Moonie is a Star... in the Toronto Star

A series of events lead to this below.  Moonie and myself making it into the Toronto Star on Friday February 15th, 2013.

It's a bit of a lengthy tale that I am not sure I feel like keying out right now.  I'm home sick with some kind of cold bug and my eyes are feeling pretty heavy looking at this screen.  Plus, since this story involves a few other people, I'd rather get approval of using their names beforehand.

I can jump ahead to the latter part of the tale, where at the end of an hour or so telephone interview with a reporter from the Toronto Star has her asking me if I'd be okay with a photographer coming out the following morning to take some photos in my backyard.  To which I replied "absolutely!"

The article was about the Great Backyard Bird Count that was happening across the world on the Family Day long weekend us people in Ontario get to enjoy each February.  So the idea of pictures from someone's backyard seemed right; although great backyard means anywhere and everywhere outdoors.  It is encouraged for people to get outside and enjoy the birds this particular weekend.

The online edition differs from the actual newspaper in way of the photo they used, see here.

So, this photographer shows up on Thursday morning.  He was a very pleasant man, we had some good discussions during his time with me at the house.  We spent 40 or so minutes out back waiting for some birds to come to my feeders.  A day earlier, the yard was full of birds, and even my buddy Pierre was around...  and I silently asked him to be sure to come today, and early.  But nobody was out back for much of the time.  He began taking photos of me by some of the feeders.  I was honest and said it was odd to me, hard to smile, and I'm just not a guy who likes to be in front of a camera (centre of attention).  He told me to not worry about it, don't smile if I don't want to, and to not look at the camera.  It sure made things a lot easier for me. 

Suddenly a couple Starlings flew in and as quick as they arrived, they flew away again.  Same thing seconds later with 2 Pigeons.  I told Colin (the photographer) that the birds know of something we do not.  I put my "bird sensors" on and tuned in.  Soon enough I spotted a Coopers Hawk hanging out in a neighbour's tree focused on my yard.  I pointed him out to Colin, saying "that's why there are no birds at the feeders".  Colin pondered going out to his car and getting a big lens to grab a shot of the Hawk but didn't.

We decided to head into the house for a bit, warm up and see if the Hawk will move on and birds start returning.  We got talking about the Budgies, Misfit and Moonie, and I told him, as I did the reporter on their tales of how they ended up here.  Both being backyard rescues, coming here from who knows where, because of the other birds and the feeders.  Colin thought it might be fun to use one of them for a bit, just to shoot something.  Moonie is the easier going of the two.  I don't know how many pics he took of Moonie or Moonie and I, and Moonie was getting tired of the attention and especially this camera pointed at him.  So we put him back in his house and tried out back one more time.  Still no birds and the Hawk was not to be seen either.  About 15 minutes later he had to leave because of another appointment.

I went about the rest of my morning before work, wondered about what the article was going to look like and so on.  A couple hours later Colin phones me and asks me for the correct spelling of Moonie's name.  I told him, he thanked me and said "have a great afternoon".  So in the back of my head, I'm thinking Moonie is going to make the paper, but also thought that was just crazy talk.  I knew a lot of photos were submitted for this article from various people.

That evening I'm working away and suddenly I get a notice on my mobile that someone tagged me in a comment after reading the article online already.  I wasn't aware online editions came out that early.  It took me forever to load the page in my phone but finally I did and saw the one linked above with me on the deck looking up at a feeder.  It was too much strain on the phone to try and open up the article to read it all.  So you can imagine come quitting time that I raced home for a view on the computer.  I was happy with the article and honored that it finished with my 2 cents in a couple paragraphs.

The next morning Angie is phoning the house and texting my phone.  Home line was unplugged, my mobile gets turned off at night, so she couldn't get a hold of me.  Turns out they used a different photo in the paper as you can see.  Basically Angie was on the subway going to work, and she noticed someone next to her or in front of her, reading the Toronto Star, and when they opened up the page to the GBBC article, she freaked and shrieked "that's my husband, and my Budgie!"  I can visualize her doing this and the other morning people around her in transit heading to work suddenly waking up on the train at 7 in the morning to this.  Haha!

I'm sure some out there may be thinking "what the hell is up with a Budgie's photo making this article?"  But I think they tied it in rather well to the story.  Of course Moonie belonged to someone, somewhere in the city and was probably captive bred, bought in a pet store or from a breeder.  He escaped or was let go, and suddenly became a wild bird at a very young age.  He flew to our house and became one of the family.  While he cannot really participate in bird watching with us at this time of year, he does enjoy the summer days out back with us all...  his family and the wild birds around us.

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Owls, Lifers and Assholes. Oh my!

As promised to friends I made mention about this upcoming blog, I decided to stick to my word about this title.  It pretty much sums up the weekend which overall was a great one despite the antics of a few individuals.

