Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Fri Mar 10, 2023 2:18 pm

JAZZISCOOL wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 2:01 pm
jebmke wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 1:19 pm Wood Duck pair still here. Belted Kingfisher arrived yesterday from wherever he was over the winter - probably another food source in the area in winter; I don't think they migrate much.
I love Kingfishers and see them sometimes. They make that interesting sound when they fly.

Cool birds; real attitude.

557880yvi · Post by **557880yvi** » Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:20 pm

https://imgur.com/a/r4eRPh5 2 pictures
(sorry, not sure how to embed a picture from laptop here - all suggestions welcomed!)

Northern Massachusetts. Believe this is a male Downy Woodpecker. Would normally take in the birdfeeders by the end of February (lots of black bears in our neighborhood!) but we have been hit with one snowstorm after another in recent weeks and are expecting a true Nor'easter coming in late Monday night. Thought it would be nice to leave some sunflower seeds out for another week. Fascinating to watch them take one seed at a time, bring it to a branch on this viburnum, place it in notch then the peck open the shell to get their treat.

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:39 pm

557880yvi wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:20 pm https://imgur.com/a/r4eRPh5 2 pictures
(sorry, not sure how to embed a picture from laptop here - all suggestions welcomed!)

Northern Massachusetts. Believe this is a male Downy Woodpecker. Would normally take in the birdfeeders by the end of February (lots of black bears in our neighborhood!) but we have been hit with one snowstorm after another in recent weeks and are expecting a true N'oreaster coming in late Monday night. Thought it would be nice to leave some sunflower seeds out for another week. Fascinating to watch them take one seed at a time, bring it to a branch on this viburnum, place it in notch then the peck open the shell to get their treat.

yes; looks like a Downy. Hairy Woodpecker is similar but bigger and has a much longer bill.

Post by **LadyGeek** » Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:10 pm

557880yvi wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:20 pm (sorry, not sure how to embed a picture from laptop here - all suggestions welcomed!)

I do!

It's in the wiki (Posting images in the Bogleheads forum). For imgur.com, I right-clicked on each image --> Open image in a new tab or window, then embedded the new link into the forum post. Here you go:

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Mon Mar 13, 2023 1:42 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPI9mWmmc7M

Port Tobacco nest has a PIP...... @ 1:56 you get a great look, and at 2:27 a quick look..

This will be cool, be going home on Friday and will be able to get some good pics i hope !!!!!!!!

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:02 am

we have a chick in Port Tobacco eagle nest....

Got wind advisory till 2am tomorrow, so chicks going to learn real quick to cover under mom

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:06 am

f35phixer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:02 am we have a chick in Port Tobacco eagle nest....

Got wind advisory till 2am tomorrow, so chicks going to learn real quick to cover under mom

Adults have been actively fishing our creek this morning in fairly high winds. Also seeing them starting to mug the incoming Ospreys - Eagles have always been lazy opportunists. Some fun in-flight battles. Have seen more than one inverted bird with extended talons in recent days.

Sandtrap · Post by **Sandtrap** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:48 am

A "Great Horned Owl" we named "Cleo" has visited our highest rooftops nearly all year 'round over the past 7 years.
Early dark morning's just before the lst light of dawn, and evenings just in the fading light of the day.

"Cleo"
What a "hoot"!

agbp · Post by **agbp** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:18 pm

Sandtrap wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:48 am A "Great Horned Owl" we named "Cleo" has visited our highest rooftops nearly all year 'round over the past 7 years.
Early dark morning's just before the lst light of dawn, and evenings just in the fading light of the day.

"Cleo"
What a "hoot"!

Cleo is a beauty!

mike@jb · Post by **mike@jb** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:29 pm

Last week, while playing golf here in North Florida, I saw a huge Blue Heron AND a Bald Eagle hunting around the pond on #15...
Another day that week, a Swallow-tail Kite was circling the club house.
Maybe I should bring a camera to the golf course, and leave the clubs at home.

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:24 am

A couple of owls were calling to each other the past two mornings before daylight. Pretty sure they were Great Horned Owls (Bubo Virginianus)

Spring garden · Post by **Spring garden** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:07 am

In the evening last week Yellow-shouldered parrots (Amazon) started flying over in pairs. As I drove down the road the number sitting on cacti became more frequent and I had the good fortune to come upon the roosting site of >100 of them. The noise was deafening. Definitely an experience to remember.

bighatnohorse · Post by **bighatnohorse** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:32 am

I didn't actually see it but the news was talking something about a Mud Sucker Bird?

