Last Day of April

I had this Monday off of work today and it was one more chance to walk at the park. In keeping with our weather pattern, this first day of the work week was by far nicer than either Saturday or Sunday. The first thing I spotted was on the south east side was this Grackle that I was able to catch through a break in the cattails. I'm always fascinated with capturing any birds with iridescent coloring as they can appear so brilliantly colored in certain light, then nearly black if you take one extra step in either direction. Later I spotted a Blue-winged Teal together with pair of Wood Ducks but my photos turned out pretty crummy. On the north east side I spotted one Bluebird perched out in some dead trees so of course I just had to walk out into the area. From a distance I could see the brightest yellow Goldfinch I think I've ever seen. The light was just right and he was perched against a background of newly greening trees. I never thought I'd get too close but figured I would try anyway. He stayed put until I was almost right up on him at which point I was able to get better photos than I'd every gotten before. My feet were getting a bit wet out here in the swampy areas so I headed back to the paved trail. Later on though I veered off trail again just to see what I might see. Again from quite a distance I spotted a Tree Swallow and wondered if I might be able to get in closer for a better shot. Every time I would gain 5 feet or so I would take a new series of photos as you never know when a bird is going to just take off. But I found myself doing this over and over and over with the Swallow never moving as I got closer. Even with the crunching dead grass under my feet he stayed put on the same branch looking out over the middle of the park. Eventually I found myself nearly right underneath him yet he stayed put. I actually had to back away a bit to get a better shot! Only after I was satisfied with the quantity of photos I'd taken and I moved quickly in the opposite direction did the Swallow finally move on from his perch. It was a good day for getting close to birds!

Nicer Day of the Weekend

When I started out for my walk this Sunday morning it wasn't really all that nice out. But after yesterday's wind, rain and temps in the lower 40's, it was quite nice. I spotted a wide variety of birds and waterfowl but the first thing I caught a photo of was this Great Blue Heron fishing along the shoreline where the creek flows back out of the lake. I noticed him just in time before walking right out into the open and scaring him off. You can also see here that the edges of the water are greening up while further in is still dead and dry. By the time I was on the east side I'd seen a lot of other birds but wasn't able to catch any good photos. There is a little tiny ditch here that usually has standing water in it and this hen Mallard came walking up out of it. She was so close I couldn't resist a photo. I was hoping she might have some ducklings with her as I've seen quite a few already but she did not. Shortly after I stopped to watch some Tree Swallows for a while, zooming out from a nest box, then coming back repeatedly. I think they were still building a nest inside. I've also been seeing a lot of Brown-headed Cowbirds recently -usually groups of 10 or more. Mostly I've noticed them on the ground out in the baseball fields on the east side. Each time I see them I can usually also hear their very high pitched squeaky call. After turning my attention of the quick moving Tree Swallows I noticed this female Cowbird sitting by herself across the trail in the willows. They're not a particularly pretty bird and I realize they are generally despised by birders for their behavior but you'd never guess it from this picture. I always think the female seems to have spots running down the side of her breast but I think it's just how the feathers lay. By the time I arrived at the bridge over the creek on the north side, the sun had popped out and it really turned a corner. I met up with a friend from the park and we watched the Barn Swallows, Mallards and Wood Ducks while we talked. A little bird came bouncing up the creek bank and came up almost right underneath my feet. I thought at first that it was a Chipping Sparrow or American Tree Sparrow -both of which I don't have photos of. But later I think it was just another Song Sparrow. Regardless he was within that range that I can never pass up so I took a few shots. Usually when I see them they are all puffed up and don't look like the slender bird this one does.