Saturday had Angie and I go out for the afternoon with our friends Dave and Andrea.  We did a road trip to Cayuga and from there we snaked along many back roads making our way down to the shores of Lake Erie in Nanticoke where it can be Bald Eagles a plenty on a good day in the winter.

The day did start out slow in Ruthven Park.  The banding station was closing up but the feeders were still active with regular winter avian visitors.  We were hoping for the appearance of a Tufted Titmouse (there's 6 in the park now) but none showed up.  Most unique during our stay was a handful of Common Redpolls.

Dave drove as he knows the area better than me.  And I am forever grateful to my friends who don't mind doing these long drives.  I find they burn me out too much some days, especially when I am unfamiliar with the area.  Plus, our GMC Jimmy is a thirsty truck and fuel consumption would have been double compared to Dave's PT Cruiser.

Through the afternoon we saw so many Red-tailed Hawks that we lost count.

The biggest flock of Snow Buntings we chanced upon somewhere along the way.  I estimate there was 400 or 500!  We found a few smaller flocks but this one in particular.  Holy!  What fun watching their amazing flight show.

And through the mixes of Snow Buntings, we were also blessed with some great views of Horned Larks.  I really like these birds.  They sure do look like they have horns.  And a treat to see in Southern Ontario through the winter months.

We finally made it to Nanticoke and luck have it that we got a young Bald Eagle near the side of the road!  Don't let the age fool you, they are still enormous sized birds.  Both Angie and I think the young'uns look much bigger than their parents.

We were pretty certain we saw a couple more Eagles in flight over the power plant but as quick as we saw them, they were gone just as fast.

A field near by had us spot somewhere in the range of 50 or so Wild Turkeys.  Big goofy birds they are to me; but nice to see.

And down in Lake Erie had Angie and I get a lifer in way of many Tundra Swans.  From a distance they sure look like Trumpeter Swans only missing the big yellow ID tags most have on their wings.  I tuned into their calls, double checked with my Sibley's guide on my mobile, and confirmed they definitely were Tundras.  For whatever reason, my camera would not focus on those birds far out on the lake.  Our friend Dave snapped a few photos despite the distance.  I mean, hey, why not?

As we headed back, we chanced upon a Short-eared Owl.  Apologies to those asking "Where?  Where?" but I don't publicly post Owl locations.  The road appeared to have a few cars with birders and photographers on it.  Some were walking along the edge of properties and one could only wonder if they had permission to do so.

Andrea spotted the Short-eared Owl first.  And before we could do anything, this small silver Volkswagon comes around us and parks right in front of the tree where the Owl was sitting just off the road and not that high in the tree.  Two guys jump out, one with a big ass lens and try to get it's photograph.  Of course they spooked the Owl and it flew up the road.  We were furious!  Short-ears are a rapidly declining species and I believe on the endangered list in Ontario.  We wanted a view too, and a few photos, which we were willing to do so from within the vehicle.

Dave pulled upside them and voiced an opinion all of us shared on what these two, yes...  assholes, just did.  The one guy apologized but soon after said they had been chasing it up and down the road for the last half hour or so.  "Are you serious?!?!?!" is what I was thinking.  UGH!  It's kind of a blur after that, not sure how much else was said, and then we slowly drove ahead.  We found the Owl again, on the other side of the road, a few hundred feet up.  Dave pulled over and we watched it for a bit, took some shots within the car.  It was rather comical as for Andrea and I, we were having trouble taking photos, trying to shoot across the car from the inside and out the driver's side windows.  Dave offered to be my tripod and had me set my 500 mm lens, full zoom out, on his arm and shoulder.  He leaned right over to help me try to get some photos.  I don't know if my excitement at seeing this bird or my laughing at our situation in the car was the cause for so many shaky shots.  We all were having some good laughs and enjoying the moment.  We long forgot about those two guys who were parked behind us now but not getting out of their car.

Angie suggested she take my camera and try some shots out the window since she was closer and could use the window for support.  I am glad she did, because she captured a few nice clear shots of this not commonly seen species of Owl, despite the distance between us and the bird.

And sure enough, as soon as well started to pull away.  Those two guys jumped out of their car and went after the Owl again.  We have no idea if they stayed on the road now or ventured onto the property where the tree and Owl were.

I felt bad for this Owl.  I feel bad for so many Owls.  Just about every one I have chanced upon this winters has had to put up with some real selfish people.  But I was happy we pushed these people out of the moment with the bird, we didn't give them the power to ruin our time, and just know they could never get close enough to the Owl to harm it.  Yes, I am fully aware their constant flushing does harm in its own way.  What more can we do?  Give them a bit of a scolding and hope they back off.  Anything else can land us in trouble.

