BS: Birdwatching Challenge

Subject: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 10:53 AM

Start today, Count Speices that you see at your house or yard. See how many you get in 2006. Only from your house or a 100 foot radius from your property. In 2003 I got 49, in 2004 I got 60, and last year I got 63. We can check in once a month to see how we're doing.
Who's in?

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: leftydee
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 11:00 AM

I'm in.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 12:36 PM

me too. Although its so windy here today I doubt I'll get off to a good start.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 01:29 PM

borrinnnngggggg....snarrrrrkkkkk

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 03:11 PM

well I wasn't looking but I saw my friendly robin + 4 hens

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: tarheel
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 03:26 PM

raptor...count us in...it's one of the terrific things that my wife peg,does each winter as we keep the feeders full for our fine feathered friends...it is a great hobby for anyone to keep from being bored with the winter dulldrums...peg enjoys it and it makes me happy seeing her thrilled each time she discovers a new species since last winter!
try it...you'll like it!
tar
btw,about 60 different ones last year,too!...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 03:38 PM

Last Spring I saw a goshawk in white phase!! Right there, sitting on the old satellite TV antenna mast! By the time I got the camera it was gone, dang it.

Saw three mockingbirds and a raven this morning, but nimby -- up in the hills.

Can I put out a feeder or two?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: leftydee
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:26 PM

I think the monthly check in should include our location, it may tell us a few things.

Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:29 PM

Here in Guam we generally only see one species of bird that close to the house, the wild chicken.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:31 PM

I'm in too!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:55 PM

Feeders will help your numbers greatly!

I'm at 11 species for today including a Horry Redpol. My first in 3 years.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:58 PM

Well, well, well...

Now this is my kinda contest...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 08:03 PM

Bobert hows the monster(Feeder system)?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 08:22 PM

Count me in. I look forward to seeing the count. I have three regular feeders out but only one is getting any activity. I also have a thistle feeder for goldfinches and any other finch is welcome. That gets a lot of company.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 08:25 PM

Just filled my feeders today (They needed scrubbed out real good and sterilized.) Happy New Year birds!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: TIA
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 11:36 PM

I'm in.
Nine on the first day of 2006.
Never kept any kind of list before, but this'll be fun.
Thanks Raptor.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: number 6
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 01:08 AM

23 pidgeons out and about on our street ... 4 seagulls hanging around the neigbours chimney keeping warm.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 09:00 AM

I'm in, as well, in Maine.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 12:26 PM

#6 we need to count species of gull not individuals!

If anyone has trouble IDing the birds check in here with the field marks and we'll help you.

Raptor

Good luck all!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Alba
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 12:31 PM

I'm in too Raptor.
Northern Maine. Maeve may be near me so it will be interesting to see if our species differ:>)
5 feeders here. 2 near House for larger species. 1 for finches and smaller birds. 2 near pond for shy birds. Great water Birds in the Spring and a lot of Prey Birds too.
Great Idea.
Best wishes to all
Jude

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 04:47 PM

Thanks Raptor. Count me in. Starting the count now. Can we include 100 feet up too? We have lots of low fly-over birds that live just beyond the 100 foot limit.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: lamarca
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 06:37 PM

I gave up bird feeders a couple years ago, as we started to get visitations from rats, stray cats and a very determined raccoon. I didn't mind feeding the squirrels as well as my birds, but the rest of the not-so-wildlife were too much.

Y'all might be interested in looking at Cornell Ornithology Lab's Project Feeder Watch. They are enlisting folks all over the country to submit their feeder bird lists. Visit their website here:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: KathWestra
Date: 02 Jan 06 - 10:08 PM

I'm in too. Maeve, where in Maine are you? And how about you, Alba? I'm in Rockland in the Midcoast area. Wish I could count the immature white-winged crossbill I saw in my side yard in early Dec.--a life bird for me, and beautiful! Today's list is mallards, crows, and chickadees. Others will follow, I'm sure, when I get my several feeders restocked. Kathy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 03 Jan 06 - 06:28 AM

Kathy- I'm in Whitefield. One of these days we'll meet!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 03 Jan 06 - 09:00 AM

As far as you can see from within 100 feet of your property. So if a bird flies over the house half a mile from yours but you're in your driveway and see it Count it!

Hearing birds also counts. As long as you know for certin that you are hearing one perticular species you can count it, Such as owls.You must be certin though.

Any other questions?

Thanks for the link Iamarca.
Try this one too

Bird Studies Canada
Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 Jan 06 - 11:39 AM

If you want to identify by voice in North America What Bird has sound files that are useful too.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Jan 06 - 03:59 PM

Anyone know what sort of bird has dark flight feathers with a pale, rich brown line along the top?

No idea what the rest of the plummage is, Raven the kitten had already eaten that bit.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Jan 06 - 07:40 PM

22 chickens and one fairy tern. Oops, the tern wasn't close to the house.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Grab
Date: 03 Jan 06 - 07:45 PM

Could be a (young) female blackbird. How big, roughly?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:34 AM

Sparrow sized.... it wasn't the right sort of brown for a blackbird, it was more golden.... and blood stained.

Can't decide whether we're feeding him too much (all that excess energy has to go somewhere) or not feeding him enough (so he needs to supplement his diet).... Still, he's only young yet.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: gnu
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:59 AM

Excellent links!! I'll have a go as well. Can I include the chicken and turkey in my freezer?

I can id ravens, seagulls, morning doves, starlings (late!!!), bluejays, chickedees and a pheasant from my office window. Not bad for a first quick glance. Do pidgeons count, too, or are they rats with wings?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 05:16 PM

Just when I thought I'd got over this sort of thing......

Having moved to a new house in the past year, I'm curious about the local denizewns, anyway.

Regards

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 05:16 PM

Make that "denizens"!

Regards

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 05:57 PM

Does it matter if we count the same chickens over and over? How do you guys know you are not counting the same birds? *Grin*

As a side note, the chickens we have here are feral, if you can apply that word to chickens. They are wild, no doubt about that. They seem to have a set route through the neighborhood. The roosters crow and ruffle their feathers and chase off rivals, the hens lay their eggs and raise their chicks. I love to watch a hen with chicks. The peeping and running to keep up with their mother is a riot. She scratches the dirt and the chicks run to see what she's uncovered.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:00 PM

By the way, Guam used to have abundant bird life. That was before the brown tree snake arrived in the cargo holds of ships and planes. Now there are very few birds and other species are either extinct or endangered. Guam is a lesson in ecology that should not be ignored.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:16 PM

Crows and more crows, sparrows both American and US
Robin, blue jays and house finches.
Once in a GREAT while, a Western Tannager. Not often
That is about all.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:39 PM

Remember folks we're counting different Species not individual birds!
Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:42 PM

Raven the kitten doesn't leave enough to identify species, can I count meals instead?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: pdq
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 06:57 PM

LTS,

Those are listed separately under "fluff sandwich".

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 04:38 AM

Raven the kitty is presently birdwatching out of the back window here... he's got his eye on a huge gull that's perched on the roof of 3 doors down..... the damn thing is bigger than him!

And good news.... my great tits are back. I must put my fat balls out for them again.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 02:03 PM

Quit braging Liz!
Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 04:57 PM

Blue Tits in the frost that would be Liz?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 06:27 PM

Not today... they were definately great. Other sightings/menu options = A pair of magpies, the aforementioned gull (black backed), a crow and several pigeons, one of which was a proper fawn brown wood pigeon!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: bfdk
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 07:01 PM

Seen around here today:
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded crow (Corvus cornix)
Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Collared Turtle Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus)
Herring gull (Larus argentatus)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) - large flock
Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
Magpie (Pica pica)
House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Tree sparrow (Passer montanus)
Great tit (Parus major)
Blue tit (Parus caeruleus)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

To the best of my knowledge neither the great tits nor the blue tits belonged to Liz.. ;-))

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 12:17 PM

I'm so excited. I was in Vancouver yesterday at Lee Valley Tools and bought a belated Christmas present for myself.

I've got a big problem here with both grey squirrels and roof rats and I had been wondering how I was going to participate using my old feeder without squandering soggy seed on the feral rodent population.

I ended up buying a Squirrel Buster instead of a pair of lovely Wellingtons imported from Scotland, to replace my leaky 20+ year old gumboots. While I will continue to have swamp foot, at least the local bird's seed will remain dry.

No problem with the squirrels now and I can probably adjust this feeder to keep the rats out too, but as a result, the adjustment will likely prevent some of our larger birds, such as Stellar's Jays from feeding as well. Does anyone know if an adult roof rat weighs more than a Jay?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 12:31 PM

Metchosin I could kiss you! I had lost a catolog from a company of which I had not heard. They had designed and sold brackets to make inexpensive raised beds from precast concrete pavers. When I just read your post, Lee Valley rang a bell. went to their website, and sho' nuff!

Thanks!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 05:17 PM

They are the best! They have the most incredible selection of hardware and wood working tools I've ever found in this country. I drool over their catalogues constantly. Glad I could be of help.

We got the feeder up this afternoon just outside the front window. Unfortunately I have this sinking feeling that without the jays, the other birds might not notice it and if I'm going to be in the count, I'm going to have to get outside in my gumboots, raingear and binoculars and stare up at tall dripping trees. I will let you know if it stumps the rats though, regardless.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 07:45 PM

Once the birds notice the feeder, they'll spread the news. Trouble is, once they've sussed one place, you have to keep using that same place or they get confused and don't come back.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arnie
Date: 07 Jan 06 - 10:13 AM

From my window this aft - herring gull,wren, blue tit, blackbird,song thrush and collared dove. The only unusual visitor to my garden is a green woodpecker that attacks the lawn every winter. I'm on the south coast of Kent UK.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Jan 06 - 11:20 AM

A vast array of tits today! News of the bird feeder must have spread, either that or the remaining berries on the pyrocantha have attracted them. Had both Blue and Great tits in my butterfly bush.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 07 Jan 06 - 11:01 PM

We have a pair of hawks living behind our house....I think they are Coopers, but could be sharp-shinned, though they are kinda big for Sharp-shinned hawks. We often see red-tails hanging out near the squirrel filled pecan trees.

This spring a good friend saw a red-headed (or maybe red-bellied--I forget) woodpecker raid a birdhouse with nesting Chickadees. It killed and took all the hatchlings, making several trips. I guess it makes sense that they would eat young birds as well as insects and larva, but it really surprised both of us.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 12:44 PM

I won't be home until after dark so I got my January count. Lots of birds, but only 15 species.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 12:56 PM

I'm stuck at 13 sp so far but am missing ones that will be apparent as soon as they start singing. Such as Northern Cardnal.

I had Trumpeter Swans at work this am but they don't count for the home list.

Good luck to all.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 01:05 PM

A Pie-Eyed Peeper stopped by today. He was spying on the Grosbeaks. They drove him off after awhile.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Cats
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 05:21 PM

We took part in the RSPB bird watch this weekend and in one hour counted 16 different species actually landing in the garden. I suppose the most stately were the pheasants who came down and strutted about and the most homely was our little Jenny Wren who lives in our side hedge. We did have a sparrowhawk sitting on the front wall last week and we always get buzzards as we live on the moors surrounded by farmland.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bert
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 09:37 PM

Canadian Geese,
Ducks,
Sparrows,
Starlings,

That's about all for now in Colorado Springs

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 10:10 PM

Birds at Minhamite. Victoria. Australia. (South-West Victoria)
Seen/heard during the month of January 2006:

Little Raven
Australian Magpie
Australian Magpie Lark (Mudlark)
Kookaburra
Jacky Winter
Richard's Pipit
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
New Holland Honeyeater
Red Wattle Bird
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Galah
Little Corella
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Masked Plover
Nankeen Kestrel
Brown Falcon
Wedge-tailed eagle
Brolga
White-faced Heron
Willy Wagtail
Grey fantail
Restless Flycatcher
Silvereye
Barn Owl


Introduced birds:
Blackbird
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 10:17 PM

January-
house sparrow
house finch
black-capped chickadee
white-breasted nuthatch
dark-eyed junco
blue jay
common crow
downy woodpecker
hairy woodpecker
brown creeper

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 31 Jan 06 - 11:15 PM

January In the southern central Ozarks

blue heron        
blue jay        
bluebird        
cardinal        
Carolina Wren        
cedar waxwing         
chickadee        
crow        
goldfinch (green this time of year)        
grackle        
hairy woodpecker        
house sparrow        
junco        
mockingbird        
Mourning Dove        
Nashville Warbler        
nuthatch        
purple finch        
robin        
tufted titmouse        
whitethroated sparrow        

I did not get to count the snow geese or Canandian Geese flying over.   There were some large migrations to the east of town but not over town. I had to visit the flatlands to see them and countless hawks of several variety.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 01:19 AM

January 2006, deep within the dripping conifer forests of Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Raven
Oregon junco
Chestnut backed chickadee
American robin
Winter wren
Kinglets (ruby or gold crowned? couldn't determine)
Rufous-sided towhee
Varied thrush

Total 8

These are pretty much resident all year round here, so nothing new or exciting and sadly I heard no owls this month, but then again, I wasn't listening that often at night because of the constant rain.

The new squirrel buster bird feeder has been up for three weeks now and nary a squirrel, nor a bird for that matter, and while there may not be any birds at either of my feeders, the roof rats sure have been enjoying the sunflower seeds in the old one.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 02:18 AM

North Central BC (53 degrees N, and a bit)
January 2006:

English (house) Sparrows
Dark-eyed Juncos      
Black Capped Chickadees
Red-breasted Nuthatch (heard)
Northern Flicker   
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Bohemian Waxwings
European Starlings
American Crows   

---

10 species

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 07:02 AM

January 2006 bird list : Whitefield, Maine

Chickadee
Goldfinch
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Redbreasted nuthatch
Common nuthatch
Purple finch
Mourning dove
Sharp-shinned hawk
Piliated woodpecker
Redpoll
House finch
Junco
That makes 13 species, plus 8 bantams and their first 40 eggs!

On to February ("Rabbit, Rabbit!)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 06:42 PM

My January home list:
HAWO-Hairy Woodpecker
RBNH-Red Breasted Nuthatch
BCCH-Blackcapped Chickadee
DOWO-Downy Woodpecker
PISI-Pine Sisken
WBNH-White Breasted Nuthatch
HORE-Horry Redpoll
AMGO-American Goldfinch
EUST-European Starling
ATSP-American Tree Sparrow
AMCR-American Crow
BLJE-Blue Jay
DEJU-Darkeyed Junco
MODO-Mourning Dove

Raptor

1 hour north of Toronto

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 06:50 PM

Arkie Which Chickadee,black-capped or Carolina?

And what type of Nuthatch
Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:00 PM

And here's my house list for January:

Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Junco
Turtledove
Common Crow
Carolina Wren
White-throated Sparrow
Goldfinch
Purple Finch (prob. could be house finch but I don't think so.)
Black-capped Chickadee
Rufus-sided Towhee
Brown Thrasher
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Robin
(Not near my yard, but here and there around town...Starlings, House Sparrows and what I am pretty sure was a Peregrine Falcon.)