A Good Day to Be a Duck

It just figures that it's been nice out for most of the work week but then come the weekend our weather turns sour. Rain and colder temps had been predicted for this Saturday so at least I was somewhat prepared. I've never minded going 'round the park in the rain as long as I'm dressed for it but now it's nearly impossible to bring my new camera with. It's just too large and bulky to keep from getting wet. So I had to really rough it today with my old point-n-shoot camera. On the south side I spotted male and female Blue-winged Teals in the tiny pond off the parking lot. I was able to get just a couple shots before remembering how easily these Ducks get spooked. They're nothing like a Mallard that you can walk right up to sometimes. Using my old camera again really made me appreciate my new one that much more. Later however when I spotted a patch of Marsh Marigolds, my old camera redeemed itself with it's ability to take macro photos -something I've not quite figured out yet with the new one. I don't know much about these flowers, only that they seem to thrive in fairly wet, swampy areas and I'm noticing them this year after a friend had pointed them out to me last year. Another plant with the very same background for me is the Jack-in-the-Pulpit and I spotted this one on my own today. It was in the same spot where it was also pointed out to me last year and I wonder if it could be the very same plant. Other than their uniquely vertical shape, the dead giveaway would be burgundy striped underside of the top leaf and this one happens to face directly away from the trail. Hopefully it doesn't get stepped on. Someone also recently told me that in the summer or fall they will get red berries that can be used to seed new plants so I'll have to keep watching for them.

One Last Northern Shrike!

This Wednesday after work it was warm and sunny and I was itching to go back to my "natural blind" to try for some more Bluebird photos. So I parked on the west side for a change and hiked directly to the area on the west end of the park where I'd been the seeing Bluebirds so often this year. This in itself is interesting to note; last year I'd seen a few here and there in early spring but then they got pretty scarce afterward. This year I've spotted them numerous times -darn near every visit since the beginning of April. If I had to guess, I'd say that I've spotted them close to 30 times or more this season -and not always in the same area of the park. I didn't have to wait in my blind for very long before a female showed up at the top of the same dead tree that they favor. The male showed up shortly afterward and perched in the same tree making for a neat shot. While I was taking photos I could hear another Bluebird that seemed to be much closer and when I strained my head straight up there was a third one only a few feet over my head! I tried to get my camera into this odd position but I wasn't quick enough. Afterwards I kept heading north though I really didn't intend to walk all the way around the park tonight. Instead I decided to really "off-road it" and followed a well used Deer trail out into the open areas along the banks of Shingle Creek. Right as I was coming up to the last stand of trees before it really opens up, I spotted a very light colored, almost white bird and thought "what the heck is that?" I didn't even have to use my binoculars as I realized from how it was perched that it was a Northern Shrike! I could hardly believe it! It had been at least a month since the last time I'd seen this "winter bird" and I'd assumed they were long gone by now. I just went back now to double check my last posting and my last sighting of a Shrike was on March 4th. This was quite a find, especially having just watched Bluebirds only 30 minutes ago. In fact, as I was trying to get closer to the Shrike, I spotted another Bluebird. In the tree to my right was a Bluebird and in the tree to the left was a Shrike! The only thing better would have been to see them in the same tree. Eventually I got close enough to scare off the Shrike and I double checked my camera right then and there to make sure I'd gotten a useable photo, since it was so out-of-season. I continued to wander around a bit further out along the creek and spotted some more Tree Swallows as well as a few Great Blue Herons. It was really getting dark now as this Great Blue Heron came in to roost in a short tree on the other side of the creek. He might have been coming in to stay the night.

A Nice Day to Feel Miserable

I had picked up a nasty cold/flu on Wednesday and I was still feeling crummy this Saturday. The weather was not cooperating with my condition however and it was a fantastically beautiful day; sunny and 74 degrees! I just couldn't forgo a walk around the park and sniffled my way around. I felt all the more miserable afterward but in the end I was quite happy with my photos for the day. The first thing I spotted was a Coot on the south side where the railroad ties overlook the junction of the 2 biggest bodies of water. I've seen Coot's hanging out with the Mallards and Geese already this year but I normally don't get to see them this close up. There was only just the one and at times he was trying to avoid a Muskrat swimming by with long cattails in it's mouth. Right near the main parking lot on the south side I noticed a female Bluebird and was able to walk up closely for some decent shots. The male was around and would land near her periodically but the female stayed mostly in this same tree. Even this female looked brilliant blue -at least on her tail feathers. Goldfinches can be heard everywhere in the park now and I'm still learning to pick out their song amongst all the other birds that are arriving for the spring. The last time I had a good look at one, the males were still dull yellow colored but they are brighter than ever already. This one was singing from the top of a tree and I found an old dead stump to stand up on and get me a little closer. A Goldfinch is right up there with a Cardinal in that they're both common but I'm always trying to get better photos of them. Near the end of my walk I was lucky enough to glance upward at the right moment and spot a small bird, nearly invisible against the bark of the tree it was scurrying up. I recognized it quickly as a Brown Creeper and I got my camera on him right away. Only trouble is that I couldn't tell for sure if he was in the viewfinder! If you are looking at one straight on, they are so well camouflaged that they can virtually disappear. As I zoomed in on him he made his way around the tree and gave me a better angle for a photo but shortly afterward, he moved further up the tree and I never saw him again. It was my first opportunity to photograph one and I can see how tough it is going to be to get another.

