I went to check out the pond situation again today. I got down to Easton's Pond only to find it was still mostly frozen over and only offering Gulls for bird watching activity. But while I was there my friend Matt showed up and said the entire upper end of Green End Pond was open and populated, so off I went. And he was right, it was populated. My count was (aside from the ubiquitous Canada Geese): 5 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 Canvasback Ducks, 3 Hooded Mergansers, and 2 Red-tailed Hawks cruising overhead.
These Mallards were hanging out by the drainage moat around Easton's Pond; I passed them on my way to Green End Pond.
A Hooded Merganser drake off Green End Ave. on the upper end of Green End Pond.
A Hooded Merganser hen off Green End Ave. on the upper end of Green End Pond.
I found this poor fella by the Gateway Center in the heart of the tourist district in Newport. Matt had told me about this. This is a Cooper's Hawk, and he's lying dead under some pine trees out in back of the bus station. He's dead because there's a Great Horned Owl living in those pine trees who has been chasing off, and sometimes killing, any other raptors who come into its territory. Matt said he also found a dead Short Eared Owl nearby. I need to go down there at night and see if I can get a view of the big bad boy who's taking on all comers!© 2010 by A. Roy Hilbinger
Even In Death Is Beauty.Watch Out For The Big Bad Boy,Roy!
ReplyDeleteYes! Do watch for that one! Not often I see a hawk done in...! Likin' the Mallards and I've only seen the Hooded Merganser in zoos ( which should tell you I don't about much these days...er... )
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a gorgeous shot of the mallards, Roy. Hope you get a picture of the that bad boy owl.
ReplyDelete...ohhhh...I hope you can get a glimpse of the owl. Such a hard bird to find. I guess he didn't even bother to eat him....just defending his nesting territory. I love all the color showing up in the mallard photo...
ReplyDeleteLove the snuggle ducks they look like they're smiling. Goodness knows why in all that cold. Poor hawk. At least he wasn't the victim of a beebee gun.
ReplyDeletethat is pretty remarkable about that owl.... not into co-existence
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos, as always....love the blue on the mallards w/ the snowy backdrop
That first photo is absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of the mallards. Just beautiful!
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