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BS: Birdwatching 2009
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Janie Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:19 PM Had a pine warbler today that kept visiting both the suet and the thistle feeder. Hadn't seen one of them here before. Had another bird at the thistle feeder that I still haven't keyed out. Black and white striped. Small. I was headed to the feeder to fill it, and the thing didn't fly until I was within 3 feet. (Neither did a couple of goldfinches.) The closest thing I can find in my field guide is a black-and-white warbler. I doubt it was - this is awfully far north for them to be this time of year, and the Cornell bird site indicates they are primarily carnivores. The bluebirds were on the feeders today also, which I haven't observed before. It could be the exceptionally cold weather of the past couple of days has brought birds to the feeders that don't usually visit them. Alternately, it is rare that I am home during the day, even on weekends. Mayhap they just don't visit the feeders in the early mornings when I am usually here to observe, but are frequent afternoon visiters. Upthread I said I had red-headed woodpeckers when I meant to say downy woodpeckers. Watched a real dust-up between the woodpeckers and a white-breasted nuthatch today. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:34 PM Didn't read the thread... sorry. Just had to post this. Yesterday, I saw sommat I have never seen. Anybody else ever see a flock of Chickadees that numbered over a hundred? I have been around these wonderfully entertaining birds all my life, but never any more than a few dozen in a flock, if even close to that! I was amazed, and entertained to no end. Never seen such a flock! It was obvious that the flock was "divided". Some groups were moving alternate ways from other groups while feeding, but they were a flock... were they? Maybe it was a few flocks that happened to meet? Anyone see such a flock? Was it just a family reunion? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Janie Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:40 PM Gnu, Never! Ever! Didja get pictures? Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Beer Date: 17 Jan 09 - 11:41 PM Yea Gnu! where is the picture. Your one hell of a story teller. I saw a flock of seagulls once eating all the worms when the farmer was plowing his fields. They just don't look proper inland. In all seriousness Gnu, that would have been a treat to see. I have never heard of such a thing. Short story. Last summer my son and his friend were fishing behind the house. I went to see how they were doing and squatted about 10 feet from them. They were both sitting on a log and casting out in the river. I noticed that they both had what looked like sawdust on their shoulders. Not much but enough to be noticed. I looked up and saw this Chickadee going into a small hole in a branch about 4 feet from where they were sitting and coming out and dropping a speck of wood on them. I pointed it out to them then asked them to move away. The bird then started to do the same thing to me. I guess the message it was trying to tell us was to get the hell away from my nesting area. It was fun to watch. Adrien |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST,hg Date: 18 Jan 09 - 12:44 AM Black and white warbler, Janie. They're cool to see...harpgirl |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Jan 09 - 01:04 AM There are six national wildlife refuges in a two-county area north of Sacramento, a major stop on the Pacific Flyway. I took my wife birdwatching there today, and it was a perfect experience. This Google image search will give you an idea of what we saw, thousands and thousands of birds - snow geese, white-fronted geese, pintails, cinnamon teals, mallards, redwing blackbirds, coots, lots of redtail hawks, and two great horned owls. With my binoculars, I looked across the water toward the Sutter Buttes, and the sky was completely full of geese. We saw the two owls just at sunset - one in a tree, and one flying past right in front of us. Reminds me how nice it is to live in California. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 18 Jan 09 - 06:54 AM Pics? No, I didn't. I don't think pics of that many Chickadees would turn out, unless you could get the wee ones to line up and smile. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: maeve Date: 18 Jan 09 - 07:24 AM Regarding gulls inland- Adrien, we watch for the earthworm-hunting gulls that fly the 13 miles inland to our farm, because that tells us how severe the storms are offshore. And gnu- The 'Dees we watch here tend to roam about in shifting bands of chickadees, nuthatches, brown creepers, and titmice (occasionally kinglets). The 'Dee flocklets gather together at times, and thus the enormous numbers you mention. Having said that, birders here in Maine are seeing many more this year than usual. Guess it's the Year of the Chickadee in our part of the world from NB to NH. maeve |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: VirginiaTam Date: 18 Jan 09 - 07:46 AM We joined the RSPB last autumn. Sometimes go to Hanningfield Reservoir and (don't laugh) Fingeringhoe Wick to look at the burdies, though not on the enthusiast's level. No bird watching to speak of this year yet. There was a very pretty young asian woman in colorful sari hanging laundry in the back garden of our flats once. Does that count? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Bobert Date: 18 Jan 09 - 08:14 AM The best thing you can do about the cats is position your feeders in a manner where they are open... If they are next to a bushy shrub this gives kitty a big advantage 'cause the birds won't see kitty... I have ours mounted on a power pole.... It is up about 12 feet off the ground and hangs from an old sign bracket from nylon rope that goes tru pulleys so I can lower it tio fil it... The power pole doesn't have much around it and we have four kitties which are good hunters and, yeah, sniff, they do gst a bird now and then but not often 'cause the birds can see them... I wish I could say that we had spotted soemthing unusual but we haven't... But we do have alot of birds... Like hundreds that either live here on the farm all year 'round or are seasonal... Right now we have nuthatches, chicodees, finches, red bellied woodpeckers, junkos, bluebirds, wrens, a few robins (1st year fir them in the winter, a pair of cardinals, crows and hawks... Not much else??? B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Janie Date: 18 Jan 09 - 09:45 AM Hi hg! Good to know you are still around. After looking at many, many images, I think the bird was the very common female house finch whose coloration was a bit darker and toward the black/gray spectrum than most around these parts. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Liz the Squeak Date: 18 Jan 09 - 10:33 AM My neighbours over the (new) back fence are also cat owners but have developed a nifty way of getting feeders out of kitty reach. They have a washing pole which has a pulley attached, at a height of about 15ft. Through this is threaded some washing line, which is attached to a clever feeder arrangment. A clear 'pipe' feeder with little perches and holes at the bottom is attached to a bracket which in turn is attached to a plank of wood. The whole contraption is lowered and raised with the washing line which is secured on the cleat at the bottom of the pole - as it would have been had it still been a washing line. The feeder is prevented from swinging around or blowing in the wind by two large U bolts top and bottom of the plank which go around the pole. The contraption slides up and down the pole easily, doesn't swing around in the wind and has a little shelf at the bottom for a pot that catches rainwater. There are a couple of suet fat balls hanging off the sides and it rests about 12ft above ground and a good 6ft farther up than any kitty, even sitting on the shed roof can manage. The pole is slender and metal so the kitties cannot climb it, and it's just far enough away from the trees that the branches will not support a cats' weight. I'll try and get a photograph of it and put it on Flickr with a link.. it's an ingenious thing, thought up by my neighbours' granddaughter! I'm insanely jealous of it as we don't have a washing pole. I may adapt it to run up the back of the house but that will take some thinking and a very long ladder. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST,Jim Martin Date: 18 Jan 09 - 10:10 PM Sounds like there's a good marketing opportunity for somebody here! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine Date: 19 Jan 09 - 06:44 AM Been a really good week, with redwings and a fieldfare joining our regular blackbirds, and a very approachable goldcrest. I might just start a year list, for home/ garden. But do you count birds flying over? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Janie Date: 19 Jan 09 - 08:12 AM Adding a brown creeper and a red-bellied woodpecker to the list. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: maeve Date: 21 Jan 09 - 06:48 PM "Fly, little brother!" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Raptor Date: 23 Jan 09 - 07:38 PM Count all birds Seen or heard from home Including those that fly over. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Janie Date: 23 Jan 09 - 08:08 PM Still trying to key out the bird that I thought was a black-and-white warbler, then thought was an unusally dark female house finch. It came to the window feeder a couple of times during the few days of really cold and snowy weather we had. Small, slender bird. Long, thin, slightly curved, black beak. buff-to-yellow rump patches visible when it takes flight. No yellow on wings that I could see. Too far north to be a black-and-white warbler. Possibly a yellow-rumped warbler. Haven't seen it since the weather warmed up and the snow melted. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Ferrara Date: 23 Jan 09 - 11:06 PM We're in Silver Spring, Maryland, about 15 minutes from Washington, DC. Birds seen so far this year: Northern Cardinals Carolina Chickadees Tufted Titmice White Breasted Nuthatches English Sparrows Song Sparrows White Throated Sparrows Northern Juncos Mourning Doves Carolina Wrens Downy Woodpeckers Hairy (and Hairy-ette) Woodpeckers Red Bellied Woodpeckers American Crows American Goldfinches Pine Siskins (first time I've ever seen them here) Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, on the suet feeder Janie, congrats on seeing all those bald eagles. ragdall, thank you very much for the photo link. Nice pics! I enjoy this bird count. I spend a lot of my day, actually, peeking out at the feeders to see if there's anything either newsworthy (like the pine siskins) or just photoworthy. Sadly, the photos would turn out a whole lot better if I'd clean the thrown suet off the windows! Our feeders are all very close to the house which probably puts off a few birds but we still enjoy a nice variety. Janie I especially envy you the bluebirds. We get all kinds of migrants that like wooded yards, but I've never seen a bluebird here. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 24 Jan 09 - 05:33 AM Doing the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. 16 species in an hour over breakfast today. RtS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: ragdall Date: 24 Jan 09 - 05:45 AM Adding: European Starling American Tree Sparrow Hairy Woodpecker to my previous list: Black-capped Chickadee Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow House Sparrow Common Redpoll House Finch Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker (Yellow shafted) Northern Flicker (Red shafted) Crow Pine Grosbeak Bohemian Waxwing rags |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST,Jim Martin Date: 24 Jan 09 - 06:09 AM http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST,Jim Martin Date: 24 Jan 09 - 06:14 AM and the Irish equivalent: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/News/15thAnnualGardenBirdSurveynowunderway/tabid/578/Default.aspx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Clifton53 Date: 24 Jan 09 - 10:27 AM I always look out my upstairs window in back of the house, the other day I saw a movement in the neighbor's yard but it was behind some shrubs and fence etc, but a red-tailed hawk was chowing down on something, probably one of my neighbor's pigeons. Mid-morning, clear and cold, residential area, like he owned the joint.Then he rested up in the elm for a half-hour. Along with the usual gang of Canadian geese, a huge flock of brants has taken up along the bayfront near me. Noisier even than the geese and twice as messy on the walking paths at the waterfront park. Last year they seemed to stay in the water. But now they cover the playing fields and paths too. We have to avoid stretches of the path that are too fouled to walk on |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Ferrara Date: 24 Jan 09 - 12:36 PM Well today I can add blue jays to my list. There were 3 of them in a bush in the yard. My son noticed them. Then he noticed the little fox that was taking a nap under the bush! It stayed for about half an hour. We live in a suburban area, a block from a major intersection, but with a creek and a park about a mile away. I'm wondering why we're seeing so much more winter wildlife than usual. We have two young raccoons in our attic, too.... UGH. I have to have a medical procedure Monday but ... Soon as it's done we are going to put raccoon trapping at the top of our priority list. They are probably siblings and I'm hoping they can be released together some place far far away from here. Then we'll have the problem of cleanup which is a much bigger challenge. (I think. I'm hoping raccoons will be tempted to get into a humane trap if it's baited with hot dogs or bacon. We're probably going to have to get professional help with this....) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST, heric Date: 24 Jan 09 - 01:50 PM I FINALLY got to taste a Eurasian / American Wigeon cross, with basil and ginger . . oops wrong thread sorry. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Ferrara Date: 29 Jan 09 - 03:11 PM We had a mockingbird on the suet feeder today. I've heard blue jays a few more times and the ruby-throated kinglet is still coming around. Here's my list so far (for my own convenience I prefer to keep the whole list in one place.) We ran out of sunflower seeds due to the greed of the squirrels. A male cardinal is trying to hang from the suet feeder. Good luck to him! His feet aren't made for that.... Northern Cardinals Carolina Chickadees Tufted Titmice White Breasted Nuthatches English Sparrows Song Sparrows White Throated Sparrows Northern Juncos Mourning Doves Carolina Wrens Downy Woodpeckers Hairy (and Hairy-ette) Woodpeckers Red Bellied Woodpeckers American Crows American Goldfinches Pine Siskins (first time I've ever seen them here) Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, on the suet feeder Blue Jays Northern Mockingbird |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 29 Jan 09 - 03:40 PM The Cedar Waxwings are back in the apple tree, for a few weeks, but not like last winter. Now, they are only a small flock. Of course, last year, it was mid-February before they were there en masse - about 200 strong. Hmmmm.... last year, we saw the lone robin first on Feb 16 but one has been there for the past few weeks.... suppose the robin and the waxwings are forward scouts from recon-div? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Beer Date: 29 Jan 09 - 05:22 PM Just got an e-mail informing me of the Great Backyard Bird Count coming up in Feb. 2009. Here is the information if you are interested in taking part. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 30 Jan 09 - 06:53 AM Not a word of lie..... not one word... At about 5AM, I was making tea. Pine cones were falling out of a tree at the edge of my backyard and landing on the frozen snow. It was -12C. What? Noooo. No way. Squirrel? I strained my eyes and scanned the tree, backlit by a light on the apartment building behind it. Couldn't see anything. I was just getting a cup of tea, 7:25AM, and I looked at the "pine cones" in the still dim morning light. Looked funny. Binoculars. Buns... about 50 in all. Mostly under one pine. Stored in the tree(s) by crows, jays...??? And, what the heck was throwing them all from the tree at 5AM (no wind)???? I am curious! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: maeve Date: 30 Jan 09 - 06:59 AM How funny, gnu. Keep watching them sneaky critters. I need to know whether I have to worry about bun-throwers in our pines, too! maeve |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 30 Jan 09 - 08:31 AM Case solved. After I ran some errands, I investigated. I went to the edge of the snow-cleared area of my patio and there it was, behind the garage... a foam plate stacked with buns and bread on top of a snow mound. I circled Mum's house and walked down the sidewalk that runs next to her house and connects to a dead end street. Along the rear of the fence, human tracks. Someone was out at 5AM, in -12C cold, trudged through knee deep and crusty snow, and threw buns all over the arse end of my backyard. I'd guess about 100 buns. I just hope they don't keep doing it... there is gonna be a whack seagulls out there when they spot the stuff. And seagulls don't just squawk. Who? And why? And why not in their own yard? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: maeve Date: 30 Jan 09 - 10:19 AM Strikes me as rather bazaar, gnu. I'm glad you solved that part of the mystery. Bird sanctuary people say that sort of food is not good for wildlings. Who would throw old bread in someone else's yard? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 30 Jan 09 - 10:48 AM Who indeed, Maeve... the thought plickens. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: MartinRyan Date: 30 Jan 09 - 12:01 PM Quiet start to the bird year here, a few miles from Kinvara in the West of Ireland. I don't put out food - so I just see what the wind blows in, which totals about 18 so far, with nothing special. Things will pick up in spring.... Regards |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 30 Jan 09 - 01:37 PM Mum reminded me who might have been the bunner... there's an elderly lad on that dead end street who ain't all there. Last summer, Mum saw him putting "something" near the corner of her fence and asked me to investigate. It was a fair bit of Chinese food. Now, it's even stranger... there are still a LOT of buns and bread out there. Why aren't the seagulls and crows and pigions and such eating them? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Raptor Date: 31 Jan 09 - 09:03 AM Bread is about the worst thing to feed gulls/birds/ or anything. NO nutricinal value at all and it makes them fell full but weakens them. And discurages migration making them lazy.Sometimes people put them out soaked in antifreeze to cul the wildlife. I'd talk to this person if I were you. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: EBarnacle Date: 31 Jan 09 - 10:08 AM Yesterday I saw an owl near Morristown and a flock of wild turkeys less than a mile from the house. This is the second time I have seen turkeys in our neighborhood. I get the feeling that the wild is adapting and reclaiming its turf. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 31 Jan 09 - 10:47 AM Raptor... didn't even know s/he was there as it was 5AM and s/he was behind my garage. I thought they were pine cones. I do try to feed certain birds scrap suet and the like. My neighbour has MANY feeders out. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Janie Date: 31 Jan 09 - 01:31 PM And in my neck of the woods, bread crumbs guarantee a starling invasion. Ugh! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: gnu Date: 31 Jan 09 - 02:14 PM Even the Starlings won't eat this stuff... ???? Maybe I should try to get some and smell it?... like Raptor said, maybe someone did lace it?? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Arkie Date: 31 Jan 09 - 06:35 PM Its sunset, so not likely to add to the list today. Here is my January feathered visitation in north central Arkansas, USA. American Goldfinch Blue Jay Cardinal Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Chipping Sparrow Crow Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird House Finch House Sparrow Junco Mockingbird Mourning Dove Pine Siskin Pine Warbler Purple Finch Red Bellied Woodpecker Robin Starling Tufted Titmouse White Breasted Nuthatch White Throated Sparrow Yellow Breasted Sapsucker |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Joybell Date: 31 Jan 09 - 07:21 PM I enjoy coming here. All of your birds seem so exotic. Three bird observations. 