Northeast Piedmont, North Carolina

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:04 PM

Oh--and Canada Geese flying over in the mornings.

I don't count too well--that's 17 species.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:08 PM

Janie are you sure about the Turtledove? They are Very Rare in North America and only on Vancouver Island are they sighted.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: leftydee
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:12 PM

From Motown

cardinal
junco
house sparrow
goldfinch
chickadee
mourning dove
blue jay
assup (white-breasted nuthatch)
Cooper's hawk
redtailed hawk
Canada goose

Surprisingly, no crows or starlings

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:16 PM

Oops again--I meant Mourning Dove. Thanks for catching that.
Janie
(ain't never seed a Turtle Dove in me life!)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:40 PM

The thing about turtledoves is, they're quite rare. The reason for that is that male turtles find it very hard to mount doves. They just can't move fast enough. Then too, male doves seem unable to deal with the logistics of impregnating a female turtle. "She just won't come out of her shell!" is a common lament of the frustrated male dove, who can be seen jumping around desperately on the shell of a female box turtle while she placidly grazes. Nevertheless there are some turtledoves around, which proves that it is possible. No one has yet confirmed just how it is done or which way around.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 10:28 PM

LH--I love your twisted little mind:>)

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 11:37 PM

So that explains "The time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land" I love that bit. Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 06:40 AM

Bump! ;)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 01:13 PM

OK....we had two rufous hummingbirds at the empty hummingbird feeder yesterday. I know this has been a very weird mild winter on southern Vancouver Island, but there is still really nothing in bloom here except for a few snowdrops.

The salmonberry bushes, quite often their favourite early food are still mostly bare sticks, although the buds are starting to green up and swell. Does anyone know what are these little fellows might be surviving on?

I filled the feeder with sugar water today and put a red ribbon on it, in hopes of tempting them back, so I guess, come what may, weatherwise, I've committed to them.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 01:42 PM

When in spring to they usually arrive?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 01:54 PM

I'm not certain Janie, I know in the milder suburban area of Victoria, they will stick around all winter, if the feeders are kept filled, but out in the forested area where I live about 20 miles out, the hummingbird feeders are probably a bit few and far between.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: gnu
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 03:21 PM

I have GOT to get a video camera or whatever they are called these days. My neighbour has a small bird feeder which cannot be perched upon and eaten from by larger birds like pigeons. As well, he hung the feeder with a foot long piece of #10 insulated copper wire so it would swing freely, thus being even more unstable. I just saw a pigeon repeatedly do the following.

It grabbed a perch with it's talons and then grabbed a corner of the "eave". It flapped it's wings vigorously, forcing the feeder to spin a half dozen revolutions. It released and went to ground under the feeder. The feeder spun wildy, spewing feed to the pigeon and it's buddies.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 04:46 PM

I'll bet that's one very important pigeon in the pigoen world, gnu. King or Queen or maybe God.
I have a friend with a Wildlife shelter where a pigeon took up residence by chance. (They aren't native here but we're softies all of us.) He's a bit dim. Gets very excited every Spring and makes free with my friend's boots that get left on the porch. I told her,

"Great! Hatch out the boot-eggs. Put me down for a few pair. Feathered boots! Maybe I could fly!"
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 04 Feb 06 - 04:11 PM

The Missouri Audebon siting report in January noted an immature female Rufous Hummingbird seen in Missouri.   Though I have been told that they will winter in this general area I cannot recall having seen any during winter months. I am awaiting their return along with the Purple Martins.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Feb 06 - 06:16 AM

In London - great tit, blue tit, crow, magpie, grey backed gull, sparrow, blackbird. A mere 7 different varieties. 8 if you count the unidentified remains I found under the sofa, courtesy of the kitten, although I suspect it was a tit.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 09:42 AM

The finches I am seeing ARE purple finches and not house finches.    Was watching Mom & Dad's feeder this weekend in West Virginia. They have house finches and purple finches for comparison.

Seeing their bluejays made me realize I haven't seen any this winter around our place. We don't have a lot of them, but we usually do see them year round.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 01:18 PM

Saw a flock of Speckled Glebe today, a Swainson's Steady Tippler, and a Western Pileated Nutpecker.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 01:54 PM

This AM I had a Coopers Hawk fly through my flock of Pine Siskens. Then 3 hours later A Northern Shrike flew into my window triing to get one of them.
I wrapped him in a towel, took it inside, let it warm up, waited a few minutes, brought it outside, and it was fine. It flew to a nearby tree and posed for some photos.
It then went after the Siskens when they returned.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 03:03 PM

Heres the Shrike
One of the photos I took today.
Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 03:11 PM

Thanks for photo, Raptor! We don't have the shrikes or the pine siskins here.

It's wintertime where you are, huh!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 03:52 PM

Yep Canada

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 04:02 PM

Some of you are able to use sound to identify birds. Except for a few very common birds, I've never taken the time to do that--even tho' hubby has one of those audio fieldguides that he has found very helpful.

    A little while ago I was out filling the feeders and listening to the birdsongs. The chorus is being added to daily. I can see how knowing their calls would greatly enrich the experience of birdwatching.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 06:49 PM

Raptor, sorry, I missed your question earlier.   We have Carolina Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches. I should have noted this.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 06:02 PM

Arkie You could have Red-Breasted Nuthatch as well in your area.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 06:20 PM

Last week had Goldfinches in my garden, don't see them so often nowadys here.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: number 6
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 06:36 PM

I saw a Great Black-backed Gull here down on Water Street yesterday.

Divis ... every May a couple of Goldfinches freguent my garden ... looking forward to seeing them again this year.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: number 6
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 06:40 PM

Oooops I guess I can't count that gull ... as Water Street is about 500 feet from my house.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 07:00 PM

sIx
They once were common in Ireland, sadly not so much now in the towns. The Bullfinches seemed to have left also. Isn't it great to see some normal threads on mud again without the need for a riot helmet !

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Metchosin
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 11:34 AM

Mystery regarding the hummingbirds may be solved. They were most likely not rufous, but Anna's hummingbirds. Me bad, I just assumed they were rufous hummers because that's all I've ever seen at my feeder and I didn't actually view them, my daughter did.

After further conversation, what she described fits Anna's better. Also Anna's are known to feed on small insects and also from sapsuckers drillings, as well, which may explain how they are sustaining themselves in my area this winter.

These wee fellows have expanded their resident range from California all the way up to Vancouver Island in recent years and their population in this area has exploded. Adventurous birds or global warming?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 11:47 AM

A whole herd (horde) of cowbirds descended on the feeders this morning.

I hope they don't all stick around.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 04:32 PM

I find identification of our birds much easier when I learn their calls. I need to see them actually calling. Of course we have a few good mimics. I often hear a bird out of season and realize it's an Australian Magpie. In forested areas the Lyrebirds are so good at mimicry that it's only when you hear something like a train, or a chainsaw, or the click and wind of a camera, that they give themselves away.
Thank you for the picture Raptor as well as for the thread.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 05:54 PM

Raptor, my birdbook indicates that the Red-Breasted Nuthatch winters in this area but it has been many years since I have actually seen one. They would be most welcome.

I have seen several hummingbird feeders in town over the past week.   They may have been there all winter and escaped my notice. I sure have not had any of the little fellers buzzing my deck.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 07:20 PM

I just googled to see a picture of the European Goldfinch. What colorful birds! Very different from our American Goldfinches.

There have been increasing numbers of goldfinches at my feeders the last few days. I don't know if more flocks have moved in, if they are congregating for the mating season, or if the pickings from my garden and the local fields are getting thin. (I leave seedheads standing for the birds in winter.) They are much more quarrelsome with each other than is usual. While still olive, the males are beginning to brighten and show hints of yellow. The white and black stripes on the females are showing more contrast.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Robin
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 01:48 AM

Starlings are bastards

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Starling King
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 01:49 AM

No we're not you red chested git

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 03:12 PM

The Goldfinch is the real dazzler of the Irish birds, I seen two pair close to my home a rare sighting in an urban area.
The population is twice as large from my

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 03:23 PM

Sorry I will continue, young days , all sorts of buildings eating up the countryside and of course our feathered friends are declining rapidly.
Birds like the yellowhammer, Corncrake, Bullfinch, and many others are now a rare sight.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 04:45 PM

It's European Goldfinches we have here. They were introduced quite early on, I believe. Since they make their own nests and don't take up valuable hollow-space they don't pose a serious threat to the native bird population. Wish I could say the same for Starlings. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 07:49 PM

We live in what is basically a rural village. Lots of old diciduous (spelling?) trees, meadows, flower gardens and berry and seed-bearing ornamental shrubs and trees. Behind our house is a 2 block long corridor of immature hardwoods and scrub growth along a ravine with a wet-weather creek. Before we moved into town, we lived on a large farm that was mostly dry, wornout pasture and dry pineywoods, with a few oaks mixed in. The understory was mostly vibernum.

It is only 15 miles north of here. But the habitats of the two places are very different. I think I see most of the same birds here that I used to see there, but I saw more species out there, even though this seems a more hospitable habitat. Nuthatches, indigo buntings, occasionally cedar waxwings, white-crowned sparrows, whipporwills and chuckwillowswidows, sparrowhawks, barnswallows.

I haven't seen a nuthatch since we moved to town. I will occasionally see an indigo bunting in town, and we have as many birds of prey here as we did in the country, maybe more. But I guess there are a lot of species that, regardless of habitat, just don't like living in the middle of a bunch of people.

Sometimes I feel the same way myself!

I've never been out of the country and never seen much of the USA that lies between the Mississippi and the Rockies. I really enjoy reading about the flora and fauna of other places. Thanks.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 07:55 PM

Starlings a becoming a real pest in my garden. Come in waves, eat everything I put out for birds in moments then leave, not before covering my dark wood decking with a mucky white sheet and any washing on the clothesline. I am convinced they drink black ink and dive bomb my shirts drying on the line !

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 09:56 PM

For unknown reasons, the starling flocks seem to avoid my little patch of paradise. Mom & Dad have eliminated them from their feeders by using thistle feeders for the small finches, and feeding nothing but unhulled sunflowers in the other feeders. Apparently starlings can not hull sunflower seeds. They LOVE millet.

Gray squirrels are my biggest problem. Given time, I think they can figure away to get around any barrier. Sometimes I have problems with the crows and the suet feeders.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 07:56 AM

I've just denuded my garden of much of the greenery (winter prune), being sworn at all the while by a blue tit that was sitting in a tree out of my reach. Apparently he was annoyed that I had just cut down his favourite perch (well to judge by the poop underneath it...) and wanted me to know how he felt about it. I've put up another seed feeder in hopes he'll forgive me.

Raven has been continuing his challenge - that is:~ to eat one of every variety of bird that enters the garden. He was eyeing up a magpie earlier.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 03:31 PM

This has been a great day for birdwatching.   I was sent home from work because the hill where my office is located began to ice over and the snow created a frenzy at the feeders.   There was also a first time visitor to the suet and a bird I have yet to identify.   It was about the size and shape of a mockingbird, but several shades of gray darker about the color of the catbird.   Its tail was as long as the mockingbird but dark in the middle with long white feathers to the outer edge. Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 07:54 AM

Arkie Look up Northern Shrike.

Youre a bit south of its range but its possible.

Same size and colour.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 08:49 AM

Well, looks like this ol' hillbilly ain't gonna be able to stay inthis compettion 'cause whereas we have lots of birds, the variety isn't to large as yet...

Yeah, this new joint used to be a hog farm and the hogs ate evrything down to the clay and therefore there's a small problem with ecological cycles andf food sources... But I'll get things perkin' over time...

We do have, however:

*hundreds of finches, seem to all be gold (brown now)
*junkos
*titmice
*grouse
*nuthatch
*doeny woodpeckers
*pilated woodpeckers
*chicadees
*pigeons
*doves
*interupted sparrows (?)

But that's it so far... We've got 3 feeders (thistle, black oil and suit) up but other than lots of birds, not much variety yet... Sniff...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 09:50 AM

Ah Bobert--the challenge is watching and noting the birds--not seeing more than anybody else!

You best stay with us, ya' hear?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 10:09 AM

Yeah, I loves each an' every one of them birdies... I'll keep readin' with the hope that someone else finds us... Seein' as it's snowing, I figured that the P-Vine and I would go fir a walk in the woods today... Maybe we'll be able to add to our species list later...

Bobert

p.s. Oh yeah...

*pesky blue jays, but not in large numbers like back in Wes Ginny
*red tailed hawk, which might explain why we ain't got some species
*dumb crows

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 01:41 PM

A couple of bluejays finally showed up. As well as an URS (unidentified roosting sparrow.) Perhaps a chipping sparrow, but I'm not at all certain. Used to get fox sparrows at our old place in the country. They're pretty birds.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 01:53 PM

Still nothing birdwise at my feeder....damn. Guess they are not that desparate.....even the flowering cherry has begun to push forward a few blossoms and the salmon berry also. Damned weird weather, this is the earliest I can ever recall.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 08:12 PM

Our Welcome Swallows are back. Arrived the day after I posted my list. They don't go far North from here. They could actually stay all year but they do a sort of token migration and come back early. They line up on the wires on one day at the start of Summer. At some subtle signal they take off together heading North.

Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 09:23 PM

Don't know if there's much point entering a challenge, it's usually the same smattering of customers at my feeder every day:

-Dark-eyed juncoes
-House sparrows
-Black-capped chickadees
-Mourning doves
-Downy woodpeckers (a mated pair that comes for the suet)
-Tufted titmice (usually the same 2, cannot tell the gender)
-Cardinal & wife
-One red-bellied woodpecker
-Entirely too many jays.

But then, I feed them out of kindness/ professional courtesy (they ARE musicians!) than out of any burning need to tick names off of a "life-list." :)

Well, that and it's fun to torture the cat.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 09:25 PM

Oh. Forgot: a pair of thoroughly crazy white-breasted nuthatches, that like to fling seed all over the place.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 12:12 AM

Raptor, thanks for the suggestion, and I did check on the Northern Shrike but I do not think that was visitor.   It is lighter in color and I got a fairly good view of the birds beak which appeared to be straight. This bird's feathers were almost as dark as slate colored junco, not quite, but almost.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 01:11 AM

Gray squirrels are my biggest problem.

Janie,

When baffles and other tricks fail to work, there's always chili powder. Birds can't really taste capsicumin, but mammals can; and let me tell you, squirrels do NOT like it.

I use a commercial brand, "Squirrel-Free/Chili Treat", that comes laced with the stuff. It's very effective. But you can mix your own at home, with some cayenne and a little cooking spray to make it stick.

One or two mouthfuls of unpleasantness, and the greedy tree-rats WILL let your songbirds feed in peace.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 10:43 AM

Arkie You got a "white-winged"aikeni Race Dark-eyed Junco!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 01:57 PM

If my response to Windsinger appears three times, I hope it is not because I'm a birdbrain. Every time I click send message, it acts like it is, but the thread doesn't bump up to the top. So--I did 3 times! Still no joy. Lets see what happens this click.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 01:58 PM

Hmmm? Not only not 3 times---not at all. Que pasa?

