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I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
As a bird watcher I keep a life list.. Birds I have seen sort of thing. I have seen many in CT so many that I have hard time finding new ones. One bird thats eluded me was a common loon. They winter off the coast line here from time to time. I had never seen one though I spend alot of time in the winter at the shoreline. I have even tried to find the Loons in their spring /summer grounds up north. I could never be where they were. I really wanted to see them, get a picture and most of all hear their hauntingly beautiful calls and songs.
The other day I was at Hammonasette State Park enjoying the morning. It was pretty quiet bird wise, and grey and cold. I had an uneventful day and was going to leave when I opted to take a shore trail at Megs Point. It has such beautiful scenery.
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Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
I saw some seabirds off in the Distance that I thought were Great Cormorants at first. But then I heard a weird sound. Most of the time i only hear gulls crying harshly there, but this was very soft and beautiful. I snapped a shot to see what the bird was. I use my camera as binoculars most of the time now when birding.
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I could not believe believe my eyes... A common loon! There were about 6 scattered along the coast feeding... and softly calling now and again. I snapped a bunch of pics and these are crazy crops but I am thrilled. A new Life bird I had always wanted to see and hear...
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What an awesome thing to see!
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Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
I left the park and was on my way out when I saw this fellow (Coopers Hawk).. I posted a pic taken with the old camera around the world camera but these are better...
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Funny how it goes.. I thought I was going to have an eventful day, and ended up with a cool memory. Thats why I Like photography and getting out doors so much.:)
al
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
brewmaster15
Congrats Al!
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
There's a Cooper's Hawk (or our local equivalent) in the top of one of the trees in my backyard right now. Makes my cat nervous. From the pile of feathers I see out on the lawn, I suspect it's just had a meal.
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RogueDiscus
There's a Cooper's Hawk (or our local equivalent) in the top of one of the trees in my backyard right now. Makes my cat nervous. From the pile of feathers I see out on the lawn, I suspect it's just had a meal.
Thanks Steve!
Your cat is smart! Theres a few hawks that might make a dive at one. I had a red tail hawk try and take our kitten years back before we kept our cats indoors when I was a teenager. Our older cat at the time was fearless wonder that jumped the hawk as it hit the kitten. All parties survived but it really shook up my Mom.
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
So what is left on the list?
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nc0gnet0
So what is left on the list?
well given theres about 10, 000 speces of birds out there.. I'm going to have live well past 100 to even dent that list..
. Still baby steps still feel good,:)
al
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
brewmaster15
well given theres about 10, 000 speces of birds out there.. I'm going to have live well past 100 to even dent that list..
. Still baby steps still feel good,:)
al
LOL, Smart A.........
Ok, give me your top ten you hope to see in the Continental US, unless your planning a trip to New Guinea soon........
:)
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Bachman's Sparrow
King Rail
Wilson's Phalarope
Greater Prairie Chicken
Rock Ptarmigan
Great Gray Owl
Hawk Owl
White Crowned Pigeon
Smooth Bill Ani
Blackbilled Magpie
Northern Wheatear
Bohemian Waxwing
Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Western Tanager
Henslow's Sparrow
Thats my most wanted 15 for the USA
al
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Al,
Come my way in the summer and I can take you to a bunch of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. We have Magpies out here too all year long, but I will have to look and see if they are black or yellow billed.... I think they are black billed.
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dagray
Al,
Come my way in the summer and I can take you to a bunch of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. We have Magpies out here too all year long, but I will have to look and see if they are black or yellow billed.... I think they are black billed.
Awesome! I may hit you up then on my way to the Olympic Rainforest, one of my Life List places to go!:)Thanks!
al
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
How would you tell a cedar waxwing from a bohemian waxwing........
edit I will have to pay closer attention to the cedar waxwings ( I thought ) near a local blueberry farm. The only other rare birds I have seen are the great grey owl, Pileated Woodpecker and the kirtland warbler.
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
Range is a big factor.... the bohemians have a certain more northern range... Any waxwings I see in CT are Cedars.. They are common at certain times of year in this park I was at here.
They look similar at first glance but the bohemian is larger and stocky... cedars are slim. There are some feather color differences like the cedars having a yellowish belly. and bohemians have reddish undertails whereas the cedars are white.
Al
Re: I got a lifer.. whoohe!!!!!!
That is so cool Al :D I was shocked that the Audubon folks found the common loons at St Marks. I did not know they came this far south.
Pat