The Zen Birdfeeder

Upstate New York Snowy Owl Update

I've provided a couple updates on Snowy Owl sightings in upstate New York, the first on November 20th,  another on December 5th, and the last on December 30th.

Unfortunately, the Snowy Owl that fascinated hundreds of workers in downtown Albany succumbed to a fatal parasite in early January.

The news is better for the Snowy Owls visiting the Fort Edwards grasslands area.  CONSERVATION NOTE:  Fort Edwards Grasslands has been identified as an Important Bird Area, which means that the site "provides essential habitat for one or more species of bird. IBAs include sites for breeding, wintering, and/or migrating birds."  Much of the area is up for development and local Audubon groups are advocating for the protection of this area.  Contact Southern Adirondack Audubon Society and/or the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club for information on how you can help.

Here are some Snowy Owl reports from out of Ft. Edward:
12/7/08 - Link to photos of two snowy owls on CR42 in Fort Edward.  And check out this blog post on one seen off St. James Road.

1/13/09 - Adult Snowy Owl in flight over the Ft Edward grasslands at about 4:30pm. It was on the west side of Rt 42 a bit north of the radio tower area, flying in the direction of East Road.

1/25 - Two Snowy Owls on CR42 in Fort Edward late this afternoon. One was on the roof of the house just south of the long gray/blue barn and it flew to the south and pestered the other owl which was perched on the ground in the side yard of the yellow house.

Don & Sheryl of the blog "Are We There Yet?" made a roundabout trip through Ft. Edward from Cty Rt 42, Plum Rd, Swamp Rd,Cary Rd, Fitzpatrick, Patterson and Woodard Rd, and along the river.  They captured some images of a pair of snowies.

1/27 - Local nature photographer Jeff Nadler photographed this snowy sitting on the snow adjacent to the road in the grasslands.

The town of Halfmoon got in the Snowy Owl game in mid-January as well.  Here are a couple reports on the Halfmoon owl.

1/16 - The owl was seen in the late afternoon in the fields around the intersection of Johnson and Staniak Roads. It appears to be an adult female.

1/18 - A Snowy Owl and at least one Short-Eared Owl were present at the intersection of Johnson and Staniak Roads near Ushers in Saratoga County.

1/20 - a blog reader reported:  "There was a large snowy owl in my backyard in Halfmoon, N.Y. this morning. It had discovered the rabbits living under my deck for the winter. Unfortunately, one or two of them won't see spring..... I never saw one before. It stared at me through the window before the crows harassed it enough to have it fly a short distance away. I had to go to work, so I wasn't able to see where it flew away to or if it was able to keep it's kill.

1/21 - Viewed on a telephone pole right next to St. Luke's church on Mcbride Road. Here is a link to a few photos of the Snowy and one of the Short-eared Owls.

1/25 - Snowy Owl observed from McBride Rd. and also observed it from Johnson Rd.

1/26 - Snowy Owl observed in late afternoon on the NW corner of Staniak and Johnson on the ridgeline of the old building. 

1/29 - Found the snowy on top of the power pole
in front of St. Luke's Church on McBride, off Pryun Hill in mid-afternoon. 

I have to check out these birds...soon!  I hope this helps if you are wondering if the birds are still around and where they have been seen.  Thanks to contributors to the Hudson-Mohawk Birdline for these reports.

Birds by the Numbers

1000    Feathers a typical chickadee is covered with
during summer



2000    Feathers a typical chickadee is covered with
during winter

30%      Heat loss reduction when birds fluff up their feathers

Source:  Stan Tekiela, "Surviving the Cold",
Birding Business, December 2008

Thanks to Andrew and Jennifer

Another belated thank you that needs to go out is to our friends Andrew and Jennifer Acomb.  They were loyal WBU-Saratoga customers until Andrew got reassigned by the Navy to Washington state.

Andrew and Jennifer sent us a gorgeous 8x12 print of a Pileated Woodpecker on a WBU Double Tail Prop Suet Feeder they had purchased in our store.  You've got to check out this image at Andrew's blog - it is really stunning!

We always loved when Andrew and Jennifer came in the store.  This young, beautiful couple love the birds and nature, and love hosting birds at the feeders in their yard.  We miss them both and hope they return to the Saratoga area again someday.

I also owe a debt of gratitude to Andrew for introducing me to this thing called blogging.  Way back in August 2006, Andrew attended the Birds of Prey program we hosted for our store's 3rd Anniversary.  He took photos of the birds and posted them on his new blog.

We talked about blogging and at first I was overwhelmed at the thought, but it was this seed that Andrew planted that caused me to start The Zen Birdfeeder in April 2007. 

Thank you Andrew and Jennifer for all you've done for me, and for our store.  We miss you!

Gifts from Toni of "A Spattering"

It all started with Toni of A Spattering commenting about my window feeder in a Wordless Wednesday post.  She expressed an interest in one, we had a lightly-used one in the store, so I sent it her way. 

In return, I received the most wonderful package from Toni just before Christmas.  She must have picked up that my favorite bird is the chickadee, because she sent me this beautiful image of a chickadee opening a seed.  Some parts are so subtle, in stark contrast to the bright white and pure black of the chickadee's head and cap.

