Tag: bird

You guys…..

On By Mike and Christy4 Comments

Junco_tustle_1

It was a cold snowy day just a week or two ago and it must have put the Junco’s in a foul mood that day as we watched numerous scuffles break out as they were scratching and foraging for a meal underneath an old spruce tree.

You guys….

Luckily the snow only lasted a couple of hours in the morning and just like magic the sun appears, the snow melted, and calmer heads prevailed.

Like a submarine

On By Mike and Christy4 Comments

Pie_billed_grebe_2132356

One of our favorite little ducks is the Pied-billed Grebe.

Wonderfully described as “Part bird, part submarine, the Pied-billed Grebe is common across much of North America.”1

If you’ve ever spent time watching these guys I bet you’ve marveled at the ability of the Pied-billed to just sink out of sight like a diving submarine.

According to All About Birds:

Pied-billed Grebes can trap water in their feathers, giving them great control over their buoyancy. They can sink deeply or stay just at or below the surface, exposing as much or as little of the body as they wish. The water-trapping ability may also aid in the pursuit of prey by reducing drag in turbulent water.

This little grebe was quietly swimming along on a beautiful sunny morning in water reflecting the brilliant  blue skies above.

References:

  1. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe

On the cattails

On By Mike and Christy8 Comments

CHickadee_1

A week or two back we watched this Black-capped Chickadee mercilessly ripping apart these fluffy cattails near a riverbank close to home. We had heard that Chickadees sometimes use this fluff as material for their nests however this birds was discarding the wonderful fluff and letting it fly into the wind.

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We figured they must be foraging for food. Perhaps Seeds?

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This bird worked diligently but it was not seeds they were after. A small grub was their prize.

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Happy Friday and wishing you a wonderful weekend.