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:32 am

Interesting article about: NC has the second-highest diversity of hummingbirds in the US. Here’s what they look like...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nc-second-hi ... 01864.html

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:34 am

f35phixer wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:32 am Interesting article about: NC has the second-highest diversity of hummingbirds in the US. Here’s what they look like...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nc-second-hi ... 01864.html

I had no idea. I've seen Ruf and Calliope here in MD. NC isn't that far away - I wonder what stops them there.

ekid · Post by **ekid** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:28 am

wabbott wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:24 am A couple of owls were calling to each other the past two mornings before daylight. Pretty sure they were Great Horned Owls (Bubo Virginianus)

Here too. I didn't see them but they kept me from sleep (half the nite)

Quite close, and close to each other; answering. Wife says breeding season is long over...?

Maybe they were two males shouting.

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:09 pm

jebmke wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:34 am
f35phixer wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 10:32 am Interesting article about: NC has the second-highest diversity of hummingbirds in the US. Here’s what they look like...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nc-second-hi ... 01864.html
I had no idea. I've seen Ruf and Calliope here in MD. NC isn't that far away - I wonder what stops them there.

I'm down here in Leesburg Fla at Dads, just put his hummer feeder out. Using hummingbirdcentral.com shows them close to him...

Now i find myself staring at feeder waiting for that first one... Have said to DW, ahhhh there's one, Don't be an azz after she runs over

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:19 pm

port tobacco nest

715 has excellent feeding and other egg piping....

Candor · Post by **Candor** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 7:48 pm

ekid wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:28 am
wabbott wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:24 am A couple of owls were calling to each other the past two mornings before daylight. Pretty sure they were Great Horned Owls (Bubo Virginianus)
Here too. I didn't see them but they kept me from sleep (half the nite)

Quite close, and close to each other; answering. Wife says breeding season is long over...?

Maybe they were two males shouting.

GHO breeding season is generally over by now but in northern latitudes it can run later. It may just be a territorial thing.

If it is a male and a female the female should have a higher pitch call than the male.

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:43 am

Port Tobacco nest update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPI9mWmmc7M

at 718 get a look at number 2...

Feel like a proud grandfather

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:14 am

f35phixer wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:43 am Port Tobacco nest update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPI9mWmmc7M

at 718 get a look at number 2...

Feel like a proud grandfather

Wow! So cool to watch them feeding the young ones.

quantAndHold · Post by **quantAndHold** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:51 am

There’s construction going on across the street. This morning, I woke up to the sound of a mockingbird mimicking the jackhammer.

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:34 pm

I have a sincere question. As I get older, the bird songs early in the morning when mrs. wabbott and I take our daily walk are pure music to me. It says maybe the world ain't coming to an end, at least not today.

There's this one call that I can't identify that's very prolific here in North Central Louisiana. Best I can describe it is: "PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de." Then a chirp, chirp.

I've listened to a lot of video and audio but I still can't find it. Any suggestions from all y'all?

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:38 pm

wabbott wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:34 pm I have a sincere question. As I get older, the bird songs early in the morning when mrs. wabbott and I take our daily walk are pure music to me. It says maybe the world ain't coming to an end, at least not today.

There's this one call that I can't identify that's very prolific here in North Central Louisiana. Best I can describe it is: "PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de." Then a chirp, chirp.

I've listened to a lot of video and audio but I still can't find it. Any suggestions from all y'all?

If you have a smartphone you might install an app called "Merlin." Once you install the database for your part of the country you can use it to "listen" to birds. It is pretty good with most common birds but it is not foolproof. I've had enough misidentifications by Merlin to get a sense of when to believe it and when not to. But it is helpful in learning. I think one problem it has is that it is only as good as the data that has been used to train it. Individual species, much like people, have different dialects. So, for example, a Field Sparrow in one part of the country may sound quite different than in another part of the country.

The call you described sounds like a Northern Cardinal to me.

ekid · Post by **ekid** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:57 pm

wabbott wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:34 pm I have a sincere question. As I get older, the bird songs early in the morning when mrs. wabbott and I take our daily walk are pure music to me. It says maybe the world ain't coming to an end, at least not today.

There's this one call that I can't identify that's very prolific here in North Central Louisiana. Best I can describe it is: "PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de." Then a chirp, chirp.

I've listened to a lot of video and audio but I still can't find it. Any suggestions from all y'all?

I know exactly the call you describe! But not who is calling.

clip651 · Post by **clip651** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 11:45 pm

wabbott wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:34 pm I have a sincere question. As I get older, the bird songs early in the morning when mrs. wabbott and I take our daily walk are pure music to me. It says maybe the world ain't coming to an end, at least not today.

There's this one call that I can't identify that's very prolific here in North Central Louisiana. Best I can describe it is: "PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de." Then a chirp, chirp.

I've listened to a lot of video and audio but I still can't find it. Any suggestions from all y'all?

