A Couple of Different Birds at Riverlands

I spent the AM hours at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Columbia Bottom C.A. yesterday.  I mostly ran into lots of the usual: waterfowl, American Kestrels, Harriers, Eagles and an assortment of Sparrows.  Two birds at RMBS were a bit unusual.  The first was this juvenile, “Krider’s morph” light phase Red-Tailed Hawk.  I watched him at this perch for a while until one of the resident Eagles decided it was time for him to leave the tree.  I looked for him the rest of the morning, both at RMBS and CBCA, but never spotted him again.

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Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF500mm f/4.5L USM lens, ISO 800,  f/6.3, 1/640 sec

The other bird that drew my attention was this guy below.  I am making no sure statements as to what this one is.  It mostly reminds me of an aberrant Canada Goose, i.e. partial leucistic.  However, the orange legs remind me of a Greater White-fronted Goose.  Perhaps a mix of some kind?  Hopefully the experts can shed some light…

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Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF500mm f/4.5L USM lens, ISO 400,  f/6.3, 1/2000 sec

Three Fuzzballs

“No important change in ethics was ever accomplished without an internal change in our intellectual emphasis, loyalties, affection, and convictions.  The proof that conservation has not yet touched these foundations of conduct lies in the fact that philosophy and religion have not yet heard of it.  In our attempt to make conservation easy, we have made it trivial.”

-Aldo Leopold-

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Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens, ISO 400,  f/6.3, 1/160 sec

Mondays Are For The Birds – Black-throated Green Warbler

The BTGW nests primarily in conifers such as white pines, spruce and hemlocks in Canada’s boreal forests.  Did you know…?  A major source of wood pulp for the paper and tissue industry are the trees that are harvested from the boreal forests of the world.  There are two easy things we can all do to limit our burden on these resources.

1) Recycle: Recycling is quite easy in much of the country and has a significant role in limiting the need for virgin wood pulp.  Also consider purchasing products made from recycled paper products.

2) Limit use of unnecessary paper products: A horrible player here are solicitous catalogs and junk-mail.  There are ways we can drastically reduce the pounds of this we receive in a year’s time.  https://www.catalogchoice.org/  The disposable paper towels and other sanitary wipes are other industries that use significant percentages of wood pulp.  There are many ways we can reduce usage of these products as well.

Yes, wood pulp is a renewable resource, and yes, humans are part of planet and will always be users of these resources.  However, what many do not realize is that replanting trees is not the same as replanting natural habitat.  Many bird species, including several wood warblers will only nest in specific, old-growth trees.  These habitats have taken hundreds of thousands of years to develop the complex interactions of this original, world wide web.  Planting a monoculture of cultivars developed to best meet the needs of man comes nowhere close to replacing the splendid diversity or wilderness aspects of these places hold.

“The only conclusion I have reached is that I love all trees, but I am in love with pines.”

-Aldo Leopold-

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“Black-throated Green Warbler, September 2012”

Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens, ISO 640,  f/5.6, 1/640 sec

Wilson’s Warbler

I realize I missed the focus on this one, but the little guy was posed so nicely.  I figured this was a species that would take a lot of time and patience to capture, and I was very surprised to get this much.

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“Wilson’s Warbler, Autumn 2012”

Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens, ISO 640,  f/5.6, 1/400 sec

Alton Angels

A few images taken of the Trumpeter Swans at RMBS, near the town of Alton.

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Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens, ISO 640,  f/5.6, 1/1600 sec

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Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens, ISO 800,  f/5.6, 1/1600 sec

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Technical details: Canon EOS 7D camera,  EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens, ISO 800,  f/4.5, 1/1000 sec