Good Monday Morning!
What a week it has been! So many different opportunities to see some wonderful birds! I even spotted a lifer this week. (A bird I have yet to see.) It was an Upland Sandpiper! I was driving up Panmure road, on the way home, and I spotted this bird on a Fence post, near Upper Dwyer Hill. I initially though it was a Wilson’s snipe…but when I got to the bird (turned the car around to see if it was still there), I noticed it wasn’t a Snipe. He/she wasn’t the least bit concerned that I was there. I even chatted to it while I was taking photos.
Last week you saw a photo of a Wilson’s snipe in our field, on the Solar Panels. On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to FINALLY capture a shot of one on an old fence post, in our field! When I say Persistence is key… I mean that I have been waiting for over a year to capture that moment! I spotted it in the long grass in the field, eventually it flew out and landed on a fence post a distance away. I took a few steps towards it, stopped, snapped a few shots, waited a bit…then took a few more steps and carried on the routine until I managed to get a really decent close up shot. That happened on my Birthday! What a wonderful gift!
Please also note the photo below of a winnowing Snipe. “Air rushing over the Wilson’s Snipe’s outspread tail feathers creates the haunting hu-hu-hu winnowing sound, described as similar to the call of an Eastern Screech-Owl. The sound is usually produced as the birds dive, but can also be generated when the bird levels out following a dive. Males perform the winnowing flight to defend territory and attract mates.” (Quote taken from ALL ABOUT BIRDS)
Also on Saturday, my Husband took me to Clayton Lake so he could go fishing, and I could hopefully capture some loon shots. I did. If you remember, Saturday was a drizzly, breezy, chilly day! I was good with putting my camera in a garbage bag and snapping in between the drizzly moments. I managed to capture a few nice behavior shots of the loons. Oh and for those who enjoy fishing, my husband caught 4 really nice bass, which he released as bass season doesn’t open until this coming week-end! He also caught a VERY nice Walleye! We kept that! (19 inches long- photo below for those fishermen out there!)
Next week I will be posting a little later in the week. My husband & I are taking a road trip to Tennessee. Hopefully I’ll have interesting TN birds to share with you!
Have a Wonderful Week, of Feathers & Beaks!
