BS: Birdwatching 2009

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Joybell
Date: 15 Feb 09 - 04:13 PM

I love this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 15 Feb 09 - 07:56 PM

Yesterday Lady Hillary and I went to the local Audubon center. When we walked around the site, there was not action. All of the action was at the birdfeeders in the back of the center.

Among the usual suspects, we also saw a goldfinch in its winter coloration as well as various finches and hairy, spiny and redbreasted woodpeckers.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 12:39 AM

The Bluebirds, Robins and Chickadees seem to have disappeared. Haven't seen any of them in several days. They are year-round species in this area, but maybe these particular birds only winter here.

Kildeer are also year-round species in this area, but not in the habitat in my yard or immediate neighborhood. They are migrating through right now, though, and I hear them up high as they fly over at night, in small groups that I wonder if they may be family groups of three or five or so. Saw 5 of them last night flying close overhead at a shopping center car lot. Wouldn't have noticed them except for their calls. They swooped down toward the lights, catching the few insects that are out now, then wheeled away to the north, gaining altitude as they went.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 07:22 AM

EBarnacle- "spiny woodpecker"? I am wondering if that might be a downy?

I get a kick out of the black-capped chickadees tucking black oil sunflower seeds in cracks in the siding and roof. Sometimes the nuthatches join in the fun. Then they go seed hunting on the house when the feeders empty out.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: freda underhill
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 07:59 AM

It has been bucketing rain here in Sydney (I wish some of it would go down south). As I type, a frog is croaking in the back yard. but I haven't seen any birds lately!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 08:51 AM

Chickadees et my cookie, sorry

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 10:10 AM

I don't know much about birds but every morning Harry and I put food out for them and then stand in the kitchen window and watch them fly down into the garden. Today we had 2 doves, a magpie which scared the doves off, and quite a few pigeons the heron landed on the garage and scared them all off!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 06:11 PM

Yup, for some reason, I call downies spinies.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to do housework
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 11:31 AM

The resident robin has been serenading the neighbourhood this afternoon, I think he's after a girl... either that or he's warning everyone else off. The tits seemed to like it, at one point there were 3 or 4 sitting just below him, like groupies in the mosh pit....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Newport Boy
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 12:42 PM

LtS - we've had 3 robins today, just outside the back door. Two posing and singing, with the other watching critically.

Guess the sexes (the clue is in the 'critically').

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Raptor
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 09:22 PM

Phil

Sorry you'll need to catch those birds from your property.

The kingfisher you might hear as they constantly chatter whilst flying around the area.

I had White winged crossbills about 200 meters from my house that I'm not counting.

Trust me you'll feel better about your final list dec 31 if you don't cheat.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 09:49 PM

To Me (Maybe us) up North, I can hardly wait for the first sound of the Robin as it indicates that spring is at hand. I read many years ago that the early pioneers use to welcome the Bluebird as the sign of spring. wish i could remember where I read it but it was to long ago.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Newport Boy
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 10:44 AM

Raptor

I wasn't intending to cheat - just seeking a relaxation of the rules - a very different matter. I'll just keep the birds on a separate (private) list.

I doubt I'll hear the kingfishers here - our kingfishers stick fairly closely to the streams.

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 06:36 PM

Does 'from your property' include my car - which I part own so is my property... because if it does I can add black headed gulls to the list, caught midway between winter and summer plummage. Spotted them this afternoon whilst shopping near the gasworks and river. They all look like they've stuck their heads up a sooty chimney!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: My guru always said
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 02:03 PM

There was a green long-tailed parakeet on my washing line till I opened my curtain this morning which scared if off thankfully! We definitely don't want to attract them into our garden, they live in huge colonies & strip gardens very quickly.

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

2 predated pigeons in car park at work.

Yuck!

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

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

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

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

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

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

David

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any thoughts?

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

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

maeve
.

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

Good idea Maeve. Thanks!

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

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

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

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

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

maeve

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

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

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

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

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

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

maeve

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

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

The goldfinches are molting.

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

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

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

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

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

Eastern Towhee

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

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

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

The rare Grey Dumpy Ash Piner? In winter plummage?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EBarnacle,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phil

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

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

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

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

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

Can't let this thread fall off the board.

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

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

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

**sigh**

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

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

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

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

LTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rita,

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

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

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