Spring storm, and first active raptor nest...

another one blew in last night. Dubbed a "bomb cyclone". Didn't hit as hard as  the last one, a few weeks back, but enough to throw Rosie's bday plans off-kilter...

Was out yesterday eve near the park, without binocs... Not much happening that I could see: mallards were hunkered down on Brewster's property, a flock of juncos (I think) skittered around, jumping from one set of brush to the next near the maintenance buildings.

But the day before... yes, the day before! --

I had 10minutes to kill before the soccer-mom pickup of kiddo post theater practice. Just so happens that Bear Creek greenway runs about a mile south of her school-- same greenway I bike to my own school. But biking by in the early a.m. late for my own classes leaves less time for birding.

This stretch of greenway is sometimes amazingly semi-barren of bird-life. A few things here and there, but... maybe it's just part of the the winter. I have seen an American Kestrel in there eating a meal (some rodent) on top of a post in the late afternoon light-- that was definitely cool. And my first and only Northern Shrike, back in January. And some water birds. And a cool, large beaver lodge and dammed up area. About 6-7 of those between my house and my turn-off near Federal for my school (near the Cowboy Hat park). Pretty great...

Anyways, today like I said I had about 10 minutes, which of course I was willing to stretch. So I moved from paved bike path to walking trail near Bear Creek and suddenly there was movement up and across the creek, south side. Pair of Cooper's Hawks, turns out. Good looking fellas: Grey backs and wings, white to rusty red flecked chest, nicely curved head, white butt. Bigger than the Kestrel for sure but definitely much smaller than most Red Tails I've seen this winter. Perfectly in-between, I guess. One of them was chowing down-- the female, I felt-- and the other was flying back and forth periodically. On his way back I saw his with twigs and he landed at his nest. Right on! Now I know exactly where it is. Aside from the Cormorants and pair of Great Blues on the Clear Creek Cormorant Island, this is the first active next I've seen this year. I think.