I agree with jebmke, your description sounds like a cardinal. Take a listen to this one if others online.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLaeG6WCj0

You can also try a search for common bird songs, there are a variety of resources from that search that might help you identify this bird and some other common ones you hear. Try adding Louisiana or southern US to your search to be more specific.

lgb · Post by **lgb** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:16 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.

Wow, I'll be on the lookout now around our trees for the same, plenty of hummingbirds, always wonder where they nest... no different than I wonder where all the birds throughout the day, of which there are many hundreds.....where exactly they are sleeping as I never ever ever see them anywhere.. like I could go rustle bushes and shake trees and I don't feel like they're there.... so to me it's basically magic or something...

Mudpuppy · Post by **Mudpuppy** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:42 pm

lgb wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:16 am Wow, I'll be on the lookout now around our trees for the same, plenty of hummingbirds, always wonder where they nest... no different than I wonder where all the birds throughout the day, of which there are many hundreds.....where exactly they are sleeping as I never ever ever see them anywhere.. like I could go rustle bushes and shake trees and I don't feel like they're there.... so to me it's basically magic or something...

In my undergrad college days, the hummingbirds liked to nest in the vines covering the walkway between two buildings. There would always be at least a couple of nests, if not a half dozen nests. Every once and a while, the parent birds got territorial and would buzz you as you walked between buildings. But maybe that was because the biology students were regularly out there with a mirror on a pole to check the nests, so they started associating humans with annoyances.

So don't just restrict your "rustling" to trees and shrubs. Check the sturdy vines too. The nests do not weigh much, so they can be pretty much anywhere that gives them either a good slanting angle from a sturdy branch or a V-shaped or Y-shaped cross support between branches / vines.

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:13 pm

clip651 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 11:45 pm
wabbott wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:34 pm I have a sincere question. As I get older, the bird songs early in the morning when mrs. wabbott and I take our daily walk are pure music to me. It says maybe the world ain't coming to an end, at least not today.

There's this one call that I can't identify that's very prolific here in North Central Louisiana. Best I can describe it is: "PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de." Then a chirp, chirp.

I've listened to a lot of video and audio but I still can't find it. Any suggestions from all y'all?
I agree with jebmke, your description sounds like a cardinal. Take a listen to this one if others online.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLaeG6WCj0

You can also try a search for common bird songs, there are a variety of resources from that search that might help you identify this bird and some other common ones you hear. Try adding Louisiana or southern US to your search to be more specific.

The tone is very close, but the cadence of the PUR-de call is slower and different from this video. It's fascinating that different areas of the country have a different "dialect" for the same species. It's often still dark when we walk, so I don't get to see what's making the call.

Hubris · Post by **Hubris** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:19 pm

Cassin’s Finch numbers grew over the last week with our incoming snow, reaching a high of 23. Just saw a Rough-legged Hawk dark morph fly by, These are common hawks here in winter but the dark morphs aren’t that common.

Red Zebra · Post by **Red Zebra** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:47 pm

I briefly saw a blue heron on my neighbor's house yesterday morning. We have them in my state, but I have never seen one in my neighborhood, which is in the outer suburbs.

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:59 pm

Found it! It is a Northern Cardinal. But the bird calls in my neighborhood is slower by half to what's in this video. So maybe they're "Redneck" Northern Cardinals with a southern drawl?

At 0:30 in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egd73TfeiMA

Also, the Great Horned Owl in this video duplicates what we heard earlier this week.

clip651 · Post by **clip651** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 6:17 pm

wabbott wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:59 pm Found it! It is a Northern Cardinal. But the bird calls in my neighborhood is slower by half to what's in this video. So maybe they're "Redneck" Northern Cardinals with a southern drawl?

At 0:30 in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egd73TfeiMA

Also, the Great Horned Owl in this video duplicates what we heard earlier this week.

Our Northern Cardinals also sound more like the video you posted than the one in the video I posted. I do think birds vary by region, but also perhaps by mood (excited, tired, etc). Glad you were able to ID the cardinal and the great horned owl!

Vulcan · Post by **Vulcan** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:15 pm

Red Zebra wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:47 pm I briefly saw a blue heron on my neighbor's house yesterday morning. We have them in my state, but I have never seen one in my neighborhood, which is in the outer suburbs.

You know who else briefly saw a blue heron?

This guy

mamster · Post by **mamster** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:26 pm

First time posting on this lovely thread!

My wife and I were recently in Tokyo, and in Zenpukuji park we saw:

Common Kingfisher (kawasemi) - This thing is a delight. Small bird with big head and big beak that perches over a pond or other body of water and dives vertically and snatches up fish.
Cormorants
Small and large egrets (kosagi and daisagi)
Jungle crows (yamagarasu) - probably not considered an interesting bird to see in the park, but we don't have them in Seattle and they are imposing

I don't know anything about birdwatching, just looked for people gathered around pointing either fingers or zoom lenses, and then asked, "What kind of bird is that?" There are also some good identification boards in the park. This is not a well known or touristed park (although it seems to be well known among birders!), and I highly recommend it.

f35phixer · Post by **f35phixer** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:14 am

JAZZISCOOL wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:14 am
f35phixer wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:43 am Port Tobacco nest update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPI9mWmmc7M

at 718 get a look at number 2...

