BIRDQUEST2004

December 12, 2011:  We may remember 2011 as the year of the Rarities, so many strange and rare birds, have shown up this year.

This week was no exception, a Juvenile Rufous Hummingbird, was found coming to a feeder in Eganville.

Even though I’d seen plenty of Rufous Hummingbirds, out on the west coast, I decided to make the trip up and get the bird for my Ontario list.  LOLOL..yes I also have an Ontario list.

What a beauty of a day, sun was shining, 8 degrees, who could ask for more.

The drive up along Hwy 7 was fairly quiet, the odd Red-tailed Hawk, Crows, Jays and a bachelor group of Tom Turkeys.   More cars, than birds, by a long shot.

I easily found the house (thanks for directions Jeff and Bruce), pulled in and said hello to a fellow Hummingbird seeker….just as I did I heard the unmistakable sound of hummingbird wings and there it was.  Ten feet away at the feeder…wish they were all that easy.  I stayed around for an hour and the bird came back 4 times.  He must have been hungry and cold.

Thanks to Dennis and Lorna Peterson fro allowing me into your yard…..hope the bird makes it, its a beauty.

The image below was taken in Arizona inset is Eganville bird…

Ciao for now….

Thursday, December 1st:  After searching the marshes at Fort Pulaski, for Sharptails with very minimal success (was fun playing in the mud), Chris and I, decided to check the north beach area of Tybee Island for rarities.  Walking along the beach we were greeted to Sanderlings and Willets along the shore, Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls flying by.  In the distance we could sometimes see the odd Gannet.   At one point we even saw a porpoise feeding off the end of a jetty.

Rounding the point we saw a large group of birds on the beach. Made up mainly of Black skimmers and Laughing Gulls.  As we got closer we noticed a few more things,  Dunlins, a lone Purple Sandpiper, Least Sandpipers, a 3rd Year Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and later on a lone Oystercatcher.

I slowly got closer to the mass of birds..if you move slowly, one step and stop, then wait a few minutes before moving again, they let you get very close.  I had always wanted to get an image of a skimmer skimming …. and today they were really putting on a show.  These images were taken from about 55 feet away, I probably took hundreds of images to get one good one, as they were flying by.

What a beauty..the photo I’ve always wanted. and below a new image for my book.

The Lesser black-backed Gull showing it’s non-breeding winter plumage…

The 3rd Year Black-backed Gull….

Later as the tide began to recede we spent some time looking for Purple Sandpipers on the rocks and were lucky to find this individual….

I probably have 200 images of Willets but to date this is the best and closest flight image I’ve ever gotten..

Thanks Chris, for showing me this lovely spot….Ciao for now