BS: Birdwatching 2009

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: bubblyrat
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 10:43 AM

My favourite bird is the Striated Kara-Kara---However,I concede that a sighting in rural Buckinghamshire is,probably,unlikely.By way of compensation,however, I did espy an unusual birdie on the roof of my partner's garden shed in Marlow Bottom yesterday. "Look !" I exclaimed excitedly, " A hawk of some sort !"
    "It's a Wood Pigeon,you plonker!" she retorted.
"Wood Pigeons haven't got talons,long tails,and curved beaks",I riposted.
So she went and got her digi camera,and got off three good shots before it Foxtrotted Oscar, and then put them up on the computer screen.
         Even SHE had to admit that it was, in fact,a Goshawk.
Not really Karen's thing,birds.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: ard mhacha
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 08:27 AM

Jim Martin, I had phone call this morning from the Oxford Island Nature Reserve the caller told me it was a definite one-off sighting for Lurgan Park Lake, he has no record of any in his area the southern shore of Lough Neagh.
That is one time the camera came in handy.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: raredance
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 12:02 AM

Last week a Cooper's hawk sat in a gray dogwood in my back yard for over 30 minutes in the morning. There were no little birds at the feeders all day.

Today, the common redpolls descended. Have had a few around since January, but today there must have been 75-100 in and around the yard pretty much displacing the 20-30 pine siskins that have been regulars. Could be getting ready to head back north.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 11:55 PM

I saw the first skunk roadkill tonight while returning from a Cindy Kallet house concert.

Having declared it "Spring" here in midcoast Maine, I must point out that our temps have been very low still. Today was as warm as 50F, but it was -6 F just a night or so ago, and the ring around the moon tonight suggests more snow and cold to come. The ice is still smashing bones, snow is still 3-4 feet deep against the house and 'most everywhere I look and yet... skunks and birds say spring is trickling in.

The window of opportunity for our annual Audubon Owl Count has just begun and will close in mid-April. I wonder whooo we'll hear and see on our nighttime excursion.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 11:08 PM

Oh my, Ragdall!

Believe I'll plan on staying south.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: ragdall
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 10:13 PM

It may be spring in Maine and NB, but we're a long way from spring here in N. British Columbia.

I went out today with my camera to look for early Robins or Red-winged Blackbirds returning to the frozen North. The only birds I saw were European Starlings and Crows. It felt so very cold at -12º C (10º F) with the 28km/h (17 mph)wind that I lost all sensation in my fingers and wondered if they would ever recover.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 06:39 PM

Maeve heard spring songs in Maine. So did I, in New Brunswick.

If you are seeing birds gathering nesting materials, spring is on the way.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 06:29 PM

I've noticed hawks and crows flying around with nesting materials, but it seems a bit early for that for most birds around here. Guess I'll start leaving dryer out for them anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 03:57 PM

With the apples knocked out of the tree by ice and wind, then covered with snow and ice, and with the presence and persistance of a Sharp Shinned Hawk, not much activity these days. Pigions, crows and gulls and not much more.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: ragdall
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 05:11 AM

It's March and there are no new birds to add at home.

My "at home" list to date:
Black-capped Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Common Redpoll
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Yellow shafted)
Northern Flicker (Red shafted)
Bohemian Waxwing
European Starling
Hairy Woodpecker
Crow
Pine Grosbeak

Around Town list
add:
Bald Eagle
Great Gray Owl
Hawk Owl
Rock Dove
Mallard

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 04:09 AM

A couple of bright days here means my tits have been making merry in the garden. The feeder is set to 'constant swing' as they stock up on high energy seeds for mating rituals and nest building. Hopefully there is enough buddleia missing (snow brought down a big branch) to discourage them from nesting in it - it's too exposed now and I need to cut down more of it.

The robin is still trilling away so I suspect he's not found a mate yet. If he's not careful, he's going to end up with the ugly one.

The blackbirds have gone quiet but I see the fat pecker (I had no luck with the balls, they kept melting in the sun and falling off the string. I compromised with a plastic tray of beef fat and sunflower seeds) is being frequented and the sparrows are being noisy in my bay tree.

Alas, other than passing geese on their way to the lake in the park half a mile away, and black headed gulls in their summer plumage there have been no sightings of any different species. The perils of living in an urban area.

So; a tally reveals I have observed to date in 2009:

Great Tits
Blue Tits
Coal Tits
Sparrow
Blackbird
Robin
Pigeon (Rock dove and racing varieties)
Wood Pigeon (the brown and grey variety)
Magpie
Crow
Black Headed Gull
Grey Backed Gull

So far, the kitties have not eaten any birds (that I know of) but they've developed a new 'watching post' - a planter that is on the garden table because it was in the way of the fencing I was erecting and I never put back. They look so cute in it but it's doing my fuschia no favours at all.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 05:05 PM

Two days ago, I saw a Blue Jay singing spring songs. AND, I was taken aback. I have never heard a BJ "chortle" like a raven. Never, not once in all my years, but I did. It was one of those "Oh My!" moments. Really cool.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 03:02 PM

Yes, Adrien! Black capped chickadees singing their spring song for the 1st time this year, 10:16 AM our time. Spring spring, lovely spring!

