They don’t need dead trees just ones infested with insects. the future “walking dead”
Our loons do stay underwater a long time and its not uncommon for them to surface 300 meters away. They are also 30 percent bigger than Midwest loons.
Because they are couch potatoes. They don’t have to migrate 1500 miles like your Wisconsin Loon.
Ours are commuters twice a year. 12 miles to wintering grounds on the ocean. Which is good as their October keg frat parties are quite raucous. They don’t fear boats; they wait till the last second to dive when a power boat approaches. They are a little more wary of paddlers. Perhaps cause things with wings alarm them and paddles could look like that. Eagles prey on the eggs and chicks… And when the seaplanes come and go, mayhem alarm calls start. They do use docks as shelters for their young.
I think I figured it out. I zoomed out on the eBird map and saw that the birds are being spotted and reported… closer to big cities… where lots of birders live.
Not a birder per se. I use my Audubon guide to identify the birds I see, but don’t go looking for them, binoculars in hand. Yesterday I paddled an inland lake in a wild area; only inhabitants are permanent and transient wildlife. No boat launches; a place where you find your own way if you want to get on the water. Saw ducks, loons, terns, beaver castles and possibly river otter abodes. Noticed an eagle’s nest and when I paddled closer, could see the tip of a white head. A few minutes later the other parent flew in and they changed places. No food brought in so they’re still incubating. The eagle relieved of eggsitting flew to a lower branch and watched me for a few minutes before flying off. Was so enthralled I forgot to take photos until afterward.
When I got to my car, which was on the opposite shore, I couldn’t see that nest although I knew where it was. Once that tree leafs out, it will be impossible to see from the water. A lovely day with an unexpected gift.
Yeah, Rookie! I envy you your eagles but not your bare trees. It’s full blown green here in NC… temps in the 90s for the last three days!
I wouldn’t exactly call myself a “birder” as I don’t keep lists, file reports, or look for birds with anything approaching a competitive attitude, but I’ve been a fairly keen “bird watcher” since I was a kid.
I pretty much always have a pair of waterproof binoculars with me in my kayak, and frequently take a DSLR with a long lens along in a dry bag.
Only saw a limpkin on Sunday.
@Rex No white flakes on those bare trees, so all good here. 90F?? Wow. That’s way out of my comfort zone.
In direct sunlight, 90 is also out of mine.
Anybody ever seen a Swallow-tailed kite? Frequent visitor where I live.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swallow-tailed_Kite/id
@shiraz627 said:
Anybody ever seen a Swallow-tailed kite? Frequent visitor where I live.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swallow-tailed_Kite/id
Yes here on the coast and often when I lived in FL. I have been interested into ID-ing everything since a kid. I take lots of photos with my waterproof 5x Nikon. Have a Golden Eagle sighting here in the Piedmont of SC. As a turkey hunter the best part is listening in the predawn woods to the Whippoorwills, and Chuck-Will-Widows quiet down and the day birds start calling. you listen all morning long for a gobble and as a consequence you hear all the other sounds of nature. It is a listening game before it ever becomes a hunt. My son-in-law is the type of birder that travels to see the rare incidentals. I just like watching and listening and learning to know what I hear and see. I love the song of a Hermit Thrush in the spring trees.
@Guideboatguy said:
This isn’t all that related to your question, but I hope related enough. I could write about a bunch of favorite aspects of seeing birds while paddling, but in the early spring, one favorite of mine is the pied-billed grebe. I never used to see them at all, but paddling, and more specifically, paddling shortly after ice-out, has let me see lots of them. Pied-billed grebes are magicians. They are already small, but when you get reasonably close, the first thing they do is sink so that only their head is above the water, so now they are truly hard to see. They’ll do that while assessing how much of a threat you are. Then they slip beneath the surface, and if you are lucky, you’ll see them reappear - just the head - VERY far from their first location. After they disappear again you have virtually no hope of seeing them again. As I said, they are magicians.
I have always liked a Pied-Billed Grebe. I had to net one out of a pond weir that was too deep and tight for it to fly up out of. It was real tired when I discovered it. When I opened the net to let it go it didn’t run or fly right away. That’s how I know it was exhausted.They aren’t always leery of a small boat. I have had them be curious, but cautious.
A favorite warbler that likes to nest in hollows over or near the water you hear and see while paddling the rivers and swamps here in the spring is the Prothonotary Warbler. These photos were taken with a 5x waterproof Nikon from a kayak.
Beautiful!
“Can we eat 'em, Dad?”
@Rex said:
“Can we eat 'em, Dad?”
We have seen this pair every spring for the past 3 years. They hang out at 1 of our put ins and come over to us frequently