Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:30 pm

I’ve been seeing many of the usual back-yard birds such as finches, chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, song sparrows and doves. I’ve also been seeing a ton of American Robins and some Northern Flickers. Sometimes a red-breasted nuthatch. Lots of red-tailed hawks.

One recent highlight was my first Mountain Bluebird sighting which is a true harbinger of spring.

There are some good bird cams out there. I enjoy Cornell’s bird cams (east coast) including this recent highlight:

Northern Cardinals And Pileated Woodpecker Stop By Cornell Feeders – March 23, 2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_uZ7lSIX-4

livesoft · Post by **livesoft** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:37 pm

No feeders in the yard, but many nesting birds. Typical every day in the yard or on a walk: Cardinals, Carolina wrens, chickadees, blue jays, white-winged doves, robins, mockingbirds, titmouse, barred owl, screech owl, great egret, blue heron, pileated woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, whistling duck, muscovy duck, mallards, hummingbirds, house sparrows, song sparrows, bald eagle, cooper's hawks, ....

And some migrants, cedar waxwings, ruby-crowned kinglets,

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:40 pm

Aside from the usuals, wood ducks showed up in the creek a couple of days ago as did some lesser yellow-legs. Flock of cedar waxwings in a tree today. Barred owl sounded off while I was out for a walk today.

HomeStretch · Post by **HomeStretch** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:11 pm

Birds are returning to my area after winter although some never left. I am seeing chickadees, blue jays, robins, cardinals, hawks, owls, morning doves, woodpeckers, etc. Saw my first bumblebees this week too.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:21 pm

HomeStretch wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:11 pm Birds are returning to my area after winter although some never left. I am seeing chickadees, blue jays, robins, cardinals, hawks, owls, morning doves, woodpeckers, etc. Saw my first bumblebees this week too.

Nice. I had a bunch of blue jays and some scrub jays about 2-3 months ago but they have moved on.

Yes, the insects are popping out lately.

Shackleton · Post by **Shackleton** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:32 pm

In order of total numbers: Steller's Jays, black capped chickadees, mountain chickadees, dark eyed juncos, hairy woodpeckers, white breasted nuthatches, pygmy nuthatches, pine grosbeaks, red breasted nuthatches, red crossbills, downy woodpeckers, magpies (so glad we don't have a lot of magpies at our new house!).

Vulcan · Post by **Vulcan** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:44 pm

My wife spotted a hummingbird's nest in our front yard a few years back.

The best experiences you can't buy.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:46 pm

Vulcan:

Oh wow! Thanks for posting the hummingbird photos! Those are so cool!

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:48 pm

For the owl lovers, there is a Barn Owl box in CA on this web cam with 3-5 older owlets. So fun to watch them grow.

https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/str ... -barn-owls

HomeStretch · Post by **HomeStretch** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:49 pm

Vulcan wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:44 pm My wife spotted a hummingbird's nest in our front yard a few years back.

The best experiences you can't buy.

Wow, great pictures! I hung two hummingbird feeders up and hoping to see some return to our yard soon.

Kenkat · Post by **Kenkat** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:56 pm

We are seeing cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds, robins, juncos, carolina wrens, sparrows, mourning doves, grackles, starlings, blackbirds, red and yellow finches, the occasional hawk, downy woodpeckers, a red headed woodpecker and flickers. We had a very aggressive robin set up shop near our suet feeders and it was aggressively chasing away other birds. My wife was hoppin’ mad at this thing.

Kenkat · Post by **Kenkat** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:57 pm

HomeStretch wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:49 pm
Vulcan wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:44 pm My wife spotted a hummingbird's nest in our front yard a few years back.

The best experiences you can't buy.
Wow, great pictures! I hung two hummingbird feeders up and hoping to see some return to our yard soon.

Those are really fabulous shots Vulcan!

Lillibelle · Post by **Lillibelle** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:58 pm

The ospreys returned to New York just this week! Very exciting to watch them swoop and soar o're the harbor waters. Kingfishers arrived here but one year ago, braving the cold winter, yet now seem very quiet with the sea hawks back in town. Spied a blue-grey heron and a red-tailed hawk yesterday, too. Meanwhile, the woodlands are a symphony ~

PS Thank you for the amazing hummingbird photos, Vulcan!

