On a recent Thursday afternoon (September 23rd) we hightailed it over to Rocky Hill after work, to pick up a few more birds from the Connecticut River Meadows. A flock of American Golden Plover, Pluvialis dominica, had been reported on Connecticut Birds the day before, along with their precise location, and it didn't take us long to find them.
Sorting through the crowd of Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, we eventually counted seven goldens - elegant large plovers, feeding in the freshly turned soil. In amongst the flock was another other pretty special little shorebird - two Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Tryngites subruficollis. And given how hard we were studying the flock, it was no surprise that we turned up another species - one Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos.
A very exciting outing, because the Buff-breasted is a new bird for me, and tho' it sounds mushy, but I was left breathless by the wildness and elegance of the Golden Plovers. Checking my life list back at home, I discovered that I had already recorded this species as "NH - 1970's". Probably something spied on a coastal birding trip with my father and Arthur Borror -- "see that one, second from the right, at the edge of the flock of Black-bellied's? -- that's the Golden" -- so my twelve-year-old's tick mark on the list wasn't even a memory, just a tick mark. I'm so glad we made the hasty trip down to the meadows!
Seeing those two species for Jorge was bittersweet - they're on their way south - all the way to Argentina and Uruguay. A large percentage of the world population of Tryngites subruficollis winters in Uruguay. [if you follow this link to Bird Life International, look for the Important Bird Areas heading, and click the link to the map - I couldn't make a proper direct link to the map].
The American Golden-Plover, Pluvialis dominica, has one of the longest recorded migratory routes of any bird. Nesting in the Canadian Arctic, when they head south, they make coastal landfalls along the eastern US to feed, before the long flight to northern South America. Here they pause to fatten up again, before heading over the Amazon forests en route to sites in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
After all of that migratory shorebird drama, one final not-to-forget bird is a solitary little Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, seen in the yard at home on Wednesday afternoon last week, September 29th.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Weekend birding at home
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!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
A Pair of Barred Owls!
This was not to be. The woods were lovely in the golden light of the low sun, with delicate lady ferns yellowing underfoot and newly-fallen orangey needles of the white pines scattered over the still-green sprouts of white oak and lycopodium.
 |
| Two Lycopods, front and center is Diphasiastrum digitatum, at right edge is Lycopodium obscurum. The fruiting plant at top is Partridge Berry, Mitchella repens. With thanks to Bob Capers for the identification. |
Jorge tried a couple of hoots - the Hoo-hoo hoo-hoooo, Hoo-hoo hoo-hoooawww of the Barred Owl and the Hoo hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo hooo of the Great Horned. No response - we walked along, enjoying the quiet trickle of a tiny tributary of the Fenton River in our little forested valley.
 |
| Bufo americanus, the American Toad. |
Foliage concealed them from view, so we shifted around to get a better look and flushed them off. The pair flew to another, more distant oak where we lost them again. How cool was that? Not one but two Barred Owls - calling to us and each other.
 |
| "Spotted Wintergreen", Chimaphila maculata, maybe should be called Striped Wintergreen! Thanks again to Bob Capers for help with identification! |
ciao
Sue
Monday, September 27, 2010
Laurel Marsh Walk - Manchester
On a warm Sunday afternoon we had some choices... go chase a few birds in the sewage ponds near Hartford or walk the loop trail around Manchester's Hockanum River. We set out to do both - doing the trail first - but finished up at nightfall, so that was that.
Karen and Jorge watching for Pine Warbler in a nearly dry swamp - nice habitat though.
David Sibley's Pine Warblers, immature above and female below, the birds we saw were halfway in between in markings.
On the west and south sides of the marsh, the trail passes so close to the highways that birding by ear was nearly impossible. Here the hardwood forest slopes down to Phragmites marsh.
I took a variety of photos in different light to experiment with the capabilities of my new Canon point-and-shoot. Not sure I got enough field marks to be able to identify this Solidago species.
Orange-blaze points the way... Many sections of the trail have great boardwalks and bridges crossing the marshy areas, but this summer has been so dry, they were all but unnecessary today.
