February birding gets off to a good start
Northern Shrike 2/1/12February has gotten off to a strange start but also a good one as far a our birding goes. On Wednesday we both saw an immature Bald Eagle a few miles south of Brainerd, MN. We’ve been seeing Bald Eagles all Winter. I don’t know if that is unusual for others in MN but it has been unusual for us. In the years we were in Randall, neither Shawnne nor I ever saw an Eagle in January, nor did we see them in the last week of December. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to get a photograph of one but these birds are so easy to identify that I don’t think anyone would dispute the sighting.
In the last few days we have seen a Northern Shrike twice. Not a rare bird, of course, but not always one that you see. This one we caught in the act and I have posted one picture (taken through three sheets of glass unfortunately).
Our last bird of note is the Ring-Necked Pheasant. We’ve been hearing them all winter (they sound like an old car horn) and we have seen them a few times in the distance. Yesterday we caught them in our neighbor’s yard. I wonder if they think it is spring?
Ring-Necked Pheasant 2/3/12
Themocracy
I saw the pheasant this morning walking around on the property we live on, by the lake. He looked very proud and comfortable; exactly like he believes it is Spring! It sure feels like Spring! The little bit of snow we do have is melting quickly. I am really wondering what kind of a birding season the true Spring will be this year. With the warm temps, the birds may arrive much sooner. We’ve had several male Red-winged Blackbirds (we call them the bachelor boys) hanging around all winter. They get free food! Why not hang around? I hope we get lots of warblers!
Very nice pheasant picture. They are an attractive looking bird.
Don’t think I have ever heard one.
Bill
Since I never lived where Pheasants lived, I never heard them call before I moved here. I only recently connected the distinctive sound they made with Pheasants.