Toons · Post by **Toons** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:10 pm

Backyard in Tennessee,
Bluejays,
Cardinals
Robins
Red Headed Woodpeckers
Turkey Vultures

livesoft · Post by **livesoft** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:11 pm

Yep, those hummingbird photos are the greatest. Thanks for sharing!

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:38 pm

Just saw a large Cooper's Hawk land on my deck (looking for dinner.)

Quercus Palustris · Post by **Quercus Palustris** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:44 pm

Saw a few Eastern Towhees, a bird I'd never noticed before until my wife asked what they were. Flitting about in the bramble on the side of the walking path near us.

All the usual suspects (cardinals setting shop in neighbor's shrubs, blue jays, robins, mourning doves, and crows) seem to be back. A big hawk stopped for a while until it tired of being mobbed by the local birds.

Barefoot · Post by **Barefoot** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:56 pm

We had a pair of bluebirds spend a couple of hours trying to get into our house yesterday.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:09 pm

Barefoot wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:56 pm We had a pair of bluebirds spend a couple of hours trying to get into our house yesterday.

LOL. I have barn swallows on my front porch every year. They usually arrive in April.

Northern Flicker · Post by **Northern Flicker** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:09 pm

Scrub jays, crows, song sparrow, Anna’s hummingbird, red-shafted flicker, bushtits, and black-capped chickadees have been the recent visitors.

Northern Flicker · Post by **Northern Flicker** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:13 pm

@vulcan glad the hummingbird nest was successful. Approaching too close to a bird’s nest sometimes can spook the parents into abandoning it.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:19 pm

Quercus Palustris wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:44 pm Saw a few Eastern Towhees, a bird I'd never noticed before until my wife asked what they were. Flitting about in the bramble on the side of the walking path near us.

All the usual suspects (cardinals setting shop in neighbor's shrubs, blue jays, robins, mourning doves, and crows) seem to be back. A big hawk stopped for a while until it tired of being mobbed by the local birds.

We have a lot of Spotted Towhees around here. They have very pretty eyes. I have also seen a couple of Green-tailed Towhees in the past couple of years.

Pu239 · Post by **Pu239** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:26 pm

Thousands of Sandhill Cranes at the recent Monte Vista Sandhill Crane Festival. It was our last venturing out before the shelter-in-place requirement.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:29 pm

Pu239 wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:26 pm Thousands of Sandhill Cranes at the recent Monte Vista Sandhill Crane Festival. It was our last venturing out before the shelter-in-place requirement.

I love Sandhill Cranes! I've been down there 3-4 times. Also to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico a couple times.

kayakprof · Post by **kayakprof** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:50 am

The Ospreys arrived like clockwork on March 16th this year. We see a nesting pair of Bald Eagles flying around with a large juvenile every day (and the juvenile really is awkward trying to hunt - it is interesting to see the parents move aside and let the juvi claim their meals). A blue heron owns some territory outside of our back window - sharing with geese and wood ducks. Juncos, cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, blue birds. The swallows that nest in our barn have not started building yet. Barred owls are making a lot of noise at night. A few months ago I watched the eagles bickering over a fish on the frozen stream water while the vultures sat a few feet a way. Suddenly they all flew up, and a minute later a fox came out and claimed the prize. Not birds, but last month we noticed a pair of racoons fooling around in the hollow of a tree 80 feet away, and we've seen them regularly since. I assume they plan to start a family.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:03 am

kayakprof wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:50 am The Ospreys arrived like clockwork on March 16th this year. We see a nesting pair of Bald Eagles flying around with a large juvenile every day (and the juvenile really is awkward trying to hunt - it is interesting to see the parents move aside and let the juvi claim their meals). A blue heron owns some territory outside of our back window - sharing with geese and wood ducks. Juncos, cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, blue birds. The swallows that nest in our barn have not started building yet. Barred owls are making a lot of noise at night. A few months ago I watched the eagles bickering over a fish on the frozen stream water while the vultures sat a few feet a way. Suddenly they all flew up, and a minute later a fox came out and claimed the prize. Not birds, but last month we noticed a pair of racoons fooling around in the hollow of a tree 80 feet away, and we've seen them regularly since. I assume they plan to start a family.

