BS: Birdwatching 2009

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 11 May 09 - 07:39 AM

I hadn't heard a cuckoo for the last two years but there was one sounding out at the Upton upon Severn festival last week.

Spotted something odd on the way home crossing the bridge over the Wyre at Hamble also last week, an all white wading bird about 2/3 to 3/4 the size of a normal grey heron. A lost egret?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 11 May 09 - 07:51 AM

Ruby Throat Hummer stopped by late yesterday afternoon. Dropped to 4c last night. Hope he is alright.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 11 May 09 - 09:21 AM

Thanks to a link from gnu, here's a useful hummer info site, including a place to report rubythroat arrivals, and this page in particular has useful lists of hummer plants: Hummer food plants


Our first male RT arrived on the 9th, when TL heard it. We confirmed this morning with a close look at a male RT sitting in one of the blooming pears.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 11 May 09 - 09:57 AM

Thanks Maeve. I just reported my sighting and have added Gnu link to my favorite.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Donuel
Date: 11 May 09 - 10:04 AM

Those little Hummers make a heroic non stop flight all the way across the Gulf of MExico and arrive life threatenly thin and out of breath when the hit Florida and US coast.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 May 09 - 11:45 AM

I met this bird the other day. I don't know what kind of bird he was, but he told me something quite interesting. He said that he saw Raptor last week...and Raptor didn't see him! That's extraordinary. Furthermore, he claims that his brother once saw Raptor and Raptor didn't see him either!

I can hardly countenance the notion that it could have happened twice, but there you are... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 16 May 09 - 04:37 PM

Although I have seeing Great Blue Herons elsewhere for several weeks, saw one flying over here at home today.

The local nickname for them is "Ol' Cranky."



Still no hummers dispite the red ribbon. I read that they have tracks they follow. Think I'll move the feeder to a different location tomorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:39 AM

Downstream toward the coast, bald eagles are gathering for the alewife run through the newly-built stone fish ladder.

There is no indication that this year's barn swallows will return to our front door nest. Perhaps if I put some white chicken feathers along the edge of last year's nest...

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,mayomick
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:58 AM

Don't forget to keep an eye out for nightingales if you're down in Cornwall .

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 20 May 09 - 03:26 PM

Speaking of Cornwall...

Poem 190 of 230: BIRDWATCHERS' BUDE - WINTER 2001/2

Behind the Tourist Centre,
    Between canal and river,
On the marshy drained flood-plane
    (Not now visited by train),
In among willow and reed,
    Eking out some winter feed:
Treecreepers, bobbing robins,
    Chirpy blue-tits, grey-herons,
The screams of water-rail,
    And snipe sharp on their trail.
Plus, out along limestone down,
    Soaring seabirds can be found.

From http://walkaboutsverse.sitegoz.com (e-scroll)
Or http://blogs.myspace.com/walkaboutsverse (e-book)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: SINSULL
Date: 21 May 09 - 09:15 AM

A soaring sea bird crapped on my car this morning. Damn!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 21 May 09 - 10:09 AM

I recall a trad. rhyme about that, Sinsull...

Little birdie flying high
Dropped a message out of the sky;
"Oh!" said the farmer, wiping his eye,
"It's a jolly good thing my cows don't fly."

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: s&r
Date: 21 May 09 - 03:01 PM

Flood plain. No hyphen. Note spelling.

Pleased to help

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 21 May 09 - 03:56 PM

Back to the purpose of this delightful thread:

This spring we appear to have two mated pairs of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, two male Baltimore Orioles negotiating for nesting territory, and several pairs of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, along with the usual suspects.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 21 May 09 - 05:01 PM

(Sorry Maeve but, briefly, thanks for the spelling, Stu...and I think I'll join them - floodplain.) The first time I went out - with keen relatives - on a trip dedicated to birdwatching, I spotted a kingfisher, no less. However, even though we waited quite a while, it didn't dive.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 22 May 09 - 02:49 PM

Haven't checked this thread for a while, a few things to share.