So, as we headed back Burlington way for supper, we noticed a huge "herd" of White-tailed Deer in a field just outside of Cayuga.  I counted 40.  Never seen such a number of Deer in one spot.  Apparently they aren't called a "herd" but that's what I call 'em.

Sunday was supposed to be a rather low key day after the big outing on Saturday.  But I ended up doing a small grocery run.  Then home.  Then back out again with Moonie riding shotgun as we ran a few more errands and he got a little trimming at the pet store along the way.  We do this every now and then since he's still got some attitude when he's flying around.  Misfit comes and goes as she pleases, but always ends up back in her cage.  Not sure what Moonie's deal is but he never goes home unless we trim the wings back.  He made a friend at the drive through for lunch which was funny.  I laughed at the praise he was getting and one line I said to the girl was "no, he does not eat french fries but thanks for the offer".

Later Sunday afternoon Angie reads a report about a Snowy Owl appearing not far from our place.  I kinda bounced around a little bit.  Sure I can be a little cuckoo for Snowys but also with it being March now, they aren't going to be around southern Ontario for much longer.  So off I went, but Angie passed on the idea, still not feeling 100% after some recent surgery.

Before I get into my bit on the Snowy Owl, which I saw almost immediately, let me jump ahead to the unexpected lifer I had that afternoon being a Western Grebe that has been reported along Lake Ontario, being spotted in a couple different parks.  His presence was pointed out to me by a kind birder who had been viewing him moments earlier.  This bird is well out of his winter range which is actually along the Pacific coast.  I don't know much about this species but if you would like to know more, check out this link.

So, ya, it was pretty awesome to see this bird.  And as some said to me, no binoculars required, which was so true.  I watched him for a short bit in the bay and eventually he swam to my side of the shore and he was maybe 30 feet out from where I stood.  Wow!  The lighting was pretty bad now as the sun was setting but I was one happy guy.

Now, back to my Snowy story...

If you remember the title of this blog, "Owls, Lifers and Assholes.  Oh my!"  Much like the earlier story with the Short-eared Owl and those assholes; I once again found myself seeing this Owl and yet another asshole.  I tell my friends I cannot wait for Spring migration and the Warblers.  I love and hate Owl season all in one breath.

I spot the Owl out in the marina.  She's sitting on one of the docks.  It's quite a distance from the shore and bay is about 95% ice.  A few open spots are close to shore.  I figure it's 300+ feet from shore to the docks but a friend, with the help of some computer tools or whatever, says it's more like 500 feet which I can believe.  And everyone over the years that has seen a Snowy in this marina or any other in the GTA all say they are very safe out there with the ice and water separating us.  I was a firm believer in that as well until Sunday afternoon when I watched this man, or can I say "asshole" walk out onto the ice from the east shore, with his dog on leash and head towards the Owl sitting on the dock.

I stood there in shock.  I was fuming too!  Mainly for the fact of where he was going, right for the Owl.  It was upsetting that he put his dog in a dangerous situation too.  And as he neared, of course he spooked the Owl and it flew to the next line of docks just west.  The guy stood there, watching it fly and where it landed, and he continued onwards towards it for another look.  He had no camera and no binoculars.  I guess he wanted a close look at the bird.

I'm not one for being loud in public, I really got to be pissed for me to speak up and this was one of those rare moments.  I'm not sure all I said, shouting across the ice at this guy, but "what the hell are you doing, you fucking idiot!" was in it.  I know there was more but I was blind with anger and frustration at this guy.

He made the Owl fly yet again and then he stopped.  He watched it go further out on the ice and then he turned to look at me.  I guess I was still shouting who knows what at him.  And then he decided to get off the ice, heading to the southern part of the land that surrounds the marina.

Funny thing is I had no idea there was a young woman layed out on the bench right behind me during my rant.  She was tuned in to her ipod and enjoying the frosty lake air.  She was actually asleep as hard as that is to believe but once I was started freaking out, she jumped from her sleep and sat up, stunned and puzzled at me.  I explained to her what my problem was.  She was still puzzled.  She said "isn't High Park full of Snowy Owls?"  I was too pissed at this point to give much of an educational lesson and replied with "no".  I apologized for my outburst and disturbing her.  I pointed to the guy just getting off the ice now with his dog and said "what a #@*" one last time and walked west to where the Owl flew and where I soon learned about the Western Grebe.

Once I saw the Snowy, really out on the ice now, I convinced myself she was safe for certain from human disturbance.  She was not safe from a few angry Gulls that began to dive bomb her; but she gave little notice to them and zoned out for a while.  I enjoyed a brief viewing of her now, with no other people around.  And I forgot about yet another asshole disturbing an Owl.

As you can see, by this time, the Snowy forgot about him too.  :)

If anyone recognizes this individual, perhaps they could ask him what the hell was he thinking that afternoon?  I never take photos of people doing stupid shit in the field, as much as I want to; but I felt compelled to this time...  proof to what some people are capable of, and how stupid they can be in the moment.  And also if this guy happened to go through the ice, there would be a photo of him if something tragic happened to him and his dog.

