Showing posts with label birdwatching gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birdwatching gifts. Show all posts
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Saw-whet Owl: Tiny, Fluffy, and Absolutely Ferocious
Saw-whet Owl: Smol Bird, Big Murder Energy
The Northern Saw-whet Owl looks like a stuffed animal...until you realize it’s a snow ninja. Only about 8 inches tall, it hunts mice with deadly precision, guided by insanely good hearing. (Seriously, they can hear a mouse under snow.) At night, they sit on low branches, staring at you with giant yellow eyes like tiny, judgmental librarians. Cute? Yes. Would they end you if you were mouse-sized? Also yes.
The Northern Saw-whet Owl may have been named for giving a call that sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whetting stone, but there is no consensus as to which of its several calls gave rise to the name.
The Northern Saw-whet Owl is one of the smallest owl species in North America, typically measuring around 7-8 inches in length,
roughly the size of a robin.
When threatened, these owls don't typically flee; instead, they elongate their bodies to blend in with tree branches and often bring one wing around to hide their legs and feet.
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Birdwatchers Spring - Best Time of the Year
Not only are birds in the middle of migration, finding a territory, finding a mate but also nesting and raising their young. They are in full color breeding plumage and singing their hearts out about it all.
My mother sparked my interest in birding when I was very young but as I get older I find my interest grows. It's perfect. Not only are you out in beautiful, restful, peaceful nature but you have a challenge ahead of you. Finding the elusive singer or the owner of that flash of color you just spotted. It calms and excites at the same time.
I was delighted to hear that birdwatching is gaining popularity. If you're the competitive type there are competitions to attend, journals to fill, and life lists to work on.
Birding has never been easier, thanks to the free Merlin Bird ID app, available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can also access the app through the All About Birds website. Just this past month alone
I've introduced 4 people to the app and help create 4 prospective birders.
The app offers various features to help you identify birds, including:
Sound ID: Identify birds by their calls and songs.
Photo ID: Identify birds from photos.
Explore Species: Discover bird species in your area or other locations.
Many times I heard a bird but if you couldn't see it how did you describe the sound? It was almost impossible. Then if it happened to be a plain brown bird like the Verry it was impossible. I've looked for over 30 years to find out what it was then walked into a forest and the bird was singing. I held up my phone, recorded the song and it immediately identified it. So thank you Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University for creating it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)