A tiny spot of purple against the reeds is Purple Loosestrife. One invasive plant highlighted against another. Lythrum salicaria, family Lythraceae, order Myrtales.
Purple Loosestrife detail, not bad considering the wind was blowing strongly enough that I had to hold the flower stem to make the photo.
A mixed flock of blackbirds settling in for the night. Mostly Brown-headed Cowbirds and Starlings, with many Common Grackles and a few Red-winged Blackbirds.
Trying out the camera's low-light setting for this subtly dramatic evening sky.
The three of us worked pretty hard to get 28 species in the span of 2 1/2 hours.
Today's birders: Jorge, Sue and Karen
Today's birds:
Green Heron
Mallard
Wood Duck
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier - fantastic views of a beautifully colored immature
Cooper's Hawk - immature, posed quietly at the top of a nearly leafless sycamore
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Pine Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
So to wrap up, that was Sunday, September 26th, from 4:30 to 7pm, in Manchester, Connecticut, on the Laurel Marsh Trail along the Hockanum River. An okay walk, but not great for birding due to the highway noise. This is a place to come back to in winter to check for gulls and raptors near the Manchester Landfill - accessible from the south east corner of the park.
okay
ciao, Sue
Karen and Jorge watching for Pine Warbler in a nearly dry swamp - nice habitat though.
David Sibley's Pine Warblers, immature above and female below, the birds we saw were halfway in between in markings.
On the west and south sides of the marsh, the trail passes so close to the highways that birding by ear was nearly impossible. Here the hardwood forest slopes down to Phragmites marsh.
I took a variety of photos in different light to experiment with the capabilities of my new Canon point-and-shoot. Not sure I got enough field marks to be able to identify this Solidago species.
Orange-blaze points the way... Many sections of the trail have great boardwalks and bridges crossing the marshy areas, but this summer has been so dry, they were all but unnecessary today.
A tiny spot of purple against the reeds is Purple Loosestrife. One invasive plant highlighted against another. Lythrum salicaria, family Lythraceae, order Myrtales.
Purple Loosestrife detail, not bad considering the wind was blowing strongly enough that I had to hold the flower stem to make the photo.
A mixed flock of blackbirds settling in for the night. Mostly Brown-headed Cowbirds and Starlings, with many Common Grackles and a few Red-winged Blackbirds.
Trying out the camera's low-light setting for this subtly dramatic evening sky.
The three of us worked pretty hard to get 28 species in the span of 2 1/2 hours.
Today's birders: Jorge, Sue and Karen
Today's birds:
Green Heron
Mallard
Wood Duck
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier - fantastic views of a beautifully colored immature
Cooper's Hawk - immature, posed quietly at the top of a nearly leafless sycamore
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Pine Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
So to wrap up, that was Sunday, September 26th, from 4:30 to 7pm, in Manchester, Connecticut, on the Laurel Marsh Trail along the Hockanum River. An okay walk, but not great for birding due to the highway noise. This is a place to come back to in winter to check for gulls and raptors near the Manchester Landfill - accessible from the south east corner of the park.
okay
ciao, Sue
Friday, September 10, 2010
Hi again - what can I say - it's been awhile.
We've been having fun getting out to find migratory birds this month - the video clip below is a panorama of New Haven Harbor taken from the Long Wharf area. I was looking for shorebirds at low tide one windy afternoon.
The birds on the mudflats and in the harbor that afternoon were:
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Laughing Gull
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Mallard
Mute Swan
Double-crested Cormorant
Karen birding Sandy Point, West Haven
Other birds seen the last few weeks along the coast from West Haven to Stratford Point:
Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Clapper Rail
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Skimmer
Common Tern
Least Tern
Roseate Tern
plus the gulls and egrets
Non shorebirds seen along the coast from West Haven to Stratford Point:
Northern Harrier
Monk Parakeet
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Northern Mockingbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Palm Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow
If I reach all the way back to the first week of August, I can add a few more birds...
