Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Robin
American Robin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Cardinal
A chilly morning brought warblers and kinglets to the ground to forage, but at least the sun would soon start to warm things up. I was the only birder walking the stream corridor trails of Pheasant Branch Conservancy for the first hour - ah, very relaxing! For this interlude, it was me, the sound of my footsteps on the gravel path, the cool air, a calmer stream and many busy birds. Songs of hidden Winter Wrens kept me alert for opportunities during my stroll, but it was other birds, placed by chance, that appeared before my camera lens. I doubt I would be so lucky with a Ruby-crowned Kinglet on a warm day. The tiny insectivores were a bit sluggish and a Cooper's Hawk clearly held the advantage. Watching it hit the ground and take a kinglet was an alarming sight, but that's the red, tooth and claw of nature at work. Eventually, I was joined by several other birders and so it was time to put the camera away and get down to some serious birding.
Pheasant Branch (stream corridor) - 4/13/08:
Wood Duck
Mallard
Common Loon
Osprey
Cooper's Hawk
Sandhill Crane
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
All images © 2008 Mike McDowell