Winter Bird Watching

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Big majestic bald eagle flew over the valley today, awesome sight. Last winter I had a one legged mourning dove, part of a flock that would come to the feeders. He was a cool little shit, hopping around on one foot sometimes tipping over, refusing to fly off when the others did. He was here all winter but this year's a no show. Instead this year we have a one legged starling coming to feast. Same deal, hops around, tips over, wont fly off. Must have figured out my cat's 15 and now fully retired.  I tossed a suet cake on the ground and he's taken sole possession.  Love winter bird watching. 

Got wildlife ?

I love Winter bird watching. The hawks head to the Mendocino Coast in the winter. They are very abundant. Here is my
annual Hawks On The Mendocino coast photo album. Been hooting some owls lately too..........

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Cheapo phone image.

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Fantastic shots Big Dan. Very very nice, those darn inflight's are the toughest shots to get. We used to have some pretty impressive hawk sightings during the fall migration here in the north east,  but with climate change not many fly south anymore. Watched a red tail nail a Junco off the feeder a few weeks ago, took it to the middle of my lawn and devoured it, nothing left but a few feathers. Hear owls all the time, hardly ever see em tho. Besides birds we're big possum fans in our house, feed a few locals in winter.

I read where half of the migrating species in North America show up sooner or later on or around Clear Lake.  I believe it.  Birds everywhere here.

Lotsa birds huh ?  How clear's that lake ?

Not very.

I took this lousy photo yesterday in upstate NY. This is a mature, male Varied Thrush and was way out of range. A lifer for me too! I'm up to 24 species so for 2020. 

 

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I saw a small hawk eating a squirrel in the yard the other day. To witness nature bringing balance back always makes me rejoice. Squirrels have been unchecked for far to many years, monocropping forests and such. They are almost as bad for the environment as big oil! 

Oh yeah fuckin sq's. We have lots of cardinals, finches, red bellied and downy woodpeckers, chickadees, and so on (no grosbeaks yet) but whenever I try to get a shot all i get is the fucking squirrels. Dog is 14, cat almost 16, both retired - and the wildlife knows it. Sq's rule in the day, possums at nite.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B6yhglpp2XF/?igshid=1hr5ig332pecn

 

Opossums eat lots of ticks.   

They also play themselves.

Penguins - in a minefield!

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Took this shot with my camera phone last March outside Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.  Didn't want to get much closer because the beach still has land mines left there by the Argentinos,  The penguins are fine as they are too small to set off the mines.

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Clear Lake

BB Fantastic !!!

those turkey vultures colors POP