Ending the Year With a Sharpie in the Neighborhood

Well, yesterday's birding went well enough that my daughter wanted to go out again this afternoon to try using the Nikon D5100 DSLR camera she got of Christmas. We hopped into the Tacoma for the second day in a row and barely made it out of the driveway when my raptor radar went off. I caught a quick view of the back side of an accipiter perched in my neighbor's backyard tree as we passed his home.  Based on the shape I suspected a Sharp-shinned Hawk, North America's smallest hawk. The thought of simply passing on an opportunity to get a close view of a raptor was way too painful so I pulled over and captured a few images. My daughter was getting used to the "spot and stop" mode of driving that takes over when a birder is behind the steering wheel. Getting a close look at a Sharp-shinned Hawk right in 'da hood was a great way to end another year of birding.

I've posted the images below to show various angle's of the bird's head. Rufous barring on the chest and belly, orange/red eyes, and gray crown and back clearly made it an adult bird. I wanted the sun behind me so I captured only front views.  You can see typical traits that separate the Sharp-shinned from the Cooper's Hawk. The Sharpie shows a high-centered, barrel chest, small/short head relative to the body size (beware that Cooper's sometimes slump and look short-headed), the dark nape (back of neck) as opposed to a pale nape for a Cooper's Hawk, and the outer tail feathers being about equal in length to the central tail feathers as opposed to shorter outer tail feathers with longer central tail feathers for a Cooper's. The white terminal band on the tail feathers is also very narrow on Sharpies compared to more of a prominent white band for Cooper's. If I had to guess I'd call it a male based on the size being about 10-11 inches, the small end of the scale for an accipiter. Females can be several inches larger than males. It also lacks the rounded outer tail feathers often seen on female Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Dad is Like a Kid in a Candy Store!

"Dad is like a kid in a candy store with all those birds!" That's how my 27-year-old daughter described me Saturday when she and I returned home to family after spending about 30 minutes photographing birds at Kiwanis Park near the mouth of Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, Utah. She had just witnessed her dad's boundless enthusiasm for tracking down and photographing birds. Within minutes of exiting the truck with my daughter I was experiencing sensory overload--seeing and hearing birds calling from all directions. Which way should I go?  As I focused my attention on a tiny Brown Creeper working its way up to the top of a tree I noticed a juvenile Golden Eagle soaring in the sky above us. It was soaring between the two mountains forming the mouth of the canyon.  At the same time I was trying to decide if I should go after the Black-capped Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Scrub-Jay, Northern Flicker, or Townsend's Solitaire--all of which were calling from different locations. While watching the eagle and listening to all the bird calls I heard something very clearly from behind me. "Dad! A woodpecker 'thingie' just flew onto that tree!" I looked up and saw a handsome male Downy Woodpecker with his bright red crown.

Male Downy Woodpecker at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Downy Woodpecker Showing his Crown at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I had removed my Nikon 1.4x teleconverter from my lens before my daughter and I exited the truck because I suspected we'd be primarily photographing passerines (small perching birds) at close distances among the trees. Consequently, it was a stretch for my 300mm f4 lens to capture a nice shot of the soaring Golden Eagle, but I did my best to bridge more than 200 yards between us and the majestic hunter of the mountains. The cropped image below captured enough detail to reveal the iridescent gold feathers on the nape as well as the whitish tail with a dark terminal band and the two-toned under wings indicative of an young eagle. It's not a great image, but its a typical view and I love to see the eagles soar!

Juvenile Golden Eagle Soaring Above Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I couldn't help but realize that my daughter was having an experience I had a couple of years ago when I stood in about the same spot one winter day and observed both a tiny Brown Creeper and a soaring Golden Eagle. One of our smaller and larger birds of North America in one experience.

While watching the eagle I heard a "chut, chut" sound coming from a nearby tree. It was a sound familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I couldn't connect it to a species so I had to locate the bird. The tree was rather leafless but overgrown with wild branches, making it difficult to see what species of bird was responsible for the call. I saw a movement which clued me in to the general location of the bird and I was able to briefly see the bird's chest and head as it peered between some branches. It was a Hermit Thrush. Range maps for the Hermit Thrush indicate they should not be in Utah during winter months, but we do have them here year round. My Sibley app for my Android phone indicates that Hermit is typically the only "Thrush" (speaking specifically of birds with "Thrush" in their common name) that winters in North America.