Saw my first swifts early on May morning during the festivities here in Oxford, the band on the steps of the Bodlean library had just played Sumer is Icumen In, when over went a swift, a moment to treasure. Normally I see them in the last few days of April, but they're always here by Mayday. The other night around 40 or so were high up above our house flying round in a tight circle screaming away, sounds like they're having the time of their lives. Always been my favourite bird, having grown up sharing a house with a family of noisy swifts, who used to dart down the alley between us and the neighbours, occasionally they'd fly in the upstairs windows and we'd have to let them out.

Those of an ornithological disposition may already know that Oxford is home to one of the most studied colonies of birds, the swifts in the tower of the natural history museum. There's a live webcam here, though they're considerably less interesting to watch on the nest!


My first cuckoo of the year (and only so far) flew over our back gate the other day, singing as it went. A pretty bird, you know. there must be a song in that.. ;-)

Today I arrived home to be greeted by the sight of a family of great tits (please no puns) in our back garden. The young ones were very approachable, obviously haven't learned to distrust humans yet!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 23 May 09 - 09:53 AM

Last night I dreamed miniscule wild Budgies were nesting in the house. I kept finding tiny, tiny little colorful birds perched inside of bowls, on top of picture frames etc. I was absolutely charmed.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 23 May 09 - 12:28 PM

I knew it would be an early spring. First sighting of Hummingbirds in Mum's backyard. Last year, they weren't sighted until May 24.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 23 May 09 - 10:23 PM

Jealous.   The hummers don't like my new place yet. I still have not coaxed them in.




Boy, are the birds going through the suet.   Feeding young ones, I suppose. Some species that didn't touch the suet all winter are going after it with a vengance now.

Watched a young housefinch visit the birdbath for what appears to have been it's first experience.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 May 09 - 02:35 AM

My tits multiplied this year, and now my pittisporum is covered in great tits. They're actively fighting the blue tits for the fat pecker because they're feeding at least 3, possibly 5 young. How do you count a green/black/yellow bird that won't sit still for more than .5 of a second, in a tree that has green and yellow foliage, with a dark green/black tree behind it?

Still, they're taking the greenfly off my roses for which I'm very grateful as it means no pesticides again this year. And something (I suspect the blackbirds) got the caterpillars that totally stripped my late flowering rose (still had a flower on it in January) so that has greened up again nicely. It may even flower again. Now if only they'd do the same with the snails that are eating my lettuces.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 May 09 - 05:39 PM

I found the nest at last!! It's very well hidden in the evergreen bay tree, I only noticed it because I looked up at the right spot.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 24 May 09 - 05:48 PM

Mulberries are ripe and drawing lots of birds. Just watched a real dust-up between a robin and a red-bellied woodpecker over who had dibs on one particularly loaded branch.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 29 May 09 - 09:48 AM

List for May to date: (Midcoast Maine, small farm) 70+ species

Black-capped Chickadee (nesting)
Tufted Titmouse (nesting)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (nesting)
Common Nuthatch (nesting)
Brown Creeper (nesting)
Pine Siskins (nesting)
Downy Woodpecker (nesting)
Hairy Woodpecker (nesting)
Piliated Woodpecker (nesting)
Yellow-shafted Flicker (and we just installed 3 nestboxes!)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tail Hawk
(just put up 1 Kestrel nestbox)
Bald Eagle
Osprey (nesting)
Turkey Buzzard
Common Yellow-throat Warbler (nesting)
Magnolia Warbler
More warblers (that I haven't identified)
Red-eyed Veery (nesting)
Wood Thrush (nesting closer to the house than usual)
American Robin (nesting)
one other thrush heard- yet to be identified; Hermit?
Eastern Bluebirds
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (2 mated pairs nesting)
House Finch
Pine Finch
Purple Finch (nesting)
American Goldfinches (nesting)
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Saw-whet Owl
Tree Swallow (nesting)
Barn Swallow (none at the front door nest this year)
White-throated Sparrow (nesting)
Song Sparrow (nesting)
Chipping Sparrow (nesting)
Field Sparrow (nesting)
Fox Sparrow (nesting)
Slate-colored Junco
Eastern Kingbird (nesting)
Eastern Phoebe (nesting)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (nesting)
Baltimore Oriole (2 mated pairs nesting)
Northern Cardinal (mated pair nesting)
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Northern Mockingbird
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Great Blue Heron
Black-billed Cuckoo (nesting)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Red-wing Blackbird (nesting)
American Crow (nesting)
Raven (nesting)
Mallard Duck (mated pair, nesting at neighbor's pond)
Canada Goose
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey (nesting)
Herring Gull
Common Loon
American Woodcock
Scarlet Tanager (nesting)
Blue Jay (nesting)
House Wren (nesting)
Carolina Wren
Rubythroat Hummingbird (several mated pairs nesting)
Cedar Waxwings