Northern Harriers

I visited the park again this Tuesday after work and realized it was my 4th visit in 4 days. It was even colder today at just 43 degrees but at least the wind had died down a little and it was bright and sunny. I walked the opposite direction tonight, heading first to where I'd seen the Ruby-crowned Kinglets on the north side. They were definitely not around this evening but I did spot a lot of activity out near the middle of the park. There were at least 2, maybe 3 large raptors swooping back and forth just above the cattails. When they would pull up and turn I could see an obvious white patch on their rump which told me they were Northern Harriers. I've only seen one maybe once before and was never able to catch a good photo. They were quite far away and I've zoomed in quite a bit on this one but it was easy to see how white they were from underneath. There was also a mature Bald Eagle perched in the tall dead tree overlooking the park and periodically the Harriers would appear to be interacting with him, zooming right past him. Their active behavior continued out in the middle of the park during my entire walk. Shortly after moving on I spotted another Bluebird in the same area I've been spotting them lately. It is just too hard to resist taking photos of them as they are so brightly colored. I had to stalk this one for a bit in order to get closer and in better light. On a nicer day I still may go back to the 'blind" and take some more pictures because they are just so fun to see. Upon heading south on the wood chip trail, I stopped and looked again for Kinglets as this was where I'd seen them last year. But again there were none to be found. Instead I spotted another Blue Winged Teal, this time both the male and female. It was getting dark by now and they were mostly only shadows but I could see the bright white half-moon shape in front of his eyes. Glad to see that they are still around but I doubt it will be for much longer.

Cold and Windy Monday

I had an extra day off from work this Monday but I didn't get to the park until later in the afternoon. It was terribly windy and on the cold side at just 47 degrees. I didn't think I would see much but the park usually proves me wrong anytime I assume this. The first think I spotted was an unknown bird hopping around mostly on the ground. Right away it didn't look familiar because it was rather large -close to a Robin size maybe, but was mostly drab colored except for it's bright rusty colored tail feathers. It flew off quickly into some low bushes but came back out onto the open ground right near the trail long enough to capture photos of it from different angles. I had to have some help identifying this bird later and was happy to learn that I'd captured a new bird for my blog -a Hermit Thrush! Now I will just have to remember how to recognize one if I ever see one again. I never heard it make any noise but they apparently have a very beautiful song. On the northeast side I spotted a group of 5 to 6 Deer moving below the Buckthorn trees just off the trail. For whatever reason they tend to congregate here in large groups each spring. There must be something good to eat here. I watched them for a while trying to get a shot with all of them in it but of course they don't always stay in tight groups. There were no Bucks in the group but there were a couple of curious young ones that cautiously walked closer to me as I took photos crouched down on one knee. Just like last year, their fur looked to be a mess as if they were shedding maybe. On the north side near a drainage ditch I just barely caught a glimpse of a tiny little bird bouncing around in a tree at about eye level above a drainage ditch full of water. It flew off quickly to the other side of the ditch when I realized it was likely a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It was very windy on this side of the park and I was surprised that they were out and active in such crummy weather. I stood and waited here for nearly 30 minutes or more, watching 2 of them periodically fly back to my side of the ditch and hop around in the tree like crazy as I remember them from last year. Seriously, these birds DO NOT stay put for more than 1 to 2 seconds before moving again. I was almost laughing to myself at how difficult it is to get a photo of one. By the time you can get one in your viewfinder, they tend to move and it's a constant game of catching up to them. I wasn't too happy with the quality of this photo but it does show their olive green backside plus the red crown raised slightly. I will make sure to check out this spot again during my next walk.