Winter Holdover and Hiding Hermit Thrush at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I noticed several times that the Hermit would half lift and stiffen its wings as it made the "chut, chut" sounds. I captured this behavior in the image below. I'm very interested in understanding this behavior further. I wonder if it may be a reaction to a predator or other threat.

Winter Holdover and "Chutt"ing Hermit Thrush at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Winter Holdover and Hiding Hermit Thrush at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I turned my daughter's attention to the call of a Townsend's Solitaire after capturing images of the Hermit Thrush. She then watched more of my birding-without-abandon style as I quickly moved down a snowy slope, across a thin layer of ice just inches above a still-flowing stream and then up another snowy slope to get to a better vantage point. I grabbed and pulled on a tiny little branch to stabilize myself as I went up the steep, snowy slope--all the while holding my camera and lens in such a way that my body would take the blow instead of the gear if I did slip and fall. My daughter told me afterward that the branch would not have supported me if that became necessary. The effort was worthwhile as I was able to position myself in the midst of several Solitaires as they foraged, danced in flight, and called back and forth to one another.

Townsend's Solitaire at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Townsend's Solitaire at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Townsend's Solitaire at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Townsend's Solitaire at Battle Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Our time was short and my daughter, who has grown accustomed to her warm winters in Phoenix, was getting cold so we hopped back into the truck and made our way home. I'll have to head back to the canyon soon and spend some more time with those birds because things were just warming up for the kid in the candy store when we had to leave.

"Hey! Over Here!", Said the Ruby-crowned Kinglets

Three years ago on December 13th (thank you eBird for easy record keeping) I knocked on my friend's front door and then glanced at a small shrub as I waited for someone to come to the door. It was winter and snow was falling gently. The nearby mountains and foothills had been covered in snow for a few days. I just happened to look at the right shrub at the right time to see a very small bird flitting its wings and moving nervously through the interior of the shrub, just inches off the ground next to me. When it jumped from one small shrub to another I got a glimpse of a bird I had never seen before. I made some mental notes, visited briefly with my friend on his doorstep, and then went home quickly to search for the ID of the tiny little bird in my only field guide at the time. I was looking for a tiny but stocky greenish bird, with a narrow, pointed bill, white around the eye, and white stripes in the wings. I also heard it make a harsh "chit, chit" sound several times as it moved about so I could use that as an identifier as well. I had begun my birding in earnest only a couple months earlier so life birds (ones I was seeing, or at least noticing, for the first time) were popping up regularly, especially as the seasons changed and winter pushed some birds from the north and down from the local mountains. I discovered that I had just observed life bird #56 (at least since I started recording my sightings in eBird several years ago)--a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet on River Lane near Palmyra, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are about 4.5 or so inches long and packed with loads of nervous energy.  I learned that well the first time I tried to photograph one. They do not hold still. The one above provides a nice profile and shows typical field marks like the ones I observed with my first one, but I also like how the image shows its brown feet contrasting with its black legs. They are common in wooded areas, range from north in Alaska and all over Canada during the summer to the southern states and into Mexico in the winter. They are present year round in Utah so I hear and see them often.  They come foraging for food around valley homes in the winter like the one I first discovered. I heard one "chit, chitting" yesterday from a pine tree as I walked up to my office building for work, prompting today's post. I kind of felt like there was more to see of Kinglets after my first encounter because I didn't see a ruby crown at the time.

Last December, almost like an annual winter tradition, I found myself following a small flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets through Tonaquint Park in St George, Utah. One bird in particular was cooperative and displayed his ruby crown.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (with crown revealed) at Tonaquint Park in St George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (with crown revealed) at Tonaquint Park in St George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (with crown revealed) at Tonaquint Park in St George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (with crown and proud little chest revealed) at Tonaquint Park in St George, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (with crown revealed) at Tonaquint Park in St George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

As I was photographing the cooperative Kinglet above I found myself ignoring the mobbing sounds of other Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Black-capped Chickadees. There seems to be something about naming these small birds after things on their heads. Based on my experience with them I could lump them in a group called "the owl finders." I turned from my cooperative subject after getting what I thought would be some nice images and realized that the other kinglets and chickadees had located a roosting Western Screech Owl for me. The owl was snug against the trunk of a pine tree, standing on alert as a result of being harassed by all the little guys. This was not a regular roost because there was no wash (typical white owl poo) or pellets present below the roost. The image below gives a feel for how well hidden the owl was at the time. I probably never would have noticed the owl if the tiny little birds, especially the kinglets, didn't start squawking at it so loudly and flying all around it as if to say, "Hey, camera guy! Over here! Look at this one!"

