NaturalVisions Blog

Flying by last week we had a bird that nests inland near lakes and marshy ponds, Black Tern (Chlidonias niger). For this week, with Spring around the corner, many of you are probably getting your hummingbird feeders ready – if you don’t have them out already. For the vast majority of you in North America, this week’s quiz bird probably won’t be at your feeder, unless it happens to be very lost. Or you live in its very limited range. Good luck and great birding!

Pyrrhuloxia – Southern Arizona (click image to view larger)
With still more snow on the way and looking forward (?) to a day of catching up on shoveling the snow that fell while I was working yesterday, I can’t help but think of being somewhere warmer. The Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) is a resident of the desert southwest from west Texas to southern Arizona and down into northern Mexico. The name, rooted in Greek, comes from its color and bill shape, “pyrrhos” for reddish-orange or flame colored, and “loxos” for crooked or oblique. They are closely related to the more widespread Northern Cardinal and even have a similar song.

Wish I could go to (warmer) southern Arizona where this species can be found to join some friends birding there this week . . .

Black Bear with salmon – Hyder, Alaska (click image to view larger)
Hyder, Alaska is a small, remote town with a population of about 100 adjacent to Stewart, British Columbia. In July and August, the Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing Area, managed by the Tongass National Forest, is a pretty cool place to go see both Grizzly and Black Bears feeding on salmon making their way up the creek to spawn. On my visit there were quite a few Grizzlies around, but only saw this one Black Bear. This bear, though not a cub by any means, wasn’t very large, but had managed to get its paws on pretty large salmon. Quite wary of its larger cousins, it probably didn’t want to have to give such a great catch up in a fight it would almost certainly lose.

Mt. Jefferson – Targhee National Forest, ID (click image to view larger)
One thing I have learned is, if you are visiting one of our beautiful national parks, leave enough time to explore some of the surrounding area. I could take you exploring for days in the national forest around Bryce Canyon. The Targhee National Forest in Idaho, not far from West Yellowstone, is a vast, spectacular area. Of course, one of the problems with big national parks like Yellowstone is that it can’t really be appreciated in a short visit so, to explore the surrounding area, you really need a lot of time. We’ve visited Sawtell Peak before with a Mammals on Monday post, today we’ll take another ride up the forest road to the summit for another look at the view. Even though this was taken in mid July, we see there’s still some snow around in spots, plus lots of wildflowers. In addition to the flowers there were butterflies, lots of birds, and I even encountered a moose (that was not interested in posing for a photo) along the drive, too. The Continental Divide follows the crest of Mount Jefferson (10,216 ft /3,114 m) and Montana lies on the west side of the ridge line. For more adventures in the region, remote Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is off in the distance –  a 4-wheel drive is recommended and, if going in July like I did, lots of mosquito repellent, too.

Last week’s shorebird is known for the way it bobs its tail up and down constantly, a habit that can help to quickly identify the species, Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia). For this week, look quickly because our bird is flying by at high rate of speed. Good luck and great birding!

Say’s Phoebe – Bryce Canyon (click image to view larger)
For three straight years, the first arriving migrant I have seen or heard here at Bryce Canyon has been Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya). Amazingly, it has been on March 1 each of those years. They do seem to move in and out depending upon the weather – present and singing on the nice days, and get out of Dodge when a Spring storm comes along. Next to arrive should be the White-throated Swifts and Violet-green Swallows; I’ll start looking for them about the 10th of the month or so.

Desert Cottontail – Arizona (click image to view larger)
Found in the southwestern deserts from California to Texas, this rabbit actually goes by two different names, and I think Desert Cottontail is preferred, but some sources call it Audubon’s Cottontail. The scientific name, Sylvilagus audubonii, would seem to indicate “Audubon’s” would be the name of choice, but, again, it just seems to depend on the source (for example, Animal Diversity Web says Audubon’s, Smithsonian’s North American Mammals uses Desert) . This particular bunny was nice enough to pose on a rock for me in the desert south of Tucson.

Twin Falls of Kathlyn Glacier (click image to view larger)
Keeping with a theme in honor of the Olympics in Vancouver, as with last Saturday, today’s image is also from British Columbia. High above the small town of Smithers (pop. ~6,000) is Hudson Bay Mountain, and as glacial melt from Kathlyn Glacier makes its way down to lower elevations, the Twin Falls are formed. Smithers in in north central BC along the Yellowhead Highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

Last week’s Brewer’s Sparrow turned out to be the challenge I expected, with about a 50/50 split on the correct answer. Sparrows are really hard for me, I will confess, I go over and over the field guides until I’m satisfied I have the right species, and sometimes if I don’t get a photo they remain a mystery. For this week, why not a shorebird? You just have to love them! Good luck and great birding!

Reddish Egret – New Smyrna Beach, FL (click image to view larger)
One of my favorite Florida birds, with no particular preference as to color morph, has long been Reddish Egrets. I encountered this beautiful white morph near the jetty in New Smyrna Beach on a day when I was on the prowl for shorebirds, quite tame and happy to show off – up close and personal – its nice “catch of the day.”