Anyway--I wondered about the hot pepper. I'll give it a try.

J

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 02:11 PM

:::giggles:::

No, you're not going crazy. At least, not for anything related to your mouse button...

FYI: In case that other post wasn't explicit enough, the suggestion was for ...SEED. Chili-laced ...SEED. (After proofreading it I realized that crucial word appeared nowhere. lol looked like a recommendation to set out a bowl of chili peppers or pure cayenne powder. DOH!)

Seriously, that commercial brand has served me very well this winter. The squirrels hate it. The same company even makes chili-suet, in case they've been robbing that station too.

(This may sound sadistic, but I totally wish I had a vid-cam of their reaction, the first attempted raid after I switched brands. Doesn't hurt them, really. Just...some amusing negative stimulus therapy.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 10:25 PM

Raptor, that's what I suspected all along.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 10:31 PM

Any sign yet of the Peruvian Ring-Winged, Bow-Beaked, Ant-Eating Parakeet or the Ream-Nosed Romflombler? And how about the Least Glebe, a bird which never gets the attention it deserves in these discussions?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 01:49 AM

I guess not, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 07:15 AM

Random observation from this morning's feeder-activity:

I really like juncoes. :) Juncoes are cool.

I love the social-system they've worked out. They seem to be the wee scouts that are the first to find every feeder in this neighborhood. Every time I refill the stations, you can count the seconds until the first junco hops up.

And there's never, ever, any such thing as "just one" junco. If you only SEE one, you know he's on a recon mission for ten of his buddies, who are hiding in the bushes waiting to converge on whatever he's found.

Unlike the sparrows, they'll sing no matter how cold it is outside. There's nothing like waking up to the two-two-two-two-two-two! of their Happytime Feeding-Song. (I imagine it translates something like "oh boy! Seed! AGAIN! My favorite! I LIKE seed! Hey, me too!" etc.)

Juncoes don't take shit from ANYthing. Bigger birds, or even the cat. They'll come right up to the glass and peck at his face!

Juncoes are cool.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 09:54 AM

No, LH. But I have seen one or two Texan right-winged shrub jays.

J.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 12:39 PM

Those are nasty birds. They rob nests.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 03:23 PM

a small bird feeder which cannot be perched upon and eaten from by larger birds

Gnu,

Not as amusing as your "Godpigeon" anecdote...but I've noticed that the neighborhood jays refuse to accept that they are too damned big to feed at the hanging station (it's more sized to suit chickadee/sparrow body-types.)

Instead of going to the ground-station, they'll claw the high perch, hang ludicrously off to one side, wildly pivot one wing like a propeller to stay balanced, and gobble until their equilibrium gives out.

..or until the red-bellied woodpecker drives them off. :D

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 03:48 PM

A sad sight on our TV news to-day, the dreaded bird-flu is moving westwards, Swans diagnosed with this have been found dead in Austria and Germany.
It will be impossible to curtail,it is enevitable that the culling of the birds will be on a vast scale, sorry to paint such a gloomy picture, I hope it never happens.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 05:32 PM

Haven't seen anyone post this yet...this "challenge" begins Friday and lasts for a week straight:

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 04:54 PM

Sad news indeed ard mhacha. Heard an even sader sound today as I was standing in the nature reserve on the shores of Lough Neagh looking at the sheer beauty of the local swans. The sound of wild fowlers in the distance with their non stop volley of gunfire. They are allowed to shoot one mile away from the reserve. The whole shoreline of Lough Neagh should become a reserve.Sad when natural causes kill birds in such numbers. Even sader when men go out to do it in the name of sport.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Beer
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 05:31 PM

The Great Backyard Bird Count.
Have been doing it for a number of years.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 07:42 PM

Well, well, well....

Still no mew species here on this old hog farm but can't complain about the numbers of the 15 or so species we have 'cause it's plenty...

But we are still optomistic that with the feeders that have never been here that eventually we will have the variety we had back in Wes Ginny...

A sad note, however, is that a downy woodpecker tried to fly thru a window and has passed on to the next life... Sniff...

We will get some of those stick on hawk decals for some of the windows to prevent this from occuring again...

Oh yeah, we did get 2 male cardinals during the snow so maybe they'll come back... There are so many nesting places here on the farm that I jsut know we're going to get more variety with time...

Until then, patience and keepin' the bird feeders full....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 08:43 PM

back in Wes Ginny...

Tell me bout it, son.

Fam' from Lncoln Co. hear.

Yew?

Slan,

~F

(URL? ...awwww, hell, yew Mountainers'll figgr it auwght)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 09:36 PM

Jeffason Co. Wes Ginny, here...

Ahhhh, Lncoln Co., ya say??? My couzin Rufus's wife, the lovely Rether May, from right next door to Lncoln on Ford Co... Sho nuff is... She was a Timpkin befire she married ol' Rufe... Lotta Timpkins in both Lncol and Ford Co's., I hear...

She swears that she is related to the Reg Boys of the Spaw Clan but I think it's thru marriage so no real blood involved here...

And, yeah, glad you brought up Url? How is he since the operation??? We heard he weren't doing too good...

Gotta go now... Night bird watchin' wid these Acme infird-red, 3-D goggles is da hoots....

Couszn Boberdz

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 09:40 PM

By Gawd, iff'n it ain't my long lost kin, Windsinger!

I be from next door in Kanawha County. Folks, in-laws and nephews are all still there. Was down in Lincoln Co. 2 weeks ago. It is definitely still there!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 12:10 PM

ACK! No way!

My maternal fam does hail from there; I actually didn't live down there myself (Cabell Co.) until I was an adult.

Had occasion to go into Kanawha Co. when visiting Charleston. (Mostly for brewing supplies, there used to be the most kickin' brewer's supply shop!)

Don't get to visit the Homeplace but once a year these days. :(

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 05:46 PM

(And now, an actual bird-related post... :P )

Which Northeastern US finches migrate seasonally, and how far south?

Basically, in an effort to attract a broader class of clientele at the feeding stations, several weeks ago I hung up thistle-seed. But it hasn't increased the variety of birds: same twelve species still show up every day.

None of them are finches. None even seem interested in the nyger seed.

Surely there's finches that winter in the NY-NJ-PA latitudes? Or has our resident Retarded Cat mauled and eaten them all?

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:37 PM

Well, as often happens I found this thread pretty late, but I think I'll put up my January list anyhow. It's the same as my February list so far anyway, except that the hairy woodpeckers moved on when I took down the suet feeder for a week in hopes of discouraging the starlings. We live in Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD, a suburb of Washington, DC. The original builders left a row of big trees in the back yards which is nice. And our yard is great habitat, which is my excuse for never clipping it into order....

Cardinals (a pair)
Song sparrows
White throated sparrows
House ("English") sparrows
Tufted Titmice
Carolina chickadees
White Breasted Nuthatch
Northern Juncos
House Finches
Goldfinches (American)
Red Tailed Hawk
Carolina wrens
Downy woodpeckers (2 pairs)
Hairy woodpeckers (male & female)
Red Bellied woodpecker (male only, so far)
Mourning doves
Starlings
Robins

A few goldfinches always winter here and seem fat and sassy. If I keep the thistle feeders up during spring and early fall, we get literally dozens of them, like little olive and gold and black mice swarming around and underneath the thistle feeders.

I have to be lucky to see any other birds because they are usually migrants. Have seen American redstarts, common yellowthroats, black and white warbler, yellow rumped warbler, pileated woodpecker, Coopers hawks, hermit thrush and veery, all (not at the same time!) within 10 feet of the house at one time or another.

Rita F

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:39 PM

Oh, and we had a pair of red breasted grosbeaks on the feeders last fall. I was happy because Bill got to see them too. They were about 3 feet from the living room window so we watched them to our hearts content.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:47 PM

Now, Fionn, if you wanta see some finches, Rita has 'um!!! I'z sat in her living room lookin' out the window and seeing bunches of them critters...

I love the finches, too... We have maybe 40 or so that work the thistle feeder daily... Come summer it should be a real show when they yet yellow again... A couple are turning just a little even now...

Ahhhh, waalaa, cowabunga, far out...

I can now add the titmouse to the collection as we have a few who have found us...

Folks say there are bluebirds around so I reckon I'll get a couple bluebird houses up and maybe get a couple nests of 'um...

The 2 male cardinals haven't been spooted since the snow but we're hopefull of gettin' 'um as time goes on... Nothin' purdier than a male cardinal against a fresh snow... Well, maybe the P-Vine, but...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:59 PM

Fionn look for Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskens, And American Goldfinch in your area.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 08:08 PM

The bullfinches are stricly mythological.
Yesterday, EBarnacle was up in Frenchman's Bay, Toronto and saw his first Whistling Swan.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 09:04 PM

Yeah, I saw a Purple; he came once or twice for a brief visit, but that was late fall, and he hasn't been back since. I imagine he lit down to the Virginias, and I saw him just in time to say goodbye.

No other finches of any species since. :( It could be they just don't like this neighborhood...

Shame. They have such a cute little song when they're happy.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:08 PM

Saw a white-breasted nuthatch today--first nuthatch I've noticed in the yard this winter. A brown thrasher and I startled each other badly a little while ago. It literally grazed my face when it took off out of the tall shrubs I was brushing past.

Windsinger, unless you have cover or seedheads that they like in your vicinity to draw them to your habitat, it may take a good long while before goldfinches discover your thistlefeeder. If in summer there are gardens or fields that have chicory, rudbeckia, echinacea or other good seedflowers, but all of that gets mowed down in the fall, they may just not be around to discover the feeder. If you keep the feeder up during the summer, when there are seed crops to begin to draw them, they'll find it and keep coming to it in winter.

Leastways, that has been my experience.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:39 PM

Avoid the Razor-Winged Castrator and the Exfoliating Grey Plover, two species of bird that can only be described as pests.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 06:20 PM

I'd say the Little hawk is gettin pesky.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 12:57 PM

Janie,

Pair of white-breasted nuthatches comes to the feeder here every day. Aptly named; there' both quite mad, I think.

Shame about the finches.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 03:04 PM

HAHAHAHAHA!

The red-bellied woodpecker is trying to beat his own brains out.

(Actually, he's trying to take bites out of the stale sourdough bread I tossed out to the feeders. But I just heard his forehead go "thunk!" again...)

Silly lug.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 04:28 PM

I've had a happy weekend in Dorset and spotted:

Green finch,
Chaffinch,
Grey backed gull,
crow,
pheasant,
mallard,
Aylesbury duck,
sparrow,
robin,
great tit,
long tailed tit
pied wagtail,
magpie,
bald parrot (OK, so it was in someone's front room and neurotic),
song thrush,
black bird and
rook.

Not bad for one day!

Amazing the difference between London and Dorset!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 21 Feb 06 - 05:54 PM

Going off to look up all the American birds in my bird book. I met some of them on our trip last year. I often think about the sad songs of the Mourning Doves and the truly mad all-day concerts performed by Mocking Birds.
We were at a musical gathering over the weekend and we were treated to some amazing bird songs by birds that are forest dwellers. We don't hear them often out on the plains. Butcher birds - beautiful voices and killers of little birds. Like the murder ballads that sound so lovely but tell of such horror.
Wild laughter of Kookaburras. They laugh in counterpoint. True-Love never tires of hearing them. He says there's nothing on Earth that sounds like a Kookaburra. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 21 Feb 06 - 07:43 PM

Well my 2006 count is up to 19, I added one today, a good 'un. It was a hermit thrush. [big grin] This is only the second one I've ever seen. Both were in my back yard.

I got a few (rather fuzzy) pictures and will try to post them tomorrow. This one was smaller than the one I saw last year, it was about the size of a song sparrow, and it was farther from the house. Hard to photograph because it blended into the fallen leaves so well (guess we should have raked up that last batch of oak leaves, huh?) I didn't see the red/russet tail but it shows up in the photos.

Over the weekend we had flocks of migrants passing through, I think. I saw members of 16 of the 18 species I listed earlier, lots and lots of them. Fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Feb 06 - 08:23 PM

Red bellied woodpecker has also made his presence known here but is pecking on an electric pole looking for bugs???

One purple finch showed today to hang with the 40 or 50 gold finches (that ain't yellow now)...

Okay, I wasn't going to bring this up but there are over 5000 chicken houses in this county and, well, once in a while while loading 'um up to be taken off to the "processing center" (don't ask...) one will escape... Yeah, we had one last week down by the road hiding in the bushes... I reckon Mr. Fox "processed" it 'cause we ain't seen it since...

BObert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 22 Feb 06 - 07:54 AM

Well, crap.

It's official. :/ The starlings have found the feeder.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 22 Feb 06 - 08:15 AM

Was talking to a retired neighbor yesterday about the abundant pecan harvest this year, and a significant decrease in the still plentiful gray squirrel population. The squirrel population had gotten so large that for the last 3 or 4 years, they were eating 90% the pecans before they matured and fell. He noted that our crow population has increased over the last year and thinks the crows are going after the baby squirrels and keeping the squirrel population in check.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 07:45 AM

Well, more power to them. :/

Huh; something just upset the local squirrel colony here. You ever notice that when they set off their alarm, no matter what the danger "really" is, it's always a cat? ("CAaaat! chupchupchupchupchupchup CAaaat!")


Red bellied woodpecker has also made his presence known here but is pecking on an electric pole looking for bugs

:::snicker:::

Bobert, still remember one morning when I was wakened by a woodpecker (think it was a downy) rat-tat!-tat!-tat!-tat!-tat!ing on an aluminum ladder outside.

God knows WHAT kind of insect life he was looking for. I just hope he didn't give himself a concussion...

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 08:19 AM

Bobert, lucky you! A red headed woodpecker, and a purple finch! We just don't see either of them much, here in the city/suburbs. Only purple finch I ever saw was in West Virginia.

Woodpeckers don't just drum to get at bugs. They do it to announce their territories, too. Judy and Dennis Cook found this out the hard way. A woodpecker was rat-tat-ing on the shingles of their porch every morning, so they covered the spot where he was pecking with metal. Oh, Boy, did that woodpecker have a good time with that! It made a joyful noise unto the neighborhood. I think they covered the area with rubber or styrofoam after that.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 08:27 AM

No, Rita, sadly enough, it was a red "bellied" which actually have the yellowish belly with the red head... Yeah, I know the red heads is rare... We had a pair for a couple years up in Wes Ginny..

We are very tickled with the purplr finch, however...

Fionn,

Ahhhh, yer woodpecker wasn't lookin' for bugs in the aluminim ladder. He was lookin' fir love... They pound on resonate stuff with a definate rythunm to it to make it known that they are "available"... Sometimes they will do it on the gable of a bouse becuase it resonates nicely...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 01:33 PM

Ever since I colored pictures of red headed woodpeckers in elementary school, I have hoped to see one live.   Last year one visited the feeders in my yard for two days. I have not seen it since.   A neighbor whose house adjoins a relatively large wooded area hosted the bird more frequently.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 01:38 PM

No sign of that Perspicacious Twaddler today. Too bad. I was hoping to get a good picture of it this time. A flock of Russel's Pileated Ptarmigan came by, though. That was pretty neat. You don't see them every day.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: wordfella
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 02:32 PM

Since our recent move to a lake house, we've been amazed at the bird count

But today tops it! A bald eagle sat on the ice just off our boat dock and stared at two starlings. I'm 61, and have just seen my first eagle.