1. Three very young New Holland Honeyeaters swinging on the long-handled brush I use to clean the bird baths. It hangs in a tree by the bird bathing area. They were probing the bristles for honey. I suppose it does look like the blooms on the Callistemons (Bottle-brushes). These Honey-eaters don't mind about flower colour too much, although they prefer the red flowers. 2. Several different species of bird perched around the rim of a water bowl trying to survive the heat. Usually there's a definite order to use of the water bowls, with squabbles if someone uses them out of turn. Our Willie-wagtails were shoulder to shoulder with Blackbirds and Thornbills. They just hate each other. 3. One of my now wild Magpie orphans -- Lenny -- mastered the pulling-off of the cover on their food bowl in three days. The bowl has a clear plastic cover with a string attached to the top. Pull the string and the food is available to the Magpies and not the earlier arrivals like Sparrows. Here are the stages: Day One -- Stand and stare at the food under the cover and scream for help. Day Two -- Repeat Day One. Stand ON TOP of the cover while pulling the string between the feet. Fall off and scream for help. Day Three -- Repeat Days One and Two. Stand to one side and pull string. Drop cover neatly on ground. Throw head back and sing wildly. Eat food. Lenny is a clown. We love him a lot. The others just wait for him to remove the cover. They think he's God. Cheers, Joy |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Newport Boy Date: 01 Feb 09 - 09:37 AM UK, about 12 miles north of Bristol and 3 miles from the Severn estuary. For January - in the garden: Blackbird Song Thrush House Sparrow Dunnock Great Tit Greenfinch Chaffinch Goldfinch (unusual this time of year) Wood Pigeon Collared Dove Magpie (always 2) Crow (usually 2, but sometimes 4) Robin Wren In the field behind or the orchard opposite: Fieldfare (it must be cold - they've usually moved on by now) Starlings Gulls (type uncertain) Buzzard (just the one, feeding every day on earthworms) Grey Heron The birdwatching in the orchard took a back seat last week while we used the binoculars to watch 2 foxes mating - for over half an hour! Phil |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Raptor Date: 01 Feb 09 - 04:55 PM January List: American Goldfinch Black capped Chickadee Dark eyed Junco Pine Siskin Hairy Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Blue Jay Nothern Cardinal Red Breasted Nuthatch American Crow European Starling American Tree Sparrow Common Redpoll Sharp Shinned Hawk 16 spiecies Raptor |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Jeri Date: 01 Feb 09 - 05:21 PM Dark eyed Junco Tufted titmouse Black Capped Chickadee Cardinal Hairy woodpecker Mourning dove Goldfinch American Robin Blue Jay White Breasted Nuthatch Crow That's it for me so far. I always have had a flock of House Sparrows hitting the feeder daily. This year, I haven't seen any. (There were a few in December.) I don't know where they've gone, but the Juncos have replaced them as most prevalent feeder frequenter. I saw a Bald Eagle a couple weeks ago, but I was a bit over 10 miles away from home. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: Joybell Date: 01 Feb 09 - 09:44 PM They've migrated to Western Victoria, Jeri along with hundreds of their friends. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: GUEST,Martin Harwood Date: 02 Feb 09 - 03:23 AM Here's my list for January. Small garden with big views in Sheffield, Yorkshire House Sparrow Dunnock Great tit blue tit coal tit long tailed tit chaffinch bull finch wren starling blackbird song thrush robin magpie carrion crow wood pigeon collared dove herring gull black headed gull tawny owl (heard not seen) sparrowhawk buzzard This is my favourite mudcat thread, happy birding folks! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 02 Feb 09 - 07:15 AM Driving snow outside. Put out some food for them - it's great birdwatching weather as they all mill around to grab some. More important, it give the poor creatures something to eat. (And water too of course.) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009 From: maeve Date: 02 Feb 09 - 07:19 AM January's list, 29 species, small farm in Midcoast Maine, USA Wild turkeys 60+ American robins Ravens Crows Black-capped chickadees- more than ever before Tufted titmouse Downy woodpeckers Hairy woodpeckers Bald eagles Sharp-shinned hawk Dark-eyed juncos Brown creepers American goldfinches Mourning doves Blue jays Cardinal, male and female White-throated sparrows Fox sparrows White-throated Chipping sparrows Great horned owls Barred owls Long earred owls Saw-whet owl- male Unidentified hawk Canada geese red-breasted nuthatch common (white-breasted) nuthatch starlings maeve |
