Those blokes must have gotten pretty cold out there in the snow, holding that suet, Bob. Hope you gave those fellows coffee or hot chocolate or at least occasional breaks. Must have helped keep the squirrels away.


Dan

----- Original Message -----
From: "viper bob" <viper.bob at frontier.com>
To: "WA list" <tweeters at u. washington . edu >
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 10:42:49 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] More on varied thrush invasion with pictures

The heavy snow (10 inches in my yard) has brought varied thrushes to my feeder as well. Although I have suet blokes out they spent most of the time eating the seeds that had spilled out onto the snow. I never thought of them as seed eaters so I found this very intriguing. Despite the cold temperatures and constantly falling snow I set up my photo gear in a snow bank near the feeder, sat on a camp stool, covered myself with a waterproof parka and waited for them to make an appearance - which they did very shortly. There were three of them and they seemed not to be bothered by my presence and the clicking of my camera. After an hour or so my cold fingers and toes told me it was time to retreat back into the house. I have uploaded several of the images to my website in the "Thrushes Gallery" for anyone interested. I also have several images of the Boundary Bay snowy owls in the "Owls Gallery"
My website address is www . rlkimages . photoshelter .com

Also today, my wife called me all excited because she looked out the window to see a large hawk (probably a red-tail) standing on a mallard hen which it had just captured. The duck was still alive. I told her to get her point and shoot camera and grab a few shots through the window. Before she could do that the hawk spooked and both the hawk and duck flew off. The hawk chased the duck for a short distance and then abandoned it. WHY DOES THIS NOT HAPPEN WHEN I AM AT HOME? I have not known red-tailed hawks to go after something as big as a mallard. It must have been desperate for food with all of the rodents hidden under the deep snow.

Bob Kothenbeutel
Woodinville
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