Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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jebmke
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

First Snowy Egret of the season showed up in the creek today. Great Egrets have been here for a while. Green Herons should be here soon as well -- we normally have a nesting pair each year.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

homebuyer6426 wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 6:56 pm Last week, I found that a male cardinal had died inside of the shed I am building. No idea what happened to it.
:(
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

It's spring! I saw my first Mountain and Western Bluebirds today. Sometimes you see them flock together. :happy

I also saw a number of American Robins and a Northern Flicker today looking for food in the snow.
Last edited by JAZZISCOOL on Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Green Heron arrived today in the creek. They nest here so should hang around. Bluebird nest in progress in back BB box. Evicted a Chickadee nest from front box. Cardinals starting the mating ritual; male feeding seeds to the female.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:07 pm Green Heron arrived today in the creek. They nest here so should hang around. Bluebird nest in progress in back BB box. Evicted a Chickadee nest from front box. Cardinals starting the mating ritual; male feeding seeds to the female.
Cool! You have lots of spring activity going on!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:13 pm
jebmke wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:07 pm Green Heron arrived today in the creek. They nest here so should hang around. Bluebird nest in progress in back BB box. Evicted a Chickadee nest from front box. Cardinals starting the mating ritual; male feeding seeds to the female.
Cool! You have lots of spring activity going on!
Migration is just getting underway. Heading down to Pocomoke Swamp on Sunday. Warblers are starting to arrive.
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JAZZISCOOL
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:18 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:13 pm
jebmke wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:07 pm Green Heron arrived today in the creek. They nest here so should hang around. Bluebird nest in progress in back BB box. Evicted a Chickadee nest from front box. Cardinals starting the mating ritual; male feeding seeds to the female.
Cool! You have lots of spring activity going on!
Migration is just getting underway. Heading down to Pocomoke Swamp on Sunday. Warblers are starting to arrive.
Enjoy! :beer
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by livesoft »

In the woods, broad daylight. Who's seeing who?

Cell phone pic:

Image
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

^Livesoft:

Nice owl photo! Is that a Saw-whet owl? I can't see how large it is from the photo.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nor ... -whet_Owl/
rural_dude
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by rural_dude »

Bluebirds, lots of bluebirds. Yellow and red finches. Some red-winged blackbirds.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by livesoft »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:09 pm ^Livesoft:

Nice owl photo! Is that a Saw-whet owl? I can't see how large it is from the photo.
Thanks. Barred owl.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Hubris »

Sandhill Cranes have been back for about a week, based on hearing their calls. First sightings from the house about 2 days ago.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by chuckb84 »

Mountain Bluebirds, Robins, lots of Towhees and red-headed Wrens. We're at 7200 feet and it is still getting down into the 20's at night.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by SR7 »

I wouldn’t call myself a bird watcher as such, but my son and I just saw a Major Mitchell's cockatoo or what I call a Pink Cockatoo hanging out in an old fig tree that my son was climbing. The tree also contained a bunch of Galahs (Pink and Grey cockatoo), about 18 of them, mostly sitting in pairs.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by NerdJock »

We have had lots of turkeys around in the last few years.
We had about 15 hens having a hen fest. They were looping in lines with several loops at a time.
it was really cool.

This is in NH.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by TT »

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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

SR7 wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:01 pm I wouldn’t call myself a bird watcher as such, but my son and I just saw a Major Mitchell's cockatoo or what I call a Pink Cockatoo hanging out in an old fig tree that my son was climbing. The tree also contained a bunch of Galahs (Pink and Grey cockatoo), about 18 of them, mostly sitting in pairs.
Cool! I had to look these species up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Mit ... s_cockatoo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah

:beer
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Vtsax100 »

livesoft wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 6:36 pm In the woods, broad daylight. Who's seeing who?

Cell phone pic:

Image

I love it! My owls are in the woods and I hear them whooting. Just so hard to spot! And I know they are just sitting there watching me.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Barefoot »

We had our first hummingbird visit of the year today
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JAZZISCOOL
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Cool video of 2 Osprey chicks at the Savannah nest (4/16); Cornell Lab Bird Cams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDK8LBiijC0
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by SR7 »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:21 am
SR7 wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:01 pm I wouldn’t call myself a bird watcher as such, but my son and I just saw a Major Mitchell's cockatoo or what I call a Pink Cockatoo hanging out in an old fig tree that my son was climbing. The tree also contained a bunch of Galahs (Pink and Grey cockatoo), about 18 of them, mostly sitting in pairs.
Cool! I had to look these species up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Mit ... s_cockatoo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah

:beer
Yes, that’s them. The galahs are common, but it’s rare to see a pink cockatoo here, as they are mostly more inland. The pink cockatoos are very handsome birds.

