#but the shoveler??? the ruddy duck??? the redhead???

[sharkneto]

Me on a normal day: Man, all ducks are so great. Just seeing any duck or goose is a highlight. Sure I've got some favorites, but at the end of the day, any duck is a good duck :)

Me, participating in @north-american-duck-poll: You're All So Wrong How Is Tumblr So Wrong About Ducks I'm Going To Fight All Of You Until You Start Voting For The Correct Ducks

[north-american-duck-poll]

Bracket Seeds and Methodology

As mentioned in my pinned post, the 48 species contained in the tournament represent all native North American species in the order Anseriformes (ducks, geese, and swans), according to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America.

In order to produce brackets that would work out well and not result in early match-ups of popular species, I seeded the species according to 4 popularity metrics: the number of google search results for the common name, the number of tumblr posts in the species’ tag over the past week, days since the last tumblr post in the species’ tag, and number of colours (either of plumage, legs, or bill) other than white, black, brown, or grey present on each species. This last metric was included to correct for rare species that may not be widely searched but whose visual interest is likely to make them more popular. I then developed a formula that used the metrics to produce a score for each species where the higher the score, the greater the prospective popularity. I manually checked the ranking of species to see if the order looked reasonable (with popular or common species at the top, and less common species at the bottom), in order to verify that my scoring system was performing as expected. The bird with the highest score became the first seed, the second highest became the second seed, and so on, for all 48 species.

The seed positions are as follows:

American Black Duck

Mallard

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Muscovy Duck

Common Merganser

Cinnamon Teal

Redhead

Green-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal

Snow Goose

Black-bellied Whistling duck

Hooded Merganser

Masked Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Emperor Goose

Tundra Swan

Bufflehead

Harlequin Duck

Mottled Duck

Common Goldeneye

Gadwall

King Eider

Northern Shoveler

Red-breasted Merganser

Ruddy Duck

Common Eider

Surf Scoter

American Wigeon

White-winged Scoter

Canvasback

White-cheeked Pintail

Black Scoter

Ring-necked Duck

Pink-footed Goose

Greater White-Fronted Goose

Trumpeter Swan

Brant

Ross’s Goose

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Spectacled Eider

Steller’s Eider

Northern Pintail

Greater Scaup

Barnacle Goose

Lesser Scaup

Cackling Goose

[inquisitorius-sin-bin]

I literally have like 1500 photos to go through and edit BUT here were some immediate standouts (no editing done yet!) just a sneak peek:

We saw pretty much every waterfowl species you'd expect to see there this time of year, which was great! Ducks included: Mallard, Gadwall, Redhead, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Northern Pintail, Common Goldeneye, and Lesser Scaup. Also notably saw Canada Geese, Greater White-fronted Geese, Snow Geese, American Coot, Cormorants, Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebes, American Kestrels, and of course, thousands of Sandhill Cranes. No Whooping Cranes today, but perhaps we'll have better luck in a few weeks.

I saw so many ducks today. Thousands. It was a good day. Photos later.

[scrumpyfan43]

My ABA Life List, as I wrote it down the other day

I’m being a bit conservative here because I’m going by memory, so I pretty much write off any birds that I can’t identify on the spot, unless they’re really common. So ducks, empids, shorebirds, gulls, drab warblers, and emberzids are probably all undercounted.

Common Loon 1

Snow Goose 2 Canada Goose 3 Mute Swan 4 Trumpeter Swan 5 Muscovy Duck 6 Wood Duck 7 American Wigeon 8 American Black Duck 9 Mallard 10 Blue Winged Teal 11 Northern Shoveler 12 Canvasback 13 Redhead 14 Ring-necked Duck 15 Lesser Scaup 16 Common Eider 17 Harlequin Duck 18 Bufflehead 19 Common Goldeneye 20 Hooded Merganser 21 Red-breasted Merganser 22 Ruddy Duck 23

Bobwhite 24 Chukar 25 Ring-necked Pheasant 26 Ruffed Grouse 27 Wild Turkey 28

Pied-billed grebe 29 One of those migratory grebes idk 30

Rock Pigeon 31 White-crowned Pigeon 32 White-winged Dove 33 Mourning Dove 34 Common Ground-dove 35

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, I think Mangrove too but not counting that 36

Common Nighthawk 37 Whip-poor-will (heard but not seen, because seriously) 38

Chimney Swift 39 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 40

King Rail 41 Common Gallinule 42 American Coot 43 Sandhill Crane 44

Killdeer 45 Sanderling 46 Pectoral Sandpiper 47 American Woodcock 48 Spotted Sandpiper 49 either Greater or Lesser Yellowlegs 50 probably more but none I could remember what they’re like

Laughing Gull 51 Ring-Billed Gull 52 Herring Gull 53 Caspian Tern 54 Common Tern 55 Royal Tern 56 Black Skimmer 57

Wood Stork 58

Magnificent Frigatebird 59 Double-crested Cormorant 60 Anhinga 61

American White Pelican 62 Brown Pelican 63 Great Blue Heron 64 Great Egret 65 Snowy Egret 66 Little Blue Heron 67 Cattle Egret 68 Green Heron 69 Black-crowned Night Heron 70 White Ibis 71 Roseate Spoonbill 72