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 12:39 PM

I'm real happy today. Gnu's birthday and I just heard and viewed a very large flock of Geese flying over.
Spring is in the air.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 07:34 AM

Welcome back, Ferrara.

I've been otherwise occupied lately. I did want to note that we've been seeing many red-breasted nuthatches lately. We're seeing 4 at a time, with others in the locust trees and bushes. They are cheeky little birds. Still a multitude of chickadees here. I keep hoping to see kinglets, a common flocking companion, but no sign of them so far.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: ard mhacha
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 07:23 AM

Jim Martin, I have enquired with our local `bird- watchers`, and they tell me they have never seen one. [Canada Goose] in the vicinity,the photograph was proof as I had two witnesses present when I took the photo.
I will get in touch with our local wild-bird centre at Lough Neagh, that will be Monday as they are off at the week-end.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 08:14 PM

Rita,

I'd never seen Pine Siskins here before either. I did a little reading and talked to the proprietor at the local Wild Bird Center. They apparently winter further south than usual when the food supply is low in their usual winter range. The bird guy said this was a bad year for conifer seeds in the north. According to the Cornell birding website, they may also stay and breed in what is usually their winter range if the food supply is good.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Ferrara
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:55 PM

I've been away from this thread too long. It took me about 30 minutes to catch up, because I was taking side trips to see bbc's Bullock's Oriole, telling Bill about Maeve's wonderful clean-up job on her garden, showing him Joybell's hilarious post about Lenny, etc. Such a wonderful thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Ferrara
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:54 PM

At least 3 new species, including two that I've never ID'd in our yard before. One was a Brown Creeper, the others are Black Capped Chickadees. Wouldn't even have ID'd them if I hadn't taken lots of photos. We usually get the Carolina Chickadees.

One day last week, Bill heard a big Thump on the living room window and ran in to see if any of the feeder birds was hurt. No feeder birds were in sight -- only a very grumpy-looking sharp shinned hawk, sitting on a branch a few feet from the window.

Oh, and lots of American Robins, forgot to mention them in my earlier posts. Ditto House Finches.

American Crows
American Goldfinches
Black-Capped Chickadees
Blue Jays
Brown Creeper
Cardinals
Carolina Chickadees
Carolina Wrens
Downy Woodpeckers
English Sparrows
Hairy (and Hairy-ette) Woodpeckers
House Finches
Juncos
Mourning Doves
Northern Mockingbird
Pine Siskins (first time I've ever seen them here)
Red Bellied Woodpeckers
Robins
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, on the suet feeder
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Song Sparrows
Tufted Titmice
White Breasted Nuthatches
White Throated Sparrows

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 07:45 AM

On my way to work most days this week I've seen barn owls flying at two different locations, just after sunrise. Not the same owl either, too far apart and sometimes seen on the same trip.
This is not connected with my un-identified dusk bird call earlier, these are about 40 miles away from there!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 06:36 AM

Ard macha - you need to ask Birdwatch Ireland, they have excellent monitoring resources, mainly volunteers.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 03:48 AM

Three long days at work mean I can take today off, it's bright and sunny, I can hear the birds from where I am at the front of the house but I only see them on my trips to the kitchen at the back of the house... and then it's usually just the feeder swinging...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 09:58 PM

**sigh**

During the weekdays right now, all I see are feeders empty of seed when I get up in the morning. I fill them before I leave for work, get home well after dark, and see them empty again come morning.

The days can't get longer fast enough for me.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: ard mhacha
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 04:41 PM

Got a nice photo of a Canada Goose on our large park lake, it was feeding with the Swans, it didn`t mingle with the large flock of Grey Lag geese, this is the first Canada Goose I have seen here.
Anyone in north-east Ireland ever spot one?, don`t know if they are common here.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 07:02 AM

Can't let this thread fall off the board.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 06:43 AM

Red kite, flying over the street at the back of our house. That makes 27 that I can recall so far this year.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 07:38 AM

Anyone got any ideas what could be making a call something like a golden plover, but a bit lower pitched, at dusk? Heard this last Saturday evening after sunset in the Lancashire pennines.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Newport Boy
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 05:22 AM

February was colder and quieter. Of the 19 species in January, two missing - no Goldfinch or Heron. But I had one Kestrel, making my total 20 (and I haven't counted the Kingfisher or Egrets).

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:32 PM

I'm in New Jersey. Tonight, I got close enough to identify the fact that it has a seed eater's beak. Still, no time for a real ID.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Jeri
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 05:55 PM

He's in the US. One year, I kept having to let birds out of an unused chimney via the cleaning door. I don't know, though. Maybe they CAN flap their way nearly straight up

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 05:50 PM

EBarnacle,

I think you are in the UK, so I wouldn't have any kind of clue.    Here in the SE USA, a bird spending the night in such a place would most likely be a wren.

