Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

livesoft wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2024 11:57 pm A small flock of sandhill cranes are wandering around the front yard this week. Here's one:

Image
Awesome! I love Sandhill Cranes.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by LadyGeek »

During my daily walk around the neighborhood yesterday, a pileated woodpecker flew in front of me and perched on a tree. He flew off before I could grab a photo with my cellphone.
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MP173
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by MP173 »

This has been a great week for us.

Two adult Baltimore Orioles showed up at our feeder with a couple of fledglings. No jelly in the oriole feeder...dangit! I hustled out and placed the jelly in the feeder, thinking perhaps they will return.

The return has been multiple times daily, particularly the fledglings and the feeder has jelly supplied stocked regularly. Seldom have the orioles appeared in the past, usually for a couple of days in May...probably passing thru so this seems to indicate there was a nesting pair in the neighborhood.

Now, if the bluebirds would return...

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

Post by Dottie57 »

I heard a big thunk hit a living room window for the second time this week. This time I hurried to the porch, and looked down - a hawk was was sitting dazed on the ground. Not too dazed to take off like bat outof - you know - when opening the porch window.

Very large bird, big wing span, glided into the trees on other side of pond.

We’re having a big storm now. Hope it is safe. Always good to see..
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by ladycat »

Just spent about 20 minutes watching and listening to a Western Screech Owl perched in a tree in our front yard.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

My dog was barking recently and alerted me to a big Cooper’s Hawk in the back yard. He’s done this before; I think he knows it’s a predator since he ignores other birds. Then a few days later, a Red-tailed Hawk arrived. All the small birds were sounding their alarms!

Then about 6 days later, I had a separate sighting of another Cooper’s Hawk, hidden inside a tree – hunting for lunch.

Others over the past few weeks:

Great Blue Heron
Downy Woodpecker
Double-crested Cormorant
House Wren
Gray Cat Bird
Bluejays
RT Hawks
American Goldfinches
Hummingbirds
House Finches
EC Doves
BC Chickadees
Magpies
Ravens
American Pelicans
Barn Swallows
Canada Geese (some migrating south)

Also, hearing many RB Nuthatches climbing the area trees.

Now in mid-September, the hummers have thinned out as some have started to migrate. Last one was Tuesday. Fall is here.
Last edited by JAZZISCOOL on Sun Sep 22, 2024 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Found a new swamp area in Dorchester we had not birded. Many Northern Waterthrushes -- must be a good stopping off point.

Wife commented that it was so remote, it looked like a good place to dump a body.

Me: Is this where you are going to dump me?
Her: Maybe ....
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

I went out to a lake with a local birding group yesterday and we saw the following:

Gadwalls
Mallards
Green-winged Teals
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeers
Red-necked Phalaropes
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gulls
Osprey - Caught a fish
Bald Eagle
Swainson's Hawks - 4
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebes
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadees
Barn Swallows
Red-breasted Nuthatch
House Finches
Chipping Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbirds
Yellow-rumped Warblers
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2024 9:28 am Found a new swamp area in Dorchester we had not birded. Many Northern Waterthrushes -- must be a good stopping off point.

Wife commented that it was so remote, it looked like a good place to dump a body.

Me: Is this where you are going to dump me?
Her: Maybe ....
LOL.

I had to look that one up: Northern Waterthrush. I love its song.

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

Post by jebmke »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2024 9:39 am
jebmke wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2024 9:28 am Found a new swamp area in Dorchester we had not birded. Many Northern Waterthrushes -- must be a good stopping off point.

Wife commented that it was so remote, it looked like a good place to dump a body.

Me: Is this where you are going to dump me?
Her: Maybe ....
LOL.

I had to look that one up: Northern Waterthrush. I love its song.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nor ... aterthrush
They are pretty little birds. We got a very good look at two together, bobbing their tails. My wife heard them before we even saw them. Her hearing AND recognition skills are much better than mine -- except low frequency stuff like owl hoots.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by f35phixer »

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu-sAl ... GxQ/videos

https://www.elfruler.com/?page_id=472

Eagle nests are getting started for some action ;-)

Thanks you Lady Hawk and Elf Ruler !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by waskiri »

I am proud to say that I just saw a Northern giant hummingbird in my home's garden.

When walking with our dog I heard a sound, like the one a drone makes, but also similar to a helicopter; when looking for the origin I was able to see the bird. The size is impressive. I mean, it is around three times the size of the smaller ones.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Winter birds are starting to drift in. Had a couple of small groups of Canada Geese flying into the nearby impoundments. White-throated sparrows in yard. Myrtles at Gordon's Pond in Delaware earlier in the week. Hummingbird last spotted on Monday. I think he took the cold front out of town Monday night since I have not seen him since.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by WoostaGal »

Saw about 10 loons walking along the shore of Wachusett Reservoir.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

American White Pelicans
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Orange-crowned Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Spotted Towhee
Hermit Thrush
White-crowned Sparrow (juvenile)
Black-Billed Magpies
RW Blackbirds
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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jebmke wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 7:55 am Winter birds are starting to drift in. Had a couple of small groups of Canada Geese flying into the nearby impoundments. White-throated sparrows in yard. Myrtles at Gordon's Pond in Delaware earlier in the week. Hummingbird last spotted on Monday. I think he took the cold front out of town Monday night since I have not seen him since.
Same here. The Downie woodpeckers and nuthatches are pecking away on my suet feeder. Colder weather moves in tonight.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Nver2Late »

