I wish I could remember all the stories of the doggy Olympic village, the cheating, the scandals, the ridiculousness of it all. Matt and I were always close, and I missed my little brother something awful. It was fun to make up the crazy stories, and to think about some far away stranger reading them in puzzlement. I think Matt may still have some of the silliness kicking around somewhere. At any rate, our letters soon began to arrive unopened.
In more recent years there was Moose Quest, which I won...Ha Ha! , Gator Quest, which went to Alan and Amber, a short and so far unsuccessful Bobcat Quest, and now....
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| Extra points for this salvo by Becky as I am gnome-o-phobic. |
Flamingo Wars! Ta Dah!
I always liked flamingos, and would like to actually see one for eBird, although I did see some in Florida in the 70s. Meanwhile, my house is littered with flamingos in the bathroom, flamingoes in the parlor, flamingos on the kitchen windowsill over the sink, and even a flamingo in the dining room. The girls have a small amount of discretionary income and are not afraid of Amazon or eBay.
I, however, am becoming afraid of incoming mail. Turnabout is fair play I suppose, but still...
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| Flaming-Ingo Sky |
Anyhow, our family appears to have a long history of silly, but by heckin' heck, we sure have fun.
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| Alz fair in love and war |
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| Rough-legged Hawk from late last year |
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.
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| 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
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| Day 2 Barred Owl Number 3 |
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.
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| 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.
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| Day 2 Barred Owl Number 2 George called him at midday. |
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| Mature Cooper's Hawk |
(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.
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| Eastern White Pine |
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.
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| Scotch Pine |
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| Red-tailed Hawk from Count One |
Then yesterday I had the opportunity to be a small part of the Montezuma National Wildlife count circle. That was exciting! I have always wanted to see the refuge in winter, and although it was something of a November-like day (and no complaints from me about that!) it was still quite different from the busy days of summer. I got all ten-thousand steps in one wandering bird walk.
My favorite memories include the sound of Trumpeter Swans winging their muscular way through the air right over our heads, bugling unmistakable and hair-raising calls, as if rallying the world to follow. They are BIG birds and impressive indeed.
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| Red-tailed Hawk Count Two |
And of skeins of Snow Geese stretching from horizon to horizon, their calls sharper and more piercing than the lower pitched honks of the Canada Geese. They seemed to go on forever, and I was pretty happy that they were outside our bit of the circle so we didn't have to count them all.
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| Sandhill Cranes |
Best of all was the flock of 27 Sandhill Cranes on the way back to the compilation. I may or may not have exclaimed like a little kid and fan-girled over the sight like same. Cranes always make my day! There were huge numbers reported count week, which I found downright pleasing. Maybe over the next few years they will nudge their boundaries our way and we won't have to drive two hours to see them.
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| The Bridge of Dread |
Least favorite memory...climbing through the gates on the derelict bridge we needed to cross. There was a time in my life when I would have scampered over or through without a single thought. This is not that time. Besides being older than dirt and build for comfort not for speed, I was wearing four shirts and my father's huge, thick, Carhartt hoodie. I got through all right going in but had an awful...and embarrassing...time on the way out. Just call me not nimble.
I am hoping to be involved in three more counts in the coming weeks. Let's hold good thoughts for favorable weather and wider gates where that situation applies.
Oh, and Cheerios and dried cherries are good trip food. Their are a lot of them, and although they are reasonably satisfying, there is no urge to devour them all at a sitting.
Also vegan spicy sweet potato/black bean chili is really good. Hot but tasty.
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| Red-headed Woodpecker |
1) Last winter saw daily reports of a Tufted Duck being observed in Saratoga Lake. It took several March trips with Ralph and my good friend Kris, but we finally got to see it among a huge number of scaup and other winter ducks. Thanks to you both for getting me there, and Kris for helping me get on it.
2) Next, also in March, was the Red-headed Woodpecker. Kris and I did a Montezuma run and met a pleasant gentleman who seemed quite knowledgeable about local birding. We asked him if he could direct us to it, he did, and the rest is history. This is the faux lifer. Up until I was in college they were the default woodpecker around here, and common even in the city. Then they vanished. Thanks, Kris for this one.
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| Common Tern |
3) Third was a Common Tern spotted at the Schoharie Crossing boat launch, probably my favorite local birding site. I found him myself one cold and windy day in May.
4) In June I happened on a couple of Least Bitterns calling from a nearby marsh. Heard only, but that counts on eBird. Also self found.
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| Glossy Ibis |
5) In August Ralph took me on another Montezuma run. We were almost done with the wildlife drive when I saw a lot of people staring into the cattails at a small marsh. I peered through my bins for a bit and spotted a little brown bird skulking through the shrubbery, a Glossy Ibis! Yay! Thanks, Ralph, and the nice birder who helped me know which ibis it was.
6) A pair of American Golden Plovers made my life list in Maine in October. This is a species I never expected to see and it was pretty darned thrilling for me. Another self found flyer, but many thanks to Ralph and Becky for being so patient about the hours I spend hiking beaches and marshes and woods and fields. Also thanks to Matt and family for making the trip so much easier.
7) I have told you before about the Ross's Goose chase. I spend a lot of time peering at geese, taking photos of geese and peering at same, and pondering geese and goose species. I think there are more Cackling Geese than we realize among the Canadas, some years it's easy...ish... to find a Greater White-fronted Goose committing vagrancy among the flocks, and once a top-notch birder I know put us on a Barnacle Goose. However, the Ross's was a big thrill and still delights me.
And there you have it, my year in lifers. I am downright pleased with these birds, but I am still out there looking for more, every chance I get. Just greedy I guess.
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| Not a lifer, but my favorite bird Carolina Wren |
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| Wilson's Snipe (H Appropriate Habitat) |
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| House Wren in the act of fledging (NY Nest with Young) |
I loved doing the atlas and will continue to code breeding bird activity going forward. Thanks to it, I learned a lot about bird behavior, which added a rich new dimension to my favorite outdoor pastime.
I saw a Bald Eagle rebuilding after losing a known nest in a storm last spring. It was jumping up and down on a branch like a kid with a new trampoline. When the branch finally broke it carried it off to a new nest structure, much smaller and less ambitious than the many-years-old original. I don't know if there were new eggs, as timing would indicate that the downfall of the old nest took eggs too, but I can hope.
Through closer than previous observation and a little more detective work than we might have bothered with before the atlas, a friend and I discovered a brand new Bald Eagle nest adjacent to one of my favorite birding spots (I used to call it Snipe Central). Alas I don't know if this pair had success either, but it was fun to watch them.
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| Red-tailed Hawk ( P Pair in Suitable Habitat) |
It was the same with many other species. I learned to watch more closely and to bird much more intensively, as I tried to help finish priority blocks.
I am most grateful to the people running things who took time to email corrections when I was wrong, thanks when I got something done, and suggestions for new places to bird. Also to people I was able to join on atlasing trips, who know a lot more than I do.
Thanks to atlasing while at camp I found one of the best birding spots I know of, where it was nothing to find thirty or forty nice species and to witness all kinds of breeding behavior in an hour or two. I cannot wait to get back there...if the road is passable...next spring in warbler time!
I am going to miss working on the atlas though. It brought me in contact with many birders I otherwise wouldn't have encountered and was a lot of fun besides.
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| Killdeer (C Courtship, Display, or Copulation) (Get a room!) |
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