Tree Top Surprise

Nearing the top of the tree line as we climbed steadily toward the snowy caps, we stopped off at the observation point at Rainbow Curve. Looking out over the spectacular landscape stretching away before us, it was very easy to miss the hidden treasure perched in the top of a much closer tree top. Just at our eye level, this Clark's Nutcracker sat quietly watching the busy sightseers coming and going.


Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana)
This turned out to be one of two of Clark's namesakes (the only two resident to North America, as far as I know) that I added to my life list during my weekend in Colorado. I'll post pictures of the Clark's Grebes as soon as I can remember to download them from the other memory card...


For more great bird photos from around the world, check out Bird Photography Weekly #46.

Bird Photography Weekly: Birding Colorado

Last weekend, the kids and I headed to Colorado to visit my sister and her fiancé. We spent most of the day Saturday in Rocky Mountain National Park. (Most of the day, that is, until wimpy Dad got altitude sickness and the park rangers sent us scurrying down the mountain so I wouldn't pass out or toss my cookies all over their pretty little mountains ... but we won't bring any of that up, okay?)

Anyway, my first definitive lifer of the weekend was actually the Black-billed Magpie, a beautiful bird that we saw several times while driving and about which I am still kicking myself for the repeated phrase of, "No, don't stop. We've seen so many, I'm sure I'll get another chance to photograph it." D'oh!

However, the second lifer of the trip pretty much demanded that his picture be taken. As we stopped for a picnic lunch about a half hour inside the park, we could hear plenty of bird life surrounding us. Hawks cried from somewhere above, chickadees and other unrecognized passerines chirped and sang from within the full green branches, and a small woodpecker taunted us from the deep shadows of a nearby trunk. But almost before we had even managed to unpack our fruit and sandwiches, this handsome fellow came a'calling.


Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
With his coal black eyes and head and crest of charcoal, this western jay is quite striking. The white streaking above and below its beak and around the eyes lend it an almost malevolent air.


And yet its other end almost glows in contrast, with the gleaming blue wings and tail and the softer blue of its undersides.


As bold and tenacious as the blue jays or grackles of home, this Steller's Jay became our constant companion ... for as long as we had food in sight. In fact, it scolded us rather soundly when Cowboy "accidentally" dropping a handful of grapes in the direction of our other companion, a fat little chipmunk that had also taken up sentry duty near our table.


My first instinct was to label his attitude "imperious," demanding his rightful share of the glorious bounty we had brought. But looking at the deep burning embers of his eyes in that shot, I'm beginning to agree with my sister's more instantaneous reaction of "demonic." I certainly wouldn't want to meet this guy alone in a dark alley...


For more great bird photos from around the world, check out Bird Photography Weekly #45.

Weekend Excursion to Meyer Park

A couple of weekends ago, we were all about to go crazy cooped up in the house. So we left the laundry, unfinished homework and dirty dishes in their respective piles and headed out for nearby Meyer Park. The kids had been there on a field trip before Thanksgiving, and wanted us to go see the "giant beaver things" that were supposedly lurking in the lake there.

Meyer Park is a nice place during the week, rather peaceful with its wide open fields and two calm, quiet ponds. Its small wooded area backs up to Cypress Creek, with short nature trails visiting the creek and looping around to the fishing hole and the duck pond.


But on weekends, the park is overrun by soccer. The fields are filled with refs, teams and supporters. There are kids in every direction. Soccer balls skip and float across the duck pond. And noise permeates the quiet solitude of the tree-lined creek.

As you may then imagine, this particular outing could not really be classified as a birding excursion. Other than the expected waterfowl and the caged doves, we could count the birds we spotted on one hand. With fingers to spare.


We were ably led in our adventure by our intrepid explorer Cowboy and his tireless mountain-climbing associate, Cat.


As the din from the soccer fields followed us down the walking trail, we quickly despaired of seeing any wild birds, although there were a few other critters to see along the way.


The squirrels were out in force, scurrying about as they gathered food for the coming cold season. We spotted a few fleet-footed lizards who barely even noticed our presence. Even the spiders seemed to be too preoccupied with storing up snacks to bother with these noisy weekend invaders.


Just as we reached the creek, we saw the streak of a kingfisher as he flew downstream just above the surface of the water. The only other bird we found was a Blue Jay, squawking at us from high above at the edge of the trees.


Continuing along the circular trail, we came upon a nice, large fishing pond. We detoured to loop around the water's edge, stopping from time to time to look at leaves or to skip rocks across the smooth surface of the lake.

The paved walk around the lake finally led us back to the edge of the soccer fields, through which we zigzagged back to our original starting point at the duck pond.



To be continued...

One Downy, Two to Go, and a CFW

I tried to come up with a catchy title for this post that would describe my lunch outing today — I briefly considered a birder's alternative for the old "Three Martini Lunch," but "A Three-Pecker Lunch" just sounded a little too risqué. But whatever I call it, it was definitely worth skipping the greasy burgers the guys tried to talk me into.

The weather is nice and I really needed to get away from the office for a few minutes, so I headed over to nearby Woodland Trails West Park at lunch today. It's a neighborhood park bordered on one side by a large wooded area, and it backs up to a bayou and sunken field used as a run-off area after hard rains.

It was high noon when I headed over, so I didn't really expect to see much in the way of birds. But for a quick fifteen minute excursion, I certainly can't complain with the results.

(Click any image to enlarge)

My arrival at the park was announced to the world by this Blue Jay, not that my presence seemed to bother him in the least. Once I'd been promptly and soundly told off, the disapproving jay dropped down to the grass a mere twenty feet away and started hunting for his lunch.


I had only been there for a minute or two when I spotted my first woodpecker of the day, this male Downy Woodpecker. (The little red cap on the back of his crown identifies him as a male.)


I followed the downy for a bit, then veered off for what turned out to be a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.


As I moved slowly toward the rear of the park, another flash of red caught my attention. After angling in to get a better view, I spotted my third woodpecker of the day: a male Red-bellied Woodpecker.


Watching this bright red-capped fellow, I discovered a second red-bellied woodpecker following in his wake, pausing near each place he had stopped. The white crown on this one distinguished her as female — possibly his mate?


Walking through the park, I heard but never spotted at least two mockingbirds and a dove. I also followed two little yellowish-greenish birds that flitted from branch to branch so quickly I could barely keep up. These are the best two images I could capture — they were just too fast for me.


(Click either image to enlarge, although the quality doesn't improve with size)

I assume from the size and coloring that these were warblers of some kind ("confusing fall warblers," as labeled by Mr. Peterson), but that's as far as my inexperience can get me. And I can't even guarantee they are warblers. Kinglets, perhaps? I dunno.

UPDATE: Ruby-crowned Kinglets, identification courtesy of KatDoc and Christopher. Thanks, y'all!

When I got to the bayou, I accidentally spooked this Great Egret into flight.


Taking that as my cue to leave (plus the fact that programming bugs still awaited my attention back at the office), I headed out. But I have to admit, I was in a much better frame of mind after that twenty minute birding excursion than when I started.

All in all, not a bad catch for a spur-of-the-moment lunchtime getaway.