Nice! You have all kinds of wild life adventures.

Last fall, for the first time in 15 years, we had a bear foraging for food (usually at night) in my neighborhood. It's becoming more common with increased development ; ' (

There's a lot of wildlife that a friend of mine sees on his cameras e.g. raccoons and foxes. More signs and sounds of the coyotes lately (pupping season). I heard a pack of them crying and yelping a few nights ago about 10:30 pm.

Vulcan · Post by **Vulcan** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:07 am

Northern Flicker wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:13 pm @vulcan glad the hummingbird nest was successful. Approaching too close to a bird’s nest sometimes can spook the parents into abandoning it.

I was pretty comfortable photographing nests by then. We had several broods of robins before. An unlike robins, hummingbirds are not really anywhere near the nest when they aren't on top of it.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:33 am

Vulcan:

Wow! Those robin photos are fantastic! Thanks for posting them.

Vulcan · Post by **Vulcan** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:56 pm

Northern Flicker wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:13 pm @vulcan glad the hummingbird nest was successful. Approaching too close to a bird’s nest sometimes can spook the parents into abandoning it.

What was interesting, is that the hummingbird built her nest on a tree branch right above the sidewalk. It is so well-camouflaged that you could be staring right at it without realizing that it is not part of the tree.

For two weeks, countless people were walking just underneath it without noticing the miracle that was unfolding a mere foot above their head, but the mother must have been ok with that proximity.

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:57 pm

Osprey just sailed up the creek at low altitude. Looking for material to repair the nest, no doubt.

They showed back up here (Maryland) in early March. Very active now rebuilding damaged nests and getting ready for breeding.

Broken Man 1999 · Post by **Broken Man 1999** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:22 pm

Last spring a bird made a nest in DW's wreath that was hanging on our front door. When someone approached, mama bird would fly to a bush and wait, then return to the nest.

We got to observe the four eggs she laid hatch and saw the little birds for a while. They all finally left.

Mama bird might build another best in our door wreath this year. The grandkids really got a kick out of the whole episode.

Right now our bird feeder is used primarily by Cardinals, my favorite bird. They seem to prefer millet, so that is what I put in the feeder.

Broken Man 1999

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:45 pm

Broken Man 1999 wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:22 pm Last spring a bird made a nest in DW's wreath that was hanging on our front door. When someone approached, mama bird would fly to a bush and wait, then return to the nest.

We got to observe the four eggs she laid hatch and saw the little birds for a while. They all finally left.

Mama bird might build another best in our door wreath this year. The grandkids really got a kick out of the whole episode.

Right now our bird feeder is used primarily by Cardinals, my favorite bird. They seem to prefer millet, so that is what I put in the feeder.

Broken Man 1999

That reminds me of the barn swallows I "let" nest on my front porch every year (mud nests can be messy). It's fun to watch them raise the babies each time.

Wish we had Cardinals in my state.... very cheerful

JPH · Post by **JPH** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:47 pm

Today 3 red shouldered hawks milling around in the sky above and occasionally dive bombing one another.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:50 pm

JPH wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:47 pm Today 3 red shouldered hawks milling around in the sky above and occasionally dive bombing one another.

I always enjoy watching the smaller birds dive-bombing the raptors.

I just checked the map and see that red shouldered hawks do not come to my state:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red ... maps-range

Cornell has some great bird resources. World-renowned for ornithology.

kayakprof · Post by **kayakprof** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:04 am

This morning two wild turkeys wandered by. They stopped to check out a resting deer, and the Tom fanned at the deer. She (the doe) didn't even bother to yawn at him. So he kept walking with his lady.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:29 am

kayakprof wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:04 am This morning two wild turkeys wandered by. They stopped to check out a resting deer, and the Tom fanned at the deer. She (the doe) didn't even bother to yawn at him. So he kept walking with his lady.

How fun. Today a pair of Mallards landed on my deck again which is unusual.