We got photos. I'll figure out how to post one if you want.

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 03:22 PM

I'm off for a drive tomorrow.. hopefully I'll get to see one of those purple headed thingies.... or a red kite.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 05:04 PM

yer woodpecker wasn't lookin' for bugs in the aluminim ladder. He was lookin' fir love...

I thought he was auditioning for "Stomp"...

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 24 Feb 06 - 06:48 AM

Chris--Please! definitely pictures!

The goldfinches are mad at me. Ran out of paycheck and then out of thistle seed. But come tommorrow morning I suspect all will be forgiven.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 03:23 AM

I've just dug out our response to the 2006 UK Big Birdwatch:
5 blackbirds,3 blue tits,10 chaffinches,1 coal tit,2 collared doves, 1 dunnock,1 goldfinch, 1 great tit, 6 greenfinches, 2 long tail tits, 3 magpies, 3 robins, 8 starlings, 2 wood pigeons, 1 Gt Spotted woodpecker, 2 siskins, 1 songthrush, 1 brambling, 1 nuthatch,1 pied wagtail,3 redpolls.
All in the hour.

RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 08:56 AM

Didn't go for a drive, went for a walk instead. Too bloody cold out for anything much except gulls and pigeons.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 12:06 PM

http://www.bobrivers.com/audiovault/downloads/cheneyvid.asp

flash animation of bird watching in TX

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 08:40 PM

I just got another Lifer today but it wasn't my backyard it was a friend's.

European Goldfinch

In the middle of North America!

Its a big deal.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 09:42 PM

Donuel,

Sick...

...but not so funny...

Tell ya' what... If Dick "Rambo" Cheney shows up on my property with his "gun" he's gonna get a serious butt whup put on him...

I thought is was disgusting to read where this guy had shot some 80 domestically raised birds with his bud, Scalia, last year...

Grrrrr.....

Now back to bird "watching"...

Nothing new at the feeders today but the gold finches have the "numbers" going for them at present... Oughtta be a ral show come summer...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 09:44 PM

Raptor, it is a big deal.   I would like to add one to my list.   Maybe it will visit your backyard before it goes wherever it was headed.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 09:53 PM

Whoa Raptor--that is something else! Let us know if it hangs around.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 11:31 PM

The only thing I don't like about this thread is that my eyes are turning green. So many birds ... and most of them aren't in my yard.... RtS, there are lots of us over here who would love to see any one of the birds you listed. Chris, yes, please, pictures. Raptor, you lucky dog! I have read about European Goldfinches reaching the U.S. but it's a big deal when it happens.

Rita

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 06:57 AM

ACK! Good lord.

Right now, as I type, the feeding stations are abandoned.

That's probably because there's a raptor calmly perched about ten feet away from the window.

I am guessing it might be an immature redtail. He just turned around and has some "baby fluff" on his back that hasn't been shed yet.

(Hated to do it, but I went out and shooed him away; 'cause when I looked down, there was one tiny sparrow on the balcony, literally frozen with terror that the hawk might see her and decide she was breakfast. She managed to fly away shortly after he did.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 08:27 AM

It works both ways, Rita...

Remember when you and Bill came over to visit when Greg and Kate were here from the UK?

Well, their first day was maveling at the vaious birds *we* almost take for granted... Even the dreaded blue jays were of major interest to them.. And for the entire week they never got over seeing the cardinals...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 08:34 AM

We have a predator bird with about a 6 ft wingspan here all year long. Once I saw him fly off with a snake in its talons. It is a huge bird but I don't know what kind it is.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 08:52 AM

The American Goldfinches here (Piedmont area of North Carolina) are beginning to molt.

On my front porch is a plant stand that sits in front of the window where I work at the computer. I didn't clean up the pots in it after the coleus was frost-killed late last fall. A Carolina Wren has taken up residence. It appears to like to watch the computer screen through the glass.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 11:39 AM

Well. I'm a bit green too. The new squirrel buster has been up and full for over a month now and still no birds have discovered it. The only good thing is the rats haven't visited it either.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Boris and Edith Jay
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 01:30 PM

We've been watching Raptor for months now. He's boring and predictable, but he does put out free food! Not bad. We keep hoping he'll do something original or entertaining. That and the food is what keeps us coming back.

Well...the food mainly, to be perfectly blunt about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 01:56 PM

What the hell was that?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 02:11 PM

:::snicker:::

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: rock chick
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:46 PM

ok today

1 Robin, he seems to be here every year
two geen finches, the familey are normally here every year
loads of sparrows
2 magpie, oh does that mean i get a kiss!!
two blue tits...no comments please!!
Three blackbirds, one male, two females.

Then i really had to get back to some work in the office ;o(

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: rock chick
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:47 PM

Oh and last night i saw two barn owls
and a swan in a field!! dont expect that counts though ;o( but it was great anyway

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 04:47 PM

I'm thinking about how just a few blocks and minor habitat changes influence the birds we see. I have never seen a house sparrow, and song sparrow or a common pidgeon in or near my yard. Three blocks away, in our little downtown district, all three are common. The starling are everywhere at my office which is a short 1 1/2 blocks from home. I rarely see them in my yard.

Adding Turkey Buzzard to my species list.

Seeing wild turkeys out on some land we own in the country a few miles north of here. Once I actually saw a wild turkey near our house down along a creek that makes a little greenway for several blocks down to the river. That was several years ago and I think she hightailed it back to the river pretty quick once she realized she was in town.

I'm also seeing more rufus-sided towhees.

Janie

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 06:10 PM

Janie, I once read a report on an observation of a certain type of Australian Honey-eater. It was observed that this bird and it's mate lived their whole life near one Grevillia bush. They defended their home from other birds and were totally dependant on it. It's the same for many types of bird and also other animals and insects.
I get so sad about the destruction of habitat by humans who say "The wildlife can go somewhere else". Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Blind DRunk in Blind River
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 07:12 PM

I seen a female flip-faced flicker at the bar last night, eh?

- Shane

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 07:50 PM

Did she just fly away at the end of the evenin', Blind???

Nevermind... How would you have known by the end of evenin'???....

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 08:57 AM

Know what you mean, Joybell. In this month's USA addition of National Geographic there is a good article on habitat 'hotspots' and their loss. This particular article focuses on California, but if I remember correctly (and I may not) it made reference to unique habitat and microclimates in Australia.

Had a down-right goofy looking goldfinch at the feeder this morning. Splotches of yellow and puffs of molting feathers. The girls don't look too impressed yet.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: wordfella
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 10:04 AM

Eagle pic (see 2/24 post)
here

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 10:42 AM

Wow!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: wordfella
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 11:20 AM

We haven't seen him since; a neighbor says she's seen them in the trees a few times, but never on the ice.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 01:44 PM

Nice Photo

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 02:00 PM

The Gorge madness has begun. There's a sliver of the ocean that runs deep inland next to where I live in Canada. Some 40 - 50 pairs of merganser are taking foot-trailing flights across the water for about 30 metres at a time. Quite a sight. Oddly, they are accompanied by almost as many cormorants. Very eerie when they drop right to the waterline so just their necks are showing like dozens of snakes above the water.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 09:12 AM

My February Home List:

CORA- Common Raven
COHA- Coopers Hawk
NOSR- Northern Shrike

Total year to date 17 Spieces

It will get better when migration reaches me!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 10:18 PM

Here's the list from the southern tip of the Ozarks. Not much variation from January.   I hope to add Purple Martins in March.

Blue Jay
Bluebird
Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Common Grackle
Crow
Downy Woodpecker
Goldfinch
Hairy Woodpecker
House Sparrow
Junco
Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Purple Finch
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Robin
Starling
Tufted Titmouse
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow Shafted Flicker

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 07:00 AM

Hmmm...have been trying to determine if the sparows coming to feed are all the same species. If not maybe I can add a couple of bullet-points to my list.

At first I thought they were house sparrows or tree sparrows, but their caps are black-striped. (Don't the first two have solid-color caps?)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 07:40 AM

Yes youre right.
Keep studying them.

Which book do you have?

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 08:32 AM

I don't tend to use a field-guide. If I have an inkling of what species it "might" be, I do a Google image-search and usually that's enough to nail it. (If it's not, I throw it out to a forum.)

I KNOW there's House and/or Tree sparrows here, because the solid-capped birds are present. I just can't place the ones with the broad black streaks on top of their heads. Kind of looks like the markings you'd expect on a tabby cat.

(On a marginally related note....my God, I hate squirrels.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 08:44 AM

"Tweet"   - - -   200 !!!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 12:38 PM

Wow, 200 posts.

(If this thread was a sitcom, it'd be time for a cheesy "Best of" clip-show.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:08 PM

Windsinger, does the sparrow with the head stripes also have a little white bib under its beak and look like this:

White Throated Sparrow

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:22 PM

Sort of, but without the yellow eye-patches, I think.

(Yeah, I initially thought it might be a white-throated as well.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 03:48 PM

Then what about the white-crowned sparrow?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 04:01 PM

Thought about those guys too.

What I'll try -- if I can get the squirrels to stop harrassing the feaders and driving them away -- is to get close enough tomorrow to do a sketch. Or possibly take a picture.

The basic problem with ID'ing little brown striped birds....is that they're all little, brown and striped. :)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 04:55 PM

February list from Whitefield, Maine
15 species

Black-capped chickadees
American robins
Crows
Ravens
American goldfinch
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Piliated woodpecker
Great horned owl
Brown creepers
Redpolls
Turkeys
Herring gulls
Red breasted nuthatches
Common nuthatch
(Along with bobcat tracks, a winter weasel, and fox tracks.)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 11:07 PM

Windsinger, you need to be fairly close to see the yellow patches or use binoculars.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 11:10 PM

Also the white-throated sparrows here in Arkansas do not have the pronounced white on their heads during some winter months.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 12:57 AM

Bit late but I can add the following to the list for February:

-Stellars jay
-Anna's hummingbird
-Red shafted flicker
- Western screech owl

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 07:48 AM

OK, this morning's first feeding shift just ended.

The seed-stations are pretty close to our sliding glass door, and the customers are used to me, so I was able to get pretty close. Not close enough to see any yellow eye-patches; but enough to see that some of the stripe-headed sparrows have white bibs, and some do not, or at least not a very pronounced one.

So if the "bibs" are white-throated, the "no-bibs" must be either white-crowned, swamp, or song sparrows. (Swamp is definitely possible, there are wetlands around here.)

There'll probably be one more shift before I go to work. Will try to get another squint before I post my 2006 list.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 10:51 AM

Heh. :) Sussed it; at least two of the stripehead/no-bibs are song sparrows.

The rest of the stripeheads have bibs, and are likely white-throated sparrows.

So here's my list for 2006:

-Black-capped chickadee
-Bluejay
-Canada goose
-Cardinal, male & female
-Common crow
-Dark-eyed junco
-Downy woodpecker, male & female
-Gull (indeterminate species, there's a lot around here)
-House sparrow
-Mourning dove
-Red-bellied woodpecker
-Red-tailed hawk
-Song sparrow
-Starling
-Tree sparrow
-Tufted titmice
-White-breasted nuthatch
-White-throated sparrow

SWISH! :) Not bad for suburban NJ, and a hailing shout from NYC!

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,DAzbo
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 11:09 AM

Well so far this year:

Wren
Magpie
Pigeon
Collared Dove
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
House Sparrow
Blackbird

(Yorkshire, England)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 01:53 PM

I like squirrels. Always have. I find the continual rabid attacks upon their reputation by bird enthusiasts to be unwarranted. Squirrels are clever and cute. They are entertaining. You can fish for squirrels with a peanut tied (harmlessly, no hook) to the end of a fishing line, and reel them in. You can't do that with birds. Squirrels don't shit on the roof of your car. Squirrels don't yell outside your window at 5:00 AM. Do a good deed today, and feed your local squirrels, I say.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 02:27 PM

Ah yes, but birds don't chew holes in your soffits, climb down into your walls, chew on wiring and plaster, sh*t in your attic, die and stink in the walls, and dig up plants in your garden trying to remember where they buried those pecans last fall.

They do, however, play an important roll in the food chain. I wouldn't see nearly as many birds of prey if it weren't for the little baby squirrels.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 02:51 PM

Funny you should mention "rabid" ... ;P

Janie, I'm with you on this one. We have a terrible squirrel-infestation in this neighborhood; they have been unbelievably destructive to our eaves, outside wires and attic.

At one point my bf's ditzy ex was actually setting out peanut trays for them. Instead of just being grateful, they started storming the house to find the source of the food -- initially just slipping in through open doors and windows, then chewing their way inside once those portals were better guarded.

This doesn't even touch upon the mornings when I'm trying to relax and enjoy the birds' antics -- and the squirrels start screwing their way from one end of our yard to the other.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 02:59 PM

(grrrr....Cookie Monster strikes again.)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 03:05 PM

Ha! People who hate squirrels are the only people subject to these woes. You know why? Bad karma. Hatred attracts to itself that which it focuses most strongly upon and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I love squirrels, and it has always resulted in mutually friendly relations with them and no damage to anything whatsoever. Even had one as a pet for a few years. He lived IN the house, and was one of the few pets we have ever had that damaged absolutely nothing.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 03:54 PM

Another good thread f*cked.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 04:30 PM

Okay, fine. I will stop defending squirrels, and you lot can stop attacking them, and let's get on with the birds then. What I have seen today was crows. Several. There is a large colony of them somewhere back in the woods, I think, because they can be seen (and heard) on any given day around here.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 04:34 PM

Crows eat baby squirrels. Big hawks and little hawks eat baby squirrels. No wonder Little Hawk likes squirrels.

RAPPPPTORRRRR--Go get your brother...supper's ready.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 07:06 PM

LittleHawk, I like squirrels too, but ... they are wild and mostly don't make good pets unless they are raised from a pup so's to speak.

My mom fed them, and we had a female black squirrel who would come into the pantry and get nuts for her young when we didn't give her any. Also most of the squirrels in the neighborhood would eat out of our hand. Still, Mom said NOT to reach toward them or get too friendly, because she still had the scar where a "friendly" squirrel bit all the way through her thumb when she was a kid.

We had a friend who was a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. She and her husband got so much pleasure from watching the antics of baby squirrels. They are smart (too smart!) and very playful. I remember laughing myself silly at a squirrel in our yard once. It would climb a small tree, run out on a long, low limb, bounce on the limb until it was bounced off, then run back to repeat the process.

We find that putting a 12 inch square sample of aluminum siding between the hanger (a chain) and the top of the bird feeder defeats the little thieves. Their weight makes it tip them to the ground. They slide right off. They chewed through a couple of feeders before we thought of this though.

