Rough-legged Hawk from late last year Yesterday marked the first bird count of 2025 for me, as well as the last of the 2024 season. Once again George Steele was leader, driver, best bird spotter, (although I did find a couple,) and general all around good sport about the trials and tribulations of driving around with the windows down in January squalls, listening for peeping from the shrubbery. It was, as always fun. We found some excellent first-of-the-year birds, including some awesome raptors. Said birds have been unusually obliging lately, sitting still for ID and portraitu ..read more

  Day 2 Barred Owl Number 3 I participated in back-to-back Christmas Bird Counts this weekend, not a chore for the faint of heart. The first was the Fort Plain Area Christmas Bird Count. This was the third time for me and the first ever CBC for my dear friend Kris. The weather was not awesome, although it was in fact much nicer than had been predicted. Birds seemed to be hiding out from said weather and we had to work for every one. However, Kris did a fantastic job driving and helping with navigation and I feel like we got it done right well....not to mention it was a lot o ..read more

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  Mature Cooper's Hawk So, it's the first day of Winter. Do you know where your lawn ornaments are? (Under the snow I expect.) Around Northview we have a few inches, the boss is sick, although improving (man cold...he will get over it in time I expect) and birding is still lackluster. I am barely tempted to go down to the river a couple of times a week. Sure saves on gas. If you are local you are probably aware of the rodeo on the roads yesterday. A few inches of snow brought so many crashes and near disasters that it was just plain nutz. Sirens and fire alarms were the song o ..read more

  Eastern White Pine The  boss kindly ventured out on Seven-county Hill to collect two Christmas trees, one for our house and one for the eastern extension of the family. In recent years the hill has slowly been colonized by fluffy Eastern White Pine trees, pinus strobus, after decades in pasture and years in hay. He found two nicely shaped ones, a little too tall even for our high ceilings, but what are chainsaws for? I had to choose. Last year I left the nicest one for Liz, but this year they were nearly identical. Or so I thought until I brushed my hand affectionately ove ..read more

  Red-tailed Hawk from Count One Over the past four days I was privileged to participate in two Christmas Bird Counts. The first was in an area that was partly small town/suburban and partly the rural borders thereof. We saw the usual suspects expected in such an environment and had a good time looking for them. Then yesterday I had the opportunity to be a small part of the Montezuma National Wildlife count circle. That was exciting! I have always wanted to see the refuge in winter, and although it was something of a November-like day (and no complaints from me about that!) it wa ..read more

Red-headed Woodpecker  Seven new birds for me this year, two more than last year. Some of them were relatively common and at least one not really a lifer as they were nearly ubiquitous when I was younger, but new to my eBird list.   1) Last winter saw daily reports of a Tufted Duck being observed in Saratoga Lake. It took several March trips with Ralph and my good friend Kris, but we finally got to see it among a huge number of scaup and other winter ducks. Thanks to you both for getting me there, and Kris for helping me get on it. 2) Next, also in March, was the Red-head ..read more

Wilson's Snipe (H Appropriate Habitat) Over the course of the past five years I have been privileged to participate in the third New York Breeding Bird Atlas. It was the first atlas for me and will undoubtedly be the last as well. Atlases take place every twenty years. When the next one rolls around, should I, by some strange and unlikely miracle, still be standing up and taking nourishment, I would be ninety-two. Pretty much of a nope. House Wren in the act of fledging (NY Nest with Young) I loved doing the atlas and will continue to code breeding bird activity going forw ..read more

 I partook of a free therapy session yesterday, as the boss was sleeping in. Two days a week I take Becky down to open the store at five AM and my chores are soon done, leaving some blank spaces in what passes for my schedule. I really want a Christmas tree this year so I picked out a beauty a few weeks ago when Alan took me touring the hills and creeks on the place in his bright red Jeep. He was going to get it for me over the holiday but what with babies and hunting and eating turkey and all (which he and Amber raised and donated to the cause....I cooked it in my roaster, breast down ..read more

Take one cute little black pony and one determined young lady. Add horsey shampoo and lots of water. Wash him well and pick out the burdocks that came out of the most recent hay.  Braid him up nice and walk him for a while. He is kind of a little stinker (the last word there is a synonym for pony) and the experience will do him good. Put him back in his lovely box stall with a net full of hay. And "HEY PRESTO" Gambit A cute little blue roan pony emerges from his chrysalis. Yeah, as soon as the kids put the ponies back in the stalls they rolled like somebody was paying them ov ..read more