I embarked on a second journey to chase the Tri. Lots of eBirders are still reporting on him. I vowed not to leave until I saw him – even if it meant working late tonight to make up for it.
I arrived in the Hazard Marsh @6:45am. I watched the Osprey for a bit, then took a drive around the loop.
I was rewarded about a lovely close encounter with a Cooper’s Hawk in a tree on the side of the road. We appraised each other for about 5 minutes, then the Hawk moved on and so did I.
Back at the Marsh there was another birder parked there and a third soon arrived. But no birds as yet. After about 10 minutes, I spotted a bird in the reeds on the other side or the marsh. I couldn’t quite tell from my bins what it was – but it looked Heron like.
Both of the other birders had lenses that look bigger than mine, so I pointed it out to them.
Great Blue Heron – beautiful bird, but not the target.
It’s chilly so I go back in the car, still scanning with the bins, when I spot another bird some 50 feet away from the Heron. Again, I point it out to my fellow birders with the big lenses and one declares it is another GBH.
But it looks smaller.
A few minutes later I spot a bird that looks like it could be an eagle (or an osprey) perched on top of a tree – again a little to far for me to be sure. One of the birders takes a photo and tells me it is an Osprey.
The he tells me – I have great eyes.
He wasn’t complementing my baby blues.
He was telling me I am a good birder.
And today I feel like a good birder!
(To Be Continued)
Comments