Rita Ferrara

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 07:59 PM

Yeah, Rita, the one we had as a pet was raised from a tiny infant and had to be fed from an eyedropper, so he grew up accustomed to human company. He was great. He lived with us for three years, but vanished on one of his frequent trips outside. Maybe a predator got him...or a car.

I saw an odd thing once...gang warfare among squirrels. It had to be a territorial fight, but instead of the usual 2 combatants it involved about 8 squirrels fighting in the backyard, rolling and jumping all over the place. Bizarre. What a ruckus.

Here's a puzzle for Raptor. I noticed a brand new hole that had been gnawed or pecked in the side of a cedar tree out back. It was about 3 1/2 feet above the ground, sort of a rectangular area half the size of your palm, dug in about an inch and a half deep in the side of a fresh cedar trunk.   What the heck would do that, and why? That tree is too fresh to have bugs living in the bark or anything like that, and the hole looked too ambitious for a woodpecker, not big enough for a beaver. Would a porcupine do it?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 08:49 PM

Pileated woodpecker!

Now go make a squirrel thread and leave us alone!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ragdall
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 07:59 AM

I didn't see many birds in February, here in North Central British Columbia.

Dark eyed Juncos
Black-Capped Chickadees
Crows

---

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 08:48 AM

I have a feeling one of the Little Brown Birds I've been mistaking for a sparrow all along, is actually a Carolina wren. Hope he comes by again today, so I can get a closer squint.

Fluffy the red-tailed hawk certainly paid another visit, about an hour ago. Dove for the camera, but he didn't stay long enough.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 09:29 AM

Windsinger, look for a strong black eye strip, a very long, thin bill compared to a sparrow, and a perky tail that the bird tends to hold high. All typical of Carolina wrens.

Every winter, the song sparrows and white throated sparrows seem to flock together here (suburb of Washington, DC). One spring there was a big fight for use of our ornamental yew for nesting. The song sparrows won, and since then the white throats have moved on north when nesting season arrives. The song sparrows stay and sometimes we see the babies in the yard.

We used to have house wrens too, but the Carolina wrens drove them away.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 09:50 AM

look for a strong black eye strip

The same visitor did come by shortly after last post, but he has a strong white eye strip.



(He, incidentally, was the clever little hoaxster who played dead in front of Fluffy on his first visit.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 08:03 AM

Carolina wren it is! Nice photo, as well.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 08:15 AM

Wish I could claim credit for it. :)

Now I'm being tackled by grackles.

Ack. Well, one more for the list.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 12:09 PM

Thanks, Raptor. Now why would a pileated woodpecker make such a deep hole in the side of a cedar trunk? What was he after?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:11 PM

A nest hole.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:36 PM

Oh, I see. Well, I'll have to watch and see if he continues with it. It's not big enough yet to make a nest, and it's too close to the ground for safety, I think. Perhaps this particular woodpecker was drunk or maybe he was just practicing. If I was him I would have picked a bigger tree and gone higher up.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:37 PM

Not being a "song-bird" the hummer is not a protected species.

Their tongues make for a delightful spoonful - saute in butter with fresh fennel leaf and a small bit of minced clove of garlic.

Mouse traps baited with honey work well; however, clean before rigor-mortise sets in. The best for the cullenary arts is to capture them alive and then wring the neck (like a chicken.) Women's hair-nets placed slightly above a feeder-jar work exceedingly well....before night fall....up to a dozen may be secured.

Since they migratory your current supply will last for up to six weeks this spring.

Also, since they are migratory, (if you have the slightest reservation regarding this delicacy of emperors) recognize that you are performing a service to world-health since the little critters might later carry an out-break of influenza.

Eat and enjoy with good conscience.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:44 PM

I have a delightful collective file of small-bird recipes from the French and the Italians....everything from thrush, to squab.

If requested, I consult GASTROMONEQUE and quickly post some suggested combinations, before the season has passed. (Realize that the flavor of the bird is based upon their diet - early spring is best.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 09:48 AM

Yeah, my dad tells me about seeing young men going out to shoot songbirds for food when he was a kid in Italy (before 1920). The idea was quite repulsive to him -- he liked songbirds for their songs.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 10:21 AM

This may not be the best time to mention that there was a dovecote on my grandfather's farm (Grandma had a taste for squab.)

:/

Any bird-on-a-plate that's smaller than a Cornish hen seems a little creepy to me.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 12:32 PM

AGAIN with the inundation of grackles this morning.

What gives?

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 08:59 AM

The male cardinals are starting to feud with one another in pursuit of sweethearts. The male wrens are building nests any and everywhere.

Did see a bluebird, otherwise no new species. The blubirds are supposed to be here year-round, but I never see them in winter. We are not on a major flyway and generally do not get to see many birds in transit. A few years ago I saw a large flock of cedar waxwings feeding in a big-you guessed it--cedar tree. It is the only time I've ever seen them.

SRS--have you told your fellas they are not bird dogs?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 10:52 AM

Ugh.

I mean, UGH.

Now that the avian property values have started to plummet in this neighborhood (read: the grackles and starlings and red-winged blackbirds have moved in) ...as of this morning, we have our first brown-headed cowbird.

For the sake of their hatchlings, I hope the smaller songbirds have nested good and friggin' far away.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 07:58 PM

Okay, just for my own accounting, before today:

Titmouse
Cickodee
Gold finch
House finch
Red bellied woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Peliated woodpecker
wren
Interupted sparrow
Junko
Cardinal
Blue Jay
Crow
Buzzard
Red tailed hawk
dove
stray chicken that escaped from chicken house
_____________________________________________

Total : 17

Today:

Bluebird
Robins (lots)
...and a malard and a drake who landed in our pond this afternoon and may stick around
______________________________________________

New total: 20

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 08:44 AM

20 here too, Bob. :)


Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 11:44 PM

Me too. Crows and a hermit thrush added in February.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 11:12 PM

Four and Twenty Black Birds baked in a pie?

Eat them before they eat you.

What better way to help prevent West Nile, and Avian Bird Flu?

To Gargoyle's suggestion - I say - aye - aye!

Please post a couple recipes, any bird except the Robin, I love the little robin's red breast.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 08:55 AM

Adding Song Sparrow. 1st time I've noticed one in my yard. Total of 22 species.

Lots of bluebirds are around now.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: bfdk
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 09:27 AM

Adding a couple of new species to my list:

Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) - flock of 7 or 8, a rarity around here, and I was happy I even managed to get a few photos before they took off again.
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Gull (Larus canus)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) - just flying by high up, but there's no mistaking those ;-)

4 + the 14 already listed, total = 18.

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: number 6
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 10:00 PM

Blue bird ... saw one out in the backyard this morning.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 10:08 PM

The local robins must have been holding out for the Big Dramatic Entrance.

Started showing up all over the place the first day of Spring.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 21 Mar 06 - 12:00 PM

Just a bit of thread drift--I finally rented and watched "Winged Migration" last night. While not particularly informative--it was visually awesome.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: number 6
Date: 21 Mar 06 - 02:03 PM

"Winged Migration" ... It was visually awesome Janie. I certainly enjoyed it.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Mar 06 - 08:04 PM

Phoebe's

New Total: 21 species

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: lady penelope
Date: 22 Mar 06 - 12:47 PM

Well, had a bit of a first for us here in down town beautiful Walthamstow (London - UK) today.

Sitting on the window ledge on the house opposite us was a game pheasant. Seemed perfectly ok and flew off about 20 minutes later. I have no idea where the heck it came from or, indeed, where it went............

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Cats
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 10:30 AM

Apart from the birds that regularly visit our garden, including pheasants who came face to face with one of my cats yesterday [Pheasant 1 cat 0], we have a yellowhammer visiting at the moment. Beautiful markings.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 12:10 PM

I'm up to 14.
I should mention that the red-tailed hawk was perched on top of my bird feeder. Last year one (maybe the same one) was on my porch railing.

Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
House Sparrow
Dark Eyed Junco
Black Capped Chickadee
Cardinal
White Breaseted Nuthatch
Red Tailed Hawk
Robin
Crow
Mourning Dove
Turkey
Goldfinch
Grackle

16, if you count tentatives:

Purple finch (or house finch? Might have been the light hitting something else )
Baltimore Oriole (It was orange, it had a lovely song, and it flew very fast.)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 26 Mar 06 - 04:37 PM

I've had another first today!   I saw a green woodpecker - a mile from Heathrow Airport on the M4!! It was live, pecking about the verge and quite perky.... rather than dead, immobile and squished to the thickness of a CD case, as was the pigeon a bit further down the road.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Mandoleer
Date: 26 Mar 06 - 05:30 PM

Only just caught up with this thread. List for this year so far from Sunny Southport suburb:
Robin
Wren (noisy little sod)
Greenfinch
Thrush
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Starling (one only - flocks of thousands a couple of roads away)
Herring Gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Magpie
Hedge Sparrow (OK, you may call it a dunnock. I don't.)
Tawny owl (heard)
Pinkfooted Goose (seasonal visitor - should be going soon)
Oystercatcher
The last two are a bit unusual for a suburban semi-detached, but I'm under the commuter route for the geese and the oystercatchers. Haven't had a house sparrow for years, but they're in the next road. Goldfinches are found over the road, but not in my place.
As to squirrels, I had a red in the spring and a grey late summer. I got a live trap from the Red Alert people but couldn't get the beggar. Wrecked one of my feeders. (I'm in a Red Squirrel area so trapping and removing is a local activity where greys are concerned.)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Purple Foxx
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 04:04 AM

3 Bluetits simultaneously sitting in a tree in the back garden this morning.
First time that's happened in several years.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 04:38 AM

Ah, Purple, you should visit my garden... I recently had at least 8 tits of varying descriptions sitting in my service tree. It's a bit windy at the moment, so they're hiding in a bush somewhere.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Purple Foxx
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 04:41 AM

Liz I have 2 Cats with a morbid interest in all things ornithological.
I suspect that's why birds stay away from our garden.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 08:29 AM

In my block there are at least 10 cats in, at the most 4 houses. I am presently owned by 3 and landlady to 2 others. One of mine (the year old Raven cat) is very interested in ornithology and is at this very moment, engaged upon said activity, from the comfort of the windowsill. He was eyeing up a gull the other week which was perched on a nearby house - as I caught him on the OUTSIDE of this windowsill (2nd floor) not so long ago, it's only a matter of time and energy before he drags in a crow he's immobilised on our chimney pot.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 03:56 PM

:::snicker:::

At an event this weekend, found out that at least I'm not the only one who's enchanted by Nuthatches. No, they're not the flashiest birds at the feeder...not by far. But DAMN are they amusing to watch.

For some reason, the fact that they feed head-downwards never ceases to seem funny. And that call of theirs ("Heh!") just sounds so much like maniacal laughter, they're always good for a giggle.

I don't know if the 'hatches at anyone else's feeder have the habit of flinging seed around madly when they eat. We initially thought that they were just trying to bypass the filler and get to the "yummybits". (After a couple rounds of filling the feeder EXCLUSIVELY with "yummybits", we're pretty sure it's just the equivalent of a little kid playing in the toilet.)

Mad little things. Very aptly named.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: BobtheBirder
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 08:34 AM

Hey Raptor - what a great joy to see so many other twitchers! Thought I was a dying breed! I'm in Coventry - my back studio window looks out on to the new Ricoh Stadium - sadly!

Have 25 on the list so far - star bird being a Yellow-legged Gull.

It would be nice to get a visit from that Spannish Sparrow that's in the city - that no one can find!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 08:47 AM

March Home list:

NOCA-Northern Cardinal
CAGO-Canada Goose
KILL-Killdeer
Mala-Malard
WITU-Wild Turkey
RWBL-Red-winged Blackbird
HOFI-House Finch
CORE-Common Redpol
AMRO-American Robin
SOSP-Song Sparrow
AMWO-American Woodcock


Total Year to date 28 Species

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 08:52 AM

Bob Good to see you.

Good luck with the Spanish Sparrow, You might have to take a trip to Turkey to see one.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 10:07 AM

Nuttin' new here. Just larger numbers of the same species. All the twitterin' and courtin' going on sure is a pleasure to watch and to hear.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 10:24 AM

So far our cat Tilahun has brought in two dark grey small birds. The first one did not survive the experience. The second one we managed to rescue when we heard general excitment coming from the bathroom early Sunday morning. The bird had been released and was trying to escape out the upper window and I was able to capture it. Other than the loss of some feathers, it seemed to be reasonably healthy and I was able to release it safely out the front door where it flew off to a nearby pine tree to meditate.

Tilahun was impressed with my ability to catch the bird but fails to understand why I didn't bite its head off.

Sigh, spring is here!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 10:53 AM

Only two new for the month of March that I can positively identify, a pileated woodpecker and a pair of mallards. There are lots of others I suspect, but my ability to identify by song only is still a bit limited and the buggers still haven't found the birdfeeder.

I thought I heard the swallows about, one sunny day last week, but couldn't confirm. Very early if it was, I noted them last year on the 18th of April.

So total for the month of March = 2, total so far this year = 14.

Oh, and another acquisition. I managed to pick up Richard Cannings' Birds of Southwestern British Columbia. A beautiful little field guide. So even if I can't see the ones I supect are out there, the ones that should have located my feeder by now, I can at least stare longingly at their pictures.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: maeve
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 12:46 PM

March 2006 list from Whitefield, Maine
21 species, total in 2006 so far.

Black-capped chickadee
American robin
Crow
Raven
American goldfinch
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Piliated woodpecker
Great horned owl
Brown creepers
Redpolls
Turkeys
Herring gulls
Red breasted nuthatches
Common nuthatch

Plus:
Bluebird
Tufted titmouse
Dark-eyed juncos
White-throated sparrows
Mourning doves
Barred owl

Two miles down the road toward the village last week I saw five male wild turkeys fighting. The two larger males held each other beak to beak and pushed chest to chest. When they drifted into a group of three younger males similarly engaged, the five males converged into a group of five, all facing inwards and holding onto beaks, heads, necks with their beaks, chests together, in an eerie, almost elegant, dance that lasted nearly ten minutes. A delivery truck finally drove by, startling them, whereupon the turkeys scattered into the brushline. A lovely way to start the early morning!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: dozy rozy
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 06:03 PM

I'm a bird and I'm sick of being stared at.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 06:25 PM

'Nother little piece of thread drift--Wisteria grows everywhere here. It is blooming now and the 2nd growth trees and scrub bush along the access road to the grocery store are heavily draped with pendulous clusters of its lavender blooms. I glanced up walking out of the store, and saw one bright red cardinal perched among the blooms.   Its bright feathers seemed to absolutely glow against the lavender backdrop.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 06:27 PM

20 species spotted in March. 29 for the year to date here in north Arkansas. The highlight of the month was the arrival of the Purple Martins. The first arrived on March 29. Females arrived March 31. The cowbirds have almost taken over the feeders.   Male goldfinches are beginning to get their caps and I seen one that has turned gold completely.

