Guest Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 If you want to join a nice little birder group of FB, try The Birder Nation. It says it is "closed" but all that means is that you have to send a friend request to the board owner. He's a great guy--we bird together--and welcomes new members...it is just closed to keep out the riff-raff. :0) (Also, so you know, he is 17. He's a wonderful person, and hopes to spend his life with birds. He started the FB group out of interest, but it is the sort of thing that helps on college applications/scholarship apps as well, so your membership has a benefit to you and to him.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 52 robins in our yard today!!!!! Must be a sign of warmth ahead. We have abundant robins in our yard in the spring and summer, usually a handful in the fall, but hardly any in the winter. I was shocked by the large presence today. Sheer craziness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I just caught up on this thread today and am so bummed Pink Elephant is gone. Sure wish she would rejoin us. : ( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Day 1 in Texas and having a delightful time. Went to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park and Estero Llano State Park. Verdin, Cinnamon Teal, Green Jays, Least Grebes, Crested Caracaras, and a Pauraque were highlights. Plus the best named bird of the day: Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. My 5yo loved saying that over the phone when I called her :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Day 1 in Texas and having a delightful time. Went to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park and Estero Llano State Park. Verdin, Cinnamon Teal, Green Jays, Least Grebes, Crested Caracaras, and a Pauraque were highlights. Plus the best named bird of the day: Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. My 5yo loved saying that over the phone when I called her :) The Cinnamon Teal is the only one I have a clue what it looks like. I'm going to have to look up the others. My big find of the week was a Belted Kingfisher, I wasn't even certain that was correct until I saw it again a couple days later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Verdin are my favorites...so sweet with their cheerful yellow faces!! Ah, and we saw both Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-herons. I love all the herons/egrets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Day 1 in Texas and having a delightful time. Went to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park and Estero Llano State Park. Verdin, Cinnamon Teal, Green Jays, Least Grebes, Crested Caracaras, and a Pauraque were highlights. Plus the best named bird of the day: Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. My 5yo loved saying that over the phone when I called her :) Crested caracaras! I've only seen one, it flew across a densely wooded road in front of our car as we drove near Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. That was years ago. What a great sighting for you! Sounds like a fun trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Just did the Great British Birdwatch (survey of number of birds you can see at one time over the course of an hour). Mid afternoon on a breezy day I got: Blackbird x1 Blue tit x1 Carrion crow x2 Chaffinch x2 Coal tit x2 Dunnock x1 Great tit x1 Robin x1 Woodpigeon x1 Great spotted woodpecker x1 Pheasant x1 Not a very exciting list, but fun to do. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 That's a nice list, Laura. My backyard bird list is rather minimal... Lark sparrows, house sparrows, house finches and hummingbirds. I did see a couple of Mourning Doves a while back, but it haven't seen them lately. Oh yeah, and a pair of scrub jays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I think an owl or a cat got a songbird in my yard last week. Pile of feathers. My kids got to go to a winter birds FT at the local nature center recently. Well taught and fun. They were inspired to come home and make a suet feeder. :) Our mockingbirds and Carolina wrens love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Not a birder per se but we do have suet feeders I front of our front window. We have fun watching all the types, trying to identify and observing the squabbles. We have had red tailed Hawks which made me fear for little birdies and kittens. I heard an owl a couple nights ago but haven't seen him and my favorite, I scared a bunch of bob white quail while out running this fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie Dawn Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We had a pileated woodpecker in the woods behind our house last week, a fairly rare sighting though we are in their range. We took turns with the binoculars, and later ds brought pieces of the wood chips in to show us what large chunks it was breaking off. It really is a magnificent bird. Another day we happened to see a barred owl land in a tree, or we never would have noticed it - amazing how they blend in. So again, we took turns excitedly watching it. And wouldn't you know it, this was all during school time, lol. We apparently spend a lot of our time gazing outside. :001_rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The robins are here! The robins are here! We get an influx of them every year in late January - early February as they make their way north. I'm hoping to get a good shot of them covering my lawn sometime before they leave. They're usually here for a week or two at most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The robins are here! The robins are here! We get an influx of them every year in late January - early February as they make their way north. I'm hoping to get a good shot of them covering my lawn sometime before they leave. They're usually here for a week or two at most. Maybe they came in time to escape the snow in the Northeast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 We didn't go to the Birding Festival because it's become quite crowded in recent years. However, I plan to go on the wildlife drive (Black Point) this Friday or Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Maybe they came in time to escape the snow in the Northeast! No, they're actually heading north. I guess they haven't been watching The Weather Channel. ;) They come every year in Sept.-Oct. on their way farther south, and this time of year as they go back north. How far north, I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 No, they're actually heading north. I guess they haven't been watching The Weather Channel. ;) They come every year in Sept.