We hear and see many other birds in our mixed-wood forest and in the swamp and river areas, but are still learning to identify them.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 30 May 09 - 12:37 AM

I forgot to mention that for the past month our resident vireos are back in their house for their first family of the year.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 30 May 09 - 11:32 AM

Two osprey pairs gliding and chirping overhead this morning as I hung dripping laundry outside.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 May 09 - 06:28 PM

Saw the martins screaming overhead on Thursday and I'm pretty sure I saw an owl of some sort fly over at dusk... it was round headed and silent so I knew it wasn't a late pigeon but couldn't begin to tell which particular owl...

My baby great tits are still bouncing around and fighting the blue tits off the feeders, but they look about ready to fly the nest - they've been fledged for a couple of weeks now by the look of them.

The blue tit is looking more and more bedraggled as the week goes on. Poor sod.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 31 May 09 - 04:39 PM

The birdbath is full of a family of titmice. I notice that the titmice tend to prefer to bathe in late afternoon when the water is warmer. Robins seem to favor a cold morning plunge.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Janie
Date: 31 May 09 - 06:42 PM

Glory sakes alive! I was just out looking at the humming bird feeder, contemplating giving up and replacing it with another seed feeder when one of the little creatures flew up and started sipping.

I be happy.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 31 May 09 - 08:55 PM

Happy wings in the air for Janie!

Now all you have to do is keep the feeder clean and full. :) That, and enjoy the delights of the hummers all season.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 31 May 09 - 09:04 PM

Which reminds me; we've been enjoying the air dance of one of the male hummers lately. He flies in the "U" rather than the "J" pattern, clicking all the while. Sky writing in miniature.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 01 Jun 09 - 07:49 AM

Woken up at 5:00 this morning by a flock of well over 100 starlings (you try counting them!) tramping up and down on the roof. Looked like a scene from a Hitchcock movie when I opened the curtains.

I'm stumped by the small brown bird syndrome here as there are too many birds that look the same but with dissimilar calls!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 12:06 AM

Was out at our club's open house on Saturday and spotted my first Black crowned Night Heron of the season while canoeing.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 04:06 AM

Saw a pair of buzzards circling overhead the other day- there's plenty of them around in the countryside outside Oxford but this was the first time I've seen them over our house.

Mind you, reading about ospreys and hummingbirds I can't help feeling a bit jealous!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 08:07 AM

Yesterday and this morning: Yellow-shafted flicker, Black-and-white warbler,Pine warbler, Black-billed cuckoo, Barred owl, Cedar waxwings.
We keep looking for the Bohemian waxwings, but haven't caught sight of any yet.

The Black-billed cuckoo is one of the few birds that eats gypsy moth caterpillars, for which I am grateful.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: ard mhacha
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 11:15 AM

Spotted Goldfinches,Bullfinches,and a pair of Chiff Chaffs,these birds are getting scarce, spotting them in our local park is a bonus.
Three families of Grey Lag Geese, they are numerous on the lake now, five years ago there wasn`t one to be seen, why are they no longer migrating?. All of this in norrh-east Ireland.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 01:39 PM

The vireo family continues apace--to the point where one of the parents looks and acts very tired. After dropping off a round of food, only a note or two gets sung and then off for the next round of catch it and feed 'em.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Alan Day
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 05:57 PM