LadyGeek wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 3:10 pm The Downie woodpeckers and nuthatches are pecking away on my suet feeder. Colder weather moves in tonight.
We had a little black and white woodpecker on the suet this week. Summer birds are gone, so the nuthatches and chickadees are enjoying having the feeder to themselves. The occasional stellar jay will try but eventually realize he’s too big and moves on.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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I had an adult hawk come into my back yard yesterday trying to pry its prey out of the grass. Quite a sight! It surprised me that instead of using its beak, it repeatedly clamped onto whatever it found with its talons, and tried to lift it out of the grass with a hopping motion, using its wings for more leverage.

I hesitated to run for my phone to grab a picture, but as it kept going at it, I figured I had time. But these birds of prey are unbelievably shy! There I was, in the house, in the shadows, and as soon as I slowly raised the phone for a pic, the hawk flew off. I didn't see any prey in its claws, but I really didn't get a good look. I didn't even get to see if it had a red tail, but red tail hawks are real common around here. Huge wing span.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker now on the scene regularly. Junco has appeared at least once. They will be long in large numbers soon. Ruby-crowned kinglet pair also regulars in the smaller trees.

Some medium size flights of migrating Canada Geese - maybe 50-100 per V in the last couple of days. Next cold front will probably bring down the larger Vs. Goose season doesn't start here until mid-December so they're safe for now.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

The Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived here in the last week or so. Saw a large flock of Bushtits a couple days ago. Some Canada Geese are flying south but there are some local flocks that stay for at least part/all of the winter.

Also saw a small flock of American White Pelicans.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by mike@jb »

Migratory water birds (Wood Storks) started showing up the last week here in North Florida.
The lake at the golf course today included Herons, Wood Storks, Cormorants, Anhingas, and Canada Geese.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by MP173 »

Northwest Indiana.

Juncos have returned.

Eastern Bluebirds are now a welcomed return after disappearing all summer.

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

Post by Dottie57 »

Two weeks ago, driving dow a residential street, an adult American Bald eagle was flying low above the street about to crash into my car. This is about 1 mile from the border to Minneapolis. The bird veered to it’s right and landed in a neighborhood yard. I was stunned as was the driver going towards me.

I hope the eagle wasn’t sick. I’ve read that avian flu is hitting the eagle population hard. Returning home , I soghted a white head in a park with large and mature trees. I hope all is well.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by iceport »

A pileated woodpecker came by, pecking away briefly at a rotting stump. I hear them a lot, both in my yard and out hiking, but see them much less frequently. The novelty never really wears off, though. They are a striking sight. :)
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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Lots of Nuthatches sounding off in yard lately. Mostly WB but sometimes RBs which tend to be on/off depending on the year.

Great Horned Owl and Screech Owl both sounded off last night while I was out cooking fish on the grill.

Winter sparrows still trickling into grasslands on the peninsula but not in great numbers. Migratory Canada Geese slow too. With warm weather I guess no hurry for them.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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I'm on my daily walk around the neighborhood and decide to look up. At that moment, a no-doubt-about-it bald eagle was flying over the tree tops. A few seconds later, he was out of sight. Wow. :shock: I've seen them before, but never in an urban area.

Later today, several peregrine falcons flew high near my house.

My guess is that the long-term change in weather patterns shifted their flight path. (The Philly area is in a sever drought.)
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

LadyGeek wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2024 2:01 pm I'm on my daily walk around the neighborhood and decide to look up. At that moment, a no-doubt-about-it bald eagle was flying over the tree tops. A few seconds later, he was out of sight. Wow. :shock: I've seen them before, but never in an urban area.

Later today, several peregrine falcons flew high near my house.

My guess is that the long-term change in weather patterns shifted their flight path. (The Philly area is in a sever drought.)
How fun!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

LadyGeek wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2024 2:01 pm I'm on my daily walk around the neighborhood and decide to look up. At that moment, a no-doubt-about-it bald eagle was flying over the tree tops. A few seconds later, he was out of sight. Wow. :shock: I've seen them before, but never in an urban area.

Later today, several peregrine falcons flew high near my house.

My guess is that the long-term change in weather patterns shifted their flight path. (The Philly area is in a sever drought.)
Same drought down on the peninsula. Going to affect waterfowl for sure. Places that ducks would set down are now dry. Dabblers will be especially affected. Divers can work the tidal areas of the tributary to the bays.

Still not a lot of the usual suspects. Very few Canada Geese. Normally by now I'd seem some large Vs up high.

We were out wandering around a local grassland area and winter sparrow populations are also low so far. I guess they don't need to leave up north until the weather boots them along.

Eagle sighting is indeed unusual in urban areas. Peregrines are common, especially if tall buildings around. We lived in a high rise on the lake in Milwaukee for a while. Peregrines nested on the 23rd floor. We were on the 5th. From time to time it would "snow" Pidgeon feathers out our window -- well, more technically, feathers from a former Pidgeon. If you have ever seen one of these take out a bird in flight it is impressive. They are much faster than Sharpies or Coops.
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