Blue Jay
Bluebird
Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle
Cowbird
Downy Woodpecker
Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow
Junco
Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Purple Martin
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Robin
Starling
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow Shafted Flicker

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 07:31 PM

Birds at Minhamite. Victoria. Australia. (South-West Victoria)
Seen/heard during the months of Feb. & March 2006:
Little Raven
Australian Magpie
Australian Magpie Lark (Mudlark)
Richard's Pipit
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
New Holland Honeyeater
Red Wattle Bird
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Galah
Little Corella
Crimson Rosella
White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Masked Plover
Nankeen Kestrel
Brown Falcon
White-faced Heron
Willy Wagtail
Grey fantail
Restless Flycatcher
Silvereye
Barn Owl
Mountain Duck
Black Swan
Welcome Swallow

Introduced birds:
Blackbird
House Sparrow
Goldfinch

Many of our birds are residents but there's a slight seasonal difference when the water birds arrive in the Autumn.
I have a beautiful Male Mountain Duck (well he's a drake of course) in my care at the moment. Big fellow, coloured rather like a Mallard. He's rather on the dim side like most ducks and someone just walked over to him and picked him up. Can't find a thing wrong and neither can the animal doctor. They do have a period of moult when they become flightless (ducks that is, not animal doctors) but that's not likely just now. Anyway he's safe with us for a bit. I'll return him to his chosen lake soon. His wife might be worried.


Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 07:58 PM

Heard a Barred owl this morning. Not in my yard, but the Purple Martins are back in force.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ragdall
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 06:56 PM

March list:

House Sparrows
Dark eyed Juncos
Black-Capped Chickadees
Crows
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Flicker
Bohemian Waxwing
(American) Robins

---

9 species

rags
North Central British Columbia

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Jeri
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 07:53 PM

I could have sworn I posted to this yesterday. I had a black bird in my chimney. Not a blackbird, but some bird that was a beautiful purlish-bluish on top and bit more grey on the bottom. Purple Marin. I got it out of the chimney. It's unused though, and if it gets back in, I may just leave it alone. I doubt the birdies can fly straight up to get out, but maybe there are footholds on the way up (or down).

So I'm up to 17:

Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
House Sparrow
Dark Eyed Junco
Black Capped Chickadee
Cardinal
White Breaseted Nuthatch
Red Tailed Hawk
American Robin
Crow
Mourning Dove
Turkey
Goldfinch
Grackle
House Finch
Starling
Purple Martin

I'll now wait for the redwinged blackbirds and fly-overs by pond-loving herons, geese and maybe ducks.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 09:09 PM

More crows today (and every day)...and some Canada Goose flew over.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Apr 06 - 07:49 PM

Saw a cormorant this morning... no mean feat for a bus stop that's a good 8 miles from the river, let alone the sea!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Jeri
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 07:49 PM

I can claim another. It's legal if it just flew over, isn't it?

Anyway, this morning when I got up, I was in the bathroom... uh, sitting down. I looked upward at the sky out of the window. What I saw was a bloody big (nearly 3' wingspan) dark grey hawk-like bird, soaring into the bit of sky directly above my house. With a white head. I thought I knew what it was, but checked my Audobon Society Field Guide just to be sure, because I couldn't quite believe it. I still don't. It was, however, one of the first things I saw after I woke up, and really - what do all the petty aggravations really matter when you've seen a Bald Eagle!?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 07:21 PM

Nice One!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 07:38 PM

A pair of pesky starlings thought they could live where I hadn't gotten 'round to the last piece of sophet but I ran 'um off...

That makes 22...

The ducks stop in every evening our pond fir the tadpole buffet...

Now we did have a grouse when we moved up here but we think the mean fox got him but, hey, that does make...

23...

The humming birds should be here soon... We didn't set out a feeder last year since we were crazy thrying just to bring some order to this ol' hog farm but now that order has been restored, we definately will have one up this summer...

One bird that I'm surprised not to have is pigeons... Two barns and no pigeons??? Like what's wrong with this piccure???

Ahhhh, does hearing a bird count if we ain't actually seen it???

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 10:50 PM

Screech owl. Chipping sparrow. Can't locate the last post that I gave a number on. Oh well.

Saw swifts at a rest stop between Wytheville, Va and Bluefield, WV this weekend. I don't think I have seen them before.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 19 Apr 06 - 09:17 PM

We saw a wood thrush this evening. That makes 21. Have been hearing various migrants this week but I'm too inexperienced to identify them by their calls.

Can't add these to my count, but we spent Easter with my cousin's family near Annapolis, MD. Saw a couple of chipping sparrows in her yard (saw them last year when we were there, too) but more exciting for me, I saw a pair of ravens perched in a tree by the road. A "life bird" for me.

I wasn't even sure ravens ever showed up in this area, but the Voice of the Naturalist says a pair have been spotted in the past week in Montgomery County, MD where I live. Wood thrushes, too.

Song sparrows seem to be nesting in the yew bush. I was trimming a big snowball bush and discovered a robin's nest (empty thank goodness) just about the time the robin started hollering its head off and trying to drive me off. I felt very sad to ruin all their work but by the time I can see the nest, it's too late -- all the neighborhood crows can see it too, so there's no way the birds are going to raise their young there safely.

Oh, and as usual, the Carolina wrens are raising a crop of babies in an old plastic dish drainer on the back porch. (If I've already mentioned that I apologize....) We would have thrown it away years ago if they didn't like it so much! I just clean and wash it each fall. We tried a wren house but they turn up their nose at it. One year I got to watch three fledglings leave the nest and fly away.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 07:35 PM

The wood thrush was in the yard again this morning. I looked out hoping to find it and there it was heading up the walk toward me, about 4 feet from the porch. :-) This is the first one I've seen in our yard (except for two pitiful little corpses that a neighbor's cat killed once, 7 or 8 years ago). It was very alert; almost as soon as I looked out the window it spotted me and left. Still I got a very good look at it.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 09:10 PM

My parents have a very large rhododendron that grows up to and covers the 2nd story bedroom window. A morning dove built a nest on the outside window ledge and was tending 3 eggs. The eggs were gone when Mom went to show me when I got there for Easter weekend. We found some broken shells and one whole but cracked egg on the ground below the window. Not at all sure what got them. Another bird, probably, as the squirrels don't seem to ever go over that way.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: bfdk
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 04:45 PM

Saw a couple of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) flying by yesterday and - yes! spring has finally arrived - a single barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), also airborne, but there's no mistaking that tail shape for anything else around here.

Which brings the total up to 20.

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 25 Apr 06 - 10:31 AM

Saw a catbird this morning. They are either very late arrivals this year, or I just haven't noticed them-probably the latter. I think them most handsome birds.

Janie

Subject: Spring Birds in DC
From: lamarca
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 11:29 PM

Last year a pair of cardinals nested in the tree right next to our deck and were feeding their young when Danny Spooner was visiting us, to his great delight. This spring, they have nested in a shrub in our front yard, only three feet off the ground. Mama and Papa freak every time we go in or out of the front door.

In spite of this, there are now three ugly, half-downy hatchlings in the nest. We're thinking of starting a betting pool to pick the date when one of the neighborhood felines grabs a take-out lunch...

Our three cats are indoors-only, precisely to prevent injury to themselves and other wildlife. Now that coyotes have established themselves in the DC Metro area, more folks are going to have to keep Fluffy inside, or their kitty will be take-out coyote chow...

On a real spring note, the House Wrens started singing on territory this week. I have three wren houses up, and they usually raise broods in at least two of them every year!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Mandoleer
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 09:20 AM

Nice to know I'm not the only one with birds that sort out the seed from the feeder. Damn Hedge Sparrows throw out all the wheat, flaked maize and sunflower seeds. They're supposed to be insectivores, aren't they? I'm not made of birdseed and pick it up again and put it back in. Something eventually eats it. Blackbirds doing vertical takeoffs under fatball and grabbing what they can in passing. No squirrels yet. Non-garden sighting about a mile from home: Oystercatcher - feeding at roadside! (Quiet country road - no water anywhere near, but they nest out there somewhere.) No swallows yet, but pinkfooted geese long gone.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: John Hardly
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 10:25 AM

I do all my birdwatching in the woods where I run (four miles from home) so I hope it doesn't disqualify me.

1. Cardinal
2. House Finch
3. Gold Finch
4. Golden-Crowned Kinglet
5. Mallard
6. Great Blue Heron
7. Bald Eagle
8. Belted Kingfisher
9. Ivory Billed woodpecker (just checking to see if you're reading!)
9. Pileated Woodpecker
10.Red-bellied Woodpecker
11.Downy Woodpecker
12.Starling (anyone read the recent article on bird grammar?)
13.Grackle
14.Robin
15.Whitebrested Nuthatch
16.Cedarwaxwing
17.Brown Thrasher

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 11:01 AM

Spotted a Jay being well and truly hounded by a pair of courageous Blackbirds, very typical of this member of the Crow family to raid the Blackbirds nest, but in this case he seemed to come off the worst, as the male Blackbird chased him some distance.

I spotted my first Swifts of the summer on Wedensday 29 April, the Swallows arrived two weeks ago. {In the north of Ireland], please add your location it is very helpful.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 01:36 PM

Janie, glad you reminded me to list the catbirds. I think they showed up about a week ago and are burbling merrily outside the window for hours every day. 22 species to date.

(we live in Silver Spring, a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC).

The wrens have apparently raised their first brood, the one in the dish drainer on the porch (cheeky, pushy little critters!) and are deciding where to start their second family of the summer. Usually they move to another location, I don't know where. Well, and maybe it was a different male that I saw yesterday checking out the back porch for nesting spots. LaMarca, he went in and out of the wren box you gave me, two or three times, before going over to inspect the dish drainer. We'll see. Bill and I would love for them to use the wren house.

Song sparrows seem to be nesting in our ornamental yew. The male sings near there and I heard a worried chirp from inside the yew yesterday when I went too close. I don't want to peek for fear of letting the crows knew there's something in the yew that might interest them. I think they've already had a try at it; there is a big new gap in the foliage at the top. That was what happened the year song sparrows nested in the yes and the babies disappeared before they were grown. Sigh.... Ain't nature grand?

Rita

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: akenaton
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 05:09 PM

ard mhacha....I'm in a great mood today!!

The swallows returned to Loch Fyne in Argyll this morning.
I was lying in bed about 6 o'clock when I heard them chattering on the gutters outside my window.
I ran downstairs ,opened the front door and they were inspecting the nests they had left last Autumn.

There are four nests in my front porch and the swallows have been using them for about twenty years . Whenever they return they set about cleaning out and repairing the old nests and usually manage a couple of broods per year.

Its lovely to open the front door as darkness falls in late Summer, to see half a dozen wee heads looking at you from each corner of the porch.
By Autumn there's shit everywhere,but who cares ...were only here for a blink..so live and let live I say....Ake

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:20 PM

I'm at my parent's house in West Virginia, redoing their flower gardens. Was watching and listening to the redwinged blackbirds this morning--we don't get them in my neighborhood--too dry--and I really miss them. I love their call.

Re: Cardinals. I am always amazed at how low to the ground they build their nests. Cardinals build a nest almost every year on a rose trellis in my front garden. And every year, a feral neighborhood cat gets the babies. I hate that the cat does that, I also notice him watching the birdfeeders and bath on the other side of the house. But he does a great job of controling the voles, baby rabbits, and keeping the squirrels out of the pots on my front porch and steps. He has been around for several years, no one feeds him, and he is really healthy and beautiful.   

We also have black racers and black rat snakes that we leave alone to control the voles and mice. One of them lives in the basement and goes in and out through the grates for the crawlspace adjacent to the basement. I'm sure they get some bird eggs and rabbits also. We just figure that it is all part of nature and a balanced ecosystem.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 07:31 AM

Ake, Near to where I live at the gable end of a street the House Martins returned last Sunday, they were busy repairing their old nest which were neatly tucked in under the gables at opposit ends.

I would have to say the Swallows, Swifts and House Martins are my favourites, when you consider the hardships they endure on there long flight from Africa, and returning to their old nesting sites, amazing navigation skill from these heralds of summer.

I am lucky to be so close to the countryside, quite a variety of birds to be seen, but, unfortunately the match of progress is eating into the rural areas and in comparsion to my youth bird numbers have drastically reduced, the population of all of Ireland is estimated to reach 7 million in the next 20 years, that is almost double in the last 80 years, by then we may have to go to our Museums to view our feathered friends,-- in a glass case.

Thanks fot your location Ake and Ferrara.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 02:11 PM

A few minutes ago I noticed a flurry of activity in a small grove of trees about 100 yards distant. Then a crow flew out of the grove with two smaller birds in pursuit. Within a minute another crow flew off with one smaller bird in pursuit. From the distance I could not positively identify the smaller birds but from size, color, and shape they appeared to be mockingbirds.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 02:39 PM

Regarding the House Martins, that should read . - repairing their old nests, that is two nests, both secured under the eaves at opposite ends of the gable, I have to give my wee friends due credit.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 02 May 06 - 11:04 PM

Hightlights of the month were the return of the Purple Martins and a new tennant in the bluebird house I put up last week. My list for April.

bluebird
bluejay
brown thrasher
cardinal
carolina chickadee
chipping sparrow
cowbird
grackle
house finch
house sparrow
killdeer
mockingbird
mourning dove
purple martin
red bellied woodpecker
robin
ruby throated hummingbird
scissortail flycatcher
starling
tufted titmouse
white throatred sparrow

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 May 06 - 12:00 AM

Added this month, a brown creeper and the tree swallows. Total to date 15.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 03 May 06 - 03:58 PM

(Silver Spring, MD)

Forgot to list a mockingbird who was in the yard some time during April. I wish they came here more often. That made 23.

This morning I saw a female ruby throated hummingbird. That brings the year's total to 24.

Also there are two white throated sparrows in the back yard right now. Don't usually see them here in late spring.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 04 May 06 - 12:08 PM

Among the exotics we've seen in our (UK) Berkshire garden are ring-necked parakeets (common hereabouts-large flocks roost in Richmond area, allegedly originally escapees from the set of a "Tarzan" type movie now naturalised), an African Grey parrot(managed to trace the owner via the local copshop but it flew away again before they could come for it)and some small birds that taxed my brain for days and all our bird books until I looked up a caged bird book in the library an found they were several types of zebra finch, obviously aviary escapees. Never came back, probably killed by UK winter or our local sparrow hawk. Most spectacular is the heron that often lands in our fairly small garden and has difficulty getting enough room to lift off again.
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 04 May 06 - 12:12 PM

Add common grackle to my list. We don't often have them, but looks like several have come for the summer.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 05 May 06 - 09:48 PM

April Home List:

EAPH-Eastern Phoebe
BHCO-Brown-Headed Cowbird
FOSP-Fox Sparrow
TUVU-Turkey Vulture
GCKI-Golden-Crowned Kinglet

BEKI-Belted Kingfisher
RUGR-Ruffed Grouse
WTSP-White Throated Sparrow
YBSS-Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
NOFL-Northern Flicker
BRTH-Brown Thrasher
TRSP- Tree Sparrow


Year To Date Total: 40 Species

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 06 May 06 - 08:33 PM

Well, well, well...