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Nothing Matters But The Weekend, From A Tuesday Point of View (unless in the company of a Snowy Owl)

Today was my last "extra" day off due to my shift and I took full advantage of it despite the crappy weather conditions.  For the last 2 years I've been working a 4 day work week from Tuesday to Friday, allowing me Mondays free to go mess around and do whatever I wish.  And with long weekends like Family Day, I end up getting the Tuesday off too! 

So, "what to do?" I asked myself after I kissed Angie goodbye for the day.  Having another look out the front door, wishing the rain had stopped from my last look 10 minutes earlier (which it hadn't).  I said "screw it" and got dressed, grabbed the binoculars and camera, and hit the road.

As I rolled along the QEW, I'm shaking my head...  and not to Bon Scott belting out "Squealer" but the fact that I must be crazy to go out with two things against me, bad weather and morning traffic.  But I continued.  I had a number of places in mind to check out in hopes of some cool sightings of birds.

My first stop was my best of the morning out.

Snowy Owl reports are far less this winter compared to last winter and the irruption.  But a few are in decent range of Toronto.  I decided to check one out west of us instead of our usual trips north.  And luck came to me with this bird being in very close range from the road.  And as I put the truck in park and rolled down the passenger window, the Snowy up and flies, which most of us are used to.  Only this Snowy does not fly away, but flies closer to me, like 30 ft behind my truck.

He's sitting there on the side of the road, looking around.  And I sneak out the door of the GMC, using it as a bird blind and wind breaker to get a couple photos in and a really good look at him with my bins.  I'd never seen one that close before!  How many out there have had an Owl come to them instead of flying away?

Here is this beautiful Owl and just me.  What a ZEN moment!  We had nearly 10 minutes together before some other vehicles came around to see the bird.  By this time I was already back inside the truck and enjoying the view through the passenger window.  And I was happy to see the Owl leave the side of the road and head back out to the field.

The wind blew hard and the rain came in but I was lost in the moment with this majestic bird.  A few big trucks roared past me on this back road, making me realize the world was awake now and sitting on the side of the road wasn't a great idea (little room to pull over).  I didn't have intention on staying much longer anyway.  So I left.  No surprise nobody else got out of their vehicles or stayed long either. 

Unfortunately all my other destinations weren't as spectacular as this one.  It was kinda like I cashed in all my birding chips with this guy, and I was okay with that.

March and Spring are just around the corner.  If you can make the time, get out there and look for a Snowy Owl before they are gone again until November or December...  and I just proved that you don't need to wait for a nice day to do so.

Good luck!

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Who Misses Their Daddy?

This past weekend, Angie and I went up to Algonquin for an overnight with our friends Jim and Lynda.  Seems to be turning into a bit of a tradition to go up there and enjoy the winter wonderland at some point in early February.  We never have any real intentions on what we want to see, just go and enjoy the brief getaway from the city.

I'm not much of a traveler really.  Home is where the heart is!  And my heart is here with the zoo.  I miss our critters, both inside and outside the house.  And one, more than the rest, or at least shows it as so, who misses her daddy most is Meadow.  Most know the story and bond we have.  Of course Angie and Meadow have their own unique bond, that has been years in the making; but I leave such tales for her to tell over at her blog.  I recommend you all checking it out occasionally, she blogs more than I do, and will tell more about our Algonquin trip very soon.

Friday was the big snow storm.  I made it into work but managed to get out of there by 10:30pm and it was still a trek to get home as the roads were still messy.  And then another shoveling once I arrived.  So by the time I turned in for the night, it was probably 12:30am and we were destined to leave in the morning by 6am.  How rough am I gonna feel in morn I wondered?  Especially since I just threw back something 40% alcohol to help me unwind.

Angie got up about 4:45am and I followed about 5 minutes later feeling pretty good.  Camera stuff was already packed, now it was time for the overnight bag.  I don't know if it's the energy that Meadow picks up on, or the fact her mommy and daddy were quite busy at such an early hour; but she was right there with us as we had our coffee.  I took mine to the bedroom and pulled out the "dreaded" overnight bag.  Why dreaded?  Well, Meadow sure thinks so...

If that isn't a look of unhappiness, I don't know what is.  And she stayed with that bag on the bed while I got ready.  Note, the mess of the bed with those boards is the set-up we have for Misfit and Moonie (our Budgies) who spend the night in the bedroom, door shut and go by the natural light coming in from the window.

While I packed, she grabbed at whatever I was putting into it.  She'd try to play with me.  Or just rub and sniff on this bag.

It continued as we neared 6am departure and the bag was out in the living room now.