A Great Day of Birding on Easter Morning

Today was Easter morning and I arrived at the park just before 7:30am. The temperature was still on the cooler side but with no clouds it started warming up quickly. I counted roughly 20 species of birds today in my short visit and that is a stellar day of birding in my book. Especially when for a few of these birds, it was the first time I'd either spotted or photographed them at the park! The first birds I spotted were a small group of Brown-headed Cowbirds who are now returning to the park. I thought I saw one the other day but he was against the sun and I couldn't say for sure but it made a very high pitched sound that I didn't recognize. Today I could hear that same sound coming from these guys way up in the tree. They reminded me of "class clowns" as they would fluff up, flap their wings and shriek noisily. In the duck pond on the southwest side I was very surprised to see a Blue-winged Teal float right by. I've seen them at the park before but have never been able to catch a photo of one as they are quite easily scared away. I only saw the male and no female but I didn't look very hard for her as I didn't want to scare this one off. I'm happy to see some new waterfowl returning to the park now as well. On the northeast side I spotted more than one Bluebird flitting from tree to tree just inside the paved trail. They were very active and I was determined to get a better photo than I'd gotten before so I walked in a ways trying to get closer. Bluebirds don't seem quite as skittish as other birds and will allow you to get fairly close, but it still wasn't close enough. I watched for a while and picked out a few of the trees or bushes they seemed to perch in most often and then looked for a good place to sit. I found a nice, wild old brushy tree with a good spot to sit right in the middle. I cleared a few dead branches for a better view and just waited. It paid off almost immediately as both a female and Male landed on the big dead tree about 50 feet from me. It was a lot easier to ID the female when right next to the male as she appears pretty much the same only duller. I could see the female with a small twig in her beak and assumed they must be building a nest somewhere nearby. Then a short time later the male landed even closer to me -about 30 feet away on a dead branch. I thought to myself I ought to have tried this method before! On my way back on the north side, I noticed what I thought was a Song Sparrow bouncing around on the paved trail in front of me. It was already pretty close so I took some photos and then walked ahead. Surprisingly it stayed put, only moving ahead or to the side just slightly. I wondered if it was sick or injured as I was able to get within just a few feet of it. That is when I noticed it had a noticeable patch of light grey coloring on it's head and shoulders which didn't look like a Song Sparrow. I took some more photos at this close distance, not really knowing what it was at the time. Eventually the bird did move along more quickly and even flew for a bit, staying near the ground. Later, using this and other photos of it's backside, I was able to identify it as a Fox Sparrow -another new ID for me! The name comes from it's rusty red-brown coloring on its tail and wings. Shortly after when I was nearly back to my vehicle, I noticed a very large bird soaring overhead and assumed it was an Eagle. It was very high up and I was having trouble finding its white head. Then as it turned I caught a glimpse of pink on its head and realized it was not an Eagle but a Turkey Vulture. I've never seen these anywhere near the park so I thought it was a pretty interesting sighting.

First Warbler of the Year!

A few fellow birders had told me that they'd already spotted Yellow-rumped Warblers nearly a week ago but I'd not seen any myself. This Saturday I spotted my first one and was able to get kind of a neat photo. I almost didn't recognize it as it was much darker than I remember them from last year and it was not in a place I was expecting to see one. This one was by himself on the south side and sitting in some dead grasses near where Shingle Creek flows under 69th Avenue. He must have felt safe in that grass because I kept walking closer and surprisingly got right above him. I took a bunch of shots not knowing if they'd turn out because of all the grass but at least you can see the majority of him here. On the southwest side I came up the wood chip trail and spotted one lone turkey just standing still up ahead of me. I didn't go any closer once I saw it and just knelt down taking photos. Eventually it started walking around not paying much attention to me until some other park goers came down the trail. I pointed it out to them and we talked for a bit but the Turkey hung around and eventually even came right out onto the trail in front of me. I didn't see any others around anywhere. Near the end of my walk I was walking and talking with another acquaintance from the park and noticed two Woodpeckers up ahead that didn't look quite like the ones I'm used to seeing. The thing that caught my eye was a vertical white stripe along it's wing. Also they seemed to have kind of a "skinnier" neck than either a Hairy or Downy Woodpecker. I've actually never seen one at Palmer Lake before but I guessed correctly that the pair were Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers! This one is a male with red coloring on both the crown and the chin. I could also just barely see a hint of yellow on his upper breast. Wish I could have gotten a better photo but this is my first!

