Birds

backyard birding in Eastern Passage March 2015

Backyard, Birds

Backyard birding is also very productive and effortless as much of the time I work from home, and live on a migratory path. Even though I have lived here for 7 years, I’ve only recently noticed that there are more than Chickadees and Blue Jays hanging out in my backyard. And do I’ve been able to capture a lot of pretty birdies just in my yard or on my street in the past few weeks.

Some of these are familiar to me but some new to me such as the Waxwings (both varieties) and the Sharp Shinned Hawk.

my brief aquaintance with the vagrant Eurasian Kestrel at Hartlen Point

Birds

The Eurasian Kestrel drew birders from all over North America. I personally met one birder from Wisconsin and one from Nevada who came to see this little hovering falcon girl. I almost feel guilty that I was more interested in looking for the Northern Harrier and the Snow Owls and just looking for a way to break up long winter days with some fresh air. Inevitably each time I took a jaunt around Hartlen Point she was there and easy to capture in photographs with little effort.

February 28th female Eurasian Kestrel (vagrant) Hartlen Point

February 28th female Eurasian Kestrel (vagrant) Hartlen Point

February 28th female Eurasian Kestrel (vagrant) Hartlen Point eating a rodent

February 28th female Eurasian Kestrel (vagrant) Hartlen Point eating a rodent

Our winter was mild up until March which brought thick freezes and deep snow to Nova Scotia.  Our little visitor almost made it to Spring but a hungry hawk took her out on March 20th.

We got hammered with about 50cm of snow that week and on March 19th I ventured down to Hartlen Point and walked knee deep in the snow, again looking for Snowy Owls and Harriers but the only birds I really got to see or photograph were the Kestrel and the Rough Legged.  They spend a lot of time in fairly close proximity to one another on that day, but having spent a lot of time down there in the course of a month I would have to say that was not unusual.  Little did I know this was her last full day on earth and I had her all to myself simply because it was not an ideal day to spend time outdoors.  Nature is an ever changing, unforgiving, unemotional, and fascinating circle of life.  I feel privileged to have gotten this close to a small piece of it.

March 19th female Eurasian Kestrel (vagrant) Hartlen Point

March 19th female Eurasian Kestrel (vagrant) Hartlen Point

The nemesis (Rough Legged Hawk) who reportedly took the Eurasian Kestrel out the next day.  With so many Snow Buntings and Horned Larks in the area my personal feeling is there was some territorial animosity involved in this killing, exacerbated by hunger of course.  Here is the Hawk harassing a flock of Snow Buntings.  The Kestrel and the Hawk vied for this spot daily.  Just my 2 cents as a very new birder.

Rough Legged Hawk stirring about the Snow Buntings at Hartlen Point on March 19th

Rough Legged Hawk stirring about the Snow Buntings at Hartlen Point on March 19th

February 23rd, 2015 was the day I officially became a “bird nerd”

Atlantic Canada, Birds, Canada

2015 was the year I officially became a bird nerd. It was bound to happen really. Although I’m no photographer a favorite hobby of mine since childhood is to walk in the woods and take photos. Simply excellent way for me to quiet my mind and I love nature.

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Just before the New Year the local news ran the story of the rare Eurasian Kestrel that blew in on a storm and landed at Hartlen Point. As I live in Eastern Passage and there is really not a lot to do in winter I couldn’t resist driving down to see what all the fuss was about.

Immediately upon arrival I was welcomed into the birding community. Friendly people with binoculars and giant zoom lens cameras gave me quick lessons on identifying various raptors that frequent the area. In less than an hour I learned to spot the Northern Harrier, Rough-Legged Hawk, and our Hali-famous visitor the Eurasian Kestrel. The Snowy Owls are easily identified by common folk and I was personally delighted to find out there were three in the area.

And just like that my entire community has a whole new dimension. It would turn out that birds are everywhere around us all the time. They are masters of camouflage and wonderful at practicing to be statues. But if you are quiet and pay attention you will see them in all kinds of places where previously you took no notice.

Advice from the local birders on picking out a high zoom point and shoot camera was worth its weight in gold.

On February 23rd I ventured out with my new Canon Powershot 50 times optical zoom and was able to take some of the better photos of the Eurasian Kestrel and also the Rough Legged Hawk. Can we say hooked on birding?

kestrel-hartlen-point-feb-23 012