Eight Snowy Owls

  This morning I set out to make a run at besting the Mason County daily record of 6 Snowy Owls that I set in December and was tied on Thursday by Tom Bagwell.  I started in the US-31 area where Tom found all of his owls within roughly a quarter mile of the highway.

   Between 9 AM and noon I found seven Snowies within a couple of miles of the US-31 corridor.  Below is a map of where the first 6 were located.

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   The seventh owl was found on a pile of tires in a yard on Tuttle Rd between Hansen and Decker.  As it sat motionless in the backyard of the residence a large Great Dane played in the front yard.

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   The eighth Snowy was found on the reservoir at my worksite.

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    As I was leaving my workplace a Bald Eagle flew near and provided a photo op.

Bobcat Cold Wait

   A call from Dave Dister early this afternoon had me running out the door before the conversation was over.  Dave found a sleeping Bobcat about 40' up in a tree, 200 feet east of Dennis Rd. in Victory Township.   My wife and I headed right out there to find the dozing cat with its backside pointed toward the road. 

   The cats that I've known personally can sleep 12 hours straight without a break(?), so I knew it might get pretty frustrating waiting for the big guy to present his better side.  We ended up spending about half an hour watching the Bobcat with just some slight repositioning but never showing its face or even more than one ear.  After a quick drive around the area we returned to find that it had stirred and was now facing the road with the muted sun illuminating its sleeping face.

   I was even able to get some shots of it with its sleepy eyes half open.

  Although other people have seen one at my worksite, this is the first live one that I've ever seen,

Greater White-fronted Geese at Ludington State Park

   Yesterday Benjamin and Levi Wilson (the future of Mason County birding), found three Greater White-fronted Geese among a flock of Canada Geese in the Big Sable River across from the office at Ludington State Park.

  Today the geese were in the same location on a rare sunny winter day in Mason County.

  Meanwhile in my yard the Sharp-shinned Hawk still visits daily and poses for photos when he's not eating someone.

  

Snow Angel of Death

    Late this morning the Sharp-shinned Hawk that has taken up residence in my neighborhood this winter,  continued its assault on the smaller birds at my feeders.  I saw it as it plunged to the ground with its next meal in its talons.  It was too close to get a photo with my large lens but after it/they flew off I went outside to see if any feathers from the victim were left behind to aid in its identification.  No feathers were found but hawk left quite an impression in the snow.

   The tail drag impression was a result of its braking maneuver when it landed.