A White-tailed Kite flew in from somewhere, and was first seen at Stratford Point on August 1st. We enjoyed excellent views of the bird early Saturday morning, August 7th. While watching for the Kite the previous day we found a female Orchard Oriole in tall grass - new for the Connecticut list this year.
The Kite deserves special mention because it was a FIRST EVER sighting in Connecticut. The last time it was observed in New England was in Massachusetts over 100 years ago. Needless to say this bird has attracted a lot of folks to Stratford Point - getting on the neighbor's nerves perhaps?
Okay, I'll keep going with the list, and add the bird species we've seen in our yard in and around Willington in the last three weeks of birding - adding only birds not mentioned in above locations.
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Common Nighthawk
Northern Flicker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood Pewee - at Eagleville Preserve
Willow Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
Common Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Veery - at Eagleville Preserve
Scarlet Tanager
Cedar Waxwing
Baltimore Oriole
Gray Catbird
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Black-capped Chickadee
American Redstart
Canada Warbler - new for yard list, new for CT 2010 list
Chestnut-sided Warbler - new for yard list
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Green Warbler
House Wren
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
And in a field trip to the Meadows at Rocky Hill we found:
Baird's Sandpiper - probably - but not adding it to the year list
Upland Sandpiper
Killdeer
And I've seen a few additional species of warbler while at work this week:
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
and while driving to work:
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
American Osprey
Bald Eagle
This migration period has been a lot of fun to track.
Birders who contributed to this list:
Karen Hochgraf
Susan Hochgraf
Jorge de Leon
Sebastian de Leon Aubrey
The birds on the mudflats and in the harbor that afternoon were:
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Laughing Gull
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Mallard
Mute Swan
Double-crested Cormorant
Karen birding Sandy Point, West Haven
Other birds seen the last few weeks along the coast from West Haven to Stratford Point:
Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Clapper Rail
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Skimmer
Common Tern
Least Tern
Roseate Tern
plus the gulls and egrets
Non shorebirds seen along the coast from West Haven to Stratford Point:
Northern Harrier
Monk Parakeet
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Northern Mockingbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Palm Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow
If I reach all the way back to the first week of August, I can add a few more birds...
A White-tailed Kite flew in from somewhere, and was first seen at Stratford Point on August 1st. We enjoyed excellent views of the bird early Saturday morning, August 7th. While watching for the Kite the previous day we found a female Orchard Oriole in tall grass - new for the Connecticut list this year.
The Kite deserves special mention because it was a FIRST EVER sighting in Connecticut. The last time it was observed in New England was in Massachusetts over 100 years ago. Needless to say this bird has attracted a lot of folks to Stratford Point - getting on the neighbor's nerves perhaps?
Okay, I'll keep going with the list, and add the bird species we've seen in our yard in and around Willington in the last three weeks of birding - adding only birds not mentioned in above locations.
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Common Nighthawk
Northern Flicker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood Pewee - at Eagleville Preserve
Willow Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
Common Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Veery - at Eagleville Preserve
Scarlet Tanager
Cedar Waxwing
Baltimore Oriole
Gray Catbird
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Black-capped Chickadee
American Redstart
Canada Warbler - new for yard list, new for CT 2010 list
Chestnut-sided Warbler - new for yard list
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Green Warbler
House Wren
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
And in a field trip to the Meadows at Rocky Hill we found:
Baird's Sandpiper - probably - but not adding it to the year list
Upland Sandpiper
Killdeer
And I've seen a few additional species of warbler while at work this week:
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
and while driving to work:
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
American Osprey
Bald Eagle
This migration period has been a lot of fun to track.
Birders who contributed to this list:
Karen Hochgraf
Susan Hochgraf
Jorge de Leon
Sebastian de Leon Aubrey
Saturday, May 8, 2010
A Very Birdy Week
A major fallout of warblers in Connecticut began last Saturday, May 1st. Coming as it did on a weekend, the timing was perfect for all of us who were just chomping at the bit to get out and see some spring migrants. The day was bright and sunny, and was followed by a similarly beautiful Sunday May 2nd, maybe not quite as gorgeous, but fabulously birdy none-the-less.