Last night the P-Vine and I went down to the pond and found a bird that, in flight. looked very much like a swift but5 had long legs and a long bill like some kinda sandpiper... So to the boohs we went and found it to be a spotted sandpiper...

24, I think...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: lamarca
Date: 08 May 06 - 12:05 PM

The warblers are passing through - I watched a Ruby-crowned Kinglet darting out from our little willow oak sapling to eat insects, and heard a Northern Parula across the street (Bzzzzwheeep!).

Our cardinal babies all went away, but there are fledgelings around the house begging for food - don't know if they're the front yard brood or from another nest...

My yard list for April - early May:
Rock Dove (AKA pigeon, "sky rat")
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (heard only)
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crows, being irately pursued by 2 mockingbirds
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Gray Catbird (are there any other colors?)
European Starling (sigh - too many)
Northern Parula (heard only)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (AKA "Butter-butt")
Northern Cardinal
White-throated Sparrow (they seem to be sticking around and calling from trees - maybe nesting?)
Song Sparrow
Rufous-sided Towhee (heard only - I refuse to call them the boring official "Eastern Towhee" name)
Brown-headed Cowbird (boo. hiss.)
Common Grackle
House Sparrow - too many - they nest in my neighbor's attic...
American Goldfinch
Little Brown Bat (not a bird, but I always like seeing the First Bat of Spring. When it's warm, we sit on our deck through sunset, waiting for the First Bat of the Evening. I don't know where they roost, but I'm glad they're there to eat up the mosquitos.)

Not bad, considering I don't have any feeders out. Still haven't seen our first hummingbird, although our native honeysuckle is blooming up a storm...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 16 May 06 - 07:03 PM

Having our yearly visit with a Boobook (Owl) He/she calls in for a few weeks in May or June. Probably lives nearby and does the rounds looking for a mate. Boobooks are happy to talk with humans. You only have to get close to their sound and they'll answer. "Boo-Book" with the second note dropped down a major third. Their call is rather like a Northern Hemispere Cuckoo. (Our Cuckoos don't sound like that.)

Magpies are starting to sing in the moonlight. They start their courting in the Winter. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Yooper
Date: 23 May 06 - 06:32 PM

Visitors to feeders in the Copper Country of
Michigan's Upper Peninsula:

Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Rose-breasted Grossbeak
Goldfinch
Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Starling
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Purple Finch
Humming Bird
Crow
Rock Dove
Morning Dove
Robin
Chipmunk (a most arduous and prolific gatherer!!)
Cotton-tail Rabbit (room with the chippies under the toolshed)
Neighbor's "Mutt" (digs under the toolshed for chippies & rabbits)
Neighbor's Tabby Cat (a quite serious looking yet unsuccessful hunter)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 24 May 06 - 01:57 PM

No new birds, but had a very enjoyable experience last weekend at a cabin camp near Manassas, VA. A pair of Carolina wrens built a nest on the windowsill by my bed, between the wooden shutter and the screen. The room inside was dark, so I could watch from about a foot away. They built the nest -- literally "from scratch" -- in about a day and a half. Hearing the tiny little sounds they made while they worked -- the banging and thumping as they packed stuff in, the flutter of wings and tiny scrabble of claws as one landed on the shutter, their soft chirrups when both were in the nest, a "beep beep" call from an arriving bird to the one in the nest to announce it wanted to use the "doorway," the loud cheep that sounded just like "drat!" when a twig wouldn't go where they wanted it -- was the best part of being so close to their activities.

I am still hearing a wood thrush, although I haven't seen one since May 1. I think there is at least one nesting pair on this block although not in my yard. They only call in the very early morning, about 5 am, and occasionally at twilight. I have wished for years that we had them here because I love their song.

I've started recording the songs of "strangers" in the neighborhood. Even if I can't recognize them now, I may learn what kind of birds they are eventually.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 03 Jul 06 - 04:44 PM

Two more species in two days, a pair of blue jays and several brown headed cowbirds (ugh). That makes 26 species so far this year. Haven't seen a blue jay in the yard for a couple of years (since West Nile virus first hit this area). I was very happy to see them.

The wood thrushes raised at least one young 'un successfully. We've seen it in our yard a few times. The original pair moved a couple of blocks away and seem to be nesting again. That is so neat.

There are lots and lots of eastern cottontails around here this spring.   I got to watch two of them chasing each other around the yard, jumping up in the air, etc. I wonder if that's a bunny courtship.

Rita

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Jul 06 - 04:51 PM

Added a long tailed tit to my list last week. Still didn't see the kingfisher I know to be living up at the Aquadrome, but I'll keep watching out for it. The magpies seem to be taking over the world... the youngsters are out and about with their parents, learning the art of sweetie wrapper chasing, sandwich stealing and crapping on cars.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 08:48 AM

May Home list:

WOTH Wood-Thrush
WCSP-White Crouned Sparrow
BAOR-Baltimore Oriole
BAWW-Black and White Warbler
NRWS-Northern Rough Winged Swallow
NAWA-Nashville Warbler
AMBI-American Bittern
OVEN-Ovenbird
BTBW-Black throated Blue Warbler
HOWR-House Wren
RBGR-Rose Breasted Grosbeak
RTHU-Ruby Throated Hummingbird
INBU-Indigo Bunting
GCFL-Great Crested Flycatcher
REVE-Red eyed Verio

June Home List:

CEWA-Ceadar Waxwing

Year to date Total: 56 Spiecies

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 09:06 AM

I saw my first sandpiper while kayaking on a local lake last week! I had never seen one before and had to look up what it was!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 12:58 PM

I have enjoyed the Purple Martins soaring overhead and feeding their babies. One female has been paying special attention to me whenever I am in the yard and has been trying to knock my hat off. I guess the goldfinches are getting plenty of food as they do not come around all that often. Two house finch couples have nesten on the front porch.   One in a house and the other in a hanging fern. I have peeked at the babies in the fern on occasion.

Here is the list for June.

Blue Grosbeak
Blue Jay
Bluebird
Brown Thrasher
Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle
Cowbird
Crow
Goldfinch
House Finch
killdeer
Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Purple Martin
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Red Winged Blackbird
Robin
ruby throated hummingbird
Scissortail Flycatcher
Starling
Western Kingbird
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow-Shafted Flicker

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: bfdk
Date: 28 Jul 06 - 01:34 PM

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major seen right outside here just 15 minutes ago. They usually don't come all the way up here as it's too densely populated.

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Rman
Date: 28 Jul 06 - 03:44 PM

Nuthatch and Treecreeper in the same tree!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 28 Jul 06 - 11:18 PM

Bill and I saw a female ruby throated hummingbird today. )Maryland). It looked as if it was checking out the feeders for a nectar feeder. They are pretty smart about that. I have only seen about half a dozen hummingbirds in the yard, in the 23 years we've lived in this house. It's pretty shady right around here, not too many hummingbird flowers and no hummer feeders.

It brought my year's total to 27. I keep forgetting to keep track by month....

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 03:00 AM

Well I'm thrilled to pieces. I may not have a large total, but this month I got to see my first ever Black Headed Grosbeak, in fact a pair.

When I first saw the female I initially thought it was a hermit thrush, but the light bar above the eye didn't fit. Although the above linked site says they prefer insects and fruit, they hung around for a couple of weeks pecking away with the juncos and towees at the black sunflower seeds scattered below my feeder. I haven't spotted them for a week, so maybe they got bored with the monotony of the diet.

So...new birds for June and July are:

Bald Eagle
Hairy Woodpecker
Red breasted Nuthatch
Violet Green Swallow and....
Black Headed Grosbeak

For a total of 23 to date.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 05:16 AM

I'm sad to report that I have seen no new birds this month, and very few of the originals. It's just too hot in the UK and they're all exhausted. They're doing their hunting in the cool of the day (not that there is much 'cool' at the moment) and I'm not seeing them.

There has been a bat sighting though. I have a white buddliea (butterfly bush) that attracts moths and this in turn attracts the local bats. Their building has been renovated this year so I wasn't sure if they were still around. Looks like there is still one hanging on, even if he's moved to a different roof.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 07:48 AM

Since me last post in April:

Bluebirds
Hummingbirds
Indigo Buntings
Blue Heron
White Egret
Barn Swallows

I think that's got me up to 30...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 12:21 AM

Metchosin, where do you live? Wonderful birds! Bobert, I know where you live (more or less), but ditto on the birds.

Liz, maybe you can put out a pan of water? I use a glazed terra cotta flowerpot saucer. You have to clean it regularly and disinfect it with chlorine bleach once in a while, then rinse & let it dry out. A bit of bother, but it is so valuable to the birds in hot weather. You still may not see them but if you fill it they will come.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 06:58 AM

I have a pond and several pots of water in the garden... it's so hot the cats have been out there a lot so I think that's made them wary.

There's plenty of food in the way of insects and bugs, but it's a bit short on berries and seeds at the moment. I've left my buddliea seed heads from last year and there's a sunflower seed feeder in the garden.. they're just not visiting.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 12:51 AM

Ferrara, I'm on southern Vancouver Island. And I just realized that I forgot to add Turkey Vulture, so my updated total is 24 species.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Jeri
Date: 18 Aug 06 - 05:01 PM

Every year, I think, "boy, it would be nice to have a real back yard instead of this swampy-in-the-Spring, weed-filled mess." Then, every August, the ragweed (which I'm not allergic to), the Joe Pie weed, the daisies and Black-eyed Susan, the Queen Anne's Lace, and the Jewel Weed bloom, and they're thick with butterflies. The whole place is a wonderland, and my only contribution is to leave it alone.

I've been wondering about the little squeaky-toy bird calls for a while, and finally caught the culprit in the act. The wee female was sitting on a dead raspberry cane, just resting and squeaking occasionally. I KNEW the hummingbirds (ruby throated, except the females aren't) were there, because in past years, they've buzzed me. First time that happened, I thought it was bee-zilla, but bees aren't green and don't hover. I wonder where their nest is.

Regarding nesting, my bird book says: "2 white eggs the size of large peas in a woven nest of plant down held together with spider silk." Tell me that doesn't sound like the stuff of fairy tale and song!

I've seen a few more species, and the eagle one more time. I've put up two more feeders and fashioned a utilitarian bird bath. The more I watch these winged jewels, the more I love them.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 18 Aug 06 - 10:57 PM

Other than hummingbirds, owls, Purple Martins, Eastern Bluebirds, and robins, we see the same birds here year round, we just see more of particular species seasonally. We are just far enough south that many species that migrate in the northern part of their range stay here all year. It is not unusual for the occasional robin to stick around all winter either. The major flyways are up the coast or up the mountains, so we don't see a lot of birds in transit either.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 11:31 AM

Jeri your weed-filled mess does sound like an August wonderland.

We spot about 1 hummingbird a year here, it's always a big event. But last week I visited friends in West Virginia and their two hummer feeders were busy most of the day. I never knew how they tweetle before! Yes, tiny little twitters and cheepings. Also never knew they really do sound like bee-zilla (or a bee-29) when they zoom past your ear. Very startling. Even worse when they fly under a corrugated metal shed roof. I also noticed that the chittering got loudest just before one or more of them made a feeder run. It was useful because I could get my camera ready (for one more set of fuzzy pictures....).

I started with the camera at 1/160 of a second and changed it to 1/320 of a second. Mistake. The ones with the fast shutter speed did not show any wings on the birds at all! The whirring wings were too translucent, I think. At least with the slower shutter speed there was a nice blur that suggested wing feathers. I might be able to get the actual wing at 1/1000 of a second but the light was too dim for that while I was there.

My main reason for taking photos is to get detailed information for my woodburning, so I don't worry if I don't have fancy, publishable photos. I am pretty thrilled to have these. If I'm not too lazy I'm going to put some of them up online, will post here if I do.

Rita F

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 01:16 PM

Hi Rita and everybody-

Since I live close to you, Rita, I thought I might pass this on. You might be able to try something similar.

We have a hummingbird feeder on the deck in back--never had any visitors this year.   Having just got back from the UK, I was trying to do something to combat the drought we must have had for weeks. I had aimed a hose to spray through a dogwood--to try to perk up the forsythia on the other side --in the front yard this morning. While Jan and I were talking in the kitchen she noticed a humminbird (female ruby-throated) sitting on a branch of the dogwood--flexing her wings and revelling in the impromptu shower. Just glorious.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: gnu
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 01:33 PM

Say Ron... what a great idea. I must figure a way to run a hose to the edge of the apple tree and put a needle hole in it so that it sprays on part of an area where the hummers like to sit. Worth a shot.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 01:41 PM

I have never put up a hummingbird feeder because they MUST be cleaned regularly or they will cause illness ... and I know how disorganized I am.

We have other feeders though and I think the hummingbirds recognize that, because for the past 2 years we've had at least one female stop by and hover in front of our picture window, as if asking where is their feeder and when are we going to put it up?

This is not as fanciful as it sounds. At my cousin's house they knock on the windows if their feeders aren't out when the arrive in the spring. And when fall comes, the goldfinches come and twitter in the trees until we put the thistle feeder out for them.

Years ago a neighbor of my parents had a fan-style lawn sprinkler going. On each arc it sprayed through the branches of a silver maple tree. A flock of at least a dozen chickadees were having a blast playing in the water as it came by. My mom and I watched for about 10 minutes.

Rita D

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 01:43 PM

You're right, Rita.   Jan and I are very aware of that. And we also took the feeder down while we were away.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 02:31 PM

Rita, I don't put up hummer feeders either, but I do plant flowers to attract them. I don't see as many of them as my friends with feeders, but I see plenty enough. Larkspur in spring, bee balm and crocosmia in summer and tall species of salvia season-long seem to be their favorites.

(As I sit here at the computer, I am watching a female feed on the impatience in one of the flower boxes on the proch rail.)

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 02:35 PM

Oh, that impatient windowbox!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 04:19 PM

Late start but I'm in. I wished I had seen this thread earlier. I am in a great area so I think I can catch right up. I'm starting today off with the first thing I saw ( and it was also a good omen ) outside my bedroom slider; an immature Golden Eagle. Therefore, so far today I have seen:

Golden Eagle
California Jay ( Scrub Jay )
Titmouse
English Sparrow
Linnet ( House Finch )
Lincoln Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Redheaded (Acorn) Woodpecker
Redshafted Flicker
Common Crow
Raven
Towhee
Gold Crown Kinglet
Turkey
Domestic Chicken
Turkey Vulture

That's 16. Happy Hunting

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 04:23 PM

Hi Slag! Glad to see you here. In what part of the country (or world) is visible outside that slider window?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 02:45 AM

Add:

Mourning Dove
Goatsucker (Poorwill)
Osprey

That's 19

I'm located a couple of miles from Clearlake (the lake, not the city) so I kinda have a big advantage. But I will never see a Cardinal or an Indigo Bunting. Outside my slider (faces south) are the Mayacamas mountains which stretch from the Geysers near Cloverdale up to Wilits. Cow Mountain is due west a few miles. It is a low but very rugged coastal range which follows the fault by the same name. On the other side is the Russian River and the County seat of Medocino Co., Ukiah. Deer are all over the place as are turkeys and a few peacocks that travel with them. Ocassionally we see Mountain Lions, wild pig, bear, river otters, bobcat, lots of racooons, opposum, grey squirrel, I am very fortunate to get to live here.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 03:16 AM

Hints and tips from ancient Suffolk folklore, no 432:

When I put a ball of fat out for the birds, it's usually only a day or two before the local family of magpies demolish it either by hooking it up onto a branch for the whole pack to attack at their leisure, or by ripping the bag so it falls to the ground. To counter this, I now push the top of the bag through the hole in an old CD before hanging it. This sways and tilts if a magpie tries to land on it, and so far has been very effective in keeping them away. Smaller birds, which arrive from below or on a level aren't put off at all.