She also sent me an image of a finch and her 2008 Chickadee Christmas card (both are currently in her blog's banner), but the chickadee above remains my favorite.

This thing called blogging brings together people who have never met, joined only by common interests.  These common interests transcend miles, age, gender, ethnicity, political leanings, economic class, education...I could go on.  We read about each others' joys as well as the sorrows, and form a virtual brotherhood and sisterhood (siblinghood?).  Blogging has gained me a friend in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Please take a moment to visit her blog, A Spattering.

Thank you Toni, for the wonderful gift of your art. Each piece is special to me and will be cherished for a long, long time.

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day

I interrupt my scheduled catch-up post to notify you that today, January 21, is SQUIRREL APPRECIATION DAY.

No, this is not a joke.  For more information including suggested activities to help mark the day, read today's post on the Huffington Post.

Today, how about we not yell and curse at the squirrels that torment us, and maybe even put out a little bird seed on the ground for our furry friends to help them enjoy on their special day.  There's even an ecard to send to your friends to mark the day.

Let me know how YOU will celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day!

Dakota's Top Five Meme (Finally!)

I mentioned in early December that I'd be "out of it" for awhile.  I didn't know it would take until late January to get "back into it"!

Before I resume the regular reports from my feeders, I have a number of important posts to catch up on.  First, I was tagged back in December by Dakota of Dakota's All Natural Experience for a top five meme to list my Top Five Dream Birding Locations.  Dakota is not just any young birder/blogger.  He has birds in his genes.  His mom and uncle write the Birdfreak Bird Conservation blog.

First, my apologies to Dakota for being so slow! I hope you'll forgive me.  Now, in response to his meme, I will try to list my Top Five Dream Birding Locations.  I don't take many birding expeditions but here goes:

1) Cape May - never been there, so close, yet so far.
2) Hawk Mountain - again, fairly close
3) Anywhere along the Gulf Coast during spring migration
4) Hawai'i - just to visit the islands again
5) My own backyard - it still continues to amaze and fascinate me!

White rumped Shama (Hawai'i)

Now from what I understand, it's MY turn to pass a tag along to other bloggers to answer my own Top Five question:

What are the Top Five New Birds you'd like to see at your feeders?

Here's my tags, three of the loyal readers who stuck with me during my recent absence (thanks guys!):

• A Spattering
• Dreaming Tree
• Birds o' the Morning

Sorry if you're meme'd out but I can't completely let Dakota down!  So I've given you one that is pretty easy to answer!

The Georgia Aquarium

While in Atlanta last week, we did take about 1/2 day to visit the Georgia Aquarium.  What a cool place!

Easy to get to from the Peachtree Center MARTA exit (MARTA is Atlanta's user-friendly rapid transit system), the aquarium is a great way to spend an afternoon.

We started our tour in the Tropical Diver section, where the fish are so brilliantly colored they can look fake.  It reminded me of snorkeling in Hawai'i and made me want to go back!  The jellyfish are mesmerizing to watch and the pure blue backdrop accentuates their every move.

Outside the Georgia Explorer section is a touch pool where you can touch sharks (smooth and fibrous) and rays (soft and silky).  I'm not real brave doing this type thing, but if the 4-year old next to me can touch a ray, then darn it, I can too.

Georgia Explorer highlights some of the fish right off the Georgia coast.  I liked the shrimp display the best, though it just seemed to make me hungry for lunch.

We moved along to River Scout where the freshwater fish are less colorful, but still cool to watch.  The alligator display was neat because you could look at them at eye level.  There were lots of fish in this display that were familiar to me like bass, bluegills and crappie.  Again, lunch was calling me.

Unfortunately, the otters were sleeping the entire time so we didn't get to enjoy their antics.

Then we moved on to Coldwater Quest where we got to see Nico the beluga whale, octopus, and sea otters.  Outside Coldwater Quest is another touch pool where I got to touch a sea anenome (barely imperceptible to the touch). When you put a finger in their tentacles, they cling on (if I was a fish, I'd be dead then), but you can't feel a thing.

Nico the beluga whale

It was recommended that we save the Ocean Voyager exhibit for last and I'm glad we did.  First you walk through a 100-foot long tunnel under the tank.  This a REALLY cool as fish large and small swim right over your head!


Sawfish

This was a very large fish I named Elvis.  A member of our party said it scared him.

The tank houses the aquarium's 4 whale sharks as well as a huge manta ray, groupers, hammerhead sharks, sawfish, and thousands more fish. 

Then you walk into the auditorium-type area where in front of you is an aquarium window 23 ft. high and 61 ft. wide.  They had a sample of the acrylic window that is 2 ft. thick holding back 6.3 million gallons of water.  Here's a link to the Ocean Voyager webcam - check it out, I just saw the whale shark again!

The Whale Shark is at the top of the photo.



It's good to have a human in the picture so you get an idea of scale.

We didn't pay to take in the Titanic exhibit but still had a great time.  I'd recommend a visit to the Georgia Aquarium if you ever visit Atlanta.  Remember, do the Ocean Voyager last and have fun!

