The Great Backyard Bird Count

For the second year in a row I am an ambassador for the Great Backyard Bird Count, which takes place from February 18-21, 2011. In connection with this event I will give a presentation at the Sewickley Library on February 16 from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Participating in this free event is easy, but it helps if you can identify the usual backyard suspects. A pair of binoculars also comes in handy. You may watch birds in your backyard, a park, or a school yard - it doesn't matter. Count the highest number of birds you see at any given time and log down the location of the sighting. You may report your findings online. That's it! Have fun.

Winter Birding

We recently purchased a bird bath heater, and it has been a hit. Apparently, birds do need drinking water during the winter just as much as during the sweltering summer heat. Keeping it filled and clean in these frigid temperatures can be a challenge, though.
Because of the icy weather, I have been birding through our kitchen window lately. The other day I watched a crow fly into our neighbor's pear tree. A Cooper's hawk hiding in said tree did not put up much of a fight, but flew across our yard and disappeared. Crow - 1, hawk - 0.
Winter brings many birds to our yard, including more than a dozen red-winged blackbirds yesterday. A recent newsletter by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania alerted me to the fact that those reddish finches I've seen lately are probably common redpolls. I hope they will still be around when the weather releases its icy grip.

Ohio Raptors

In late October, I attended a raptor photo workshop held by Brian Zwiebel at Ohio Nature Education. I came away with some beautiful photos of permanently injured birds, which are now being used for educational purposes. I am glad for the opportunity to get an up-close view of these awe-inspiring raptors. Just days before the workshop we heard a Great Horned Owl from our backyard but couldn't see it in the dark.

More Images from North Chagrin

These images of a female and male wood duck depict the differences in their appearance. Fall is an especially good time to photograph them because they have just molted and look their best. The top photo shows the autumn trees reflected in the water while the bottom photo brings out the iridescent head of the male duck. No wonder North Chagrin is so popular with photographers!

New Bird in our Neighborhood

The other day I set up my blind in our backyard to photograph some of the birds that visit our feeder. We had placed the feeder close, but not too close, to our serviceberry so that the birds can scope out their surroundings before flying to the feeder. The fall foliage provided a nice backdrop. I expected the usual tufted titmice, chickadees, and cardinals. When a bird sat on a perch for quite a while it seemed to be saying, "photograph me." I did not recognize it and was thrilled that I could take almost a dozen photos before it took off. Imagine my surprise when I viewed my images on the computer and learned that the mystery bird was a "Myrtle" yellow-rumped warbler! I had never even seen this bird, ever. Sometimes the best subjects are as close as your backyard.

Return to North Chagrin

Around the same time last year I attended a photo workshop in Ohio focusing on wood ducks. I had so much fun that I decided to return on my own. This time I had plenty of sunshine. Another plus was the fact that the deck near the nature center and a trail to another deck were finished. This allowed me to zip around checking on possible photo opportunities. I knew the ropes by now and, when the lighting was good, I was ready with my camera and lawn chair to await the action. And action I got.
Besides wood ducks, I also observed Canada geese, a great blue heron, red-winged blackbirds, chickadees, a robin, and a marsh wren. It is no wonder that the park was very popular with visitors young and old. I consider it one of the best places I have photographed birds at so far.

An Autumn Garden

Our backyard is a riot of colors right now. Red, yellow, and brown trees compete for our attention. Bumblebees and honey bees are still visiting our native garden with its New England aster, goldenrod, and panicled aster; creating a pleasing color scheme in purple, yellow, and white. The milkweed seed pods are opening, releasing their seeds to the winds.

The hummingbirds have departed and other birds show up in their place. We hung our feeder last week and have attracted a variety of birds. Besides the usual chickadees, titmice, cardinals, house sparrows, and mourning doves I have also spotted a white-crowned sparrow and an Eastern towhee. Last night we heard a great horned owl through an open window and went outside to investigate. Without the help of a moon we could not make out its shape, but we heard its hoots through the night air. There is always something new to discover in our backyard.