I only had a few moments to watch and photograph as the goose displayed for us, and pecked around the edges of the snow patch, looking for something to eat.

This is a rather rare species for New England. They are more commonly found on the west coast. This bird shows the rust-stained head from tundra waters as described in the Peterson guide.

You can see larger versions of these images on my website, at http://www.pbase.com/kklasman/snow_goose_allies. 

The snow didn't start to fall in earnest until later in the day. By that time, the feeders were quite busy with birds trying to get some food before the weather forced them to seek shelter. Here, a Downy Woodpecker waits its turn as a Hairy Woodpecker feeds on suet.

It wasn't long after I captured this image that the birds disappeared for the rest of the day.

Late in the day I took a walk to a nearby pond. Nothing going on down there either, but on the way back I heard and then saw a female Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

I imagine that this is the female from the pair that regularly visit our suet feeder. It was calling a lot and hanging around a particular dead tree with a few cavities. I'm hoping it was annoucing that it was going to nest there. I'll have to keep an eye on this tree...hopefully I'll have the chance to get some photos of chicks and feeding activity.

After the woodpecker flew off, I started back for home. I hadn't gone more than a few feet when I saw an American Mink running through the woods just a few feet from the road. We both stopped and looked at each other for a moment or two and then it turned around and ran back the way it came, still only a few feet from the road. I followed as quickly and quietly as I could, and managed to capture a couple of images before it disappeared. I haven't seen a mink around here in two years. I wonder if it's the same one?

When I went out to setup the feeders this morning (I bring them in each night because of the bears) I noticed that the platform feeder (which I do leave out) was upside down. My first thought (fear) was that the bears were back, but given that local cats sometimes hide under this feeder and I've seen raccoons all over it, I quickly discounted that possibility.

Back to bird counting. My feeders are visible from my home office chair, so I have all day to record the birds that catch my eye. Each day I record the largest number of a given species I see at the same time. This is sufficient for most species, but for those where males and females are easily identified, I record the largest number of each sex I see simultaneously. All of the local woodpeckers fall into this category, and I have seen 2 pair of Downy Woodpeckers here recently. But not today.

Anyway, here are the totals for the day.

Later in the day I looked out the windows on the other side of the house and noticed fresh bear tracks on the frozen surface of the pond, no more than 10 feet from the end of the driveway. Here are some images:

I places a quarter in the middle of the footprint to give a sense of scale.

This footprint measured 7.5 inches long...

...by 5 inches wide.

Here you can see that the bear's stride is about 18 inches long.

No bird pictures today, but tomorrow my friend Bill and I are going to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, MA in search of Snowy Owls and anything else interesting we can find.

And I will be sitting out in my blind hoping for good photo ops around the feeders. I guess I'll have my can of bear repellant when I sit out in the blind the next couple of days.

The purpose of this count is to give a snapshot of bird populations across the continent. Scientists use this information to understand how weather and other environmental factors affect bird populations and this in turn provides a barometer of the environmental health of our continent. Comparing results across many years can illustrate environmental trends.

The scientific community is not large enough to perform such a large count...they need our help. Please join in this effort...its fun and easy. For more information visit the GBBC website at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/. You can already see lists being posted!

I've participated for the last few years. Last year there were very few birds in my own backyard, but even this information is important. Knowing where birds are not seen can be an indication of changing weather patterns, local weather variations or declining habitats.

There is also a photo contest associated with the count. In 2007, my photo of a Dark-eyed Junco was selected for display in the contest gallery. I'm hoping to get some worthy images this year. There has been a lot of activity around my feeders lately, and I'm also planning a trip to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island in Newburyport, Massachusetts. I'll be searching for Snowy Owls and a variety of waterfowl that cannot be seen at my house.

Here are a few recent images from my backyard...

A Sharp-shinned Hawk looks for a meal.

 A male Red-bellied Woodpecker waits its turn on the suet feeder.

Male Red-bellied and Hairy Woodpeckers share the feeder.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk returned yesterday.

Of course, the most exciting thing to happen here on Heron Pond was the visits by the bears. After their last appearance on October 5, I reluctantly decided to keep the feeders down until the bears hibernate, which is usually around the first of December. The first came and went, and the feeders were still safely stored in the garage.

On December 9th we had our first big snowfall (9.5 inches) and I thought I'd put the feeders back up the following day. When I glanced out the window first thing in the morning, what did my eyes see? Tracks leading from the back corner of the yard to each of the usual (but empty) bird feeder stations and then disappearing out the front walk. Rather large footprints I might add.

So I waited until around new year's to put the feeders up, and once I did, it wasn't long before the birds started to return. All the usual suspects; Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?), three species of woodpeckers, goldfinches, and an unusually large number of Dark-eyed Juncos.

With all of this activity, I wondered when the Sharp-shinned or Coopers hawks would show up to feast on the song birds that were feasting at the feeders. And while I had noticed the yard grow totally quiet from time to time, and presumed there was a hawk about, I had yet to see one.

Today was the day.

I had just started to work in my office, and was seeing the usual breakfast bird crew at the feeders outside my office window. All of a sudden there was a flurry of activity, with the little birds scattering in all directions, and a much larger bird landing on the ground  a few feet into the woods. Was it a hawk?