Back from Atlanta and a Mention in "Birding Business" Mag

Just returned yesterday from a trip to Atlanta for the BirdWatch America show and AmericasMart.  Both of these are buying shows, an opportunity to find new product for the store for the first half of the year.

At BirdWatch, I got to talk again with Bill Thompson III who writes the Bill of the Birds blog.  Bill is the editor of BirdWatcher's Digest, a family-run magazine founded by Bill (II) and Elsa Thompson. Elsa is still active in the business, as are Bill III's siblings Andy and Laura.  You always feel welcome at the BirdWatchers Digest booth.

I also chatted with Steve Moore who is behind the BirdwatchRadio website and podcast.  I've listened to Steve's podcast for about a year now and it was nice to talk with him in person.  The link to Steve's podcast is in my "Nature Programs on my iPod" list in the right column.

I also finally met Sharon Stiteler of the Birdchick blog.  Sharon writes for the industry publication "Birding Business".  She has authored a couple books, including "City Birds, Country Birds", which is available at WBU-Saratoga Springs NY.

When I introduced myself to Sharon, she told me that a short article in the December issue of "Birding Business" highlighted The Zen Birdfeeder!  I'd link you to the article but the publication's website is a little behind.

The "Blogging Zen" article was part of their Industry News section, and it gave us a thumbs up by saying that our blog  "...links to an online store. It offers bird tips. And it transcends these basic links with a personality and mission fused into the site..."  The article itself was news to me, but was quite an honor, as those of you who have been mentioned in your industry's media know!  Thanks Sharon for the heads up.

I didn't do any birdwatching while in Atlanta, unlike the Northwest Nature Nut who took in some birding while there.  More on my Atlanta visit in the next post.

Book Review: Adirondack Birding - 60 Great Places to Find Birds

If you live in or near the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, or are one of the thousands of people who vacation or recreate in the park, Adirondack Birding is a useful guide that gives you 60+ locations to find some of the many birds that pass through or call the Adirondacks home.

Authors Mike Peterson and Gary Lee know these places first hand, and it shows in their write-ups of each site.  I know Mike Peterson from the bird banding work he does each May at the Crown Point IBA on Lake Champlain.  Mike has had a hand in a number of books on area birds, as well as writing 12 of the species accounts in the recently-released Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of New York State.  Gary Lee also contributed to the new atlas, has co-authored a book with Mike, and has 35 years of forest ranger experience under his belt.

The book starts with an interesting essay "A History of Adirondack Birding" written by Mike.  Mike's apparent affinity for history also comes through in his site descriptions.

Adirondack Birding is an all-season guide to more than 60 sites to find the boreal birds of the Adirondacks.  It is not to be mistaken as a field guide - it is clearly a guide to help locate certain species of birds within the 5.8 million acre Adirondack Park.

Mike and Gary split the writing based on where they've done most of their birding: Mike in the Champlain valley and eastern Adirondacks, Gary in the central and western Adirondacks.  The initials of the author appear at the end of each chapter.

From there, they've further split the park into five regions:

• Eastern Region (Lake Champlain valley)
• High Peaks Region
• Northern Region
• West-Central Region
• Southern Region

The authors are self-described "habitat birders", ascribing to the mantra that "the best way to find a species is to search its habitat in many places rather than look for it at one or two locations."  This book gives you those "many places" to look.

What you'll find for each location is what species you might see there, directions to get there, descriptions of the trails, suggestions on where at the site to look for certain species, and in some cases, a history of when less common species have been seen at the site. 

If you're in search of a particular bird like the Bicknell's Thrush or Black-backed Woodpecker, the section entitled "Finding Boreal Birds" suggests some starting points.

The directions to each site and accompanying hand-drawn maps appear to be very detailed.  Once you get there, the write-ups provide many details on locating markers and other landmarks where you're most likely to find certain species.  These are especially detailed in the chapters written by Gary.

Beautiful color images by local nature photographer Jeff Nadler are throughout the book, further enticing you to seek out that Boreal Chickadee or Gray Jay.

Whether you're in search of a certain species like the Spruce Grouse, or just heading off on an Adirondack trail and wondering what birds you might see there, this book will provide the information you need.  It is nicely written, detailed, and reflects years of in-the-field experience by the authors.  If two of your loves are the Adirondacks and birds, you'll want this book in your library.

Adirondack Birding - 60 Great Places to Find Birds
by John M.C. Peterson and Gary N. Lee
with color photographs by Jeff Nadler
Published by Lost Pond Press, Saranac Lake NY, 2008
ISBN 978-0-9789254-3-7
$20.95
Available at WBU-Saratoga Springs

New Year - New Yard Bird

What a great start to the New Year!
On January 1st, I was able to add bird #85 to my Yard List: a Red-bellied Woodpecker!

This beautiful female is pictured here enjoying a WBU Supreme Fare Seed Cylinder.  She flew off to near the top of a nearby tree, staying there for quite awhile.  She returned the next day as well, feeding on peanuts.
Welcome to my yard!  I hope this is a good omen for a bird-productive 2009!