Birding and Bird Photography

Did/will you ever get the chance to go find the Snowy Owls?

 

I like hearing about what others see too.

 

Thanks! Yeah it is a bit of a drive from here, although I don't have a single owl picture not even one!! And this is the right time of year to be in a bog LOL but timing is bad right now for me and a road trip

I understand that totally. Hope they move your way soon really looking forward to some snowy pics. Although like you and Ian said it is also nice to hear what others are seeing too.

 

Makes sense. Well I hope they become more reliable and come down a little closer to you! Keep us posted!

 

Alright, my recap!

My 2014 list ended up being 166 species just in North America. I didn't really keep track of the species list in Ecuador, but my group ended up seeing 152 in our reserve, I think, and an additional dozen or two in other areas of the country. Very exciting down there!

Maaan I had some darn good days, it's tough to choose! I had a couple of waterfowl days out in the marshes with the hunting camp I did in the beginning of the year, those mornings were amazing with just the sheer number of birds! Then there were the days out at Colusa NWR where the ducks and that Ibis were really close to the viewing platform. That got a little bit boring, though, tbh with all the people and the lack of challenge.
I think one of my three favorite days was when I went with my buddy to Finnon Reservoir up near Placerville. Lots of variety and good new birds!
Another was when I went and walked around Durham, New Hampshire and got some neat looks at the Mute Swan and added a handful of new species to my list.
The last favorite was the one a few weeks ago with my mom where we spent that action-packed half-hour in the botanical gardens. That didn't yield any new species but it got some damn good photos and was a lot of fun!

I think my best single sighting was the Common Goldeneye out at Finnon Reservoir. That was really cool because I saw it while out in a canoe and we snuck up on it and a few ruddy ducks and a ring-necked duck.
It's either that or the townsend's warbler that I got out at the botanical gardens. Man I still can't get over some of those looks I got and the action buzzing around my head!

Ecuador's a whole separate animal...
I think my favorite day was up to Laguna Limpiopungo at the base of Cotopaxi where we got some awesome looks at the Andean Teal and Cinclodes. The trip up to Parque Nacional El Cajas was also really cool with awesome looks at the cinclodes with some Variable Hawks thrown in, too. Of course, there were also the crazy hummingbirds out at Bella Vista Reserve!! That was insane but a little too touristy for my tastes. I really like finding the birds way far away from most other people.

Best species was the Booted Rackettail at Bella Vista. They're so beautiful and amazingly small! Of course, watching those Sparkling Violetears grow up in the courtyard was pretty cool as well.

All in all, I had a fantastic year bird-wise! Thanks for the idea, Lisa!

 

I don't really keep track of all the birds I see. I suppose I should. But I think the best thing (and most unusual) was the Flamingo.

I'm grateful for this thread and all that have posted their sightings too. Especially Kevin and his Ecuadorian travels.

 

Thanks! Yeah Ecuador was pretty fantastic. I was on the fence about starting one this year because the newness of doing my first last year wore off but I did anyways because it was neat to look back and remember the trips that brought new species.

Hmmm to gobble up the better food? Idk, why?

 

Skating party?

 

That's crazy, especially with so many of them! But c'mon...ya gotta have a better punchline than "dunno"!

 

Because they aren't chicken?




No one really cares about pigeons but I got this cool shot at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace in London

 

Yup. My stepdad and mom are over in Germany, and since they are over on gov orders, the government ships me out there once a year while they live there. So we traveled around Germany, went to Paris (before all that stuff went down), and London. Got back last week. Really fantastic trip

 

My first thought even before I saw the pictures was because the river was frozen, winter and food is scarce. If you have ever seen them fly they are more graceful on ice than in the air LOL. A few years ago I had one try to roost in a tree above me. The branches he landed on were dead so they couldn't support his weight, he tumbled each time squawking and making quite a racket. He tried 3 or 4 of them before he found one that would support him. I held still the whole time and he never saw me, hardest part was trying not to laugh it was pretty comical.

 

I like that answer!
Neat shot, looks like it's trying to be their own version of the guards!

That is hilarious! Quite the sight, I imagine.

Good heavens yeah they're terrible fliers! It's so strange to see them in trees, too. I'm sure I would've been laughing had I seen that guy flailing around up there.