Turkey Vulture 73 Osprey 74 Swallow-tailed Kite 75 Bald Eagle 76 Northern Harrier 77 Sharp-shinned Hawk 78 Cooper’s Hawk 79 Red-shouldered Hawk 80 Rough-legged Hawk 81 Red-tailed Hawk 82

Eastern Screech Owl 83 Great Horned Owl 84 Barred Owl 85

Belted Kingfisher 86

Red-headed Woodpecker 87 Red-bellied Woodpecker 88 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 89 Downy Woodpecker 90 Hairy Woodpecker 91 Northern Flicker 92 Pileated Woodpecker 93

American Kestrel 94 Peregrine Falcon 95

Eastern Wood-pewee 96 Least Flycatcher 97 Eastern Phoebe 98 Great Crested Flycatcher 99 Eastern Kingbird 100 Gray Kingbird (if white-crowned pigeons count then so does this guy) 101

Loggerhead Shrike 102

White-eyed Vireo 103 Blue-headed Vireo 104 Warbling Vireo 105 Red-eyed Vireo 106

Blue Jay 107 Florida Scrub Jay 108 American Crow 109 Fish Crow 110 Common Raven 111

Horned Lark 112

Purple Martin 113 Tree Swallow 114 Bank Swallow 115 Cliff Swallow 116 Barn Swallow 117

Carolina Chickadee 118 Black-capped Chickadee 119 Boreal Chickadee 120 Tufted Titmouse 121

Red-breasted nuthatch 122 White-breasted Nuthatch 123 Brown Creeper 124

House Wren 125 Winter Wren 126 Carolina Wren 127

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 128 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 129 Golden-crowned Kinglet 130

Eastern Bluebird 131 Veery 132 Hermit Thrush 133 Wood Thrush 134 American Robin 135

Gray Catbird 136 Northern Mockingbird 137 Brown Tthrasher 138

European Starling 139

Cedar Waxwing 140

House Sparrow 141

House Finch 142 I think I saw redpolls at the feeder once? 143 Pine Siskin 144 American Goldfinch 145

Snow Bunting 146

Ovenbird 147 Black-and-white Warbler 148 Prothonotary Warbler 149 Orange-crowned Warbler 150 Common Yellowthroat 151 American Redstart 152 Cape May Warbler 153 Cerulean Warbler 154 Northern Parula 155 Magnolia Warbler 156 Bay-breasted Warbler 157 Blackburnian Warbler 158 Yellow Warbler 159 Chestnut-sided Warbler 160 Blackpoll Warbler 161 Black-throated Blue Warbler 162 Palm Warbler 163 Pine Warbler 164 Yellow-rumped Warbler 165 Yellow-throated Warbler 166 Black-throated Green Warbler 167 Canada Warbler 168 Wilson’s Warbler 169 Yellow-breasted Chat 170

Eastern Towhee (you’ll always be rufous-sided in my heart) 171 American Tree Sparrow 172 Chipping Sparrow 173 Field Sparrow 174 Grasshopper Sparrow 175 Fox Sparrow 176 Song Sparrow 177 White-throated Sparrow 178 White-crowned Sparrow 179 Dark-eyed Junco 180

Summer Tanager 181 Scarlet Tanager 182 Northern Cardinal 183 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 184 Indigo Bunting 185

Bobolink 186 Red-winged Blackbird 187 Eastern Meadowlark 188 Rusty Blackbird 189 Common Grackle 190 Boat-tailed Grackle 191 Brown-headed Cowbird 192 Orchard Oriole 193 Baltimore Oriole 194

[rantsandaves]

January Roundup

I'm off to a slow start. I'm recovering from the flu, which knocked me out for a week! Right now I'm at 114 birds. Not an impressive way to begin, but slow and steady wins the race, right? To keep my records straight, here's a list of the birds I've seen in January:

1    Canada Goose - Redwood Creek, CA  - 1/1/2017 2    American Wigeon - Redwood Creek , CA - 1/1/2017 3    Mallard  -  Redwood Creek, CA - 1/1/2017 4    Northern Pintail  -  Redwood Creek, CA - 1/1/2017 5    Redhead  -  Redwood Creek, CA - 1/1/2017 6    Turkey Vulture  -  Redwood Creek, CA - 1/1/2017 7    Northern Harrier - Redwood Creek, CA - 1/1/2017 8    Red-shouldered Hawk - Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 9    Red-tailed Hawk - Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 10    American Coot - Redwood Creek, CA   1/1/2017 11    Killdeer - Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 12    Mourning Dove - Redwood Creek, CA 1/1/2017 13    Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Redwood Creek, CA  1/1/2017 14    Pacific Wren - Redwood Creek, CA 1/1/2017 15    Ruby-crowned Kinglet  -  Redwood Creek, CA  1/1/2017 16    Wrentit -  Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 17    European Starling -  Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 18    Song Sparrow - Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 19    Red-winged Blackbird  - Redwood Creek, CA 1/1/2017 20    House Sparrow  - Redwood Creek, CA    1/1/2017 21    Canvasback - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 22    Common Pochard - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 (!) 23    Hooded Merganser - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 24    Ruddy Duck  - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 25    Western Grebe - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 26    Clark's Grebe  - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 27    Double-crested Cormorant   - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 28    Osprey   - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 29    Black Phoebe  - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 30    Steller's Jay   - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 31    Dark-eyed Junco - Freshwater Lagoon, CA - 1/2/2017 32    Cackling Goose - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 33    Cinnamon Teal - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 34    Green-winged Teal - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 35    Greater Scaup  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 36    Lesser Scaup - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 37    Bufflehead  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 38    Eared Grebe  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 39    Great Blue Heron - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 40    American Crow  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 41    Common Raven - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 42    Black-capped Chickadee  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 43    Fox Sparrow - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 44    Golden-crowned Sparrow  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/2/2017 45    Snowy Egret - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/3/2017 46    Black-crowned Night-Heron  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/3/2017 47    Gadwall  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 48    Pied-billed Grebe  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 49    Western Sandpiper  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 50    Greater Yellowlegs - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 51    Willet  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 52    Rock Pigeon  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 53    Anna's Hummingbird  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 54    Belted Kingfisher - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 55    Marsh Wren   - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 56    Golden-crowned Kinglet  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 57    Cedar Waxwing  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 58    Orange-crowned Warbler  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 59    White-crowned Sparrow - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 60    House Finch - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 61    American Goldfinch  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/4/2017 62    Least Sandpiper - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/5/2017 63    Hermit Thrush  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/5/2017 64    Brown Pelican - Woodley Island, CA - 1/6/2017 65    Great Egret  - Woodley Island, CA - 1/6/2017 66    Marbled Godwit  - Woodley Island, CA - 1/6/2017 67    Western Gull - Woodley Island, CA - 1/6/2017 68    Northern Flicker  - Woodley Island, CA - 1/6/2017 69    Peregrine Falcon  - Woodley Island, CA - 1/6/2017 70    Northern Shoveler - Humboldt Bay NWR, Hookton Slough Unit, CA - 1/8/2017 71    Ring-necked Duck - Humboldt Bay NWR, Hookton Slough Unit, CA - 1/8/2017 72    White-tailed Kite  - Humboldt Bay NWR, Hookton Slough Unit, CA - 1/8/2017 73    American Avocet  - Humboldt Bay NWR, Hookton Slough Unit, CA - 1/8/2017 74    Whimbrel - Humboldt Bay NWR, Hookton Slough Unit, CA - 1/8/2017 75    American Kestrel - Humboldt Bay NWR, Hookton Slough Unit, CA - 1/8/2017 76    Tufted Duck - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/9/2017 77    Common Goldeneye  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/9/2017 78    Long-billed Curlew  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/9/2017 79    Ring-billed Gull - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/9/2017 80    California Gull  - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/9/2017 81    Brandt's Cormorant - Mad River Slough, CA - 1/10/2017 82    Common Loon - Eureka, CA - 1/12/2017 83    Surf Scoter - Woodley Island, CA - 1/13/2017 84    Pacific Loon - Woodley Island, CA - 1/13/2017 85    American Robin- Woodley Island, CA - 1/13/2017 86    American Pipit - Fay Slough Wildlife Area, CA - 1/14/2017 87    Common Yellowthroat - Fay Slough Wildlife Area, CA - 1/14/2017 88    Yellow-rumped Warbler - Fay Slough Wildlife Area, CA - 1/14/2017 89    Western Meadowlark- Fay Slough Wildlife Area, CA - 1/14/2017 90    Purple Finch - Fay Slough Wildlife Area, CA - 1/14/2017 91    White-winged Scoter - Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 92    Black Scoter- Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 93    Common Merganser - Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 94    Black-legged Kittiwake - Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 95    Mew Gull - Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 96    Glaucous-winged Gull - Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 97    Lincoln's Sparrow - Klamath River, CA - 1/15/2017 98    Eurasian Wigeon  -  Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/16/2017 99    Dunlin - Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/16/2017 100    Savannah Sparrow  -  Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, CA - 1/16/2017 101    Cooper's Hawk  - Arcata, CA 1/20/2017 102    Brewer's Blackbird - Eureka Waterfront, CA - 1/21/2017 103    Brown-headed Cowbird Brewer's Blackbird - Eureka Waterfront, CA - 1/21/2017 104    Brant - Woodley Island, CA  1/21/2017 105    Black-bellied Plover - Woodley Island, CA  -  1/21/2017 106    Horned Grebe   Big Lagoon County Park, CA  - 1/22/2017 107    Snowy Plover  - Big Lagoon County Park, CA   - 1/22/2017 108    Red-throated Loon - Freshwater Lagoon, CA  - 1/22/2017 109    Varied Thrush - Freshwater Lagoon, CA    1/22/2017 110    Sharp-shinned Hawk - Cooper Gulch Park, CA - 1/27/2017 111    Brown Creeper - Cooper Gulch Park, CA - 1/27/2017 112    Pelagic Cormorant   - Moonstone Beach, CA - 1/28/2017 113    Black Oystercatcher  - Moonstone Beach, CA - 1/28/2017 114    Surfbird - Moonstone Beach, CA - 1/28/2017

[jasonjdking]

Species of the Day for January 23, 2018 Redhead (Aythya americana) LEAST CONCERN

With a gleaming cinnamon head setting off a body marked in black and business gray, adult male Redheads light up the open water of lakes and coastlines. These sociable ducks molt, migrate, and winter in sometimes-huge flocks, particularly along the Gulf Coast, where winter numbers can reach the thousands. Summers find them nesting in reedy ponds of the Great Plains and West. Female and young Redheads are uniform brown, with the same black-tipped, blue-gray bill as the male.

