A new look at the variety and abundance of birds that visit our yards and feeders across the United States and Canada is provided in the newly published Winter Bird Highlights – the annual report provided by Project FeederWatch. This free downloadable publication provides the summary of information reported birders who participated in Project FeederWatch and emphasizes how important the information really is. To begin with, the 2025 FeederWatch Season statistics show that birders of all age groups participated last year by providing 245,126 checklists and observing a total of 473 different species of birds.
Calling out to all birders with cameras: The annual Audubon bird photography contest is open for entries in 8 categories, and if you take videos of birds, there is a Video category for your best production too. You have until March 4th to enter your photos or videos, which actually gives you another 5 weeks to come up with your best composition yet – Good Luck! Judges will score eligible photos and videos their technical quality, originality, and artistic merit. In addition to bragging rights, significant cash prizes are awarded for the winners in 7 categories.
Biologists who have been tracking Bald Eagles that fledged from nests in Arizona found that most migrate north after the nesting season, sometimes extending their movements into southwest Canada during summer and fall. Rather than making a southbound post-nesting migration used by most migratory birds, the Arizona population of Bald Eagles showed they follow northbound routes where the young eagles made stopovers at lakes and rivers. These discoveries point to the need for targeted conservation of critical travel corridors and feeding areas beyond Arizona nesting territories.
In last week's "Owl Addendum" I described seeing 5 owls the previous Monday, and I followed-up by checking on them Tuesday about the same time – a half-hour before sunset. The first bird I encountered 6 miles south was a Rough-legged Hawk, the first I've seen in 10 days in that area. But I didn't have much faith in finding the Short-eared Owls – wrong – thankfully. A half-mile farther south was the first Short-ear hunting on the wing, and after it faded out of sight, I turned north and there was a second Short-ear perched near the road! It allowed me to approach and photograph it in the fading light, which was quite a thrill.
Providing a little extra magnification, Celestron Regal ED 10x42 Binoculars are the top of the line Celestron binoculars, yet they retain a very attractive price for these high-quality binoculars. The field flattener technology delivers edge-to-edge clarity, and the ED objective lenses provide extra-sharp views of birds you encounter with a high degree of contrast and accurate colors. In fact, the ED glass objective lenses deliver visibly brighter, sharper images for birders compared to non-ED models, and the difference is especially apparent in low light conditions, such as during cloudy periods, in shaded locations, and at dawn and dusk.
Colorful stained glass panels provide color on both sides of the Cedar Hopper Feeder that also illuminates to add another touch of beauty to your yard. The solar light adds a day-night element to this colorful feeder, and an AAA rechargeable battery takes over during cloudy conditions. Providing a generous 1½ pound (1 quart) seed capacity, this attractive Stained Glass Cedar Hopper Feeder measures 7¼ inches long x 10½ wide x 10½ inches high. Enjoy this colorfully illuminating feeder that will add an elegant-looking birding feature to your yard.
The unique Birds High-top Sneakers aren't just footwear, they are a playful homage to birds that will lead your every step while birding, or anytime. Whether you are a seasoned birder ready to add a new flair to your field adventures or a new birder adding a subtle statement with your style, these sneakers are sure to attract attention in all the right ways. Etsy also has a variety of tastefully designed bird-themed floral blouses and Hawaiian shirts that feature identifiable birds that anyone can appreciate – and perhaps they will encourage you to learn more about the birds illustrating the clothing.
Two weeks ago we reported the First Provincial Record of a European Robin that has been documented by many birders in Montreal, Quebec. But today we can attribute 2 more even bigger records to this continuing robin: It's both the First Canadian Record and the Fourth North American Record for this species – and it continues to provide great looks and photos for interested birders. Other interesting birds documented by birders include a Second State Record Taiga Bean Goose and a Third State Record Tundra Bean Goose in New York, plus a Fifth State Record MacGillivray's Warbler in North Carolina, and there's more!
For almost a week, I appreciated a roller coaster of Short-eared Owl photo possibilities, before and after the coldest, windiest period of the winter, with a total white-out of blowing snow mid-week. Some days the owls were present, some days they were not to be found. Some days they offered photo opportunities, some days they didn’t. Case in point: Last Thursday there were no owls to be found during 2 site checks. But the following day, the 3 original owls were on site, and 3 more were found 5 miles away, doubling the number of owls from 3 to 6. Saturday the new owls were not to be found, but 2 were hunting on the wing at the original site Saturday afternoon, with none to be found Sunday or Monday.
A classic photo of a Short-eared Owl resting in the sun behind a windbreak of dry grass provided a couple cropping options that each show the merits of the same digital image (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2000 shutter speed, 800 ISO.)
