Although otters can be found in New York in places such as the Adirondacks and the Hudson Valley, I have not spotted one in the wild in New York. I have only seen them at zoos. Last summer I did see some in England. There were multiple on one body of water.
Otters
Otters are fun to watch but hard to photograph. The day I saw these was a typical dark, dreary day, so the lighting was not optimal. They move quite fast and do not stay put long, so I had a hard time getting their head in focus and catching them while they were facing in somewhat my direction.
Otters
Regardless, they were fun to see. Have a great rest of your week.
What is Superb Owl Sunday? It is a day to celebrate owls while others are immersed in football. Some go on hikes, trips to the zoo, or a wildlife refuge where owls have been known to be. Here is one kind of owl I saw recently: the barred owl.
Superb Owl Sunday
We have experienced a few minor snow storms to date that have only left a few inches of the the fluffy white stuff. This was after one of these storms. This owl did not look too happy about it.
Superb Owl Sunday
It was a dark and dreary day after the snow fall. When I took the above picture it was from an angle with less light. This the the first time I have seen a barred owl sitting parked in a tree hole. I have seen the owlets do this, but not an adult. The parent will stay inside the hole in side the tree when there are eggs and when there are owlets not ready to fledge. I have only seen the owlets at the hole just prior to fledging.
If you were not into the Super Bowl I hope you were able to get out an enjoy something else like the Superb Owl Sunday.
The sun was mostly behind the clouds, but we had a few short periods where the sun peaked out for a few minutes and gave us good light. Unfortunately the owls were only up during the last period of a few minutes of good light.
These pictures are from the last period of light, and it flew right in front of the viewing area then past us. I just love it when they are accommodating.
Short-Eared Flight
We have parks in NY that are closed due to finding dead geese and they suspect avian flu. I was told a farm locally had to kill all their chickens due to avian flu. Hopefully the owls, eagles, and hawks do not get infected. I wish there was some way we could tell them not to eat birds. Have a great Friday!
Northern Harriers are one type of hawk native to North America. It is one hawk I mainly see in winter.
Female Northern Harrier
Food
Northern harriers hunt small mammals and birds. They can get rabbits and ducks. During winter, when I see them, they mainly go after voles and mice. This one is carrying grass, but I am not sure if there is a vole or mouse amongst it.
Female Northern Harrier
Hunting behaviour
I have found these birds in grasslands where they fly quite low going often between the grasses. Harriers hunt during the daytime. They can also hover then dive while hunting. Harriers rely on hearing and sight to capture their prey. I have seen them chase after and steal a vole from a short-eared owl in late afternoon.
Nesting Behaviour
Northern harriers will roost in groups on the ground, sometimes with Short-Eared Owls, according to All About Birds. Because they roost on the ground, animals such as coyotes and feral dogs will go after adult northern harriers.
Female Northern Harrier
These are fascinating birds to watch. I love seeing them hover and chase after the short-eared owls. Have a great Wednesday!
How did muskrats get their name? Evidently they get the word musk because of the strong smelling odor they give off to mark territory and keep away intruders. I have never smelled anything when around them, but I do not get too close. The rat in their name is because their tail is said to resemble a rats. At one point they were known as musk beavers because of the flat tail.
Muskrats on Ice
This small pond has at least 5 muskrats. This is the first time I have seen the muskrats on ice in decent lighting conditions. When I arrived in the late afternoon I saw two.
They keep the area on the pond where this one is clear of ice. Most of the pond is iced over, except the other spots they come up from the water. From this spot they scurry up the hill and get grass and other plants from areas they have cleared of snow.
Muskrats on Ice
Muskrats build lodges like beavers, or they build a tunnel from under a pond to a chamber above water on the bank of the pond. Because they may tunnel on a pond bank , it could cause bank destruction or collapse.
We have been experiencing some cold nights. Some days the highs were in the 20s. I swung by Lower Canopus Lake in Fahnestock State Park when travelling nearby and saw these two ice fishing.
