Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Fuji X-T3| Fujinon 100-400mm @400mm| PS CC 22.4.1
more to come…
Wordless Wednesday-Profile of an American Robin
Tag: Birds in the Wild
Friday’s Feathered Friends- Red-breasted Merganser Male
Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Late in January, I heard there was a Red-necked Grebe in Lake Tahoe and it’s a bird I’ve never seen so wanting to get out of the house between storms He-Man and I drove over there for a walk-about and see what we could see. No grebe anywhere, but I did see a small group of Common Mergansers, and one that didn’t look quite like the others, but looked like a Merganser. I made some images and when I got home uploaded the images and discovered to my delight the one in the group that was a little different was a Red-breasted Merganser Male. A new bird for me, and Lifer number one for 2021!
They weren’t doing much of anything when I saw the group. I think it was a bit early and they were still waking up. 😀
Fun facts about them gleaned from my favorite source allaboutbirds.org
- The Red-breasted Merganser breeds farther north and winters farther south than the other American mergansers.
- Red-breasted Mergansers don’t acquire breeding plumage until they are 2 years old.
- Red-breasted Mergansers need to eat 15 to 20 fish per day, which researchers suggest means they need to dive underwater 250–300 times per day or forage for 4–5 hours to meet their energy needs.
- The oldest recorded Red-breasted Merganser was a female, and at least 9 years, 6 months old when she was shot in Alaska, the same state where she had been banded.
That’s a lot of diving and foraging isn’t it!
I hope you all a lovely week-end!
Panasonic Lumix FZ200| PS CC 22.3.0
more to come…
Friday’s Feathered Friends-Northern Harrier
Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Several weeks ago He-Man was up for exploring so I took him to some of my birding spots that he hasn’t been to yet. While driving into one area I spotted a Northern Harrier on the ground in an irrigation ditch and as soon as we parked I took off to try to get a photo of it. It remained still and let me take a series of images of it. I wondered if it had a meal in that pile of weeds/grass?
Afterwards I caught up with He-Man and while we were picking our way through a field avoiding the muddiest spots he spotted another one sitting in the field. WOOT!
Later on I spied her flying and on the lookout for a meal.
Look at this wing span! She’s ready to pounce! She came up empty and flew out of my range and view onto a new hunting ground no doubt across the pond.
Cool facts:
Male Northern Harriers can have up to 5 mates at once though most only have two. The males provides the food, and the females take care of incubating the eggs and brood the chicks.
Northern Harriers are the most owl like of the hawks, but they are not related to owls. They rely on their hearing and vision to find prey. They have a disk shaped face the looks and functions like an owls with stiff facial feathers that direct sound to their ears.
Juvenile males have pale greenish-yellow eyes, while juvenile females have dark chocolate brown eyes. The eye color of both sexes changes gradually to lemon yellow by adulthood. I didn’t know that!
They eat small mammals and small birds but have been known to take down ducks and rabbits.
The oldest known Northern Harrier on record was a Female at least 15 years, 4 months old when she was captured and released in 2001 by a bird bander in Quebec. She had been banded in New Jersey in 1986.
Cool facts gleaned from allaboutbirds.org
The Harriers were the most exciting sighting at this location soon we were on our way to find a meal ourselves then call it day and head home.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, keep safe and warm!
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm| PS CC 22.2
more to come…
Friday’s Feathered Friends-Sage Thrasher
Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
My neighbor and I have begun taking our cameras on our walks because we’re seeing more and more of the Spring migrating birds passing though. Last week on a longer walk to another neighborhood we spotted this guy eating those Russian Olives. Don’t they look like pearls?
They are the smallest of the Thrashers and love the sagebrush of the western states. We’re on the western edge of its breeding territory. They mimic other birds while they sing. I didn’t hear this one singing though.
I was surprised to see this one up in tree! They usually are hanging around the sagebrush and will hide in it.
I hope you all have a great weekend, and if you’re watching the game I hope your team wins.
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm| PS CC 22.1.1
more to come…
Friday’s Feathered Friends- Red, White, and Blue
Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I told you I would show you the beautiful Vermilion Flycatcher that I went to see in Maxwell, CA a few week ago, and today is the day! He’s a year round resident of Mexico and South America. He does come north to So. Texas and So. California for breeding season, and has been seen in the states along the gulf coast states. How this one found his way up here in Central Calif. is a mystery, but it’s been returning for 5 winters now. He’s rare there.
Isn’t he pretty?
Fuji X-T3 w/ Fuji 100-400mm lens @400mm
Almost two weeks ago He-Man went up to Washoe Co. the next county over to go on a bike ride and I went with him not to ride, but to bird while he rode and guess who I saw? The White-headed Woodpecker! This is a male. I only saw this species for the first time last year so I still do a happy dance when I see one.
This one was so busy foraging he didn’t care about me too much. Once in awhile he did check me out.
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm @400mm
Sunday two neighbors and I went for our walk and we decided to go further than the mailbox and go up the hill and come home the back way where we saw Mountain Bluebirds foraging in the Russian Olive trees. The Olives are like little nuts that they seem to really like.
I saw this species for the first time last Spring, but didn’t have my camera with me but, by the time I raced home on foot to get the camera and return to the spot I saw one it was gone. I am so glad I had a camera with me on Sunday! Mountain Bluebird Male–
It’s been a good birdy couple of weeks that has been waylaid by weather. We’ve had snow! I won’t be out birding for a few days.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend, stay healthy, and safe.
more to come…
Wordless Weds. Bye-Bye 2020!
Copyright ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Fuji X-T3| Fujinon 100-400mm| PS CC 22.1.0
more to come…
A Little Somethin showy for Saturday
Copyright © 2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I didn’t want to go all week without a post so was digging through the years images and found this gem from the Spring.
Isn’t he a showy beauty? It’s a Cinnamon Teal. I rarely see them showing their colors as they’re usually in the water or curled up sleeping.
OT- There’s a Golf Cart lighted parade scheduled tonight in my community and if it’s not raining I plan to be in the driveway photographing it. I’m so glad there’s some normalcy here with lights on the houses and this planned.
What are you doing this week-end? I hope you have a lovely week-end no matter what!
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm| PS CC 22.0.1
more to come…
You must be logged in to post a comment.