:beer
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JonnyDVM »

Saw a red shouldered hawk at the golf course three days ago. It’s funny because I’m always squinting at hawks thinking, is that something different??.......nah. Just another Red-tail. Then when I finally actually saw one it was strikingly obvious that it was a red shouldered hawk and not a red-tailed. I’ve probably wasted a lot of my life squinting at raptors.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by f35phixer »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HDROQc2eU

these hummer baby's have EXPLODED, just last week they were buried inside the nest. amazing how mama makes the nest expandable :D
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Numerous pileated woodpeckers on the property lately; sometimes in a pair, sometimes not.

I have been told that crows can remember people. Over time, there is a crow - assuming its the same one - whom I speak to and who now lets me gets within a few feet of him/her. The other day I went to the garden and he just sat there on the dirt not budging.

A turkey vulture (assuming its the same one) has been in the yard recently; scavenging the leftover rabbits from the red tailed hawks that are frequently seen this spring. (We are having a lot of rabbits.) The turkey vultures frighteningly huge.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by kelvan80 »

Stellers Jay and Little Blue Heron yesterday. Had an owl fly directly over me at night a couple weeks ago but it was too dark to tell what kind.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Mr. Rumples wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:21 am Numerous pileated woodpeckers on the property lately; sometimes in a pair, sometimes not.

I have been told that crows can remember people. Over time, there is a crow - assuming its the same one - whom I speak to and who now lets me gets within a few feet of him/her. The other day I went to the garden and he just sat there on the dirt not budging.

A turkey vulture (assuming its the same one) has been in the yard recently; scavenging the leftover rabbits from the red tailed hawks that are frequently seen this spring. (We are having a lot of rabbits.) The turkey vultures frighteningly huge.
I've heard crows are very intelligent. You have quite a bit of wildlife activity happening over there! :!:
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Dottie57 »

SundayMorning wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:24 am I am seeing a Robin everyday for a week. Flying into my palladium window...for 7 or 8 hours..a..day.
Driving my wife and I crazeeee. :twisted:
I had a robin do that one year - early in the morning. I clsed my bedroom shades and it stopped. Think it saw it self in the window and wanted to chase the other bird away.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by TSintheATL »

The swallows are back!
Northern rough-winged swallows, that is. The cliff swallows will be along in another few weeks.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by GG1273 »

The poster is a bit north of me in NJ - she's been hosting a Screech Owl family for a few years

Live cam
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC04-Q7 ... w/featured

Some historical pictures and video
https://www.flickr.com/photos/95291506@N07/
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by bulbul »

I came across a killdeer on the weekend hiking.

Image
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Miriam2 »

I have always defended grackles, one of my favorite "outta my way" personality birds 8-)

They are now in big trouble on Miami Beach because they keep attacking humans. One even had the audacity to pluck out some hairs from a woman's delicately coiffed head (to build the grackle nest). Can't have that on Miami Beach. :wink:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/ ... 83114.html

Image


So Miami Beach hired a falcon to keep the grackles away from humans. Apparently the falcon is better behaved and knows what his job is.


Image

🌴 8-)
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

^Miriam2:

Wow! That's a wild story about Miami and the falcon.

I also like grackles but I know they have their (human) detractors.....

:happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by f35phixer »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HDROQc2eU

GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mama sticks her beak all the way to their BUTTS feeding them.....

Pretty cool, they grow fast !
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Capsu78 »

Purple Martins must be seeing insects I can't because they are out in force over our lake in Northern Chicagoland.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

f35phixer wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:13 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HDROQc2eU

GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mama sticks her beak all the way to their BUTTS feeding them.....