Looking for the Other Half

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I did spend a while searching for the other half of the antler shed that I found on Sunday morning. With the ground being wet and wearing only my worn out tennis shoes, I gave up fairly easily after getting wet feet. This Wednesday evening though was nice out so I decided to go back to the same area -with hiking boots- and do some more thorough searching. I covered quite a lot of ground but didn't find the other half. I did however manage my first Bluebird photo of the year -though not a great one. He was perched on another of those dead trees and possibly also looking for a good place to nest. It was starting to get a bit dark and for the first time I chose to head back the way I came instead of going all the way around. On my way back I saw a group of 5 or 6 Deer and decided to futz around with the settings on my new camera for a better shot. It seemed to work and I was getting halfway decent images. In this light my old camera would have not picked up anything! I watched the group for a while which had at least one young one with them. Later I saw 2 or 3 more cross the trail in front of me. One stopped in it's tracks right on the trail to eye-up another park goer. When I was about back to my vehicle I could see a few more in a clearing just behind some trees. I thought maybe the light might be better here so I sneaked through the trees quietly. There with a Doe was a nice Buck with a full set of antlers. I thought March 28th would officially be the latest I've seen a Buck, but now I have a new record for the park on April 4th! It looks like there will still be more antler sheds for someone to find yet this year.

Three Firsts on April 1st

Today was colder still than yesterday and with a brisk wind to boot. I almost opted for my winter hat but figured I could tough it out with just my baseball cap. I was hoping to see a Bluebird today and spent a lot of time just standing around and watching a small scrubby patch of woods near the east side baseball diamonds. The only thing I saw there was a Downy woodpecker. Shortly after though, I did spot my first Tree Swallow of the year. He was perched out on a dead tree with a nice round hole in the side. More than once the Swallow flew up to the opening and peered inside, checking out whether it would make a good home or not. I wanted to get a better photo and I decided to walk in towards the tree. The ground is very low and wet here so I was careful where to step. I'd only gone roughly 15 feet off of the paved trail when there lying at my feet was a very large Deer Antler! It was lying with the tines sticking upward and I could barely believe my eyes. I half thought that maybe somebody was playing a prank on me and I peered over both shoulders behind me to see if anyone else was around but there wasn't. I've looked and looked and looked for antler sheds at the park with no luck whatsoever and here today a little bird led me right to one! I always told myself that if I ever found one I would take a picture of it before I picked it up. I did so but only had my zoom lens with and wasn't able to get a very wide shot showing the surroundings. It does show however how easily it probably blended into the background against the dead cattails and grasses of the same color. It was the first shed I've ever found and it couldn't have been a nicer one! As I carried it with me around the rest of the park, lots of people came up to me to see it and ask questions. One couple walking past said "I bet you didn't find that today" to which I replied "I DID actually!" I think most people assume that Deer shed their antlers much earlier in the year. I'm no expert, but around here in the city -and Palmer Lake Park specifically, I've seen Deer with full antlers pretty late in the season. Last year I remember quite well spotting a Buck with antlers on March 28th. Maybe further north in the state, they drop them earlier? I don't know for sure. Regardless, I now firmly believe that my previous shed-hunting efforts have been much to early. Towards the northern end of the park I walked off the trail again, heading towards the sound of a bunch of Crows that had obviously found a raptor of some kind to bother. Eventually I flushed out the Raptor but it flew directly away from me and I couldn't tell exactly what it was. When I popped back out on the trail, another park goer was looking at my camera and asked me if I wanted to see an Owls nest. I followed him back out of the park to a tree just barely inside the park. About half way up, he pointed out what looked like a rather small, old Squirrel's nest and there sitting on it was a Great Horned Owl! I felt a bit bad being this close and I certainly didn't want to spook it, as it was obviously sitting on either eggs, or possibly even newly hatched chicks! I took just a couple of photos and then headed back. It was the first nesting Owl I've ever seen.