I think she was trying to open the zipper to crawl inside.

Angie knows how to soothe Meadow.  Nothing like some yummy soft food before we leave.  A belly full of what she likes and all is well in her world as we lock the house up and leave with our friends.

The roads were pretty good when we left.  Yay to the people who worked all night plowing the roads!  And we had a great time in Algonquin and the weekend just flew by.

Sunday night came, we had been home for a few hours now.  Meadow took to my wool socks I had used through our journey (I should post a video of those moments).  But now it was time to relax and for us to catch up...

Maybe not the most exciting blog to some out there but anyone with animals that they call family surely can relate.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Photos all taken with my Blackberry Bold.

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Through the Eyes of a Saw-whet Owl

Hello!  My name is "Sam".  I am a Northern Saw-whet Owl.  I spend the warmer months of the year in a part of northern Ontario but winter down in southern Ontario.  Why do I do this?  Well, it gets more difficult to find food in the winter and I must travel south to find new food sources in order to survive; and in the Spring be a healthy little Owl, find a mate, raise a family and continue the existence of my species.

This winter I have chosen an area just outside of Toronto because the food supply here is really good this year.  It seems my presence is not going un-noticed.  See me as I sleep the day away in my favorite tree.  I stay low in the tree because I am a tiny Owl and bigger birds of prey surely would love to have me for dinner as they fly over the grounds hunting for food.  Keeping low, keeps me out of sight of predators.

I only ask that you please be very quiet while I sleep.  Its winter.  Its very cold.  I need my rest, I must conserve my energy for body heat and to help me keep my strength to hunt during the night.  How many of you out there would like to get woken up numerous times every night as you sleep by strangers invading your personal space?  "How close is too close?" you ask.  If you have seen an Owl like me before, and have educated yourself, your gut will tell soon enough when you are crossing that imaginary line, if my body language hasn't spoken out to you.  But if you need help to get to that point with your inner self, some field naturalists have made a "Code of Ethics" and in it they suggest 5 metres which is about 16 feet.  They also say I can still easily be viewed at times with this distance, you just may have to kneel down on the ground and look up to see me in my home.  Binoculars make the viewing better.  A camera with a really good zoom can allow you to take a picture to bring home for a memory of your meeting with me.  And all through this short moment, you must be very quiet.

I apologize for the branches and foliage that may cross my face at times.  But this is my shelter.  It hides me from the predators that I mentioned above and helps block the cold winter winds like the blankets you cover yourself with at night in your home.  Please do not approach and move my blankets for your own personal gain.  You will frighten me, you may harm my home which is also a living being, and you will make me cold.  You could make me fly away and never to be seen again because I am too scared to return or one of my enemies spotted me and killed me.

I don't understand your fascination with me.  I am just a tiny little Owl.  Some say I am the size of a beer can (whatever that means).  But I thank those who admire me, love me and want to protect me.  And the ones who see me, find some great joy in the moment and return to the comforts of their home a little happier that day.  There is beauty all around us if one chooses to open their eyes, ears and hearts.  You may have passed some of my feathered friends on your walk, like the Northern Cardinal and his beautiful red plumage, the squawky Blue Jay may have got your attention, or the "watch dogs" of the woods, being the Black-capped Chickadees flew into the palm of your hand as you offered them some shelled UNsalted peanuts or black oil sunflower seeds.

I see a lot from my tree, more than you realize.  One day 3 Squirrels were fighting over the cracked corn that someone set out all under my tree.  The ruckus those creatures made, and they fought and jumped at each other, and ran up and down my tree.  At one point one of them almost knocked me off my branch!  I gave them one real mean glare, showing my big yellow eyes to them.  But they didn't pay any attention to me.

I wondered about the corn that was set out below my branch?  Was it for the Squirrels?  Maybe it was for the Deer that sometimes rest beneath me?  Or a food offering for the mice and voles that live in the field, that I love to eat?  It's an interesting world out there, so full of mystery to a small creature like me.

And speaking of those Deer, hoo boy, what a time I had with them one morning.  It seems a large dog was running rampant near my house.  He chased those Deer, and they stampeded right past my tree.  I was so surprised by this, waking me from my slumber.  I watched them run up the hill to get away from this dog.  Thankfully the Dog took no notice to me above him.

Did you catch my name?  "Sam".  Wanna know how I got that name?  It is rather odd for an Owl, isn't it?  Well, this man has sort of befriended me during my stay here.  And he does not speak but at times I know what he is thinking.  He feels Sam is suiting since it can be for a boy or a girl, and he has yet to figure that out with me.  Hee hee hee, this is my little secret.  As I said, he does not speak to me, but I can tell a lot about him when he is there.  He moves almost as quiet as I and many of the creatures that live around me do.  When he looks at me, I can see and feel the happiness within him, the calming of his presence even though his visits are very short.  If I knew my A, B, C's, that song would last longer than his visits.

