Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis and Black-capped Chickadee
We headed down for a walk around the cornfield Saturday afternoon, to enjoy the bright blue sky and see if there were any birds about. Sebastian took a guess that we'd see ten species, Max called out fifteen, and Jorge said nine. Karen, Jorge and I were halted pretty quickly by a mixed flock in the pines, and the boys took off for a game of hide-and-seek amongst the cornstalks.
A big foraging group of Chipping Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, and the first Dark-eyed Junco of the season started off the list. Blue Jays screamed overhead, a Yellow-rumped Warbler flitted high in an oak, and Seba came running back shouting Mourning Dove!
Around the next bend was an Eastern Phoebe and more chickadees, and we heard an American Robin call from within the woods. Returning along the far edge of the cornfield, and nearing the barn we found Gray Catbird and Northern Cardinal.
Along the woods path heading back to the yard we had a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Downy Woodpecker. And then something was SINGING in the top of still-leafy tree. To my ear it was some sort of flycatcher, but Karen recognized it right away as a vireo. It flew off before any of us could get binoculars on it, but reviewing the songs on the ipod, it must have been a Yellow-throated Vireo!!
We pursued the vireo back out to the cornfield, and as Jorge tried playback, I was distracted by movement in the nearby brambles. Trying to ignore the pair of catbirds, I finally focused on a small sparrow - a Lincoln's! I called Jorge away from the vireo quest - since not only was this a new Yard Bird, it would be a lifer for him! Lincoln's Sparrow - a delicate-looking, quiet fall visitor.
To round out the afternoon, with its now fading light and falling temperature, a male Red-winged Blackbird flew up out of the cornfield to alight in a tall hickory tree, White-throated Sparrows chipped from the brush near the barn, and a young Cedar Waxwing made its presence known in the very highest branch of an ash tree, alongside another Yellow-rumped Warbler.
And that was just Saturday!
Sunday morning, Karen and I went out to try for the vireo again - with no luck - but added American Crow, Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Flicker and Song Sparrow to yesterday's list. After a typical Sunday of a trip to the dump, a trip to campus and various and sundry errands we had just settled onto the living room couch to relax when I saw bird activity at the new feeder.
A Red-breasted Nuthatch was making quick trips back and forth from the big white pine, in the company of many chickadees, and then there were TWO. And wait, what's that larger bird silhouetted on the low branch of the pine? A female Purple Finch... she flew in to the feeder with a another, and they both settled in to occupy the tube for a good while - keeping the nuthatches and chickadees away.
female Purple Finches, Carpodacus purpureus
To finish up the weekend of birding, I saw a Cooper's Hawk fly through, and Jorge found a Hairy Woodpecker in the cherry tree. A small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers joined the numerous Chipping Sparrows, titmice and chickadees foraging around the edges of the yard. So, the migrants are still out there!
This weekend's birders: Karen, Sue, Jorge, Sebastian and Max,
and the birds for the weekend of October 2nd and 3rd:
Broad-winged Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Mourning Dove
Eastern Phoebe
American Crow
Blue Jay
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Gray Catbird
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch - new yard bird
Northern Cardinal
Purple Finch - new yard bird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow - new yard bird, and LIFER for Jorge
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Well, there won't be too many more weekends with a count of twenty five species in our own yard!
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