Got any bird pics?

[Scott Salzer]

One thing about hunting snipe is they don't fly very far. If you kick one up, just watch where it lands and approach that spot. As you near the spot, get ready.... They get up quick and fly erratically.

Excellent eating!

 

[RRSmith]

One thing about hunting snipe is they don't fly very far. If you kick one up, just watch where it lands and approach that spot. As you near the spot, get ready.... They get up quick and fly erratically.

Excellent eating!

Yes - they are tasty little critters. I had a brittany that would point them. It was great fun watching her hunt but at the end of the day, I was just a lousy shot. She also pointed rails and we used her on some bird surveys.

 

[the_chemist]

A morbid reminder to clean up your shit. Not what I want to find while working a run.

 

[Jim F.]

I detest discarded line more than any other type of litter.

 

[Scott Salzer]

TTradRrsmith - what kind o bird surveys?

I was involved on a survey on the last DDT spray in the US around Enterprise, OR. I live trapped shrews - not easy due to their metabolism. Had to check traps every three hours for 48 hours. (Traveling in cougar county in the dark, unarmed, is not fun. )

Discarded lines are my nemesis . I find them at FF only waters too.

Clean your stuff and other discards you find. Be a good steward!

 

[RRSmith]

TTradRrsmith - what kind o bird surveys?

I was involved on a survey on the last DDT spray in the US around Enterprise, OR. I live trapped shrews - not easy due to their metabolism. Had to check traps every three hours for 48 hours. (Traveling in cougar county in the dark, unarmed, is not fun. )

Discarded lines are my nemesis . I find them at FF only waters too.

Clean your stuff and other discards you find. Be a good

Oh yeah - shrews are tricky in live traps if you want to keep them alive. Enterprise is a pretty part of the world. In our case, we did a big wetland restoration project and were looking for rails, specifically yellow rails. We never found any but sora and Virginia rails were present.

 

[Buzzy]

I detest discarded line more than any other type of litter.

I too hate finding tangles of nylon/fluorocarbon stream or lakeside. The last time I hiked into one of the local lakes, I hooked a line and was able to get it off the bottom of the lake. I'm pretty sure a local poacher was powerbait fishing this selective gear fishery - split shot still intact but no hook. I hope that the trout that broke him off was a big one. I walked up the shoreline to warm my feet (48F water) and found this:


I don't know why anyone would fish with line this heavy (30# 40#?) on a trout lake but I'm guessing that whoever left this tangled up in a tumbleweed is the same JERK who leaves his beer cans around the shoreline.

 

[JayB]

 

[Wadin' Boot]

 

[SKYKO]

 

[Cabezon]

On the first of two circuits around the 4-mile auto tour (cars as mobile blinds) at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, we found five sandhill cranes: four adults with red crowns and one immature in gray, in a small pond by the left-side of the road. Three of the birds were resting or preening.

But one adult was actively probing its bill deep in the mud for roots or bulbs, while the immature bird (its chick?) was waiting close by.


Later, the adult found something in the mud and passed it to the immature bird. Their placid activity was disturbed by a white-tailed buck aggressively chasing a reluctant doe through the marsh.

Steve

 

[Scott Salzer]

Good stuff!

 

[Cabezon]

Wanted: two common loons. Where: Westport Marina. Crime: Suspicion of poaching Dungeness crabs. Description: Suspect one is in typical black-and-white non-breeding plumage.

Suspect two still retains some signs of its breeding plumage, but it appears to be molting to winter plumage. Expect that suspect two’s appearance will change as it disguises its appearance to elude authorities.

Evidence: See narrative and pictures below. Suspects are described as billed and dangerous (if you are a crab or small fish). Approach with caution (for best viewing).
Evidence of the crimes from eye-witnesses: “On Monday, my wife and I took advantage of a sunny day for a road trip to the Washington coast to look for birds. When we reached Westport, we were surprised that there were so few cars in the parking lot and only two crab fishers on the outer breakwater. The reason, probably, is that crab pots cannot be used in the Westport / Ocean Shore waters from September 16 to the end of November; crab fishing is open, but you would have to use something besides the various types of crab traps. Perhaps it was due to the lack of folks on the docks, but the loons were diving quite close to the docks.
Suspect 1. I have photographic evidence that suspect one was violating at least three F&W regulations.