I favour Donovan CDs for this, as after a while they are rendered completely unplayable.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: LilyFestre
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 03:24 AM

I was out kayaking on Thursday and saw several osprey and 2 immature blue herons (Crooked Creek, Tioga, PA) who were great fun to watch! About 2 weeks earlier, on a different kayak excursion, I saw (and heard) my very first immature bald eagle (Little Pine State Park near English Center, PA).

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ron Davies
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 06:50 AM

Slag--sounds like a wonderful place to live.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 03:01 PM

Thank you Ron. I DO feel quite priviladged. My mom was born in these parts so I have had connections here all my life. In the early 80's I got the chance to locate here and I've never regretted it. We have a couple of bald eagles who put in ocassional appearances but I haven't seen them since early spring. Add a Stellar's Jay to my list this AM, that's 20!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 10:55 PM

Darn it! Just tried to post to this thread and the post disappeared. Sigh.... I'll try again, but a shorter post :-).

Looking at photos from July 26-27, I was able to identify a not-too-good shot of a teensy gray "mystery bird" as a ruby-crowned kinglet. (Should have recognized the white marks around the eye when I first took the pics.) That brings the number of species I've seen in the yard to 28 so far this year.

This had better show up....

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 12:27 AM

add:

Valley Quail (every day of the week)
Western Blue Bird
Black Bird ( Common )
Starling

That's 24

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 11:19 PM

My they are wonderful birds, Slag. Not your typical backyard birds.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 11:36 PM

My back yard is kinda big, 10 acres. I said I have an unfair advantage but I hate to sound like I'm bragging. On the other hand the entire area really is a great birder's paradise. Across the lake is Anderson State Park, a nationally recognized sanctuary for birds and waterfowl of all sorts.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 02:56 PM

A quiet month at Dobro Towers.

Blackbird
Song Thrush
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Chaffinch (left it late - only showed on last day of the month)
Greenfinch
Collar Dove
Woodpigeon
House Sparrow
Robin
Rook
Magpie

but more than compensated for by seeing a Barn Owl in a lovely valley about a mile from home. I've driven that road for many years, and never seen one there before.

Incidentally, why are owls supposed to be so wise? Barn Owls never make it off the endangered list in the UK, while woodpigeons, which are stupid, fat, slow, inept at flying and to cap it all, taste really good to eat, are everywhere with numbers increasing rapidly.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 11:04 PM

The hummers are stoking up for their migration. I don't have a feeder but I plant for them and see them all summer. Every September their numbers increase dramatically in my garden. I'm not sure, but I may be seeing some Anna's in addition to ruby-throated. Last year, a banded Anna spent the winter in a friend's garden a few blocks from here. It caused quite a stir among the local birders. I think somewhere way earlier in this thread someone mentioned their range is expanding. We tend to think of them as West Coast hummers.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 02:11 PM

July home list:

COSN- Common Snipe
CHSP- Chipping Sparrow
SSHA- Sharp-shinned Hawk
GRCA- Gray Catbird

August Home List:

EAKI- Eastern Kingbird
YBCO- Yellow-billed Cookoo

Year to date Total: 62 Species

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 03:33 PM

Add: Bald Eagle

Total 31???...

And, yes, with the 17 acres we're living on we have lots of Janie's backyards with all kinds of butterflies...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 10 Sep 06 - 10:30 AM

Seen a number of Swallows a few minutes ago soon they will be heading south for their long journey south, by the 15th of the month they will have all but gone from the north of Ireland.
A recent article in the Irish Times suggested that it is likely that only one of the brood from this years young will survive the journey to Africa, as I watch them performing their aereobatics I wish them good luck and hope the experts are wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 04:52 PM

Whoopty do! I had a new bird at my feeder in the month of September! Not only new to my feeder, but also a first for me. The Golden Crowned Sparrow That brings my total to 25, I think.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 06:10 PM

Metchosin, please don't give location as there is a hunting thread at present and it's shameful.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,Valerie Carson
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 10:21 PM

I saw a bird at school today that looked like a small sparrow but had a very thin beak. It was clinging to the outside brick wall. I thought it was injured until it climbed, like a spider, up the wall to the top of the building. I have never seen a bird like that. Does anyone have any ideas?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: bobad
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 10:40 PM

What you saw, Valerie, may have been the brown creeper .

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 02:20 PM

How are you at counting birds in flocks?

Irania bird counting game   It's a Finnish site. The first words come up in Finnish. Just wait for the "New Game" button, and press it. (It requires Java and is slow loading.)

Enjoy!

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 07:40 AM

Septemper Home list:
RCKI- Ruby Crowned Kinglet


No new birds for October

Year to date Total: 63 Species

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 08:11 AM

Flickers
Waxwings

33 and counting...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 08:47 AM

Tits, robin and blackbirds today....

The blackbird was happily pecking at the Hallowe'en pumpkin that was 'recycled' into the garden this morning... seems the worms like it too.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST,the animal
Date: 02 Nov 06 - 11:52 AM

There has sadly been wholesale slaughter this year in Bristol. Gone are the blackbirds, sparrows, bluetits, greenfinches, collared doves, robins. All we have left are the big nasties...one sparrowhawk, eight magpies, dozens of crows and a couple of jays. I partially blame neighbours who keep putting huge chunks of bread and other large pieces of cooked leftovers on their bird tables. Being supersticious I'm always saluting bloody magpies when I'd rather be shooting rge evil killers. Grrrr!!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: the animal
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 08:23 AM

The robin's back! Hurrah! Tough little survivor.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 11:14 AM

Just saw a heron flying past.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: My guru always said
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 03:54 PM

Had a Juvenile Peregrine Falcon land on top of my bird-table this morning. Guests had reported seeing one on my washing line a year ago but I thought they were having me on, silly me! Looks like the food chain is working in my garden....

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 04:50 PM

Joy of joys today!!! I wasn't in my own house, but I was washing up for a friend and looking out over her amazing bit of garden and spied hedge sparrows, gulls, robins and a WREN!!! It's a city garden (OK, the city is Exeter in Devon, but it's got a building site, an Anne Summers and a University), so a wren is one of the least likely visitors... but this little beauty was popping in and out of the ivy on the mediaeval wall and having a wonderful time finding late insects by the pond.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 07:21 PM

It used to be a town had to have a cathedral to be counted as a city - so now it's a matter of having an Ann Summers sex-shop. O tempora, O mores...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 09:35 PM

I'll add a Nuthatch as they are migrating through this time of the year and also a Spotted Towhee and a Bullock's Oriole. That's 3 more so I'm at 27.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 03:37 PM

It's got a huge branch of W H Smiths too... O Times, O Daily Mirror!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 01:26 PM

Five new for the month of November

- Ruby Crowned Kignlet
- Golden Crowned Kinglets in same flock
- Red-breasted Sapsucker
-Song Sparrow   
-Hutton's Vireo

Another first for me, I've never seen a Hutton's Vireo before.

Total to date - 30

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 06:51 AM

It's always good to get a lifer.

Congrats.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 10:36 AM

No new birds for Nov. or Dec.
My total for 2006 is:
63

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 11:08 AM

A not very impressive 26 species for the year. If I knew bird songs better I would probably have some warblers to add to the list.

My computer is directly adjacent to my living room window--I use the window sill as an elbow rest as I type. directly under the window on the front porch is a wrought-iron plant stand into which I had woven yew and holly branches for a seasonal display. A mocking bird kept me company for a good twenty minutes yesterday as it munched on the holly berries-undisturbed by my movements at the computer or the click of the keyboard. Some Young Son has programmed the sound for an owl hoot when the computer shuts down. The bird took off fast into the cover of the shrubbery, only to be grabbed by a feral cat that had been lurking in the bushes.

I love cats as house pets, but the house is where they belong. Native predators like snakes and birds-of-prey don't bother me, but cats do. They don't belong at the top of the food chain in this part of the world.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 12:08 PM

Nothing new to add for December, as it was not a good month for bird watching here. I'm sure a lot of them, that did not have their little feet frozen solidly to large trees, were blown all the way to Ontario on hurricane force winds.

After I add in a crow, which is common, but I have never put on my list, my total is 30 for 2006. Not an impressive number either, but I'm still thrilled to pieces. In 2006 I managed to see three birds new to me, the black headed grosbeak, a golden crowned sparrow and a Hutton's vireo.

Thank you for suggesting this Raptor. I've really enjoyed it and if it hadn't been for you, I would probably never have bothered to get a rat and squirrel proof bird feeder. Thanks again.


Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 03:22 PM

There's a new thread for 2007

Try to beat your 06 list.

Raptor

Anyone else?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Slag
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 08:10 PM

Well, I got a late start for '06 and recorded only 27. The last bird I saw was The Old Bird. Tomorrow I will see The New Bird. Looking forward to the '07 list from the top. Raptor, I suppose you will do the honors and start the official List?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 04 May 07 - 08:13 AM

Thought with spring it was time to refresh thie thread...

We have a couple new kinds of birds who have decided that our farm is just right for them...

7 pairs (yeah, seven!!!) of red breasted grosbeaks... Not too sure why they have come here since they aren't supposed to live in Virginia other than jest east of the Alleghanies...

We also have indigo buntings but haven't figured out how many but at least several...

Not too sure what our total is... Maybe around 30 by now but we have 19 species living here at the moment, including so many gold finches that at time of the day when they are waiting their turn at the thistle feeder in the crepe' myrtl it looks like a lemon tree... Very nice...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 May 07 - 11:30 AM

I have wood pigeons nesting in my butterfly bush... how the hell they manage to do so when they're so big and the bush so spindly I don't know, but they are.

The nest appears to be naught but a scant platform of badly laid twigs that you can see daylight through and it's carefully positioned so that one poop from the bird sitting will get the cat crapping underneath.

The tits are still around but have chosen to nest elsewhere - their previous nest has been robbed out by the pigeons. Ever see a pigeon trying to get into a tit nest? Imagine trying to stick your head in a tennis ball... that's about it.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 May 07 - 02:11 AM

I've upset the pigeons.

I spent yesterday after noon tidying the garden up, picking up dead leaves, twigs, prunings, that sort of thing... Burnt them last night in a lovely bonfire. Now the pigeons are flapping around outside the window, glaring balefully at me with those creepy orange eyes and pointedly flapping noisily off to another garden to bring more twigs back into mine for their next.

I hate pigeons.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 05 May 07 - 05:48 PM

Here in Arkansas we have had Red Breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings about two weeks now.   For the past week there have been Baltimore Orioles at my backyard feeder.   When the first one flew through the yard I went to the co-op for a feeder.    The first Oriole tried the humingbird feeder without luck. I have had two birds that I have yet to identify. They may be male and female of the same species but they were at the feeder on different days.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 05 May 07 - 07:21 PM

The female Red Brested Grosbeak, Arki, doesn't look anything like the male... They are like big sparrows... Maybe that's what you have???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 May 07 - 01:05 PM

Scored another one today - whilst out walking along a towpath in London, I spotted a female yellow wagtail flitting about. Haven't seen one of those since I moved to London, 17 years ago this August.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 06 May 07 - 09:53 PM

Bobert, these birds are about the size of the male Red Breasted and they do look like big sparrows so they may be the females. Thanks. These birds have never been at the feeder when the males were feeding but I don't suppose that means anything.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ragdall
Date: 11 May 07 - 03:35 AM

I've been trying to get photos of the birds in my garden this spring. The House sparrows, male and female, and Black-capped Chickadees are with us year around. The Robins arrived back from their winter vacation in the tropics, at the end of March. Dark-eyed Juncos became more abundant mid-April. Yellow-rumped warblers started to show up near the end of April.       May has brought us Purple Finches, Wilson's Warblers, and I now have about a hundred White-crowned Sparrows in my garden. The White-crowns brought a Lincoln's Sparrow along with them. A hummingbird zoomed past me, Wednesday. I need to get a feeder up for them.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 11 May 07 - 05:49 AM

I think I saw a tree creeper yesterday - well, that's what it was doing anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Jeri
Date: 11 May 07 - 06:46 AM

I came home last night to find an Indigo Bunting on my feeder. I saw one in my back yard several years ago, but not since. Apparently, the mysterious dull colored birds I occasionally spot in the summer and can't identify have been the females. I've been seeing lots of different kinds of sparrows, but seeing one of these little blue jewels can make my whole day!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 May 07 - 03:46 AM

I had a pleasant surprise yesterday - driving back from the DIY shop, a bird I thought was a pigeon flew in front of the car. Usually I speed up for pigeons, but I was nearing a junction so I didn't. As I stopped at the junction, I glanced to where the "pigeon" had landed in the shrubbery, and discovered it was a
jay! These birds are mostly woodland birds, so I was rather surprised to see it right next to an industrial estate on the A13 road...

Oh, thought my tits had come a cropper yesterday... the tits are nesting in the privet tree in next doors' garden. I was outside gardening and heard some strange rustlings coming from over the fence but it wasn't til I got upstairs and looked out of the window here that I saw the neighbours had cut back half the privet tree! I thought my tits were homeless, and worse, eggless!

Luckily, this morning, it looks like the tree fellers missed the branches with the nest in, but it could now be open to attack from the crow that's sitting in the gutter above me. He's already had a go at the pigeon "nest" in my buddliea bush, I hope he can't see where my tits are.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: EBarnacle
Date: 17 May 07 - 11:35 PM

We have a couple of vireos in our nesting box, as well as a multi-colored heron in our local puddle. Up at the lake this afternoon to check the serial number on the Sunfish spotted a Baltimore Oriole in a nearby bush. Plenty of hawks, buzzards and vultures in the area as well as a surplus of various geese, Canadas, Brant, etc. Saw a Snow Goose this winter.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Jim Lad
Date: 18 May 07 - 01:10 PM

Four pairs of Violet Green Swallows in the boxes this year. There may be another two pairs but I haven't had the time to watch. Last years successful Chickadees are chasing me away & the wren hasn't showed up yet. He's been here for two years and evicted the swallows last year.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 May 07 - 07:20 AM

It's a week for unusual birds today.... This appeared in my garden today.

Can I claim it? It was outside and flying free.....

LTS