It was, and it had captured a Junco, I think. The hawk stayed in the woods for awhile and then apparently decided it wanted a better view, so it flew up to a branch right along the edge of the woods, to continue its meal. The new perch offered the hawk a better view of its surroundings, which it would check after each bite. The new perch provided me with a better look too, and I was able to go outside and slowly work my way closer, trying to find a angle that would give me a clear image of the bird.

This was about the best that I could do. I was surprised that the hawk allowed me to approach so close (30-40 feet or so) since I'm sure that it was aware of my presence.

I'll save you the gory details, but this whole episode lasted almost 90 minutes.

The yard remained quiet for about an hour, and then slowly the song birds began to return. Suddenly the birds scattered again as the hawk returned. All but his little female Downy Woodpecker, which was apparently too frightened to move.

The hawk hid in the pine tree just off the edge of the yard. The woodpecker didn't move for at least fifteen minutes...it just clung to the suet feeder, hoping it wasn't in the hawk's view. Finally the woodpecker decided to make a run for it, and flew off towards the backyard. The hawk did not follow. Shortly thereafter, a chickadee flew into the pine tree right above the hawk, and though the hawk did see it, the chickadee quickly flew off before it became the hawk's next meal.

The hawk continued to hide in the tree for another hour or so, before finally getting bored and flew off to the west. Later, I went out to see if I could find the remains of the poor Junco. Under the branch where the hawk finished its meal, I found a few feathers that look like Junco feathers to me.

That pretty much sums up the first two weeks of 2010. I wonder what will happen next?

With what you ask?

A very short while after Lisa left for the day, baby bear brought mama back today, at least I think it was mama. You can judge for yourself, from the images below.

Looks like a big bear to me!

Walking towards the downed feeder pole and the house. Maybe 20 feet away.

 Baby bear (not really a baby anymore I guess) tagging along.

So I really guess I can't put the feeders back up until winter, unless I put an electric fence around them. (I am thinking about it).

But da Bear has struck again!

Two times since spring I've woken up to the sight of my bird feeders on the ground, the poles bent or broken by what must have been a large animal (I don't think the squirrels could do it, try as they might). I always presumed it was a bear, and when I mentioned this down at the local feed store, they said that a neighbor less than two miles from Heron Pond had pictures of a bear in their yard, so it seems like a good assumption. Two miles is nothing for a bear.

Both times I thought, "why didn't he have the common decency to strike during the day, when I could at least get some photographs?"

So I have gotten into the habit of bringing the feeders in each evening. Of course, I would forget sometimes. I've gone out well after dark with a headlamp and a weapon of sorts (one of my heavy duty wooden driveway marking stakes with a nice point on the end) to collect the feeders, hoping the bear wasn't nearby. On a couple of occasions I'd see glowing eyes off in the woods watching me...probably one of the raccoons we see from time to time.

So yesterday, I'm working in my home office, as usual. Its late afternoon and I glance out the window at my feeder, and there it is! I quickly called Lisa to come to the window, grabbed my camera (which is almost always ready to go...but that's another story) I fired off a couple of shots before we scared it away. After all, the poles were already wrecked...I didn't want the tube feeder destroyed too.

We looked out back at the feeders there, and he'd already cleaned them out too.

While I was getting ready to go bring in the remnants, he came back again. This time we seem to have scared him away for good, or at least for a while.

Anyway, here are a few shots of the little rascal.

Nice of him to stand up straight so I could see how big he really is. I'm guessing 5 feet tall or so.

Hmmm...let me see...this looks like a fine vintage! 

Yum! Its excellent!

Now I have to try to come up with a more bear-proof setup.

But tonight, after work, there were no birds to be found anywhere. I set up anyway at Mill Pond, hoping to get a chance to try out a new photography strategy. But the birds didn't cooperate. I stood, hidden by my camouflaged blind, for over an hour, waiting in vain. At least I got to work out some ideas and practice them, albeit with imaginary birds. Hopefully the next time I go there, the birds will be present, and cooperative. And I'll be invisible to them.

Of course, two minutes after I left the pond, the four Canada Geese flew in and landed just where I expected they would. Right place, wrong time. Hopefully, I've learned something.

"Bucky"

While he was gone, I captured this image of several drowned stumps poking up through the ice.

Not wanting to scare him off for good, I retreated back to the driveway and waited. Sure enough, he returned, and I captured one final image before leaving him alone for the night.

We are beginning to see some open water on the ponds. Mill Pond, which is just a mile away has some significant open water where Rocky Pond Brook enters. Over the course of the last few days I've seen American Black Ducks (a first for me), Hooded Mergansers (a favorite) and a Great Blue Heron. Even our pond show a little bit of open water where West Rocky Pond Brook enters, and I've seen a pair of Hooded Mergansers (no good pictures yet) and an American Beaver.
American BeaverIt has been rather unafraid of us so far, not responding to noise from cars, garage doors, or me crunching around on the snow plow-created iceberg at the end of our driveway while trying to capture a good image of it.

The beaver has been here two days in a row. Tomorrow after work I'll try to sneak in to the edge of the pond, preferably before it shows up, to get some real close-up images. I wonder if it will notice me hiding under my portable, camouflaged blind...