-Oct. on their way farther south, and this time of year as they go back north. How far north, I have no idea. I wonder how far north they go too. Ours don't migrate since our winter is mild and short. Do they fly all the way or do they make several lengthy stops like yours, on the way, following spring up as they go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I wonder how far north they go too. Ours don't migrate since our winter is mild and short. Do they fly all the way or do they make several lengthy stops like yours, on the way, following spring up as they go? I don't know, but now I think you made me want to research it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 It was a good morning for birds here (I think the mildly cold weather brings them out), and it made me feel like sharing some photos. This is from my facebook albums but supposedly is the link that anyone can see, even if they're not on facebook. It's from a trip to Black Point Wildlife Drive a several years ago - 2009 in fact. The pre-teen boy I commented on is now 17! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Love those pictures, Kathy! Especially the spoonbill. Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Saw some cormorants. One was drying out his wings. I love it when they spread them out like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Saw some cormorants. One was drying out his wings. I love it when they spread them out like that. Yes, that's so cool. I've seem anhingas drying their wings. I seeing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Saw two jays on my walk through an arboretum this morning - I've only once before seen jays in Scotland. They're not rare, but they are shy. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 We just had a gryfalcon in our yard. At first glance, I thought it was another snowy owl, which are pretty common here, but my dh realized it was a gryfalcon after checking the local Audubon's website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Well, we are rather un-glamorous around here, but I was able to identify yet another species of sparrow at my feeder. About a dozen Black-Throated Sparrows arrived and were eating. Generally we have Lark Sparrows and House Sparrows. I was pretty excited about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 We just had a gryfalcon in our yard. At first glance, I thought it was another snowy owl, which are pretty common here, but my dh realized it was a gryfalcon after checking the local Audubon's website. One of the cool things about this thread is learning about birds I never heard of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I saw more migrating trumpeter swans yesterday. This year I'm seeing more, spread out over a longer period of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 ds & I saw a barred owl about a week ago on our evening dog walk. Was funny because I was looking at the stars & pointing out Sirius & ds whispers 'owl' & I'm 'what? No, Sirius. And look, I can still see Jupiter over there' and he's saying "OWL. On the powerline" I just had to drop my gaze down a bit & there it was, right under Sirius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Rocky and I walked on a trail this morning. The trail goes by a river and there is a swampy/pond area up from the river. I wish I had a telephoto lens with me because there were ducks on the pond. Most were Mallard pairs but there was one duck with a far-out head. I think it was a hooded Merganzer but it might have been a Bufflehead. I tried to use my phone camera's zoom feature to see but it is pretty pathetic as a zoom lens! I do have some binoculars around here somewhere. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Well, my Carolina Wrens get the prize for being dauntless, coming to my feeder almost every day despite two rounds of ice, with snow in between and today torrential rian (on top of the 3" of ice). I thought the Chickadees would be out the most, but they come in third to Mr. and Mrs. Wren and a handful of cardinals. The wrens stay close to our house in the shrubs, under the eaves a bit. My suet feeder was empty the first super-cold day, but we haven't been able to refill it becuase we need to get a ladder up beside the tree to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 We've seen a dozen bald eagles in the last month. I also saw two that were either juvenile bald eagles or golden eagles; they were somewhat distant and both are known to visit this particular flyway. I had another epic sighting a couple of weeks ago, a flock of what had to be 1000+ European starlings. On power lines. Above the intersection where I had to stop for a red light. Next sighting was the local car wash. ETA we are also seeing woodpeckers (red headed, downy & red bellied), cardinals, jays, chickadees, house and purple finches, sparrows (that I need to learn to tell apart), juncos, mourning doves, and hawks. One night I thought I heard a great horned owl in the distance but it was too far and too much interference. Lots of red tailed hawks and I am pretty sure a peregrine falcon swooped across the road in front of our car this afternoon, but I didn't get a close enough look to add it to my official count. Seagulls are like the sparrows, I've seen them but not counting them until I can take a couple of hours with my binoculars and field guide and try to more specifically identify them. American crows, wild mallards, and Canada geese. Gazillions of geese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 We've seen a dozen bald eagles in the last month. I also saw two that were either juvenile bald eagles or golden eagles; they were somewhat distant and both are known to visit this particular flyway. I had another epic sighting a couple of weeks ago, a flock of what had to be 1000+ European starlings. On power lines. Above the intersection where I had to stop for a red light. Next sighting was the local car wash. So do you think the car wash paid them to bomb cars? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 So do you think the car wash paid them to bomb cars? :D They were so perfectly positioned, dd and I laughed because it sounded like rain. Really funny and disgusting at the same time. I can imagine them being on the car wash payroll, like a geico commercial! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 We've got a pair of mourning doves makin' lovey dovey on our swing set. Spring is here early, so the doves are cooing. I love that sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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