Feel like a proud grandfather
Wow! So cool to watch them feeding the young ones.

we have a three banger, hatched out saturday !!!!!!!!!!!

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:36 am

f35phixer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:14 am
JAZZISCOOL wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:14 am
f35phixer wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:43 am Port Tobacco nest update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPI9mWmmc7M

at 718 get a look at number 2...

Feel like a proud grandfather
Wow! So cool to watch them feeding the young ones.

we have a three banger, hatched out saturday !!!!!!!!!!!

Yay! I actually caught a quick look yesterday and saw it!

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:14 pm

Lots of racket out of the birds at daylight this morning. I was able to ID several different iterations of the Northern Cardinal calls, and heard the owl again. Won't be long the Chuck Will's Widow will be tuning up.

Having a little cold snap right now, with temps this AM and tomorrow AM below freezing.

jebmke · Post by **jebmke** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:17 pm

wabbott wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:14 pm Lots of racket out of the birds at daylight this morning. I was able to ID several different iterations of the Northern Cardinal calls, and heard the owl again. Won't be long the Chuck Will's Widow will be tuning up.

Having a little cold snap right now, with temps this AM and tomorrow AM below freezing.

During spring migration, which really hasn’t started here yet, a large number of IDs for us is during dawn chorus, not by sight.

Fiddle-Bow · Post by **Fiddle-Bow** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:39 pm

Today’s sightings at the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge in Florida included a barred owl in a cypress swamp, a great egret and little blue heron along the edge of a grassy pond, and what we believe might have been a swallow tailed kite flying overhead.

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:46 pm

Fiddle-Bow wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:39 pm Today’s sightings at the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge in Florida included a barred owl in a cypress swamp, a great egret and little blue heron along the edge of a grassy pond, and what we believe might have been a swallow tailed kite flying overhead.

Was the owl talking? My second favorite call - positively haunting.

Fiddle-Bow · Post by **Fiddle-Bow** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:09 pm

It was silent. We spooked it as we walked through a trail and it flew up in a cypress and kept looking at us. We watched it through binoculars then it flew away through the trees.

Baltazarre · Post by **Baltazarre** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:49 pm

Here in SE Pennsylvania getting the normal mix of cardinals, mourning doves, jays, sparrows, hawks, woodpeckers, wrens, etc.

The other day a couple Northern Flickers (woodpecker family) came by to peck at our lawn. Brilliant!

By the way, love the JazzIsCool posts, and love the irony of the cat icon posting about bird watching

JAZZISCOOL · Post by **JAZZISCOOL** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:51 pm

Baltazarre wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:49 pm Here in SE Pennsylvania getting the normal mix of cardinals, mourning doves, jays, sparrows, hawks, woodpeckers, wrens, etc.

The other day a couple Northern Flickers (woodpecker family) came by to peck at our lawn. Brilliant!

By the way, love the JazzIsCool posts, and love the irony of the cat icon posting about bird watching

LOL, thanks! I actually don't have a cat at the moment but have had several in the past. Vets, avid bird watchers and Audubon, etc. all recommend that people keep their cats indoors as you might imagine. I think there has been an issue with outdoor cats going after many song birds. Plus it extends the life of the kitty cat.

A funny thing about cats - some of them start chattering with their mouth and teeth when they watch a bird through the window, etc. Like they are wanting to pounce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lws_S_d31Pg

Fiddle-Bow · Post by **Fiddle-Bow** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:23 pm

Today we saw several species of birds at Paynes Prairie and Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville, FL. Sightings include: great blue heron, little blue heron, great egret, cattle egret, glossy ibis, tricolor heron, whistling ducks, common gallinule, coots, northern harrier, limpkin, anhinga.

Miriam2 · Post by **Miriam2** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:46 pm

lgb wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:16 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.

Wow, I'll be on the lookout now around our trees for the same, plenty of hummingbirds, always wonder where they nest... no different than I wonder where all the birds throughout the day, of which there are many hundreds.....where exactly they are sleeping as I never ever ever see them anywhere.. like I could go rustle bushes and shake trees and I don't feel like they're there.... so to me it's basically magic or something...

I feel the same way - Mother Nature is magic and exquisitely beautiful. I can't stop looking in awe at Vulcan's photos, merely taken in a residential front yard, the detailed beauty of the birds, the nest, leaves, tree branches, night . . .