In migration and winter, look for Redheads in large rafts, often with other species including Canvasbacks, scaup, wigeon, and American Coots. They usually dive for their food, although they use shallower water than other diving ducks and may feed by tipping up, like a dabbling duck.

Redheads breed mainly in seasonal wetlands such as the prairie pothole region of the Midwest. In migration and winter they group into large flocks on the Gulf Coast, as well as along the Great Lakes and in lakes, reservoirs, bays, and along coastlines across the southern U.S.

Many ducks lay some of their eggs in other birds’ nests (a strategy known as “brood parasitism”), but female Redheads are perhaps tops in this department. Their targets include other Redheads as well as Mallard, Canvasback, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon—even Northern Harrier.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Redhead/id

Photo Credit: Shawn McCready

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnmccready/

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/birds-williamson-county-tx-scurlock-farms/

Birds of Williamson County TX Seen at Scurlock Farms in Texas Hill Country

Many avid bird watchers have stayed with us at Scurlock Farms.

These birders have visited to see as many birds of Williamson County as possible.  2/3 of all birds seen in Texas are seen in Williamson County.  We are located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, and so far, all have seen a lifer – a bird they had never seen in person before!

I was giving a tour to a couple from Kansas when she noticed something fluttering in the dried dusty area where we were going to pass through a gate.  It was a Roadrunner taking a dirt bath!  She was so excited as she had never seen one.  Last week while giving a couple a tour around the farm, a Roadrunner ran, then flew across the road right in front of us.  The woman was from Ukraine and she was very excited to see the Roadrunner as she had never seen one!  Yesterday, again giving a tour, this time to a young family from Grand Cayman, the young mother also saw a Roadrunner as it ran into the pasture.  A Roadrunner nesting near Indian Bluff would pause for photos for a family from Canada as they returned home!

The Roadrunners are nesting around the farm now and I see one every time I go up or down the drive.  When they are feeding their babies, they will be up and down the drive constantly, chasing bugs and lizards.

This baby Roadrunner fell out of his nest too early.  The nest was in a large cedar tree near Indian Bluff.  We tried to reach the nest in a cedar tree near Indian Bluff with our tallest extension ladder, but could not.  At dusk the mother Roadrunner was leading the baby into heavy brush inside the pasture fence.  I hope the baby made it!

The terrain of Scurlock Farms lends itself to seeing many varied species of birds.

The top pasture is prairie; we have heavily wooded bluffs and heavily wooded acreage with many dead snags for woodpeckers, owls and squirrels to nest in; a 20 acre pecan orchard; and river bottom wetlands.

I have had guests visit Scurlock Farms from Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio that have enjoyed just sitting under the trees, reading a book and listening to the many different song birds and the owls in the evening.  Some didn’t even care what kind of bird it was.  They were just enjoying the peace and serenity as they listened to the birds.  I get the impression that folks from the larger cities are really able to relax and unwind at Scurlock Farms.  It is a perfect place to simply chill out, relax and de-stress from busy, hectic schedules.

Great photos of birds of Williams County here!

A pair of Scissor-tails at Scurlock Farms was very unhappy with this pair of Vultures

We have several pair of Scissor-tail Flycatchers that nest around Scurlock Farms each year.  For several years, one pair built a nest on a metal platform on the top of Dan’s 55�� tower.  Another couple of pair make their nests near Rocky Overlook.  They do not like it when I do landscaping near where they are nesting.

The Scissor-tail Flycatchers are very vocal in their displeasure and luckily have never dive-bombed me the way they did the Vultures!!  These are beautiful, graceful birds, and they eat a lot of mosquitoes and other flying insects.

The Mockingbird is the state bird of Texas and there are many of them on the farm.  One lives in a pyracantha bush at the end of the drive near the farm entrance.  Another nests in one of the trees in my front yard, and during the spring and summer, both are singing constantly!

Brave Mockingbird 5′ from me as I worked in a pasture

Dan and I were working picking up the remains of a burned brush pile early in the spring, and this little guy was totally unafraid of us!  He visited us several times.

Mockingbirds are territorial and one way they “mark” their  territory is to constantly sing a repertoire of songs.  The one at the end of the drive will sit on the top of a telephone pole near the entrance, fly a few feet into the air, then back down to the pole, all the while singing!  During the winter he sits in the pyracantha bush and sings away.  The grandchildren love seeing and hearing him in the mornings as they wait on the school bus.  He is a ball of fluff on cold days and is beautiful sitting on the end of a branch among the red berries.