Sometimes I see him once every 7 sunrises.  Sometimes its longer between visits.  A few times he has brought a friend, and they are very much like him with how they are when in my presence, the energy is the same...  and I like that.  They all respect me, they respect my home and they have never over stayed their welcome.

Why I speak so much of this one man is because while I can read him, he can read me, and through his help, he is narrating my story of my winter over in Toronto.

I have other visitors and friends who come to see me.  Some are just as nice and some, well, I really wish I could tell them a few things.  Like what you ask?  Here are a few examples.  I really don't like any creature getting too close to me.  I don't like the funny hand held, usually black plastic looking things, with the big bright light in my face.  I think those are the cameras those naturalists speak of.  It really bothers my eyes.  And when they come, they bring others, and they all speak loudly amongst each other as they watch me try to sleep.  I close my eyes and wish them to go away and often they do not as quick as I really hope for them to.  Shouting "hey!", whatever that means, sometimes makes me open my eyes to see who they are shouting at, and then a big white light flashes in my face.  I want to fly away but I am temporarily blinded!  I can't even tell if my eyes are closed or not since I cannot see.  And I am afraid a big mean Hawk will get me in my escape.  Sometimes these human creatures bring creatures that look like them but are so much smaller.  They are often very loud and then the bigger ones raise the smaller creatures up into my tree.  These little ones scare me so much as they reach out to try and touch me, while they make loud funny noises.  Everyone looks so happy as they look at me but they don't see how scared I am as they enter my comfort zone and continue with the noise.

One day this nice girl came, and she brought 22 people with her.  She asked them all to be very quiet, to be very respectful, to keep a good distance away from my tree and look at me for a short moment.  It was going fine.  And the last person to come see me was my friend I speak mostly of in this.  I could see the happiness in his eyes but now there was something different too, a look a parent gives to a child as the world changes around them, that look of concern.  Reminds me of myself last summer when my children were taking their first flights.  My friend and the nice girl left after a couple blinks of an eye.  And I began to drift back to sleep.  Night time was still many hours away.  Suddenly the grass was rustling and the ground shook.  I awoke, wondering what was happening, and next thing I see is one of these creatures back at my tree with a much smaller creature.  The littler one had this funny green thing on his head with big white eyes.  It looked like a monster on top of his head.  The bigger one then picked up the smaller one and brought him right up to me.  He was making those funny "hahahahahahahaha!" noises while stretching his wings out to me.  They struggled some as the bigger one tried hard to raise the smaller one even higher, all that movement, and being so close, got me so scared.  I saw the nice girl disappear into her big house with some of the others and I wondered where my friend was.

I heard a sound off in the distance, a creature called out saying something about my tree, it called my tree a "get out tree" I think.  And then the creatures left only to be replaced by another creature with a camera, the one with the bright white light.  I thought we were having a lightning storm as the flashes went off.  And then it stopped when I heard a voice much closer and now could see who was making it, and it was my friend, and I had never heard him speak until today.  It went something like this, "excuse me, what are you doing?" followed by something about the flash and talking about my "get out tree" again.  The creature said something back, "I didn't get a good enough shot earlier.  She was under here, so I can too!"  But then she left.  I heard my friend walk away and the sounds he mumbled I dare not repeat as they sounded so horrible.

It all went quiet again, finally, and I got back to sleep.  A short bit later, again the grass rustled, but the ground did not shake.  More creatures came, trying to be quiet, but I could hear them, I can always hear them come.  Three creatures looked at me again, I recognized them from the large group earlier.  They were kind, curious and very happy; but I am beyond exhausted by this time and I really want to go back to sleep.  I know they didn't stay long but it seemed like a very long time.

Night fall came, it was me and the creatures I share the woods with.  I hunted, caught a nice juicy mouse, ate part of him, stashed the rest, and then I preened much of the night.  The pellet I expelled was a doozy, I could see the face of the mouse from two nights ago in it!

And as the sun began to rise, I returned to my tree for a day of rest.  A few hours into my sleep, there were three creatures visiting me again.  One brought a camera with them as I am getting used to seeing this device and remembering what it is called.  I think I remember them from the day earlier but I am not for certain.  They whispered and moved around my home, lightly pressing down foliage around me.  It was getting easier for me to see mice run by my tree now without all that grass standing up like it did weeks earlier.

I did not see my friend for some time after the day with the group.  I noticed funny colors of light in the sky across the field from my tree.  Red, green, blue, white.  Twinkling lights.  Bright lights,  And music played nightly from some of the creatures homes.  What were they singing?  Jingle Bells I think it was.

And one night this jolly large man creature with a big white feather down his face came by with eight Deer.  He wished me and my friends a very Merry Christmas.  And with that, there was a time of peace and quiet over the next couple days.  We saw no one enter our woods.