Ice Fishing
They were quite a distance away. This image was taken with a zoom lens and is heavily cropped. On a side note, the Appalachian Trail runs through this park, not far from where I took this image.
Some enjoy the cold weather, others tend to hibernate indoors. Whatever you do, have a great Friday!
I know these creatures are in a little pond. They make sure there are holes in the ice to come up out of. I have only briefly seen them out of the holes near the pond. On the day of the photos I saw them scampering up the hill from the pond.
Muskrats – Digging in the grasses under the snow
They appeared to be moving snow and digging in the grass underneath. It appeared they were eating a lot of it there, but some they were carrying back down to the pond.
Muskrats- walking uphill from the pondMuskrats – pausing to look at meMuskrats- just out of the water
If you celebrate it- Wishing you a prosperous new year! 祝你新年快乐. 번영하는 새해를 기원합니다 chúc bạn một năm mới an khang thịnh vượng
I saw this while driving. I took the picture from a distance on the side of a road. This bird was in the woods and seemed to stay within it. I believe it is a red-shouldered hawk.
Red-Shouldered Hawk -This one I added colour to.Red-Shouldered Hawk- This one I did not add colour.
I had one person look at the back of the camera and he thought that is what it was. Also, that is the first choice the Merlin App gives for it. The second choice was a broad-winged hawk. The lighting was not great and it was taken from quite a distance. The photo is also heavily cropped and lightened. The colours may not be totally accurate. It appears to be an immature. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I usually only see owls deep in the woods and not in open areas. This is a barred owl. I was lucky enough to take a lot of pictures of it in a short time period from the road.
Barred Owl January 2025– Short rest on the power lines
It was on private property. One of the local home owners said they see the owl on their property daily. It rested its eyes on the power lines for a short time. Sometimes they do that to fool the animals in the woods.
Barred Owl January 2025- unsuccessful hunt in the grass
It moved to different perches and was actively hunting while I was there. Two or three different times I saw it move from a perch to swoop down in the grass. It was unsuccessful each time. It was great seeing an owl out in the open, despite it being a dark and dreary day.
Barred Owl January 2025 – hunting from a perch
Off to another perch. I was very happy to come across this owl. A local had mentioned she had seen one here a few times when she passed by, so I checked it out. It is farther away than the two families I followed this summer, so I am sure they are not related.
Stay safe! Stay warm! Have a great rest of your week!
I have been catching every illness it seems coming into work since December. Therefore, I have not made any trips and have stayed close to home. If I can see an owl near a road I drive on, all the better. Luckily I have seen, two since December from a road. This short-eared owl was close to a road.
Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- sun was behind the clouds
It was near a bird feeder that was active and a lot of small birds were raising cain in the woods around the owl. I was wondering if it would go after birds visiting the bird feeder. Someone has told me they don’t, however by logic it would be a possibility as barred, great horned, and snowies will get a bird. According the the NYSDEC website:
Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- Looking towards the bird feeder ‘s direction.
Short-eared owls are the most diurnal (active during the day) of all the northeastern owls. They are most often observed in the late afternoon and at dawn or dusk. These birds eat primarily small mammals, but they occasionally take smallbirds, and the young sometimes eat insects.
If it chooses to land on a tree in good sight of a bird feeder, it is watching the bird feeder, it is probably contemplating a bird for dinner.
You usually do not see the ear tufts on the short-eared owl. I thought it could have been because of the wind, however, according to National Park Service website:
“The ear tufts of the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus, family Strigidae) are inconspicuous until the owl becomes defensive or curious, at which point the whole facial expression changes: feathers around the nose may flatten and eyes narrow slightly.”
Short-Eared Owl in a Tree January 2025- Sun behind the clouds
It seemed to be both curious about the bird feeder and defensive as many little birds nearby were expressing their displeasure at its presence. Have a great week!
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