Baffled by Buffleheads

I'm not sure how, but this pair of Buffleheads knew the exact moment when I had composed my shot, adjusted exposure and was ready focus.  Gone!  I had a really fun photo shoot at Ashbridges yesterday with this pair.

An all-too-familiar sight at Ashbridges!

I did manage to get a few photos of the female, who seemed ok with my presence.  All seemed tranquil on the surface but every few minutes she would suddenly run across the water.  The male would "coincidentally" surface at the exact spot where she had been swimming.

Not a moment's peace!



The Culprit!

 

Alone at last!

I thought a giant Bufflehead had landed in the water next to me because of all the splashing.  Instead, it was a dog who ruined my Bufflehead shoot and he had no choice but to pose for me.



I Have Cooties!

Yup...two of them in fact.  I am obsessed with two American Coots at the harbour in Cobourg.  My experience with Coots to date has been to barely catch a glimpse.  I've found them to be elusive and they don't tend to hang around people. 

But this pair in Cobourg live with the gulls, mallards and geese right next to the parking lot on the beach and they fit right in.  They are oblivious to people which is why I was laying on a dock in the f-f-f-reezing cold today trying to get a few shots. 

They are tricky to photography because they are so dark and the sun was brilliant today.  As you can see, their eyes are red so the sun has to reflect just so or you end up throwing tons of photos away.  I got lucky a couple of times and it was fun to spend time with them.

It is hard to tell in these photos but they have GIANT feet in proportion to the rest of their body.

Here are a few Coot facts that I didn't know:
* They are in the Rail family.
* Also called Marsh or Mud Hen.
* The females often lay eggs in the nests of others (even if they have a nest of their own)
* A group of Coots is called a "Cover" or "Raft"

In this article it says that Coots can become tame if they hang around other birds that are fed (I'm guessing feeding takes place in Cobourg as it does in most harbours).
http://birding.about.com/od/birdprofiles/p/American-Coot.htm

All in all, a great experience with two really neat birds!

This week's rare glimpses (and a few oldies but goodies!)

The lighting has not cooperated the last few days but it's been very exciting as far as critters go. 

This morning I spent time with this beautiful Eastern Coyote.  He was with a friend, who bolted when I drove by, but this guy was every bit as curious about me as I was of him.  He was so calm that he even lay down at one point watching me, and then proceeded to go about his business as if I wasn't there.

I've yet to go out in intense snow and not see a coyote - not sure what drives them out in that weather (then again, not sure what drives ME out in that weather) but it is always rewarding. 

Five Northern Harriers were playing in the fields in Newcastle (two were male) and teased me into thinking I'd get a killer shot.  The joke was on me - those birds sure can accelerate in high winds! 

A visit to the harbour in Cobourg was also rewarding.  I was greeted at my car...not by a gull or mallard but by an American Coot!  There were actually two of them resting on the beach with the gulls, mallards and geese.  I've seen many coots but certainly not lying with other birds.

At that same waterfront someone pointed out a Mew Gull.  It took me a while to see the difference between a Mew and Ring-Billed - the Mew is smaller with a yellow bill.  Very pretty gull.  Apparently this is a HUGE deal in the birding community as it is a European bird so I was definitely in the right place at the right time.

The Mew is the gull on the left, getting yelled at by the Ring-Billed.

On Tuesday, Ann, Janice and I went out to Nanticoke to see what we could see.  Such a thrill (and a blast!).  We saw a few Bald Eagles - one was an adult - stunning!  Many other critters too.  The shots were bad but the sightings and company were great.  Despite Ann's best efforts, we did not get arrested (though we were stopped by the police...twice! ;)

Monday was an impromptu outing.  I met up with Janice and we enjoyed several Hooded Mergansers at Lynde Shores.  The boys were doing all they could to impress the girls with some very erratic head bobbing and vocalizing which frankly would scare me if I was a girl Merganser!  It was very cute to watch though.

Another first this week was a flock of flying Tundra Swans.  They were racing me in the field next to the road in Whitby (they won by a landslide).   They circled the pond many times, vocalizing all the way. 

Last but certainly not least, I had wonderful adventures and photo opps with this beautiful White-Tailed Deer, and a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks last weekend.  We live in such a great area!

My Boys

Despite my best efforts, I pretty much struck out on a quick drive in north Durham except for a LOT of crows, and a beautiful coyote who streaked across a field kicking up snow.  You'd think that would have made a great shot but when the camera is accidentally set to manual focus, well let's just say it was one that got away.  I didn't feel too bad though because he was way off in the distance, so instead of clicking away madly I just enjoyed watching him.

