George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary – Page 15

New Years Eve

New Years Eve also found me volunteering at Reifel. The sun was out and there was a good crowd. Today turned out to be raptor day at the tower.

From the top of the tower this Bald Eagle was roosting nicely in an evergreen. While watching it,

… this Red-tailed Hawk landed in an adjacent tree. Not often you end up shooting down on a hawk like this. While continuing to watch the eagle,

… this Northern Harrier did a fly by. To provide a nice end to this episode,

… the Bald Eagle eventually took off passing close by the tower as it headed out to the marsh. On my way back as the sun was starting to go down,

…the moon was rising.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve this year fell on a Sunday and my usual afternoon to volunteer at Reifel. There was not much of a crowd and it was fairly quiet on the birding front as well. Fortunately some of the regulars were cooperating.

Such as this House Finch,

… and Purple Finch. Later in the day while trying to track down a woodpecker I could hear drumming on a tree,

… this Brown Creeper made a brief appearance next to me. And to finish the day of was the source of the drumming,

… a Downy Woodpecker.

Merry Christmas!

Eurasian Wigeon

It was cool, windy and wet when I made my way to Reifel to help out on the trails this afternoon. Understandably there were not many visitors, but there was a Great Horned Owl to show the hardy few I met along the east dyke trail. The birding highlight of the day,

… was a Eurasian Wigeon in the house pond at the back of the gift shop. While neither my shooting position or weather were ideal, it was still good to see this winter visitor.

In other sanctuary news, the well known raptor snag got blown down this past week. Along the main path to the large covered viewing platform,

… it was a favourite roosting spot for birds of prey and for visitors to see and photograph them.