My Own Big Year

I am going to use 2008 to challenge myself to have my own big year. I won't travel around the state or nation to see as many birds as I can. I lack the time and funds it would take for that endeavor. No, what I'm going to do is spend as much time birding on my property as I can and try to break my record of species seen in 2004 - 129. I plan on taking Friday mornings and going birding as often as possible and maybe even take some Saturdays. Of course in the spring, I'll be out there as often as possible for the migration. But that's my challenge to myself for 2008. I would like to end the year with 150 species. I have 181 on my current property list, so I'll have to see most of them and possibly add a few more. I'll update my blog as often as I go birding and keep you updated on the status. I know it's not terribly exciting and there won't be any kind of reward, but I think it will be a neat thing for me. I need to take a little more time for myself anyway to reduce stress. I will have to miss the first Friday in 2008 because I'll be in Atlanta at the National Conferences on Youth Ministries (NCYM). So, I guess my first official birding day on the property will be January 11. I can't wait!

Other news from the property:
The goldfinches have shown up in pretty good numbers. I've got to get some more nyjer for them. I've had as many as 11 birds on my feeders. I am only putting out three feeders this year instead of the 8 that I have. It's just too expensive!

Last night about 11:30, my dogs went absolutely crazy barking and woke me up. I was treated t the sound of several coyotes barking and howling. It sounds like they have some little ones around as well. We see them occasionally, but that's the first time I've heard a big group of them like that in a long time.

Interesting Bird at the Feeders

Yesterday morning, I looked out at my feeders and noticed a bird hopping around under my tray feeder (on legs) and around my ground feeder (a piece of plywood directly on the ground). It was too big to be a sparrow, but not quite big enough to be a robin. I have seen robins around because of the water not too far away from my feeders. So, I grabbed my binoculars and looked. It was a Hermit Thrush. I'm not sure exactly what he was doing around the feeders, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. Maybe he was going for some of the insects that are attracted by the seed.

I am seeing more and more Eurasian Collared-Doves all the time around my feeders. They have even gotten over to my mom's feeders. About 15 years ago, my grandmother told me about "a dove with a black ring on its neck." She was sure it was a Spotted Dove, but I wasn't as convinced. I just wonder if that was one of the first ones that escaped captivity and started a population here.

I wonder about the goldfinches. I worked for years at Wild Birds Unlimited. We would tell our customers to put a finch feeder out around Thanksgiving. It seems to me that even in the ten years since I first started working for WBU that they have arrived later and later and leave earlier and earlier. It also seems that we have fewer numbers of them around as well. I know finches of all species can be very sporadic in their seasonal movement. Some customers would be covered up with finches one year only to have a few the next year. But it sure seems like there is a trend with them to me. I just wonder if they're going the way of the Purple Finch, nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos and Pine Siskins as far as not as many coming south. I remember as a kid having my feeders covered with Dark-eyed Juncos and now I'm lucky if I see one or two a year. Maybe in the next ten years, if the trend continues, we'll have fewer and fewer American Goldfinches in the area to have them replaced with Lesser Goldfinches that might be moving more northward.

Other birds seen at my feeders yesterday were: American Goldfinch (4), Blue Jay (1), House Sparrow (20+), Chipping Sparrow (5) and Carolina Chickadee (3).

Some Winter Activity

We've had a few winter birds showing up around the feeders here. I had four American Goldfinches this past week. They came to the finch feeders several times. I haven't seen them in a few days, though. I hear them calling occasionally from the trees. Two Chipping Sparrows have been visiting my ground feeder where I have put millet. They also hang out in the tallow tree in our front yard with the Yellow-rumped Warblers and Eastern Bluebirds. One of my favorite winter birds is the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that comes to my suet log. He showed up last year and has started coming again this year. So far I haven't had a White-throated Sparrow visit my feeders. I wish I had more time to go walking in the woods to see what is showing up down there.

Winter Bird Feeding

I had my first American Goldfinches yesterday at my feeders. I put some thistle out that had been left over from last year and they still came. The goldfinches must not be too picky around here!

Also yesterday, I had a hummingbird show up at my feeder. I keep a feeder out year-round in case I get a winter hummer in my yard. So far I've never seen one. But, yesterday one showed up. I don't know what kind it was. I was looking through a pair of 8x21 binoculars through my windshield. To make matters worse, the binoculars were fogging up. I know it wasn't a Buff-bellied or male Rufous, but other than that, I'm not sure what he/she was. Hopefully it will show up again and I can make a positive identification.

In The Woods On A Brisk Fall Morning

I took a two-hour walk through the woods this morning to see how many winter migrants had come in. I wasn't disappointed! The Yellow-rumped Warblers are here in really good numbers. I also saw three Brown Thrashers, one Hermit Thrush, several Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a couple of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and an Eastern Phoebe. As much as I hate to admit it, the road that leads to the drilling site has provided some excellent habitat for brush-loving birds. I counted twelve Gray Catbirds, one House Wren and several White-throated Sparrows. It's excellent habitat for White-crowned Sparrows, so I'm going to keep my eyes open for them. I was also hoping to hear a Red-breasted Nuthatch with the irruption this year, but didn't hear or see one. Maybe one will make his way over this way during the winter.