A Chickadee felt sorry for me and took a minute to pose before heading back to the seed pile that someone had scattered for him and his buddies.

Determined to take a photo of SOMETHING canine I enlisted my own resident coyote decendents, Osgrrr and Johnny, into yet another backyard photo shoot. 

"Osgrrr"

"Johnny"

Today's Outing

A saw a few regulars today that I never tire of seeing!  Whitby's most photographed owl once again stopped by for a visit.  He was nice and low and out in the open, giving thrills to photographers who were all very well behaved.  Everyone stayed on the path to give the owl space.

I had been concerned that he was being baited but saw no signs of that today.  He doesn't seem to look at humans as a food source or with any expectation, he is just extremely calm around people.

Apparently there is a second barred in this part of the forest who is skittish but I haven't seen him myself.

Taken from a safe distance away at the 500mm end of my Sigma.

We're so lucky to have this owl with us for such a long time this winter.

I visited a few of the backroads hoping for a coyote sighting but no luck on that front.  Instead, I found 40+ roosting wild turkeys.  Here are a few - I wished I'd brought my 16-85mm to get the whole flock in - it was quite a sight!

I don't know why the sight of turkeys in trees
amuses me so much but it does!

These four deer were in the south field on Lakeridge.  They were quite animated (though not in this shot!)

This Thicksons Woods greeter was at the entrance having breakfast.  I love his "hands"!

An Oldie but Goodie

This is not a new sighting but I will never get tired of seeing him.  I took a quick trip to Halls Rd. not expecting to find much but it turned out that Mr. Barred was having a mid-morning hunt along the south path...what a beauty!

I didn't get the memo but apparently it was also American Kestral Day in the industrial areas of South Whitby.  I lost count after number 6.

We are lucky to have so may kestrals around us!

Local Yokels

Today was a stay-close-to-home day so I hung out with some of the local critters.  You're probably wondering why the heck I would post this shot...

...it is the first vole-butt shot I've ever gotten!  Vole anything shot, for that matter.  He kept darting in and out, disappearing into his snow tunnel in the blink of an eye.  Defnitely my coolest sighting of the day.  I wished he'd reappear but no luck.

There were many really adorable little birds out today.

Not-so-little "little bird" from today

Another local character is my beautiful neighbour-friend Buddy.  He is the most loveable little guy and no doubt is the most popular dog in the neighbourhood.

The neighbourhood sweetheart (but don't tell Osgrrr and Johnny I said that).

Driving Durham's Back-Roads

Finally, a day to roam around the backroads, with a repaired 150-500!  And I really needed the focal length today.  Lots of great sightings but most were quite a ways out.

There's an area in north-west Durham that had a coyote family last year that I hadn't visited in many months so I headed that way early this morning.  Rather than looking for an exotic creature, I decided to look for my friends the crows, who would lead me to all sorts of adventures, and they didn't disappoint.

There were hundreds of crows and they started an alarm call that I've only heard them use for Great Horned Owls so I knew it was a serious predator.  It turned out to be not one but two eagles!  They were so far out that there were no photos (are they ever fast flyers!).  At one point the eagles connected mid-air, and did a little dance which was amazing.  In the adjacent field other crows reported that two coyotes were in the area.  One was a beautiful black one, who looked very much like one of the family members from last year.  He was very alpha in his behaviour.



I also saw a mysterious large bird in a treetop - I finally figured out it was a wild turkey!  That is only the second time I've seen one in a tree.  There were actually several roosting, but each had chosen his own tree. 

This one took off which was very cool.  I didn't think I'd get a wild turkey flight shot today!  Too bad he was so far away.

During the back-road drive I also saw 3 flocks of Wild Turkeys, a Common Raven, 3 Red-Tailed Hawks, numerous Jays, Crows, Snow Buntings and Juncos...and this cute Downy Woodpecker. 
 
I had heard the typical tapping but it sounded a bit off.  Instead of finding him clinging to tree bark I found him latched onto this seed head.  How the heck he was still hammering so loudly is beyond me.
 
 
 
A bit closer to home I met up with some waterfowl.   The backdrop was a beautiful blue-grey in Whitby where I saw a black-backed gull and mute swans in flight.

 

 
A few blocks later I stopped to catch this gull in flight.  They are fun to photograph on windy days. 

My last critter of the day was this pretty mockingbird by Pringle Creek, eating berries.



Now that I'm home, I better swing into action and get some chores done before the start of another work week. 

Happy shooting!