Vanguard Fan 1367 · Post by **Vanguard Fan 1367** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:17 am

I am watching a pair of bluebirds going in and out of their box right now! They are attending to their eggs. Very beautiful birds!

Sandtrap · Post by **Sandtrap** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:25 am

Vulcan wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:44 pm My wife spotted a hummingbird's nest in our front yard a few years back.

The best experiences you can't buy.
. . (pics)

Absolutely beautiful.
Did you take the pictures yourself?

thanks!
j

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:27 am

Vanguard Fan 1367 wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:17 am I am watching a pair of bluebirds going in and out of their box right now! They are attending to their eggs. Very beautiful birds!

Agree! I love the mountain bluebirds and BB boxes in my area. So fun to watch!

Sandtrap · Post by **Sandtrap** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:32 am

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:50 pm
JPH wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:47 pm Today 3 red shouldered hawks milling around in the sky above and occasionally dive bombing one another.
I always enjoy watching the smaller birds dive-bombing the raptors.

I just checked the map and see that red shouldered hawks do not come to my state:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red ... maps-range

Cornell has some great bird resources. World-renowned for ornithology.

Yes.
It is amazing how small birds will guard their space by fearlessly dive bombing large predators like Hawks and Falcons until they are driven away. DW and I watch this every Spring.

Great Blue Herons do a slow cruise up and down the river that runs along our mini ranch.
Barn Swallows arrive early and check out thier yearly nesting areas around our stables, outbuildings, and our house.
Early spring nests WREns in the barn rafters erupt in "cheep cheep cheeps". . . when we walk in.

Falcons are pairing up and cruise high overhead, making that sharp long shrill whistling sound, terror from above for every burrowing and crawling fuzzy critter below.

Yep. It's spring.
j

Sandtrap · Post by **Sandtrap** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:34 am

Vulcan wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:07 am
Northern Flicker wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:13 pm @vulcan glad the hummingbird nest was successful. Approaching too close to a bird’s nest sometimes can spook the parents into abandoning it.
I was pretty comfortable photographing nests by then. We had several broods of robins before. An unlike robins, hummingbirds are not really anywhere near the nest when they aren't on top of it.
(pics)

Wonderful pictures!
Thanks for posting them.

Sometimes it's saddening when these nests fall from our barn rafters.

j

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:40 am

Sandtrap wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:34 am
Vulcan wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:07 am
Northern Flicker wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:13 pm @vulcan glad the hummingbird nest was successful. Approaching too close to a bird’s nest sometimes can spook the parents into abandoning it.
I was pretty comfortable photographing nests by then. We had several broods of robins before. An unlike robins, hummingbirds are not really anywhere near the nest when they aren't on top of it.
(pics)
Wonderful pictures!
Thanks for posting them.

Sometimes it's saddening when these nests fall from our barn rafters.
j

Indeed. Once I had to take a baby swallow (who fell out of the nest) to the wild bird rescue.

ThunderTurtle · Post by **ThunderTurtle** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:44 am

^^ Love the pictures up there.

We're starting to see plenty of cardinals and American robins here in north TX. They're year round but I never see them during winter.

Turkey vultures doing a great job with the roads as usual.

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:48 am

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:27 am
Vanguard Fan 1367 wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:17 am I am watching a pair of bluebirds going in and out of their box right now! They are attending to their eggs. Very beautiful birds!
Agree! I love the mountain bluebirds and BB boxes in my area. So fun to watch!

We had three broods one year in one box. With that and the other box I think we had a total of 15 chicks fledge. Fighting house sparrows right now trying to get into the boxes. Friend of mine bags the house when a House Sparrow goes in and then assassinates the sparrow. I have not reached that point yet.

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:39 am

jebmke wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:48 am
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:27 am
Vanguard Fan 1367 wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:17 am I am watching a pair of bluebirds going in and out of their box right now! They are attending to their eggs. Very beautiful birds!
Agree! I love the mountain bluebirds and BB boxes in my area. So fun to watch!
We had three broods one year in one box. With that and the other box I think we had a total of 15 chicks fledge. Fighting house sparrows right now trying to get into the boxes. Friend of mine bags the house when a House Sparrow goes in and then assassinates the sparrow. I have not reached that point yet.

