Snow Goose

A Snow Goose migrating on through this afternoon with a group of Canada Geese.

Purple Finch

Tundra Swans

Counted a total of 163 migrating Tundra Swans on a pond in a local vineyard today.

Hello Spring!

American Wigeon

Rusty Blackbirds

Rusty Blackbirds migrating through our area on the way to their boreal breeding grounds.  Their numbers have fallen at least 85% in the past four decades and I feel very lucky to see them moving through.

American Robins

Ducks and a Fisher Cat

While watching some Mallards and a Wood Duck, I saw a Fisher Cat pop out from under the ice for a few moments.  The Fisher dove back under the water and the ducks took off before the Fisher could swim underneath and catch one of them.

Wilson's Snipe

Timberdoodle Tracks

Tracks from an American Woodcock in the woods on the side of our house.  The round dots are from where they poke their long beaks into the ground looking for worms and grubs.

Vernal Equinox -- Ostara

Searching for Spring...

Last Day of Winter!

White-tailed Deer rummaging for food in a dried up corn field.

Female Ruddy Duck

Horned Grebe

Horned Grebe transitioning to breeding plumage.

Downy Woodpecker

I'm pretty sure she's trying to tell me that the suet is getting low and it's almost time to refill the feeder.  

Sunset & Snowy Owls

Shared the sunset with two Snowy Owls in the Arkwright hills this evening.  I managed to get a pretty good photo of one of the owls even though it was taken after sunset and the light was fading fast.  

Northern Cardinal

A female Northern Cardinal sitting on a snow drift in our seemingly never ending winter.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

Northward March of the Sun

The sun has finally moved far enough north for me to be able to take a photo of the sunset from our yard once again.

Snow Goose

Snow Goose hanging out with a group of Canada Geese.  This is interesting because there was exactly one Snow Goose hanging out at the same pond last year in late February and early March, but it had some injuries.  I blogged about it (and sent Reiki healing energy to it), and you can see that post (with much better photos) here.  It makes one wonder if it's the same bird!?!

Turkey Vultures

The Turkey Vulture is one of our earliest spring migrants and a sight for sore and winter weary eyes.  They are proof that spring is right around the corner!

Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey scratching for sunflower seeds underneath one of my bird feeders.

Waiting for Spring

Large numbers of waterfowl congregate in what little open water they can find during this brutally cold winter.  Pictured here are mainly Canvasbacks and Scaups.

Blonde Squirrel

Wingprints and Struggle in the Snow

From the feathers I found nearby, I think a predator (hawk or owl) caught a Downy Woodpecker in our yard.

Late Winter Sky

Northern Cardinal

American Tree Sparrow

House Finch

Male House Finch with a sunflower seed.

Snowy Owl

The great Snowy Owl irruption of this winter is winding down but I was able to get a few more shots yesterday.

Rough-legged Hawks

The Rough-Legged Hawk is a winter visitor from the Arctic that will soon be leaving our area to head back to the far north.

The hawks above are light morphs of this species and the one below is a dark morph.