Last NDG birds of March

Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Woodchuck/Groundhog Marmota monax

  Birds! Here are some I saw today at a quiet spot in NDG. Ten species were spotted in a lazy 45 minutes in lovely sunny weather, my first foray out of doors in quite some time. No woodpeckers, juncos, or nuthatches around, perhaps due to patrols by two noisy Merlins and a determined looking Cooper’s Hawk. No Snowbirds or spectral groundskeepers, either.

  If birds migrate in the spring and there are no birders there to see them…the birds don't care.

Omens

Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio
(I didn’t even know the ISO on my camera went as high as 16,000...) 

  Many cultures view owls as bad omens. I don’t. I gravitate to the views of the few traditions that see owls as harbingers of transition – forces that can guide you during difficult times in your life. It’s fair to say that most people on the planet are living through some difficult times in their lives at this point in this anno multum horribilus, 2020.

  Tonight I needed some air, so I went out onto the front porch and sat in a director’s chair with a morale beverage. Fat flakes of snow cloaked the deserted streets, and it was cold enough to chill my legs through jeans. Fifteen minutes into my zone-out, a stubby bird zipped overhead and landed in a tree ten feet above where I was sitting. Owl! I crept inside, and the bird was mercifully still there when I returned with my birding optics. I got the binos up, and witnessed an Eastern Screech-Owl finishing off a small rodent.

  As I watched the bird eat, the flaming wad of barbed wire that has smouldered deep in my stomach for weeks went out with a cool hiss. By the time the owl flew off to a metallic perch, the stressball had been replaced by those old familiar birding butterflies of joy. That feeling when your mind goes blank, and the screeching behind your eyes quiets, as you observe another creature doing its damndest to persevere. A timely reminder that there are forces out there that may seem smaller than us, but are in fact, much bigger.

  I’m rambling. But this was a good omen. Spring will come, and then summer will. (Is that from a movie?)

Birding in the plague years

Rockin’ my sweet 3M N95 – those good old days (2019) in
Gangneung when horrific air pollution was the only reason for masks

  
  Geez, a year ago today I was prepping for over a month of footloose and fancy-free spring birding in the Yellow Sea. Those were the good ol’ days.

  I have seen a whole whack of articles lately gushing about how this is the perfect time to go out and look at birds. I’ll do that a little, but I’ll also do some ranting, scolding, and hand-wringing.

  I’ve been watching this drunk skinhead of a pathogen slam-dance its way through Korea for a few months, through the eyes of friends, trying to prepare, and let people know this was coming. They may have turned the corner over there, and we can too, but not if we don’t take this shit seriously. The ‘West’ is not fully prepared for this. Not prepared between the ears. We are soft, wilfully ignorant, and stubborn – everyone thinks they know better than the experts. We don’t know better, stay home and wash your fucking hands, and be nice to one another. We are literally in the same boat, and it’s listing. We failed to change course, and now we’re scrambling around rearranging the deck chairs.

  Things are going to get pretty weird out there for a bit, dystopian even, but I reckon we’ll mostly get through it, albeit bent and battered. Perhaps some folks will have the scales fall from their eyes on the other end of this. Just maybe it’s time for a major rethink about a lot of the ‘big stuff’ we don’t normally have the time nor willpower to take on – those giant gears that churn behind the curtain…the beast that devours habitat and people’s lives, and shits out corporate profits. It should make you furious. We have some free time now, so think about it.

  Good thing I’m a misanthropic, anti-social curmudgeon. This social distancing thing feels pretty easy for me, for the most part. If you’re cooped up, can’t bird, and are going nuts out there and need to talk to someone about birds, shoot me an email (spaces added in a vain effort to address to combat spam): mattpoll24 at gmail dot com.

  Or, better yet, leave a comment on this post – there aren't a lot of comments on here, and I certainly don’t get to talk about birds enough on an everyday basis. Where are you in the world? What bird just flew past your window? 2020 target/nemesis bird? Worst dip? Drop a link to your bird-nerd blog. Comment!

  Spring is almost here, I can smell birds on the wind, they’re on the horizon and down a few dimly lit trails. Migratory birds will continue to fly from the southern hemisphere to the far north as they always have, because they must push their blood into the future.

  It is indeed probably time to get out and go birding. Do it! Life is (very) short. Breathe deeply in through the nose, and out through the mouth…but not right next to anyone. Keep calm and carry birds. Nope. Keep calm and bird on.

Early birds of the decade

Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio
(January 23)

Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus
(January 29)

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
(January 29)

White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera
(February 10)

White-winged Crossbill singing

(sorry for the video quality)

(February 10)

Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
(March 5)

male Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
(March 5)

female Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
(March 5)

American Robin Turdus migratorius
(March 5)

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
(March 5)

Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus
(March 5)

Saint-Côme
(February 10)

Saint-Côme
(February 10)

Swaggins Trail
(February 10)

  Or is it ‘birds of the early decade?’ Haven’t been getting out into the scrub much lately, with only some light birding every now and again to start the year. The majority of the trips have been failed twitches. Dips even. It’s gonna be one of those years. Mostly I have been writing, rotting, editing, mainlining Korean instant coffee, and washing my hands.

Some random high(low)lights:

January 23, Parc des Rapides/Parc Angrignon in Lasalle: Dipped on a Barrow’s Goldeneye. No scope = no distant duck. No passerines. Screech was snoozing in Angrignon, looked like a cat.

January 29, Yamachiche: Dipped on the Boreal Owl. Interesting area though.

February 10, up near Tremblant in Saint-Côme/Swaggins Trail: Dipped on an American Three-toed Woodpecker – but may have heard it (even worse). It was cold as hell. The White-winged Crossbills were a’singing in the sun.

March 5, Parc Jean-Drapeau on Ile Notre-Dame: Felt quite birdy for the time of year, with 20 species logged in two hours. Spotted the celeb Pine Warbler, and also White-throated Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and a decent supporting cast.