Pretty cool, they grow fast !
They are so fun to watch. I saw them practice flapping their tiny wings. :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by f35phixer »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HDROQc2eU

well a Hawk/Falcon got one of the babies last night... :evil:
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

f35phixer wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:42 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HDROQc2eU

well a Hawk/Falcon got one of the babies last night... :evil:
I saw that in the chat. :( Sad but part of the circle of life.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Ivygirl »

A Northern Mockingbird at the bird feeder. What did he want there? Aren't they insect and berry feeders? He nommed up something for quite a while. Peanut pieces would be my guess. Nothing in there but sunflower seeds and peanuts.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Ivygirl wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 11:17 am A Northern Mockingbird at the bird feeder. What did he want there? Aren't they insect and berry feeders? He nommed up something for quite a while. Peanut pieces would be my guess. Nothing in there but sunflower seeds and peanuts.
Per Cornell:

Food - Omnivore

Northern Mockingbirds eat mainly insects in summer but switch to eating mostly fruit in fall and winter. Among their animal prey are beetles, earthworms, moths, butterflies, ants, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, and sometimes small lizards. They eat a wide variety of berries, including from ornamental bushes, as well as fruits from multiflora rose. They’ve been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees.

I think a number of birds are opportunistic around feeders.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by GG1273 »

Had a few Yellow Rumped Warblers flycatching over the pond this morning. Eastern Towhees are all in now, last weekend only heard a few.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_LOJoKFuR0

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/id#
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by RetiredAL »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 2:22 pm
f35phixer wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:42 pm
well a Hawk/Falcon got one of the babies last night... :evil:
I saw that in the chat. :( Sad but part of the circle of life.
Follow-up to killdeer nest I posted about:

On Monday last and Thursday I visited that area. Mom was still on the nest Monday. On Thursday, the nest is empty and only two baby killdeers running around, so I assume the other two didn't make it. Last year all 4 made it.

They always look so funny running around when young. All legs with a tiny body the size of thumb from the last joint to the finger tip, inclusive of their fuzz. Too small to get a meaningful picture.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

RetiredAL wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 2:12 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 2:22 pm
f35phixer wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:42 pm
well a Hawk/Falcon got one of the babies last night... :evil:
I saw that in the chat. :( Sad but part of the circle of life.
Follow-up to killdeer nest I posted about:

On Monday last and Thursday I visited that area. Mom was still on the nest Monday. On Thursday, the nest is empty and only two baby killdeers running around, so I assume the other two didn't make it. Last year all 4 made it.

They always look so funny running around when young. All legs with a tiny body the size of thumb from the last joint to the finger tip, inclusive of their fuzz. Too small to get a meaningful picture.
Baby Killdeers are totally cute! I see them in the spring sometimes near here.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by RetiredAL »

Everyone has heard about the Jellystone Park bear jams, well today I ran into a bird jam at our urban park.

When heading into the parking area for my morning walk along a lake, there was a gaggle of people standing in the roadway watching and photographing three sets of baby geese who were grazing the lawn area with their parents next to the road.

A black crowned night heron maybe 150ft also on the lawn away was totally being ignored. People are sure attracted to either baby geese or baby ducks. No baby ducks yet, but they happen later than the geese.

The blue herons nested on an island 75yrds offshore this year, but the chicks are now big enough to see by eye.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Female cardinal mostly finished building nest in bush by the front door. Not a snake proof bush so will have to see how it goes.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

The Barn Swallows just arrived today - back from the south or Mexico. Returned to the mud nest they built last year on my porch.

I put out my hummingbird feeder to see if I get any takers. I heard the "scouts" are around.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by iceport »

Some kind of heron... I'm not great at distinguishing them. Fairly large bird, though not the biggest I've seen there in the wooded wetland area behind the back yard. It seems an awkward struggle for them to get airborne and gain altitude!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JPH »

On my walk this morning I witnessed a small flock of about eight cedar waxwings that were repeatedly diving into the surface of a body of water, apparently to retrieve insects. They did not stay in the water, but just skimmed the surface the way swallows sometimes do. I watched them for a good 15 minutes while they repeatedly took turns at a frequency of a few seconds.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by GerryL »

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on my patio and spotted an unusual bird hopping between the shrubs. It was black and had a crest. I kept staring to capture it in my mind, and when I went back inside I searched online. The only match I could find was a phainopepla, and the images are exactly what I saw, at a distance, granted. But I'm in the Pacific Northwest, out of range for this bird. Maybe that's why I'd never seen one before and have not seen it since.

Has anyone else seen a phainopepla this far north?
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

JPH wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:17 pm On my walk this morning I witnessed a small flock of about eight cedar waxwings that were repeatedly diving into the surface of a body of water, apparently to retrieve insects. They did not stay in the water, but just skimmed the surface the way swallows sometimes do. I watched them for a good 15 minutes while they repeatedly took turns at a frequency of a few seconds.
Cool. I have generally seen them eating berries. :happy
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