  Now you see him, now you don’t!  Whoops, here he comes!!

https://youtu.be/MS0QsXZjoFo

Last spring we had a problem with coyotes killing our goats.  In this video David is at the goat barn using an infrared night-vision scope looking for coyotes.  He sees a pair of eyes (the smaller “light” just to the left of the target and in the lighter shaded grass) about 200 yards out in the pasture and thinks it is a coyote until it begins to float around in the air, then flies right towards him and lands on an electric line just above him.  It was a Great Horned Owl!  At about 2′ tall, very impressive.

Did you know . . .

The oldest known wild Great Horned Owl was 28, but one in the San Francisco Zoo was 50 in 2012?

Females are larger than the males?

Have a wingspan of 3.3′ to 4.5′?

They live from the Arctic to South America?

They are monogamous birds?

When they are “hooting” they are claiming their territory?

A pair of Great Horned Owls nests in a tree near our son’s home.

One of our granddaughters sleeps upstairs, and many nights she goes downstairs as the Great Horned Owls are “hoot hooting” at each other.  Guests sitting out at dusk and in the evening have loved hearing them call to one another.

Often when I am giving guests a tour late in the evening, we will flush a Great Horned Owl out of the trees in front of Rocky Overlook.  One flew out over the pasture this week right at dusk.  They are majestic as they silently glide down towards the river bottom.

While giving a family a tour at dusk, we flushed a great Horned Owl out of a tree near the drive.  As we came back up the bluff after the tour, the mom spotted him sitting near the top of a tree watching us as we passed below.

Can you can spot him in the photo.  Hint:  He is about 1/3 down from the top of the tree just to the left of center.  Look for his silhouette.

Hidden Great Horned Owl at Scurlock Farms

List of Common Birds of Williamson County

* marks birds seen on Scurlock Farms

Bittern, American

Bittern, Least

Blackbird, Brewer’s

Blackbird, Red-Winged *

Blackbird, Yellow-headed

Bluebird, Eastern *

Bluejay *

Bobwhite, Northern *

Bufflehead

Bunting, Indigo *

Bunting, Painted * (male has been seen several years, hundreds of females seen each year)

Canvasback

Caracara, Crested * (Mexican Eagle)

Cardinal, Northern *

Cattle Egret *

Chat, Yellow-breasted

Chickadee, Carolina *

Coot, American *

Cormorant, Double-crested * (this is the bird that my dad called a Water Turkey) *

Cowbird, Brown-headed *

Crane, Sandhill * Seen and heard flying over many times during migration

Creeper, Brown *

Crow, American *

Cuckoo, Yellow-billed *

Dickcissel (looks like a miniature Eastern Meadowlark – sings beautifully and often)*

Dove, Eurasian Collared *

Dove, Inca *

Dove, Mourning *

Dove, Rock (AKA Feral Pigeon) *

Dove, White-winged *

Duck, Ruddy

Duck, Mottled *

Egret, Great *

Egret, Snowy *

Finch, House *

Finch, Purple *

Flicker, Northern *

Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed *

Gadwall *

Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray (we saw 3 of them today) *

Goldfinch, American *

Goldfinch, Lesser *

Goose, Canada *

Goose, Greater White-fronted*

Goose, Snow *

Grackle, Common *

Grackle, Great-tailed *

Grebe, Pied-billed *

Grosbeak, Blue

Gull, Laughing *

Gull, Ring-billed *

Harrier, Northern

Hawk, Common Night *

Hawk, Cooper’s *

Hawk, Red-shouldered *

Hawk, Red-tailed *

Hawk, Sharp-shinned *

Hawk, White-tailed *

Heron, Black-crowned Night

Heron, Great Blue *

Heron, Green *

Heron, Little Blue

Hummingbird, Black-chinned *

Hummingbird, Ruby-throated *

Junco, Dark-eyed *

Kestrel, American *

Kildeer *

Kingbird, Eastern *

Kingbird, Western

Kingfisher, Belted *

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned *

Kite, Mississippi

Lark, Horned

Mallard *

Martin, Purple *

Meadowlark, Eastern *

Merganser, Red-breasted

Merlin

Mockingbird, Northern *

Nuthatch, Red-breasted

Nuthatch, White Breasted *

Oriole, Baltimore *

Oriole, Orchard

Owl, Barn *

Owl, Burrowing (Seen near Scurlock Farms)

Owl, Eastern Screech *

Owl, Great Horned *   (nesting near The Studio)

