Very nice, Rich! Those are some nice birds. Oddly enough, there was actually an avocet in the Kent Valley a number of years ago.
Favorite birds. After a recent post from Scott Salzer where he mentioned a bird being one of his favorites, I started wondering what my favorites are. So many awesome birds, not to mention mammals and other creatures. My Minnesota roots require that the Common Loon is number #1.
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In no particular ranking after that
Yellow Breasted chat: A pretty bird with a sassy attitude
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Swans- Trumpeters in this case
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Lazuli Buntings
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Bullock's Oriole
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Western Tanagers
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Kestrels- my favorite raptor
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Buffleheads
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Ruddy ducks
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American Avocets
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Yellow Warblers
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American Goldfinch
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Bald Eagles
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Not to mention Peregrine Falcons, Ospreys, Northern Harriers, various Jays, Bluebirds, Spotted Towhee, Varied but it has to be their Thrush, cardinals, Night Herons, Road Runners- so many wonderful birds. The favorites seem to change with the season and what I have seen lately.
That is a very solid collection.Favorite birds. After a recent post from Scott Salzer where he mentioned a bird being one of his favorites, I started wondering what my favorites are. So many awesome birds, not to mention mammals and other creatures. My Minnesota roots require that the Common Loon is number #1.
View attachment 105925
In no particular ranking after that
Yellow Breasted chat: A pretty bird with a sassy attitude
View attachment 105928
Swans- Trumpeters in this case
View attachment 105931
Lazuli Buntings
View attachment 105932
Bullock's Oriole
View attachment 105933
Western Tanagers
View attachment 105980
Kestrels- my favorite raptor
View attachment 105981
Buffleheads
View attachment 105982
Ruddy ducks
View attachment 105983
American Avocets
View attachment 105984
Yellow Warblers
View attachment 105985
American Goldfinch
View attachment 105986
Bald Eagles
View attachment 105987
Not to mention Peregrine Falcons, Ospreys, Northern Harriers, various Jays, Bluebirds, Spotted Towhee, Varied Thrush, cardinals, Night Herons, Road Runners- so many wonderful birds. The favorites seem to change with the season and what I have seen lately.
I see loons here in the Columbia Basin from time to time but rarely get to hear them. I always look forward to seeing and hearing loons on our fishing trips to the Kamloops area. There's a pair of loons on a lake we frequent - one day a bald eagle came and perched on a large pine tree overlooking the lake. The loons were making noises that I assumed were "hey, there's Baldie, be careful". One of the loons came up with quite a large trout, one he was going to have to work at to swallow. The eagle dove and Mach-5 towards the loon. There was a lot of loon "screams", splashing/thrasing and an eagle flying away with the trout. So cool to watch and listen to.As a Canadian, for me also it is the Loon. Loons are of course on our 1-dollar coin (the Loonie); but it is their call that does it for me. There are few things more beautiful than the call of the Loon in the early morning on a still and foggy lake, or in the evening at sunset with the sky glowing red.
Cheers
Great pics.Found a roadkill raccoon on the side of the road on a walk today and moved it out into the field so the birds could eat in safety. Always hoping for a closer view of the golden eagle, but that was not to be. Two bald eagles came in shortly and the big female stayed, left, then came back for more.
Not a lot of pleasant photos for sure, but pretty neat to be within 35-40 yards of such an amazing beast !
Below: "I think I'll go home and get the car for a blind" I surmised as the big lady bird relayed, "You are close enough!"
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As if the scene wasn't gory enough, the eagle showed off its nictitating membrane for great zombie effect !
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For a few years the Bushtits built those sock nests in a maple by our kitchen window. When the chicks would hatch, the crows, who had eyed the nest for a few weeks, tore the bottom out of the sock and feasted. This happened a few years in a row and it's been about 4 years since the bushtits tried to build. Though if you walk around Green Lake's outer loop a lot of the hawthorns on the north side of the lake have bushtit nests, particularly around Duke's.