Oh dear! I wouldn't have the heart to do that.....

There are probably other options.

Vanguard Fan 1367 · Post by **Vanguard Fan 1367** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:42 am

jebmke wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:48 am
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:27 am
Vanguard Fan 1367 wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:17 am I am watching a pair of bluebirds going in and out of their box right now! They are attending to their eggs. Very beautiful birds!
Agree! I love the mountain bluebirds and BB boxes in my area. So fun to watch!
We had three broods one year in one box. With that and the other box I think we had a total of 15 chicks fledge. Fighting house sparrows right now trying to get into the boxes. Friend of mine bags the house when a House Sparrow goes in and then assassinates the sparrow. I have not reached that point yet.

The Purple Martin forum folks recommend that if you get sparrows in your Martin houses you take the sparrow eggs out of the Martin house.

iamlucky13 · Post by **iamlucky13** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:54 am

I'm not a dedicated bird watcher, but we do have a fair variety around our home that I stop to watch from time to time.

In particular, I'm watching to see if the pileated woodpeckers that frequent many of the rotting trees along the creek near us are going to show up again this spring. Last year, there were 3-4 of them, but I haven't seen them yet this year. If they turn up, I will try to get some pictures.

We also usually have quite a few northern flickers. The males like to pound on the chimney cap while our youngest son is taking his nap, which reverberates through the whole house. I like watching them feeding, but am dreading the start up of those mating displays once our current cool spell ends.

We have some resident mallards on a small pond, and sometimes one other species of duck I haven't learned yet. Canadian geese sometimes stop during their migration, as well, and there is occasionally a blue heron.

Bald eagles, ospreys, and (red-tailed?) hawks are not uncommon to see in the distant trees, but never close up. The easiest way to spot them is the crows harassing them.

There's plenty of smaller birds I would like to learn - practicing identification with my older son during breaks while I'm working from home might be a good activity, actually. The robins and steller's jays are easy, but I don't have a handle on telling apart the various sparrows, finches, wrens, etc.

I have recently noticed that some of what I previously likely ignored as more robins are actually varied thrushes. They're not too difficult to tell apart, but I simply hadn't been aware of them before.

Vulcan · Post by **Vulcan** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:52 pm

Sandtrap wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:34 am Wonderful pictures!
Thanks for posting them.

Thanks, all. The ones of robins got uploaded in lower res than I would have liked - but they are pretty common anyway.
Here's a Great Blue Heron fishing the neighborhood creek, for your enjoyment.

Vulcan · Post by **Vulcan** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:59 pm

ThunderTurtle wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:44 am ^^ Love the pictures up there.

We're starting to see plenty of cardinals and American robins here in north TX. They're year round but I never see them during winter.

Thanks!
We mostly have cardinals during the wintertime here.

Sheepdog · Post by **Sheepdog** » Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:02 pm

I am receiving all of the normal midwest backyard birds feeding at the feeders such as cardinals, various finches, wrens, chickadees, sparrows, bluejays, those damn starlings, and others. Grosbeaks should be arriving soon and will eat a lot for a couple of weeks and then fly off to their nesting grounds.The humming birds will arrive, hopefully, at the normal May 10 to 15 period and will be around the feeders until next October 10 to 15 and fly off to Mexico and Central America.

This year I have 3 new and rare visitors. Mind you, I have lived in this house for 37 years so these are rare.
1. For the first time I have a bluebird visiting the feeders. And, they have been around now for 10 days. Wonderful sight. I have seen them on occasion along roadsides where bluebird houses have been installed on fence posts, but never in our neighborhood.
2. Only once in these years, about 20 years ago, did a pileated woodpecker visit for a couple of days. This year, a big one, is feeding on the suet feeders and he has been around for over 2 weeks. He is a BIG beautiful red headed guy.
3. I have had Coopers hawks chasing and catching the poor sparrows in my backyard, taking them onto a tree limb, torturing the poor sparrow before devouring him, but now I have a pair who have built a nest in a fork in our oak tree. One can be on the nest, until the mate flies in and that one flies off. Interesting, but it appears I will lose more of the sparrows and finches this summer.
Its a different year.