We basically birded around the yard on Saturday then Jorge picked up a few good birds around campus on Sunday.
This past weekend had still more surprises flitting in the treetops and lurking in the understory of our nearby woodlands. Saturday morning May 8th started out with very light but steady rain, giving way to partly cloudy but bright skies by afternoon. We birded around the yard a bit, then headed for Heron Cove Park, just a few miles down the Willimantic River.
Sunday May 9th was bright, but very cold and windy, and in the afternoon we tried to beat the Graduation crowds on the streets of Storrs by heading into the woods between Horsebarn Hill and the Fenton River. After several enjoyable hours birding the woodlands and wetlands, we came out on Gurleyville Road, then cut across UConn's horse pastures and cornfields to get back to our car.
The week's birders:
Jorge, Sue, Sebastian and Max
The week's birds:
blue species indicate first of the year!
Canada Goose
Mallard
Wood Duck 5/9
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk 5/8
Cooper's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron 5/9
Spotted Sandpiper 5/8
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5/8
Great Horned Owl 5/2
Chimney Swift 5/2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5/2, 5/9
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker 5/9
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5/8
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird 5/1
Warbling Vireo 5/8
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow 5/8
Barn Swallow 5/2
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (nesting at home)
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren 5/1
Carolina Wren
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher 5/1
American Robin
Veery 5/8-9
Wood Thrush 5/1, 5/8 (heard only)
Gray Catbird 5/2
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Pine Warbler 5/1
Yellow Warbler 5/2
Blue-winged Warbler 5/1
Magnolia Warbler 5/8 -new for our yard list
Common Yellowthroat 5/8 -new for our yard list
American Redstart 5/8
Black-and-white Warbler (5/1-5/8 heard only)
Scarlet Tanager 5/9
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/7-9
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow 5/2
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow 5/1
Eastern Towhee 5/9
Eastern Meadowlark 5/2, 9th
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole 5/1
Bobolink 5/2
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow
Wow, sixty birds, almost half of which (27) were first of the year migrants.
We basically birded around the yard on Saturday then Jorge picked up a few good birds around campus on Sunday.
This past weekend had still more surprises flitting in the treetops and lurking in the understory of our nearby woodlands. Saturday morning May 8th started out with very light but steady rain, giving way to partly cloudy but bright skies by afternoon. We birded around the yard a bit, then headed for Heron Cove Park, just a few miles down the Willimantic River.
Sunday May 9th was bright, but very cold and windy, and in the afternoon we tried to beat the Graduation crowds on the streets of Storrs by heading into the woods between Horsebarn Hill and the Fenton River. After several enjoyable hours birding the woodlands and wetlands, we came out on Gurleyville Road, then cut across UConn's horse pastures and cornfields to get back to our car.
The week's birders:
Jorge, Sue, Sebastian and Max
The week's birds:
blue species indicate first of the year!
Canada Goose
Mallard
Wood Duck 5/9
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk 5/8
Cooper's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron 5/9
Spotted Sandpiper 5/8
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5/8
Great Horned Owl 5/2
Chimney Swift 5/2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5/2, 5/9
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker 5/9
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5/8
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird 5/1
Warbling Vireo 5/8
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow 5/8
Barn Swallow 5/2
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (nesting at home)
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren 5/1
Carolina Wren
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher 5/1
American Robin
Veery 5/8-9
Wood Thrush 5/1, 5/8 (heard only)
Gray Catbird 5/2
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Pine Warbler 5/1
Yellow Warbler 5/2
Blue-winged Warbler 5/1
Magnolia Warbler 5/8 -new for our yard list
Common Yellowthroat 5/8 -new for our yard list
American Redstart 5/8
Black-and-white Warbler (5/1-5/8 heard only)
Scarlet Tanager 5/9
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/7-9
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow 5/2
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow 5/1
Eastern Towhee 5/9
Eastern Meadowlark 5/2, 9th
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole 5/1
Bobolink 5/2
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow
Wow, sixty birds, almost half of which (27) were first of the year migrants.