The quiet did not last.  Another man creature came to see me one morning.  And he too had this big camera attached to his one wing.  And it had a bright white light as well.  Where was my friend or the others much like him to make this one go away?  I saw more of this man creature than any other over the next while.  Why did he visit me so much?  I only want to sit in my house and sleep.  And he began to bring more creatures with him each time.  Different ones every time.  And some of them then returned with others as well.  Sleep was a more of a memory some days as the steady flow of creatures came.  If my fear of getting eaten by the Hawk didn't consume me (pun intended), I would have flown away.  Sometimes I wonder if death would be a better fate than the harassment I faced almost every day now.  Big creatures, little creatures, noisy creatures I saw almost every day.  And it was getting difficult some nights to hunt since I was so tired.

Then, finally, my friend I speak of came again.  He looked at me and smiled, and then he left.  I began to see him again about every 7 sun rises.  And it was the same ritual.  He'd try to sneak in on me, but I would always hear him.  I began to get used to the sound of his foot steps, and I'd only open my eye a teeny bit to be sure before I went back to sleep.  I would see the smile in his eyes and then he was gone again.  He too carried a camera but hadn't pointed it at me long before that big jolly creature in the red suit came to see us.

I was still seeing the other man creature as well, and more than every 7 sun rises.  And others too!  One was putting up broken trees against and around my tree.  Why would someone do this?

An interesting thing happened very recently.  I saw my friend, and he brought a friend I had never seen before.  A kind soul was this one and we had a brief moment together before he left with my friend.  My friend took the broken trees with him which puzzled me.  I mean, one creature brings them in, and my friend takes them away.  Hmmmmm?

And no sooner did I get back to sleep, did that man creature arrive again with another.  And they too spent a little time with me.  I hoped this was it for the day as I wanted to get some sleep.

A couple hours passed and suddenly that man creature was with me again.  And this time he brought many creatures with him!  Later on I learned they were called "A Dozen".  The big ones were picking up the little ones, and everyone was making those "hahahahahahaha!" noises.  The little ones stretched their wings out to me which you know I do not like.  Many of the bigger creatures pulled out little cameras with the white flashes, only these cameras were black, pink, red, and one looked like the cow that lives in the field next to my home in the north.  The cameras were so close to me, I could smell the food on the wings of these creatures.  It smelled remotely of chickens, and pigs, and the liquids that flow from my cow friend.  I wanted them to back up so I could breathe and then hope they would go away.  That man creature, who visits me so often, stood there smiling.

And then I heard the voice of my friend, and I heard the voices of others.  The tones were not happy at all.  One sound that really sticks to me is "fuck" and I heard it over and over again.  The man creature walked to my friend and the others, and the sounds were louder now.  Then I could hear the steps of my friend approaching and suddenly all these other creatures moved away from me and kept going.  My friend looked at me for a moment and I could see the sadness in his eyes. 

I saw my friend another sunrise.  He once again moved the broken trees away.  Why does someone keep bringing me broken trees?

I actually left my home one day during my sleep as a man creature tried to touch me.  I took the chance, not even worrying about the Hawk that hunted the grounds around me, I just needed to get away.

The weather has turned really cold.  I need my rest more than ever now.  I really liked my "get out tree", it was a nice full tree that kept me warm.  But I cannot stand all the attention anymore.  I've been checking out other trees lately, always hoping nobody finds me.

It won't be long before I should be on my way north again to look for my mate.  I hope I have the strength for the long flight, and all the work required to raise a new family.  I will miss my friend and those like him.  The ones who watch over me and protect me where they can.  The others, I can do without obviously.  And come next fall, I may give second thoughts to returning here.

Who ever would have thought such a little creature like me would be the centre of attention in such a big forest?

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Frosty Friends

Today was the beginning of what is to be a pretty brutally cold week ahead.  I was to pick up Angie from Pearson at 10:30am and had some time to kill this morning.  I played good hubby on Saturday night and cleaned the house up some while enjoying good tunes and a few White Owl whiskeys.  So I went out early this morning braving the cold.

It doesn't really matter where I went, just that I made the effort to go out, and not just for me, nor for some photographs.  I packed up with a couple bags of food offerings to any furry or feathered creatures that I crossed paths with.  I expected to see a few birds, figuring in this cold snap, some might be out trying to stock up a bit.  I was surprised at how many came to me.

As always it starts with a few Chickadees.  And soon the buzz is about the woods that there's someone with food and more Chickadees come.  And with them soon arrived a few Cardinals, half a dozen Juncos, an American Tree Sparrow and one funny little male Downy Woodpecker.  "Why funny?" you ask.  Well, check out this pic I took of him with my Blackberry...

