Barred Owl

A friend, Sheldon Gottlieb, sent me this. He noticed him land there through his kitchen window and then grabbed his camera and 400mm lens.  Of note he is a great photographer but usually shoots people and places. If that branch wasn't there this would be in a magazine!

New Year's in WV

We had a great time out there. The fresh snow was great although the roads during the storm inside and outside of RR were treacherous.

Yes, I see you.

A new batch of Amarone from the White Tail estate. Yum!

Latest Birding List from HH. Lots of great sightings despite the winter!

These sightings are from the RR Park and then up Sideling Mtn Trail.

River Ridge (WV) - Constant Run Rd., Morgan, US-WV
Jan 6, 2014 10:00 AM - 10:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
12 species (+1 other taxa)

Common Merganser  2
Bald Eagle  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
American Crow  3
Common Raven  1
Carolina/Black-capped Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  5
White-breasted Nuthatch  4
Winter Wren  1
American Goldfinch  1

Paw Paw at dawn 9.30.2013

Another cell phone shot but at least this one came out a lot better than the barred owl shot. This was leaving early to head back to Louisville en route from the Ridge to Paw Paw and an on the road back home. As always you can click on photos to enlarge them.

The "Natural History" Shot

Actual untouched photo-Can you see a barred owl on the branch???

Cropped photo that is lousy but shows the owl!

When I went with a pro photographer in a workshop in Yellowstone he said there are great shots and your natural history shots. There I took my first photo of a grizzly and it's a brown blur that is nearly unidentifiable but still important because it was my first shot of a grizzly bear. Today I got my first shot of a barred owl after hearing their calls over the years I had not ever seen one in the wild or taken a photo of one (or any owl). I only had my cell phone and it was dark under the tree canopy but it's my first barred owl successful shot!
Here is the original. See if you can find him. Unfortunately the cell phone camera does no justice as he was really only about 20 yards from me but looks like he is on another continent in the photo.

Harvest Moon (from driveway) 9/18/13

Wood stork (endangered)

Sandhill crane

Heron fishing

Osprey

Blue Crab

Snowy Egret

Unfortunately, we have not made it back in WV in a while. I'm going to post a few photos from a recent trip to FL instead and hope we visit in the next month!

2013-Year of the Fox

Linda C. was kind enough to send these photos from Pioneer of another fox. Thanks Linda!

Foxes at park in April

Howard Caulfield took these photos. Thanks for submitting them.
These little kits were seen at the park. There is another family living on Pioneer Trail too this year!

If you have other sightings or photos please send them to me or feel free to post!

Magnolia blossoming

Fox spotted on Moss Ln 5/27

....by one our RR residents.

I had seen a fox on the corner of Moss and Chipmunk Way last year. I think they like that section of woods.

Another bird list!

Ooops. I copy-pasted one of the lists twice. Here's the missing list (the longest one):

River Ridge (WV) - Constant Run Rd., Morgan, US-WV
May 16, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Light rain. A Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) was seen along the river.
41 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  7
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)  1
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  4
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  3
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  3
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  3
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  7
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  1
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)  1
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  6
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  3
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  7
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  6
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  18
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  2
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  5
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  4
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  6
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  4
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  8
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  7
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  14

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14133499

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Spring Bird lists in River Ridge

Jay Taylor and I compiled some River Ridge bird lists when he was here in mid-May. He posts regularly to ebird.com, and that explains why the lists are presented with the scientific names as well. (He wasn't showing off!!)

River Ridge (WV) - Sideling Mountain Trail Rd., Morgan, US-WV
May 14, 2013 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     With Helen Herlocker, from her porch.
12 species

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  3
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Palm Warbler (Western) (Setophaga palmarum palmarum)  1     Bird seen clearly
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14112129


River Ridge (WV) - Sideling Mountain Trail Rd., Morgan, US-WV
May 14, 2013 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     With Helen Herlocker, from her porch.
12 species

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  3
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Palm Warbler (Western) (Setophaga palmarum palmarum)  1     Bird seen clearly
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14112129


River Ridge (WV) - Sideling Mountain Trail Rd., Morgan, US-WV
May 17, 2013 1:00 PM
Protocol: Incidental
Comments:     With Helen Herlocker, from her porch.
22 species

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  3
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  2
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  3
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum)  2
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14146684

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Disney Wildlife

Azaleas