B.O.T.D. Lewis' Woodpecker

B.O.T.D. Feb 3 2015

Lewis' Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)

From a  perch astride a fence post a greenish-black bird with a deep crimson face and reddish belly sweeps forth to catch a mayfly on the wing. Judging by its graceful and steady movement through the air, the uninitiated might guess it's a small crow or possibly a kingbird. Actually, it's a Lewis' Woodpecker, whose typical feeding habits during the summer are very un-woodpecker-like. Instead of hitching up the trunks of trees, then chipping got the bark or chiseling into the wood in search of beetles, the Lewis' spends most of its time hawking insects - a habit shared by only one other woodpecker; the red-headed.

The Lewis' has other characteristics that set it apart. Alone among our woodpeckers, it makes a habit of sitting on wires and other perches out in the open, and it is the only one with unmarked, dark wings and tail. Its flight too - unlike the undulating pattern of other woodpeckers - is a floating, effortless glide.

This unusual bird was named for Meriwether Lewis, who with William Clark in 1804-1806 led an expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific coast to explore the area of the Louisiana Purchase. Their efforts produced a wealth of information about the region - not least, perhaps, the discovery of a singular woodpecker.

Link: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lewiss_Woodpecker/id

B.O.T.D. Osprey

B.O.T.D. Feb 2, 2015

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

From a distance, the soaring bird might be mistaken for a gull. But the wings seem too broad, the head is too small, and ... wait a minute. Gulls don't dive! No, but the osprey does, with breathtaking mastery. Form heights of 100 feet or more it searches for fist swimming near the surface of a bay, a lake , air an ocean - then folds in its wings and dives headfirst like an incoming missile. The target is not quite where it seems - refraction on the water distorts the picture - but the osprey knows this and takes it into account during the dive. Just before hitting the water, the bird throws its taloned feet forward. If its aim is true, the hunter will emerge with a fish clutched firmly in his hands.

The nest to which the "fish hawk": returns is a bulky affair. An osprey pair will use the same nest season after season, adding material until the overburdened structure collapses in a storm. House-hunting birds keep an open mind when selecting new house sights. A dead pine beside some island lake is ideal; along the coast, a cedar is the preferred setting. But telephone poles, duck blinds, channel markers and lighthouses serve nicely too. Sticks are the main building materials, but all sorts of things find their way into osprey nests: canticles, muskrat skulls,discarded toys, plastic webbing from deck chair - even, superfluously enough, fishing lines and lures.

Link: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id

B.O.T.D. Red-Throated Loon

Red-Throated Loon (Gavia stellata)

Bird of the Day (Jan 30, 2015)

Few outside the Arctic ever see the red throat of a red-throated loon. This handsome emblem appears only during the mating season and has disappeared by the time migrating birds reach their coastal wintering areas in October. It may still be present when the birds head north in April. Most people know the red-throat in winter dress only, slim and grey with a star-studded back.

This smallest of the loons is also the most agile, at least in an aquatic environment. A loon's feet are positioned well to the rear of its body - perfect for swimming, but ill-suited for walking. Walking in fact, is so difficult that for short distances loons may simply push themselves along on their bellies. Getting airborne is no easy task for most of them, either. Common and Arctic loons need open water with lots of room for a running start in order to take off. If either of these lands on a wet parking lot, mistaking it for a dark body of water, the bird will be grounded, unable to take flight. Only the red-throat can occasionally launch itself from land and escape this trap.

In spring, even before the shallow tundra pools are freed form the sheath of winter ice, red-thraoted loons reach the Arctic. Arctic foxes and jaegers take a toll in eggs and young birds, but the red-throat is a dogged defender, and its dagger like bill a weapon that commands respect.

To hear the Red-Throated Loon's song and more go to:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-throated_Loon/id

Hi everyone due to reality i am going to put the Bird of the Days up a tad later and they will not be done on Saturdays or Sundays. Thanks

Good News!
We are starting our Bird of the Day Tomorrow! The bird of the day should be up by 7:00am.
They are random so you won't have to worry about, say, 7 weeks of warblers. They are spread out. It takes about 2 years to finish!

BIRDS FROM THIS SUMMER

Male House Sparrow at our feeder. My House

Falcon that hung around. My House

Me holding Red-Eyed Vireo that hit a window at our cabin. Whiteshell

Juvenile American Crow. Whitehall

American White Pelican. Whiteshell

Bald Eagle. Whiteshell

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Whiteshell

American White Pelican. Whiteshell

1st year Herring Gull. Whiteshell

In about a week I am starting a Bird of the Day program. Every day except Sundays and some Saturdays I will post the bird of the day at 6:30am. Enjoy!

Hey all you Birders! We have a new page for our logs we will list the date location and species. Enjoy!
The link is jcbirdslog.blogspot.ca

As we draw nearer to spring we are looking forward to a new season of breeding birds. To see this we are planning some trips to different birding places such as Oak Hammock Marsh and assorted parks around Manitoba. To do this we like to know where a species we want to see is. So we use eBird's species maps and bar charts. We have talked about them before and highly advise you ruse of them. They have helped up innumerable times in searching for species such as Black Tern and many others. We hope that this website brings extra enjoyment to your birding experiences.
                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                 

Sorry for taking so long to reply. Our trip to Riding Mt. was amazing. We saw Crossbills, Grosbeaks and some Snowy Owls, even a Great Gray. Hearing our provincial bird hoot  and hunt at dusk is truly an honour to witness.
Besides that, Ravens, Magpies and chickadees abounded even feeding on our porch rail. Sadly they were too shy and flew away very fast. I got the ravens and magpies on camera but the rest I sadly missed.