I couldn't keep track of the Chickadees, it was just a steady flow, and at times there were 3 or 4 squabbling about the palm of my hand to get in and grab a peanut from me.  They were landing on my head, my forearm and on the camera.  It was at that point I got the idea to set up as I did with the picture above and have some fun.  The Downy Woodpecker came in and it took some time despite him REALLY wanting a peanut bit, he was skittish.  And with his skittish behaviour, the faster and more aggressive Chickadees were taking all the peanut bits before he could get one whether I threw them on the ground, had them in my hand, on the camera or all 3 spots at once.  I was actually shooing away the Chickadees at one point and throwing seeds far up the path to open the area up for this Downy.  And then he finally moved in.  His first few attempts to land on the camera were quite clumsy.  He just couldn't get the foot work happening like the Chickadees.  Landing on the hood of the lens sure didn't help either.

Like I said, the Chickadees were better at this idea than Downy.

Then, suddenly, Deer began to appear!  First I noticed one, then as I heard rustling and my eyes adjusted to the brush they moved through it went to 3, then 5 and final count was 7, including one Buck.

Their curiosity brought them in for a few minutes before they moved on.

I needed to get back to the truck and head over to the airport.  I threw a few more handfuls of seed out to all the birds surrounding me and turned to grab my camera but it seems someone was not ready to let me go.

I made sure he got a few more peanut bits before I moved on.  It was hard to leave despite the cold winds and knowing if I was late to pick up my homesick wife, the trouble I would get myself into.

I know some of the birds followed me along the path.  And I found this surprising as a female Cardinal was almost landing on me (or so I thought) with how close she was getting to me.  I am probably wrong since there was post near me but a guy who loves Cardinals so much can dream, can't he?

So, if my nature loving friends can spare some time over this coming very cold week...  please take a moment and perhaps help our "frosty friends" out in the coming days.  High energy stuff like black oil sunflower seed and/or shelled peanut bits (NO SALT) are great!

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Confirmed Bird Nerds

Being "into" the birds for nearly a decade now, I've learned a lot.  I'm far from an expert but also very far from where I began.  At times these days I find myself envious of new birders as they get excited over everything that comes their way...  because it's new.  Sure I still get a thrill for some birds I have seen many times now just because I adore them a little more than other species.  But it's an inner happiness that only I feel as I gaze upon an Eastern Bluebird; which is one of my best examples.  I don't see them all the time, maybe half a dozen times a year if I make the trip to some nesting locations.  Or more closer to home, my heart still warms up to our daily visitors, being the Northern Cardinals.

This past New Year's weekend though, myself, Angie and our friends Jim and Lynda found ourselves once again in a situation out in the wild where we were suddenly like new birders.

We set out one morning in search of Snowy Owls among other winter birds but the Snowys were top on the list for us this day.  As we slowly searched an area they frequent in the winter just north of Toronto, we stopped to admire an American Kestrel sitting off the road on a wire.  During this moment, a small bird came flying in and began to peck at the remnants of some weeds sticking up above the snow.  And seconds later another flew in, and yet another after that.

We watched them and for whatever reason our minds went blank to what kind of birds were feeding mere feet from the van.  We knew Snow Buntings were in the area but these definitely were not Snow Buntings.  Another bird who loves the flat fields is the Horned Lark, another winter visitor.  But we've seen a number of those in the past couple years and they are unmistakable.  I think it was me who threw Lapland Longspur out there, and perhaps it was more just in wishing out loud that is what they were.  I know Angie and I have never seen Longspurs before and I am not certain if our friends had either.  Anyways, from that moment on, it was an excited frenzy to ID these birds.  Guide books were pulled out, binoculars to view them better, Jim and I had the cameras fixed on them for future reference if the birds took off.  Looking at the book now, it's obvious these were not Lapland Longspurs either.

The whole ordeal probably lasted a mere minute or so before we confirmed them to be American Tree Sparrows.  But what a "bird nerd rush"!  And we all had a good laugh about it afterwards.

It was a nice feeling to know despite where we are with our birding knowledge and skills, we can still find excitement with even some of the more common birds in Ontario.  And to be pulled back to those thrills of "firsts" in the field even though that was not the case.

I hope some of you got a chuckle out of this tale.  I think most of you out there probably have a similar tale of sorts, nothing to embarrassed about, as this is what keeps birding fun.

Here is one of the American Tree Sparrows we saw.  Perhaps with the weeds blocking view at times helped with the stumping us?

Yes, definitely NOT a Lapland Longspur.

And lastly, the bird we had hoped to see that day, and actually had an amazing moment with a couple of them that will be blog worthy in the near future...  a Snowy Owl!

Thanks for giving this a read.  Comments are always appreciated.  :)

p.s.  if you click on the bird links above, it will take you to Cornell's "All About Birds" website.  The Longspur shown is in it's summer plumage which would have been easy to identify... 

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