Here are some For the Birds column starts with links to the complete versions.
Visit www.thehour.com/sports/outdoors/ for more columns.
Everyone’s got a top 10 list these days. David Letterman is only the tip of the iceberg.
Top 10 cities for young professionals under six feet tall. Top 10 breakfast places in Kansas. Top 10 purple dresses to wear in May.
The birding world is not immune to top 10 lists. Heck, even I do an annual top 10 birding highlights of the year column every January. Personally, I love top 10 lists. I’m attracted to top 10 headlines like a moose is drawn to a salt lick.
For the rest of the column, click here: http://www.thehour.com/sports/outdoor/for-the-birds-ways-to-help-the-birds/article_0b6333c0-d9bf-5b2e-9856-15b18bf2ffb1.html
My top birding experience (actually two top experiences) of 2014 occurred in mid to late December just before the ice covered Spofford Lake. On two occasions I witnessed to mature Bald Eagles working together to drown a duck. I had seen this once before about 15 years ago. After seeing this the first time I looked up Bald Eagles in the encyclopedia, yes it was that long ago and I’m old, and it mentioned this form of hunting
The two eagles take turns diving at the duck. The duck dives to avoid be grabbed by the sharp talons, as soon as he comes up for air the second eagle dives at it and forces it to dive again. Eventually, the duck becomes exhausted and the eagles are able to grab it.
Unfortunately I was unable to video this but it was remarkable to watch.
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Thanks for writing, Jay. Sounds like a great day at the lake.
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Dear Mr. Bosak, I love your column and am looking for a place where I can identify my local birds. I am limited in my mobility and am disabled.I have several feeders and am seeing many friends this year that I am unable to identify. Can you assist me? I’m in southern New Hampshire,Thank you so much.
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Hello and thanks for writing. You can try some of the online field guides, such as http://www.allaboutbirds.org. Or please feel free to send me an email and describe the bird(s). I’ll do my best to help you out. You can email me at bozclark@earthlink.net
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Hi Chris. On my daily walk at Calf Pasture Beach, I was approaching Shady Beach and I heard a lot of squawking in a tree. As I got nearer, the tree was filled with birds. All of a sudden a few birds took off over my head and saw they were a greenish color. I knew right away they were wild parrots. I had friends living in the Lordship section of Stratford and had seen them and their nests there. There must have been at least 50 in the tree at Shady Beach. I didn’t know if you were aware of them in Norwalk. Jerry Blore
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Thanks for writing Jerry. I haven’t seen them in a while but i’ve seen the Monk Parakeets at Calf before. I know they don’t belong here, but they are pretty neat to see. Of course I don’t have to live by them either.
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