Two with Nothing to Show

Sometimes with the cold weather I find it hard to 'want to bird'....Let's see, spring is how many days away? Not that it will be toasty warm but perhaps I will see a bird or two!

Sunday the 17th of January....Forsythe. Nada....nothing...no birds. Okay, well some Canada Geese, Mallards, some Black Ducks but really not much. Of course Wildlife Drive was closed past the first tower and yes it was cold, but I was simply amazed that I saw no little birds. Nothing on the side of the road, no yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees to Gull Tower, nothing on Leeds trail. It felt like I was the last person standing on earth. Admittedly I saw a person or two but the utter lack of birds was amazing. But, I did get out and got some fresh air, so a win there.

Wednesday the 18th....Jake's Landing. I heard about a Sedge Wren being down there and while the odds were against me that I would be able to find the Wren amongst the reeds, I tried. But, no wren and yet plenty of wet, tall grass where it might have been. This little guy can be 3"....half the size of the Marsh Wren so just to see this secretive bird is a win. No such luck, no winner today. 

But what I did see were Northern Harriers/ Marsh Hawks.....many of them as they crept over the reeds. One of them took on a Red-tail which was perched in an Osprey nest. The Harrier would come up from behind and just swish over the Red Tail. The Red-tail didn't even bother to give it a second look. It just remained perched, no flinching. I wonder why the Harrier was doing this as usually any attack is from the Red-tails point of view. What was the Harriers intent? One will never know, as I forgot to ask it.