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Great Horned Owls

Great Horned Owl with prey, shot taken at dusk

By: Pat Coate

While in Florida we had the great pleasure of discovering the nest of a pair of Great Horned Owls near my parents’ condo. My parents had been hearing owls in the evenings and had seen owls nesting in the area a few years ago, but weren’t quite sure if and where the nest was this year.

Persistence and binoculars paid off as we found a few feathers up in a split of a live oak tree right across the street. Searching up from the feathers deeper into the crook of the tree led to the tip of not one but two baby owls’ heads.

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Posted by patacoate | 17 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: Great Horned Owls | 2 Comments

Early Morning Display

Was one of those mornings . . . I was tired, it was raining and heard more sad news on Japan. I guess the greatest things happen when you least expect them. I walked out of the house and had 4 different American Woodcocks (CHECK) displaying in the yard (at the new house)!! OMG . . . . one took flight and I watch circle above my head up into the rainy sky until I couldn’t see it anymore! It landed where the dog poops and started going “Peent . . . . Peent . . . . Pent”!! If you want to see a video I did on the American Woodcock display, go to my Timberdoodle post back in 2008. Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 16 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | 1 Comment

Killdeer

Yesterday while walking the dog around my new neighborhood . . . had my first of the year Killdeer (CHECK)!

Post has been created with my iPhone!

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Posted by mon@rch | 15 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | Leave a comment

Florida is the Life

Black Skimmers

By: Pat Coate

We had a great time visiting my parents in Florida for a few days over my husband’s winter break. It was nice to temporarily trade in the heavy coats and boots for the summer wardrobe appropriate for the 70+ degree days (and it was nice to know that the summer wardrobe still fits).

We spent our first afternoon exploring Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge located next to the Kennedy Space Center. It is a birders dream with over 140,000 acres comprising a wide range of habitats including coastal dunes, saltwater marshes and freshwater impoundments. There is a nice visitors center with a friendly staff and miles of wildlife drives and hiking trails. We saw only a small fraction of the refuge including the visitor center, the manatee observation deck and the Bio Lab Road driving trail.

Despite being told by the ranger at the visitor center that birding was slow – between seasons – we saw lots of activity and even picked up several life birds. The life birds were Black Skimmer, Glossy Ibis and Reddish Egret.

Merritt Island NWR must be a truly amazing place during peak seasons and it is an area I would love to get back to some day.

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Posted by patacoate | 10 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: Black Skimmers, Glossy Ibis, Merritt Island NWR, Reddish Egret | 4 Comments

The Brown Creeper

This morning before the wind and rain moved in . . . I had the Brown Creeper was on my pine tree! They have the coolest song!!

Post has been created with my iPhone!

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Posted by mon@rch | 9 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | 2 Comments

Red-winged Blackbird

My First of the Year Red-winged Blackbird (CHECK) singing at the house (then saw one in the Park)!! Whoot

Post has been created with my iPhone!

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Posted by mon@rch | 8 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | 2 Comments

Snow Goose

Was amazing!! Had about 25-35 Snow Goose fly over my head this morning!! We don’t see many of thes birds here in Allegany State Park so it’s a treat to find them. These were my first Snow Goose of the year for me (CHECK)!!

Post has been created with my iPhone!

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Posted by mon@rch | 7 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | 2 Comments

Signs of Spring

Finally we are starting to see our first signs of spring. Snow is melting . . . animals are coming out of the woods . . . and birds are starting to migrate north!! The sun was most beautiful with Dark-eyed Junco’s singing in the background and a first of the year Hooded Mergansers(CHECK) in Red House Brook.
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Posted by mon@rch | 4 March 2011 | Categories: iPhone | 2 Comments