First, the Dungeness crab in its bill was clearly undersized; a Dungeness crab must have a minimum width of 6 inches to be retained. Second, the crab was a female (wide abdomen) and only male crabs can be retained. Third, based in how much its bill is bending the crab’s carapace, the crab is a “soft-shell” (recently molted); “soft-shelled” crabs must be released. The suspect dove with its illegal catch and reappeared offshore with no sign of the crab in its bill. I assume that it consumed the evidence. At no point did I observe a crab gauge, a fishing license, or a crab record card. I have provided an additional photograph to aid in the identification of suspect 1.

The other common loon was clearly feeding on an undersized Dungeness crab.

It also disposed of the crab during a subsequent dive. The photographic evidence does not show other potential violations. I have included two additional images to aid in the identification of this suspect.


I hope that these images assist F&W in catching and convicting these dirty poachers.
Steve

 

[Jim F.]

Cleverly done!

 

[Parabola]

We’ve got a sharp-shinned that comes around frequently but is really hard to get a good picture of.

 

[Stonedfish]

Wanted: two common loons. Where: Westport Marina. Crime: Suspicion of poaching Dungeness crabs. Description: Suspect one is in typical black-and-white non-breeding plumage.
View attachment 92235
Suspect two still retains some signs of its breeding plumage, but it appears to be molting to winter plumage. Expect that suspect two’s appearance will change as it disguises its appearance to elude authorities.
View attachment 92236
Evidence: See narrative and pictures below. Suspects are described as billed and dangerous (if you are a crab or small fish). Approach with caution (for best viewing).
Evidence of the crimes from eye-witnesses: “On Monday, my wife and I took advantage of a sunny day for a road trip to the Washington coast to look for birds. When we reached Westport, we were surprised that there were so few cars in the parking lot and only two crab fishers on the outer breakwater. The reason, probably, is that crab pots cannot be used in the Westport / Ocean Shore waters from September 16 to the end of November; crab fishing is open, but you would have to use something besides the various types of crab traps. Perhaps it was due to the lack of folks on the docks, but the loons were diving quite close to the docks.
Suspect 1. I have photographic evidence that suspect one was violating at least three F&W regulations.
View attachment 92237
View attachment 92238
First, the Dungeness crab in its bill was clearly undersized; a Dungeness crab must have a minimum width of 6 inches to be retained. Second, the crab was a female (wide abdomen) and only male crabs can be retained. Third, based in how much its bill is bending the crab’s carapace, the crab is a “soft-shell” (recently molted); “soft-shelled” crabs must be released. The suspect dove with its illegal catch and reappeared offshore with no sign of the crab in its bill. I assume that it consumed the evidence. At no point did I observe a crab gauge, a fishing license, or a crab record card. I have provided an additional photograph to aid in the identification of suspect 1.
View attachment 92239
The other common loon was clearly feeding on an undersized Dungeness crab.
View attachment 92240
It also disposed of the crab during a subsequent dive. The photographic evidence does not show other potential violations. I have included two additional images to aid in the identification of this suspect.
View attachment 92241
View attachment 92242
I hope that these images assist F&W in catching and convicting these dirty poachers.
Steve

Speaking of Loons….
This is one of the submissions for the new Minnesota state flag.
SF



Other submissions contain Loons as well.

Minnesota state flag and seal submissions: The good, the bad, and the loony

Minnesota leaders tasked the state's residents with helping to reimagine the state's flag and emblem. The citizenry has delivered, with designs running the gamut of reverent to just plain ridiculous.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Bass-O-Matic]

 

[Jim F.]

THAT is a great shot!

 

[SculpinSwinger]

 

[Scott Salzer]

Nice mountain blue bird. Your nest box?

Gotta love those birds. Although, there are very few bird I loathe.