Pelican, American White *

Pigeon *

Phoebe, Eastern *

Pintail, Northern *

Pipit, American (we saw several dozen today) *

Redhead

Roadrunner, Greater *

Robin, American *

Sandpiper, Least *

Sandpiper, Spotted

Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied *

Scaup, Lesser

Shoveler, Northern *

Shrike, Loggerhead (the bird that Daddy called the Butcher Bird) *

Siskin, Pine

Snipe, Wilson’s

Sparrow, Chipping *

Sparrow, Grasshopper

Sparrow, Harris��

Sparrow, House *

Sparrow, Lark *

Sparrow, Lincoln’s *

Sparrow, Savannah *

Sparrow, Song *

Sparrow, Swamp

Sparrow, Vesper (very common there in winter) *

Sparrow, White-crowned *

Sparrow, White-throated

Starling, European *

Swallow, Barn *

Swallow, Cliff (These are the swallows that nest on overpasses in mud nests) *

Swift, Chimney *

Tanager, Summer *

Teal, Blue-winged *

Teal, Green-winged

Tern, Forster’s

Thrasher, Brown

Thrush, Hermit

Titmouse, Tufted *

Towhee, Spotted *

Turkey, Wild *

Vulture, Black *

Vulture, Turkey *

Warbler, Black and White *

Warbler, Prothonotary *

Warbler, Yellow-rumped *

Waxwing, Cedar *

Whip-poor-will *

Wigeon, American *

Woodpecker, Downy *

Woodpecker, Harry *

Woodpecker, Ladder Backed *

Woodpecker, Pileated *

Woodpecker, Red-Bellied *

Woodpecker, Red-headed *

Wren, Bewick’s *

Wren, Carolina *

Wren, House*

Yellowlegs, Greater *

Yellowlegs, Lesser

Yellow-throat, Common

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Don’t feed the waterfowl

Mallard Ducks Chappell Marsh. West Swale Wetlands Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Saskatoon, SK, CA

Ruddy Duck. Chappell Marsh. West Swale Wetlands. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Saskatoon, SK, CA

Ruddy Duck. Chappell Marsh. West Swale Wetlands. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area. Saskatoon, SK, CA

Canada Geese West Swale Wetlands. Chappell Marsh. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA

Mallard Ducks. West Swale Wetlands (Chappel Marsh) Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA

Ruddy Duck in the West Swale Wetlands (Chappel Marsh) One of the only locales in Saskatchewan to sight the Ruddy Duck. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK, CA

Canada Goose Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and West Swale Wetlands, Saskatoon, Sk, CA

Canada Goose Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and West Swale Wetlands, Saskatoon, Sk, CA

Don’t feed the waterfowl, and the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals goes on to say; Never feed ducks, geese, swans, gulls, herons or eagles.It’s a fine line to walk, between  “Feed the Birds Day on February 3”  and  not feeding the ducks.

If you do use a bird feeder for migratory birds, place them safely away from domesticated animals such as dogs and cats, and do not allow the ground feed spilled out of feeders to habituate rodents.

“There is a risk that ducks and other waterfowl can get an illness known as angel wing, which is caused by not getting the right nutrients in their diet.

“The illness causes as deformity in birds’ wings that can hamper the way they fly or even stop them altogether, which could obviously be fatal,” said Harry Bellows from The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. RSPB says, “Uneaten, rotting food left by ducks can trigger noxious odours and fuel algae that can eventually eradicate fish from the area, as well as attracting rats, mice and insects.

“Mouldy bread can also cause aspergillosis a fatal lung infection that can wipe out waterfowl in flocks.”Foster

Artificial feeding sites can cause outbreaks in wildlife of Duck Virus Enteritis, Aspergillus, and Avian Botulism. Additionally these feeding sites can attract a parasite which causes Swimmer’s Itch in humans.

Besides recognizing these health risks and diseases, there are more reasons not to feed the ducks. Receiving food from humans results in changes in the behavior of waterfowl. The natural areas become overcrowded where feeding occurs, and the native eco-system cannot support the over-run of ducks and geese. Due to the groups and the larger numbers of ducks and geese, a health risk mounts up from excess droppings which increases the risk of disease.

He who knows what sweets and virtues are in the ground, the waters, the plants, the heavens, and how to come at these enchantments, is the rich and royal man. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Furthermore, waterfowl may even decide not to migrate, relying on the food source from humans, and are trapped by the cold winter. For those waterfowl who do not migrate, they are at risk of dying when the winter temperatures drop to -40 Celsius and below, and there is a drop in human feeders.

The adult waterfowl addicted to bread stop teaching their young how to forage in the wild. The ducklings and goslings, then know only a life of seeking food from humans, and cannot survive in a natural setting. Therefore, waterfowl who rely on humans for food will cluster around human outdoor activities in parks, humans and parking lots without knowledge of domestic animals such as dogs and cats and vehicles on roadways.

Additionally relying on handouts of bread leads to severe duckling and gosling mal-nourishment as bread does not have the necessary nutrients to stave off disease or support a healthy body.

“Wild animals who get used to a handout will often take the easy route despite ample natural foods being available – even in urban areas,” says Dr. Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer for the BC SPCA. “Although it might seem harmless and cute to feed a squirrel on a park bench or ducks at the local pond, these activities can lead to increased habituation.”

“Habituated wild animals are also more susceptible to predators and vehicle collisions, as they lose their fear of people and the associated flight response.”BC SPCA

Foods that should never be fed to ducks include:

Bread

Chips

Crackers

Popcorn

Biscuits

Sugary food including sweets and chocolates

Cereal

Sweets

Mouldy food

Over-wintering waterfowl in the region of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan may, as an exception, include Greater White-fronted Goose, Ring-necked Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Greater Scaup, Snow Goose, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Red-necked Grebe, Sora, American Coot, Canada Goose, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, and Ruddy Duck. If you are patient and still and happen to recognize these waterfowl, please do not feed them.  Especially not in or near an off leash recreation area. The waterfowl of Chappel Marsh – the West Swale Wetlands – should not be habituated to humans. They should rely on their natural insticts to not approach humans.