Great fun watching my setters trying to catch Mum and Dad and Baby Wagtails who have recently hatched out. They have it down to a fine art letting my setters get to within a couple of feet then moving on another three feet and the game goes on for hours. The Starling nest I made to replace the one covered by new facia boards have got two babies about to fly. This is the third year, The Crows have produced three babies that flutter their wings saying "Mummy Feed Me ". No sign yet of the Great Woodpecker babies ,we had two last year.A Kingfisher swoops regularly down the stream at the bottom of the garden. Sadly one day one hit our patio door knocking itself out. I gently picked it up and it came to just as I reached the stream and off it flew.giving a little squawk as it went.
A lovely time of the year.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 09:35 PM

I don't get it. I have a

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 09:36 PM

o.k. i'LL CONTINUE.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 10:03 PM

Let's try again.
That's better. Very strange. The last two post I made as soon as I would hit the enter tap it would post it. I'm going to hit it again to start a new paragraph and see it the same thing happens. Here we go.
I guess it is fine now.
As i was saying. I have two visitors by the name of "Catbirds". You know, the ones that make all sorts of sounds but their most notable is the "Meewee"(sp.) one. Their other trait is that they like to stay hidden as much as possible in the underbrush. Right? Well these two are at my back patio drinking from the fountain and when I go outside they just look at me as it to say "Go back in side your disturbing us". Very strange indeed.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 04 Jun 09 - 05:30 AM

Now Adrien; you know cats will make themselves at home anywhere they go! Hee hee, catbirds are fun. Have you figured out where their nest is?

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: Beer
Date: 04 Jun 09 - 06:13 AM

Have been looking but no luck as yet.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 08 Jun 09 - 06:26 AM

Further to my above post - sorry I don't recall the programme, but I did see, on TV over the weekend, some kind of finch being fed from a hand, in a similar way to how robbins have been tamed.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: maeve
Date: 08 Jun 09 - 09:46 AM

New birds (to us) nesting here this year include Kingbird, Eastern Wood Peewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Palm Warbler, and Black and White Warbler. Delightful!A very large Bobolink was singing and flying around this morning.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jun 09 - 04:28 PM

I have a bunch of blackbirds and robins that fly between Mum's house and the garage to get from the driveway to her backyard and back. They have left a stream of droppings on the driveway. Seems like they are doing it on purpose. Seriously, over a dozen a day. Odd, but true.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 05:59 AM

...Little birdie, flying high,
Dropped a message out of the sky;
"Ooh", said the farmer, wiping his eye,
"It's a jolly good thing my cows don't fly." (trad., I think).

I hope to watch ringed plovers for a while, one day...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 01:06 AM

One of our vireos has fledged--almost successfully--he landed in the bushes the other two are still birdhouse bound.

Last weekend, Lady Hillary and I were in Rochester, NY and saw a white rumped sandpiper several times. Lake Ontario is well out of the area defined in Peterson's Guide but this was a positive sighting by two people from several angles and fairly short distance.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: GUEST,Helen
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 02:57 AM

sitting at kitchen window this morning on a winters day
11 rosellas
6 tui
Australian harriers
piwakawakas--fantails
blackbirds
thrushes
sparrows
mynas
white-eyes
chaffinches
greenfinches
yellowhammers
spurwinged plovers
shag
kingfishers
magpies before i chased them away
pheasants
quails
kereru- woodpidgeon
goldfinches
starlings

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2009
From: RangerSteve
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 04:23 PM

Yesterday, I had a goldfinch, a bluebird, two cardinals and a red-headed woodpecker at my birdfeeder all at the same time. Today, I have a starling out there. I wish I could keep him away. He sits there, picking out the seeds he doesn't want and throwing them on the ground.

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

While loading firewood onto the farm truck a couple of hours away from home, we watched 2 adult and 4 juvenile ravens soaring and wheeling in the blue sky overhead; the youngsters calling in that demanding, hilarious scream of theirs. As we drove back down the narrow dirt-to-tarmac road a family of mama duck and seven brown ducklings scuttled across the road to a pond. Further down the highway, we encouraged a young (12" carapace) snapping turtle to forgo her planned trip into traffic.

A newly-fledged tree sparrow entertained us yesterday evening, sampling all sorts of bits and pieces in front of our kitchen door, then begging when his mother brought one insect at a time. The birds are our insecticide.

Lovely spring!

maeve