Jackson Abbot Wildlife Refuge

I had a great dusk visit to Jackson Abbott. It was just ducky! (I know you're groaning!)
We had a seven duck day! (7 kinds of ducks, not just 7 ducks, LOL!)
1. Two male hooded mergansers and a female. One of the males is shown here with the ubiquitous Canada geese.

2. A wood duck pair.

3. The Northern Shoveler swam right by this pair of gadwall.

4. A better view of the gadwall male.

In addition to the ducks pictured, there were also Mallards (of course), a couple Pintail and many green-winged teal (ducks #5, 6, 7).

And of course, a great blue heron and a few ring billed gulls. The Tundra swan is pictured below.

Jackson Abbot Wildlife Refuge

Renee Grebe, her mom Carol and I saw this juvenile Tundra swan at Jackson Abbott on Saturday and I went back to see if I could get some pics of my own; sure enough, the swan was still there, and close, so I got some pretty good shots!

No, it isn't that rare 2-headed goose swan hybrid, but the Canada was hanging close to take advantage of whatever the swan kicked up. The swan chased the goose every now and then.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Sometimes the best birds are just down the street...after a morning bushwacking in the parklands near my house, we were returning home having had our fill of flickers, morning doves and sparrows when we saw this yellowbellied sapsucker (thanks Renee!). I set up my scope and got this pic with my little Pentax through the scope.

Afterwards, we went to another little park and then to the Jackson Abbott wildlife reserve. All told, we saw the following:

Two red shouldered hawks near the park where we watched the nest last spring, yay!
A great look at an eastern towhee with a possible nest, just in the neighborhood.
And, at Jackson Abbott:
a flock of cedar waxwings
yellow rumped warbler
redwinged blackbirds
great blue heron
green winged teal
swamp sparrow
song sparrows
canada geese (of course)
a swan, juvenile, probable tundra?
black vulture flying overhead

Black Vultures

I looked out my window and there were seven black vultures roosting in a tree for about an hour, just behind my neighbor's house! I set up the scope and digiscoped the pictures above and below. Eventually three crows joined them. When I checked a couple of hours later, they were gone.

We frequently see black vultures roosting in the area, but this was the first time I had noticed them so close to our house!

To Kill a Mockingbird

No, I'm not planning on it, but this bully does make me want to get out my squirt gun! The last two days, this mockingbird has taken on all comers at my feeders. He has a three point surveillance routine, chasing competitors away. In this picture, a cardinal waits hopefully in the background as Mr. Big stands guard over one of the three feeders.