I believe in oneness of mankind and of all living things and in the interdependence of each and all. I believe that unless we play fair to the Earth, we cannot exist physically on this planet. Unless we play fair to our neighbour, we cannot exist socially or internationally. Unless we play fair to better self, there is no individuality and no leadership. ~Richard St. Barbe Baker.

For more information:

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, SK, CA north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com Facebook: StBarbeBaker Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Twitter: StBarbeBaker July 9, 2016 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area CLEAN UP Day PAMPHLET

Our task must be to free ourselves … by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.~Albert Einstein

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Beitz, Mike. Don’t feed the birds. The Beacon Herald. Aug. 9, 2016.

Don’t feed the duck bread, say conservationists. The Guardian. Environment.

Don’t feed the Dogs. Saint John.

Don’t feed the animals. British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. BC SPCA. July 22, 2014

Foster, Alice. What you should NEVER feed to ducks: Six things including BREAD. Express Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. April 6, 20165 Four reasons why feeding bread to ducks is stupid. CBC News. May 24, 2015

Greason, Chet. Duck Feeding Ban passed Despite Protest. Stratford Gazette. August 10, 2016

Is Feeding Ducks Bread Bad? About.com January 20, 2017. Don’t feed the ducks Mass Audubon. Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts.

McLendon, Russell. 3 Reasons why you shouldn’t feed bread to ducks. Mother Earth Network. November 18, 2015.

Podbielski, Ron. Don’t feed the wildlife. Saskatchewan Environment. Government of Saskatchewan. January 19, 2017.

Rockwood Park ducks refuse to fly south as feeding continues. Naturalist urges Rockwood Park visitors to feed ducks fruits and vegetables, not bread, if they do bring food. CBC News. Feb. 12, 2015

Saskatchewan Birding Trail Experience (pdf)

Seriously, Stop Feeding Wild Animals. DNews. Aug 28, 2016.

Stop Feeding Waterfowl. Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State.

Winter, Lisa. The Disturbing Reasons You Shouldn’t Feed Bread To Ducks We can’t live on bread alone, and neither can they. A-Plus. March, 21, 2015

Why you Should Never Feed Bread to Ducks. IFL Science

Zsivanovits, Petra, Deborah J. Monks, and Neil A. Forbes. Bilateral Valgus Deformity of the Distal Wings (Angel Wing) in a Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 20(1):21-26. 2006 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1647/1082-6742(2006)20%5B21:BVDOTD%5D2.0.CO;2

Don’t feed the waterfowl Don't feed the waterfowl Don't feed the waterfowl, and the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals goes on to say; Never feed ducks, geese, swans, gulls, herons or eagles.It's a fine line to walk, between  …

[north-american-duck-poll]

Bracket Seeds and Methodology: Hens, Pens, and Geese

As mentioned in my pinned post, the 48 species contained in the tournament represent all native North American species in the order Anseriformes (ducks, geese, and swans), according to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America.

In order to produce brackets that would work out well and not result in early match-ups of popular species, I seeded the species according to 6 popularity metrics: the number of google search results for the common name, the number of tumblr posts in the species’ tag over the past week, days since the last tumblr post in the species’ tag, number of colours (either of plumage, legs, or bill) other than white, black, brown, or grey present on the females of each species, whether or not the female is mottled brown, and whether the species is sexually dimorphic (males and females are different in appearance). I then developed a formula that used the metrics to produce a score for each species where the higher the score, the greater the prospective popularity. I manually checked the ranking of species to see if the order looked reasonable (with popular or common species at the top, and less common species at the bottom), in order to verify that my scoring system was performing as expected. The bird with the highest score became the first seed, the second highest became the second seed, and so on, for all 48 species.

The seed positions are as follows:

Mallard

Wood Duck

American Black Duck

Canada Goose

Long-tailed Duck

Cinnamon Teal

Snow Goose

Blue-Winged Teal

Redhead

Green-winged Teal

Common Goldeneye

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

Common Merganser

Bufflehead

Barrow's Goldeneye

Emperor Goose

Brant

Northern Pintail

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Tundra Swan

King Eider

Muscovy Duck

Greater Scaup

Masked Duck

Pink-footed Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Ross's Goose

White-cheeked Pintail

Black Scoter

Trumpeter Swan

Red-breasted Merganser

Mottled Duck

Barnacle Goose

White-winged Scoter

Cackling Goose

Harlequin Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Ruddy Duck

Common Eider

American Wigeon

Canvasback

Hooded Merganser

Surf Scoter

Lesser Scaup

Spetacled Eider

Steller's Eider

[north-american-duck-poll]

Photo Credits: Hens, Pens, and Geese

Any photos I use that are not my own have been found by searching google images for photos with Creative Commons licenses. Below are the URLs for all photos used, alphabetized according to the common name of the species in the photo. This post will be updated as new photos are added.

