Marian and I drove to visit two of her sisters and her niece at Carol’s house in Leavenworth. Soon after we arrived, Carol asked what the little white bird in the top of a pine tree might be. After I located it, and initially misidentified it as a N. Saw Whet Owl, we figured it out to be a Northern Pygmy Owl. Cool for Marian who has heard them several times this year but this was a visual first for her, and a great yard bird for Carol.
This was a two pygmy species day, with Pygmy Nuthatches also at the feeder, though the pair of male and female White-headed Woodpeckers definately overshadowed the nuthatches.
A fun afternoon and good way to pass another day in Covid times. We spent most of the afternoon outdoors, at social distance, taking turns warming up at the fire.
Good birding and good day!
Tag: owls
The Bird Banter Podcast #82 with Paul Bannick additional information
It seemed appropriate that the day after talking with Paul Bannick for The Bird Banter Podcast #82 Marian and I got a chance to see the Snowy Owl that has been roosting on rooftops in a Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle for a week or so. It brought to mind the studies done a few years ago about the Snowy Owls in the big invasion year, and how they often hunt sea ducks at night. Maybe this owl is hunting ducks on the nearby Green Lake at night, probably easy picking, and doing just fine in this urban setting.
Snowy Owls are such an iconic bird, and I am looking forward to seeing and reading Paul Bannick’s new book on the life history of Snowy Owls as well as the book on Great Gray Owls. I saw my WA first Great Gray Owl this year when Mike Denny took Ken Brown and me to a site to find them and we sat and recorded The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #63 with Mike Denny sitting on the side of a logging road as recently fledged Great Gray Owls walked on branched very nearby.
On this episode Paul talks about his conservation work for Conservation Northwest, about the wildlife corridors they are working to create, and about newly reintroduced species like Gray Wolves, Wolverine and Fisher. I feel like I better understand the I-90 wildlife bridges that we see on our trips to E WA.
I’ve had other photographers on the podcast in the past, including Dorian Anderson, Nate Chappell and most recently with Idaho birder and photographer Darren Clark.
Please leave comments and give me feedback about this episode, the podcast in general, or if you have thoughts por suggestions for guests you’d like to hear from.
Until next time: Good birding and good day!