Western Screech Owl Hidden, Yet Revealed by Kinglets and Chickadees, in Tonaquint Park in St George, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Western Screech Owl in Tonaquint Park in St George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Western Screech Owl in Tonaquint Park in St George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Here's "Wigeon" You a Merry Christmas!

Playing on words isn't necessarily a strong suit for me, but "wigeon" you a Merry Christmas is what I have this Christmas Eve. I've enjoyed seeing the return of large numbers of American Wigeons to the ponds and lakes of northern Utah in recent weeks. Below are a few images of these dabbling ducks. I hope to capture and share more wintering (and breeding) duck images in the coming months. Unlike other birds that lose their breeding plumage in winter, ducks are showing their best colors and turning up the heat to find mates. I hope you all enjoy the holidays with loved ones and the things you love!

Drake and Hen American Wigeons at East Bay Golf Course Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
The one in that back shows more of a tannish cheek color contrasting with the green eye stripe

Drake and Hen American Wigeons at East Bay Golf Course Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Drake and Hen American Wigeons at East Bay Golf Course Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
The one in that back shows more of a tannish cheek color contrasting with the green eye stripe

Drake and Hen American Wigeons at East Bay Golf Course Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
The one in that back shows more of a tannish cheek color contrasting with the green eye stripe

Drake Wigeon Flying Over Jordan River Near Sandy Pond Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Test Your Knowledge of North American Owls

Great Horned Owl at Garr Ranch
Antelope Island State Park Davis County, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Owls are mysterious birds because many people know they exist yet few people have seen or understand much about them. Most people I know are familiar with large owls such as Great Horned and Barn Owl, but they have no idea that a number of small owls exist around them.

Barn Owl on Provo Airport Dike Provo, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I will pose some questions as a fun little test of your knowledge of North American Owls in this post, but let me start with a recent experience I had with owls and a non-birder who shares property with a pair of owls. I participated in one of the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts last Saturday (12/15/12) by counting bird species in a small area of the Provo Christmas Bird Count. I started before sunrise to include nocturnal birding in my census. I wanted to see if I could locate a Great Horned Owl, Western Screech Owl, and Barn Owl. Despite snowfall, I was able to locate a Great Horned Owl hunting from a tree-top perch within five minutes of starting my census. I saw the silhouette of the tell-tale signs of the Great Horned Owl, two ear tufts and a bulky body. An hour and a half later as the sun began to rise I was still trying to find a Screech Owl and a Barn Owl. Once the sun came up I knew I was not likely to find a Screech Owl because they are strictly nocturnal and very secretive. However, I knew of some abandoned silos and farm buildings in my count area so I knocked on a few doors to obtain permission from property owners to check their buildings. I spoke with one lady and let her know I was doing a bird census for the Audubon Society and that I suspected she may have Barn Owls based on the abandoned buildings and silos near agricultural fields (preferred habitat and hunting areas for Barn Owls). She said, "I don't know if we have Barn Owls, but we have heard some Screech Owls." I suspected that what she was really hearing was the territorial scream (or screech) of Barn Owls. A few minutes into my search of the buildings I found what I was hoping for, an abundance of wash (white excrement) often found beneath an owl roost. I peeked up the shoot of the silo and saw a pair of Barn Owls. Both turned to look down at me and I was able to see the tawny color of the female's face next to her mate's much whiter face. I love following the clues that lead to such discoveries.

Now to the test. Here are a few questions to check your knowledge of North American Owls. I'll present the answers as I have them from one of my favorite books on owls, Owls of the United States and Canada by Wayne Lynch, at the end of the post (after the images).

