For lack of more creative title, I went with the obvious: "Snow Bunting." But today was much more than just a cool little bird from up North.
This morning I brewed the coffee and packed up my obliging (and adorable) kids into the Volvo. My lover and I were off on a family birding adventure. My lover, of course, being my loverly wife Emery.
Declan and Isla were thrilled to go out for a drive. (After being pent up in the house for so long with all of the recent snows, it's no wonder.) Oh the things Declan would be able to see on our drive South! Fire trucks. School buses. Bald Eagles. Jet planes. Snow Bunting. Helicopters. Peregrine Falcon. Big bridge and oh those BIG Machines! It was one amazing thing after another for him today. So much so he needed two naps, one each way, during our drive. It's exhausting looking at stuff.
This morning we decided to visit to Point Lookout State Park on the Southern-most tip of the Western Shore of Maryland. That's in St. Mary's County, for those of you without a map. There we enjoyed some snacks, a nice walk and the beautiful setting of the Chesapeake Bay where it meets the Potomac River.
And oh yes, a SNOW BUNTING.
I've been looking for one of these all winter. It was (as it is with most birds I try to find), worth the wait.
Before I venture off to bed... two quick things. ABOVE is a photo of a most-welcome visitor to my yard last week: an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. Lastly, while racing through the internet I stumbled upon this Canadian's website. His photos are AMAZING. Check out this photo of a GYRFALCON catching an IVORY GULL! Say what?!?! An amazing sight to imagine, let alone witness and photograph. His name is Brandon Holden and he's got some incredible photos on his website. Newfoundland sure sounds nice this time of year. Cold too. But judging by his photos, I'd say the chill is well worth it.
-Dan
3 comments:
I hope the Snow Bunting sticks around for the week. That would be a good day trip for Man-Day-Friday with my son (I'm home from work that day so he doesn't have to be in daycare). And it would be a Lifer for me. It's a shame I wasn't a "birder" when I worked at Pt. Lookout years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of driving for rarities!
I hope they stick around for you too! I only saw one, and there were two... so perhaps they've decided to venture back to say Charles or Anne Arundel Counties? I'm going to keep my eyes and ears peeled. Snow Buntings, I learned yesterday, are certainly loud enough to be noticed.
Glad you got to see PABU with family too. He is one sharply dressed bird.
We have about 30- 40 of these snow buntings feeding at our bird feeder (on the ground where dropped seeds are). They are very easily frightened and even hard to get pictures of-which we have many now. We are located in Kalamazoo, MI. They have been here since the 2nd week of January.
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