Chirps and Cheeps

First of Year Birding

Published: January 18, 2016
Tags: General Observations, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Northern Shrike, Eastern Bluebird, Snow Goose, Snow Buntings, Long-eared Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, Black Vulture, Northern Mockingbird

Finishing up a big work project freed me up to finally get in some serious birding and find some first of the year birds. Over the course of a couple of weeks and spanning several counties, I came up with quite a few nice finds - a few I stumbled upon myself, a few were reported by others, and a few were assisted by Doug Beattie in Genesee, Wayne and Livingston Counties.

I think the nicest finds were of a Northern Shrike and a couple of owls that I stumbled on. I think your own finds are always the most rewarding. Incidentally, I thought it was unusual that both owls - found in two different areas - had their eyes open. Usually, when I see them, they're napping. Since they were awake, I took great care not to stress either of them, grabbed a quick photo of each, and backed away. Both were unusual encounters.