1. How many species of owl are recognized in North America?
2. Which four species have dark, rather than yellow, eyes?
3. How many species of Screech Owl can be found in North America?
4. Which is the heaviest owl in North America?
5. Which species has the longest tail relative to its body size and hunts mainly during the day?
6. Which North American species is the smallest owl in the world?
7. Name the species for some of our smaller owls presented below.

This owl was photographed in the mountains of Utah during the summer. It is just under 7 inches tall.

This owl often perches conspicuously and hunts during the day. It was photographed in Provo Canyon in Utah. It is just under 7 inches tall.

This owl was photographed in the mountains of northern Utah in the early summer months. It is about 8 inches tall.

This owl was photographed in the desert just outside of Mesa, AZ at the end of April. It is just under 6 inches tall.

This owl was photographed in Pleasant Grove, UT. It is about 8.5 inches tall.

Answers:
1. 19 Species
2. Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Spotted Owl, Flammulated Owl
3. Western, Eastern, and Whiskered Screech Owls
4. Snowy Owl (the females in particular)
5. Northern Hawk Owl
6. Elf Owl
7. Images from top Flammulated Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, immature Northern Saw-whet Owl, Elf Owl, Western Screech Owl

Birds Spoke To Me Today And I Understood

Being able to understand how different species of birds communicate proved very helpful during my lunch break this afternoon when I met up with my good friend Rich Young at Creekside Park in Holladay, Utah. Rich has taught me much of what I know about digital photography so I enjoy hooking up with him in the field to practice and learn more about photography while sharing with him what I know about birds. We had overcast skies so we were going to be challenged with capturing nice images.

We met at Creekside Park because it would be a new location for me and Rich had recently photographed Evening Grosbeaks, intergrade Northern Flickers, and Bohemian Waxwings in the park. Grosbeaks aren't necessarily rare in the valleys of northern Utah during the winter, but I was hoping to add some nice images to my web albums. Intergrade Northern Flickers (crosses between Red and Yellow-shafted) are being reported a little more frequently in Utah in recent years because local birders have become more discerning as they observe flickers. Bohemian Waxwing sightings vary from year to year in northern Utah. I have yet to see one since I started birding a few years ago.

Brown Creeper (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Rich and I saw some typical birds as we began, but we did not see our target birds. We eventually saw a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks fly high above us, but we soon lost sight of them. We decided to walk in one direction when I began to hear the faint calls of Evening Grosbeaks. Being able to hear and recognize theirs voices pulled me in a new direction. I soon located them feeding in some Russian Olive Trees, but they quickly flew across a creek and out of sight. We made our way down the creek to a bridge so we could get to the other side. 

After crossing the bridge and walking along a thickly wooded area I heard the faint and high-pitched call of elusive Brown Creepers. I asked Rich if he'd ever seen Brown Creepers and was delighted to locate them after he informed me he had never seen one. Moments later we had a couple of them in our sights.

As we both were capturing images of the Brown Creepers I heard a Black-capped Chickadee giving a scolding call. When another Chickadee joined in on the scolding I knew we were about to discover the hiding spot of what the Chickadees would consider a predator, most likely an owl. The question then became, "Which owl would it be?" I moved toward the commotion and saw several Chickadees scolding in high gear while bouncing from branch to branch around a clump of branches. I told Rich that the Chickadees have better vision than mine. It took a few minutes before I was able to discover a Western Screech Owl.

The owl was on the backside of the branches from our direction. The first image below is what we saw when we first discovered the owl being mobbed by Chickadees. The other images were taken as we move around to the other side of the trees.

Western Screech Owl in Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Western Screech Owl in Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Western Screech Owl in Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Western Screech Owl in Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

We left the owl alone after a few minutes and continued moving toward the sound of the Evening Grosbeaks. Rich discovered the Grosbeaks feeding in a Russian Olive Tree and we began capturing images of males and females as they devoured the fruit of the tree. The overcast skies diffused the light and resulted in softer yet interesting images.

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Evening Grosbeak at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

At the end of our adventure we heard then saw several Downy Woodpeckers fly in to trees near the Grosbeaks. The image below was a tight squeeze to focus on the bill of a female Downy as she was foraging below some Grosbeaks.

Female Downy Woodpecker Chipping Bark to Discover Food at Creekside Park in Holladay, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)