American Black Duck: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Black_Duck_female_RWD6.jpg

American Wigeon: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anas-americana-004.jpg

Barnacle Goose: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barnacle-Goose.jpg

Barrow's Goldeneye: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barrow%27s_Goldeneye_RWD1.jpg

Black Scoter: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BlackScoter_mosbo6.jpg

Black-bellied Whistling Duck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/19838840096

Blue-Winged Teal: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anas_discors_Barraquete_aliazul_Blue-winged_Teal_(female)_(6545684793).jpg

Brant: https://www.flickr.com/photos/taylar/13886499515

Bufflehead: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dagberg/2164018818

Cackling Goose: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zonotrichia/16195014494

Canada Goose: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_Goose_-Branta_canadensis.JPG

Canvasback: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canvasback_(female)_-_Aythya_valisineria,_Oakley_Street,_Cambridge,_Maryland.jpg

Cinnamon Teal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zonotrichia/6296216902

Common Eider: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Eider_female_RWD6n.jpg

Common Goldeneye: https://www.flickr.com/photos/101181388@N07/32252304942

Common Merganser: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Merganser_-_natures_pics.jpg

Emperor Goose: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfws_alaska/6728080117

Fulvous Whistling Duck: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fulvous_whistling_duck.JPG

Gadwall: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gadwall-female.jpg

Greater Scaup: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rick_leche/371330422

Greater White-fronted Goose: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greater_white-fronted_goose.jpg

Green-winged Teal: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_Green-winged_Teal-_Bolsa_Chica_Wetlands_(4412427221).jpg

Harlequin Duck: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harlequin_duck_(female).jpg

Hooded Merganser: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hooded_merganser_-_female.jpg

King Eider: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Eider_RWD.jpg

Lesser Scaup: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_Lesser_Scaup-_Bolsa_Chica_Wetlands_(4412427863).jpg

Long-tailed Duck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9919745@N03/13667635193

Mallard: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_mallard_nest_-_natures_pics_edit2.jpg

Masked Duck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwc/831899461

Mottled Duck: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mottled_Duck.jpg

Muscovy Duck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielmsorensen/38522855196

Northern Pintail: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanvernon/3054919872

Northern Shoveler: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Shoveler_(Female).jpg

Pink-footed Goose: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonvdn/10979920193

Red-breasted Merganser: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-breasted_merganser_female_in_CP_(40733).jpg

Redhead: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lenblumin/6408319035

Ring-necked Duck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanvernon/5242678046

Ross's Goose: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ross%27s_Goose_(Chen_rossii)_(23321411711).jpg

Ruddy Duck: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruddy_Duck_(female)_(16287074459).jpg

Snow Goose: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_goose_in_Central_Park_(33138).jpg

Spetacled Eider: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Somateria_fischeri_(Spectacled_Eider_-_Plueschkopfente)_-_Weltvogelpark_Walsrode_2012-15.jpg

Steller's Eider: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/6750450131

Surf Scoter: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ddebold/26478648198

Trumpeter Swan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanvernon/5111241555

Tundra Swan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9765210@N03/8571142484

White-cheeked Pintail: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White-cheeked_Pintail_RWD.jpg

White-winged Scoter: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stonebird/15236611903

Wood Duck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dapuglet/48480618926

[north-american-duck-poll]

Round 2 polls are open!

Remember, you only have until March 16 at approximately 10 am PDT to vote on these polls.

Links to each match below

Bracket A

American Black Duck vs Black Scoter

Cackling Goose vs Emperor Goose

Green-winged Teal vs Northern Shoveler

Fulvous Whistling Duck vs Redhead

Wood Duck vs American Wigeon

Mottled Duck vs Hooded Merganser

Black-bellied Whistling Duck vs Northern Pintail

Trumpeter Swan vs Muscovy Duck

Bracket B

Mallard vs Canvasback

Bufflehead vs Long-tailed Duck

Blue-winged Teal vs King Eider

Ruddy Duck vs Cinnamon Teal

Canada Goose vs Pink-footed Goose

Harlequin Duck vs Masked Duck

Snow Goose vs Steller’s Eider

Brant vs Common Merganser

Round 2 polls open March 15 at 10 am PDT

Thank you to everyone who voted in round 1! Here are the updated brackets showing the winners of that round, as well as the new match ups for round 2. As you'll notice, each round 1 winner is matched against a species that has not yet been voted on. These are the top 16 seeded species, so if you didn't see your favourite waterfowl in the last round, they should be here in round 2. Round 2 polls will only be open for 1 day, so make sure to take a stab at voting once they open at 10 am PDT on March 15th.

In order to give all of the species the best chance possible, round 2 polls will include not only pictures of each species, but also fun facts or identification tips. I am putting those together now. If I miss out on including your favourite fact about a species, feel free to make a post and tag me or send an ask, and I will reblog or post it under the #duck promotion tag.

As always, you can find my methodology for seeding the brackets here and links to image sources here. Links to all round 1 polls are included in this post if you would like to see the exact scores.