Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Photo album: Birds of the Haig-Brown House

One of the delights of being writer in residence here at the Haig-Brown House in Campbell River is the birdlife. Hate to admit it, but the birds here are just more colourful than the common farm and urban birds you see in Saskatchewan. The Golden-crowned Kinglet (shown above) is probably the most common bird on the property. They rove in mixed flocks through the trees, moving rapidly all morning. Mixed in with them are their cousins the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.


(Apologies for the blurry images--my camera and I, more accustomed to birds of the open prairie, are having trouble catching fast-moving birds in a shadowy forest landscape.)
Here is a series of the second most common species--the Chestnut-backed Chickadee. They come to food outside my windows every morning.

I see groups of Varied Thrushes every day.
With them there are often Stellar's Jays--but this one was coming to food outside the window.
Flickers here, the Red-Shafted have a slightly different tone to their calls. I love the crimson flash you get when one flies by.
Another shot of the Golden-Crowned Kinglet--blurry but at least it shows the fiery gold colour.
The last shot is of the first bird I saw on waking this morning. A young Bald Eagle hanging its wings out to dry for several minutes in the first sun we have seen after two very wet days.

2 comments:

  1. That first chickadee picture is great.

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  2. Thanks Varina--they are out there every morning, calling at the window until I come out to sprinkle some seed.

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