I positively identified a Yellow-Rumped Warbler this afternoon on the suet feeder. I think there have been a few of them around all winter, but this is the first time one was close enough for long enough for me to make a certain ID.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 01:47 PM

Mention of birds who bug us reminds me that Lady Hillary and I have a visitor who spends his nights in our lamp outside the condo. Any time we get anywhere near, he takes off and the lighting conditions have not yet let us ID him.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 06:22 PM

I kept seeing this boring little pale olivey bird and it took me a couple years before I figured out it was a female indigo bunting. I'd seen the male and finally though to look for pictures of the female on the web, and there she was! The boy goldfinches have the teeniest hint of gold, so I guess spring must be around the corner.

And the sweet little feathered pigs are going through a feeder full in about a day and a half.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 06:13 PM

The rare Grey Dumpy Ash Piner? In winter plummage?

Don't that BUG ya? I have seen three in the past month that I can not ID. One bunch, I have NEVER seen before. And, by the time I get the camera ready, gone! Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:46 PM

I saw a bird in a tree yesterday that I can't find in my field guide. Grey on top with a white underneath, and it was fairly big and sort of dumpy with a longish, straight beak. It might have been the female of some species and the male might be brighter, but I don't know what the heck it was. Sitting on top of a smallish ash tree growing through a pine.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:22 PM

Only one additional species to add to my list for February -

Eastern Towhee

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 01:21 PM

Same here, Janie. I chucked some suet trimmings out and whistled for my buddy. Immediately, I heard a gull. I shut the door and came into the office, wishing I had waited for when my buddy was out back. Just as I sat down, I heard the scuffle and then there was an awful noise as two gulls fighting over a scrap in mid air connected... one with the telephone line and the other with the cable.

I jumped up to see if they were okay (gone) and spotted a Blue Jay heading for the pines with his prize. His lucky day.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 12:59 PM

We have bad weather coming, and the birds know it.   The yard is swarming with birds.

The goldfinches are molting.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 27 Feb 09 - 06:07 AM

Sounds like you've done what you can, Janie. Thanks for the update.
There are any number of wild bird ailments, and I haven't made a study of them. The cleanup and disinfection are important, and you've taken care of both.

We've never seen so many mourning doves and chickadees. The doves are cleaning up the millet from the bird seed mix we bought when black oil sunflower seed was sold out in our area. The chickadees are bouncing around from feeders to shrubs and trees, zinging around their almost-spring calls like thawed lightning.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 26 Feb 09 - 10:15 PM

The county extension service didn't seem too interested, which surprised me considering the number of poultry operations in the area. I e-mailed the local Audubon Society but have not had a response.

Other than that, all I could do was follow the advice on websites about disinfecting feeders and raking up the hulls under the feeders. I haven't seen the bird since Sunday, but I am not home to do any bird watching during the week.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 26 Feb 09 - 05:29 AM

Last week we enjoyed watching a sharp-shinned hawk perch in the locust trees in our front yard; diving five or more times in attempts to catch the cheeky chickadees with no success at all. The black-caps just laughed and ducked into the beauty bush, then back out to the feeders. When we last saw the hawk it was a streak heading for the raucous blue jays out back.

Janie, you're welcome. Were you able to get any more information about your sick bird?

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 07:42 AM

I heard a skylark yesterday but couldn't spot it. I wasn't expecting to hear one this early in the year.
This is about 1000' up in the Lancashire pennines and it certainly felt cold to me with the wind-chill factor, but there was no mistaking the song.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 03:32 PM

Good idea Maeve. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 02:54 PM

Janie, please call your local Cooperative Extention office or Audubon Society office. It's important to report such local disease outbreaks, and they can give you appropriate guidelines for dealing with it

maeve
.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 01:03 PM

Been cruising the web, and it looks like that bird may have Avian Pox. The websites all say I should take down the feeders and isinfect them, which I will do, but it also seems likely this bird will continue to recontaminate the feeders until it dies. I'm wondering if I sould take the feeders down altogether for a while.

Any thoughts?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 12:21 PM

There is an ill-looking male house finch hanging around that has a grayish tumor or growth on one side of his throat.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 12:15 AM

Saw a male cardinal in Summer colors as we were getting on the highway today. He was eating something on the ground. I hope he knows something we don't know.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 20 Feb 09 - 11:04 AM

As my Peterson's was in my car when it burned, I lost the only list I kept. Having been attempting to reconstruct this, I can only agree that a duplicate record is very useful.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Raptor
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 06:43 PM

Phil
I didn't mean to imply at all that you would cheat I misused the word I'm teribly sorry if I've offended.

Nor do we need to adhear to "rules" at all.

I started this thread a number of years ago because I thought that some of the fellow folks might enjoy keeping a "house list" as I have since I've lived at my house.

Most of the people I know that Bird(watch) keep several lists. A house list, A county list and thier year list. As well as thier life list.

For the House list we've always said that one should be able to see or hear the bird from thier own property.

David

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 02:47 PM

2 predated pigeons in car park at work.

Yuck!