Fun Finds on a Dreary Day!

A 'Murder" of American Crows alerted us to the presence of a Great Horned Owl on Monday. The Owl is visible in the centre of the photo. The body shape is noticeably different from the surrounding crows. Great Horned Owls are considered to be one of the most dangerous predators of crows.

The Great Horned Owl intermittently landed in trees between the crow chases. Once it was close enough for a distant photograph. The Crows were relentless in their quest to move the owl out of their territory. Crows are known to harass an owl for hours.

A Red phase Eastern Screech Owl was watching me with one open eye in a tree cavity.

I heard the tapping of a Downy Woodpecker and it took a bit to find the location as it was inside a tree. Woodpeckers will excavate holes in the autumn to find food and to make their winter shelters.

Downy Woodpecker checking out the cavity.

Video: Downy Woodpecker excavating a hole on Nov. 25th.

Male and female Hooded Mergansers.

Although not all visible in the photo, over 30 Hooded Mergansers were resting in Lake Chipican this week. Hooded Mergansers are the second-smallest of the six living species of mergansers. (Only the Smew of Eurasia is smaller.)

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/overview

Praying Mantis Egg case which will hatch dozens of tiny mantis’ next spring.