Friday morning, although the temperature was still –17 degrees, there was sunshine galore but only a light wind, so I couldn’t hold myself back from checking on the potential of birds. Realistically, the potential was remarkably low, and dropped even lower after passing through the area where Short-eared Owls were active Monday and Tuesday without sighting a feather moving. But I kept driving south and bam, a Short-ear was perched on a low post near the road 5 miles south of the Monday-Tuesday hotspot. And then there were 2, and even 3 Short-ears!
I spent the next hour observing and trying to photograph the hunting and perched owls above the hilly grasslands. It was fun, exciting, and a bit frustrating, with the owls tantalizing me with would-be photo opportunities, but not following through time and time again. Well, that’s part of the challenge of getting a good species photo, and in this case, there were many photo challenges. What was a bit frustrating about the owls was that as they hunted on the wing, I would follow one owl’s flight through my camera lens, waiting for it to turn in my direction, but almost always the owl turned away.
This is the first image in a series of photographs that illustrate a low hunting flight by a Short-eared Owl intent on observing and listening for movements below as it flew near Paul’s photo position (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
Another part of the problem was the direction of the wind; the owls tended to face into the northwest wind as they hunted on the wing, but the sunlight was coming from the south-southeast. That meant the back-half of the owls would be nicely highlighted, but the front side including the face would be shaded. It also seemed that my usual ability to anticipate an owl’s moves and turns wasn’t in line with what they actually were doing. Eventually, I realized I had a pair of traits in my favor – perseverance and persistence.
Even so, it was an especially fun activity, but the owl action settled down after about 90 minutes; so having learned more about these open-country owls during that period and getting a few interesting photos, I drove back north. Five miles north, as I reached the hilly grasslands where I found the first trio of Short-eared Owls, I slowed to a crawl and darned if there wasn’t a Short-eared Owl flying low ahead of me! Almost immediately it made an attempted capture of a likely vole, and a moment later I caught sight of a second Short-ear on the wing, and eventually a third owl – all in sight at the same time! This observation was a breakthrough after not seeing an owl during an earlier search of the area less than 2 hours earlier, or Wednesday and Thursday. Now I ascertained there were at least 6 Short-eared Owls in the areas 7 miles and 12 miles south of the office.
As the owl raises its head it provides what may be the best image of the series, showing perfect lighting that provides a sharp, colorful view of the hunting Short-ear (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
That evening, my photo frustrations vanished when I was able to review the photographs I took earlier in the day. Sure, many didn’t turn out or weren’t up to publication standards, but there were plenty to appreciate. I selected a few to illustrate this feature and the Editor Afield article in this issue. The photos of perched owls presented in the Editor’s article were taken late Tuesday afternoon in waning sunlight and after sunset, while the photos shared in this article were taken during early afternoon Friday in full sunlight.
As the owl leveled its balance point it continued to look in Paul’s direction for another fraction of a second. The ultra-fast shutter speed stopped all motion and showed details of the owl’s plumage, including the facial disc that surrounds its eyes and directs sound to its ears (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
The most important takeaway was how the sunlight made such a difference in the sharpness, colors, and definition of the birds in flight photos and when perched. There was a real standout series of photos that I share here that was taken as one of the owls flew toward my position as it hunted along the slope of a sunny hillside. The first photo shows it approaching with its head down, watching and listening for rodent movements; then it raised its head and looked my way at just the right time while slowly flapping its wings down and up.
Short-eared Owls can be quite endearing, especially when you have a chance to spend time in their company as they rest or hunt from a low perch. They seem to have a friendly nature and they are quite cute, but these are fairly anthropomorphic attributes and in reality these owls are first and foremost predators – pretty good predators considering the number of voles I saw them catch. Which brings up the other enjoyable thing about Short-ears: To have a chance to watch them during their low flights above the grasslands. They have very long wings that give Short-ears a unique look, and their flights make them look so buoyant and light-weight – almost “bouncy” at times.
As the owl raised its wings it refocused low and ahead while continuing its hunting flight (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
Without a moment’s notice these owls can turn as quickly as any bird can move, changing direction right or left, up or down, making 45-degree or 90-degree turns in a split second, only to resume their bouncy flight and circle while watching and listening for movements on the ground or snow, turning this way and that, even hovering for a moment. I find the Short-eared Owls’ flights to be especially pleasing to watch, but to be honest, the biggest payoff is getting some photographs that characterize the behaviors of Short-eared Owls during the coldest wind-chilled temperatures in the Northern Plains. Good Luck as we begin February birding activities – stay safe and be prepared for inclement weather while enjoying the birds around you.