Friday, April 30, 2010
more highway birding
Well, I couldn't let April pass without a single blog post. So today, the last day of the month, I've just done one of my commuter-birding surveys. I didn't do one for the first of April, and this one will cover the first of May, so, here we go.
Friday, April 30th - 7:08 to 8:11 am.
Just before getting in my car, I had to scrape ice off the windows. You read that correctly I-C-E. The morning at home was bright and clear, and in addition to the ice on my car, there was frost in the shady places of the yard.
On the drive, sky conditions varied from clear to high overcast with sun slanting under the clouds to complete cloud cover and back to part sun towards the end. It wasn't particularly windy - the last two days have been extremely windy.
Okay, now the birds.
7:08 to 7:20
Blue Jay - 5
Pigeon - 8
Grackle - 1
Starling - 3
Cardinal - 1
Cowbird - 1
and one road-kill Canada Goose
7:21-7:30
Pigeon - 7
Grackle - 10
Starling - 13
Cowbird - 2
Crow - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
7:31-7:40
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Robin - 2
Pigeon - 3
Grackle - 1
Blue Jay - 1
Starling - 3
Crow - 1
7:41-750
Starling - 2
Crow - 2
Pigeon - 1
Blue Jay - 1
7:51-8:00
Starling - 2
Crow - 4
Grackle - 9
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Blue Jay - 1
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus - 1
Gulls - 20
8:01-8:11
Starling - 9
Crow - 2
Pigeon - 7
Gulls - 7
Robin - 3
Cardinal - 1
Mourning Dove - 1
You can see that I added one new species - hooray! The Osprey was perched on a roadside utility pole topped by an antenna of some sort, and the bird was actually on top of the antenna.
Since the last survey I have also seen an adult Bald Eagle, a Green Heron and a Double-crested Cormorant - those three during the afternoon commute, on different occasions.
One of the more curious sights was a female cowbird perched about thirty feet from a male cardinal on the railing of a highway overpass. I'd like to learn how the cowbird targets her host. Was she waiting for him to fly to the nest?
Friday, April 30th - 7:08 to 8:11 am.
Just before getting in my car, I had to scrape ice off the windows. You read that correctly I-C-E. The morning at home was bright and clear, and in addition to the ice on my car, there was frost in the shady places of the yard.
On the drive, sky conditions varied from clear to high overcast with sun slanting under the clouds to complete cloud cover and back to part sun towards the end. It wasn't particularly windy - the last two days have been extremely windy.
Okay, now the birds.
7:08 to 7:20
Blue Jay - 5
Pigeon - 8
Grackle - 1
Starling - 3
Cardinal - 1
Cowbird - 1
and one road-kill Canada Goose
7:21-7:30
Pigeon - 7
Grackle - 10
Starling - 13
Cowbird - 2
Crow - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
7:31-7:40
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Robin - 2
Pigeon - 3
Grackle - 1
Blue Jay - 1
Starling - 3
Crow - 1
7:41-750
Starling - 2
Crow - 2
Pigeon - 1
Blue Jay - 1
7:51-8:00
Starling - 2
Crow - 4
Grackle - 9
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Blue Jay - 1
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus - 1
Gulls - 20
8:01-8:11
Starling - 9
Crow - 2
Pigeon - 7
Gulls - 7
Robin - 3
Cardinal - 1
Mourning Dove - 1
You can see that I added one new species - hooray! The Osprey was perched on a roadside utility pole topped by an antenna of some sort, and the bird was actually on top of the antenna.
Since the last survey I have also seen an adult Bald Eagle, a Green Heron and a Double-crested Cormorant - those three during the afternoon commute, on different occasions.
One of the more curious sights was a female cowbird perched about thirty feet from a male cardinal on the railing of a highway overpass. I'd like to learn how the cowbird targets her host. Was she waiting for him to fly to the nest?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