Here's my complete list (25 species): Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle

I went walking in our woods on Sunday and found several winter migrants there along with most of the "regulars." I found a couple of Northern Flickers, a Hermit Thrush, an Eastern Phoebe and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. I will be interested to see what has come in with the strong north winds we had yesterday.

Two Great Horned Owls have been calling to each other over the past week. I hear them every night when I go outside. They are hanging out around the three acre clearing in the woods that the drilling company cleared.

Update on the drilling: The clean-up is going slowly. They have pulled up some of the boards from the drilling area. They have also pumped the drilling mud back into the casing. They are leveling the pond area and will dig out some more of it once more of the boards are taken up. I think that it's going to be one of my favorite spots on the property. It's so quiet down there. I'm going to build some Wood Duck boxes and see if we can get some nesting around it.

Fall Migrants

This morning as I was heading to my car to leave for work, I heard an insistent buzzing call coming from the fenceline behind my house. I grabbed my 8x21 binoculars out of my glove box and went to investigate. There were four Indigo Buntings there. I would guess one is a male that has molted into winter plumage, but couldn't tell for sure. Anyway, it was neat to see them. As I was walking back to my car, I looked up to see two Barn Swallows flying overhead. It won't be long until they really start migrating back south. I usually see them in the hundreds as they are heading south. They fly through my yard and pasture behind the house in large, loose flocks.

Hummingbirds and Possible Pond

Yesterday afternoon, there were 15 to 20 hummingbirds around my feeders. This morning there were 20 to 30 flying around. They were quite active!

Tomorrow we meet with the landman from the oil company to discuss compensation for their use (destruction) of the land. I have proposed digging a pond in the area. That would do a couple of things: 1) It would keep that area from turning into a tallow forest. 2) It would provide some excellent habitat for Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Prothonotary Warblers and other waterbirds. So, we'll see what they are willing to do. They dug a water well where we could erect a windmill to pump water into the pond if it started to go dry. I would build a blind where I could approach the pond and not scare off any birds that were on it. I hope this happens and the area doesn't turn into yet another tallow forest. There are already several small tallows starting around the edge of the cleared area.

This morning a Red-shouldered Hawk flew across the yard with something in its talons. I couldn't get my binoculars to see what it was.

Gone!

The past two days have seen a significant decline in the numbers of hummingbirds at my feeders. A decline along the lines of 20 to 30 at a time to one. I've always wondered what it is that makes all the birds leave at the same time. I filled my feeders last night in the hopes that others north of us experienced the same thing and their hummingbirds will find me soon.

I occasionally write about other wildlife seen around the property, and want to tell about what happened on Monday night. About 2 a.m., the dogs started barking like they were seeing something they didn't like. I got up to see what it was. The moon was nearly full and provided quite a bit of light along with all the artificial light around. A lone coyote was at the western edge of our yard just sniffing around. He finally ran off to the west and my dogs quieted down.

An update on the well: It is dry!!! This morning there were eight flatbed trucks waiting to go in and take the equipment away. I will be glad when they're gone. I want to dig out a pond in the area where they cleared to provide some habitat for Wood Ducks and Prothonotary Warblers. It would be perfect for that! It shouldn't cost all that much to get a bulldozer out there to dig it out.

More Hummers

The hummingbirds are slowly increasing in numbers at my feeders. This morning there were 20 to 25 at first light. I moved the feeders to the backyard because my dogs were bothering the birds quite a bit in the front. So far it doesn't appear the move had bothered them any.

Fewer Hummingbirds

There were noticeably fewer hummingbirds around the feeders this morning. I probably only had between eight and twelve. Maybe they're taking advantage of this light northerly wind and going on south.

A Short Walk In The Woods

I went to the woods this evening to see if I could find any fall migrants. I didn't find much. The mosquitoes were really bad in a few places. I did find a few Baltimore Orioles and a couple of Great Crested Flycatchers. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were everywhere! I kept looking at each of them hoping one would turn into a warbler, but no such luck! I did have a late Purple Martin flying around.

What used to be a nice, quiet walk in the woods is ruined now by the gas well being drilled on our property. The well itself is so loud. Then when the trucks move in and out it is even louder. Used to all I would hear is the sound of the traffic on FM 565. Hopefully they won't find anything and they'll just leave. Of course they'll leave us with three acres cleared out that we'll have to fight the tallows on until the larger trees can establish themselves.

Birds sighted (11 species): Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Carolina Chickadee, Baltimore Oriole, Great Crested Flycatcher, Purple Martin

Hummers Increasing and Fall Migrants

Last evening when I got home from work, there were five to eight hummingbirds buzzing around the feeders. I was very glad to see them! I wonder if the northerly winds we got from Hurricane Humberto brought them in.

This morning, there were anywhere from ten to fifteen birds at a time around the feeders. It seems to me that it was around this time last year when they really started increasing in numbers. I took some video of them on Sept. 16 last year, so it's close.

A really neat thing happened as I was watching the hummers this morning. A male Baltimore Oriole lit on the pole where the hummingbird feeders are hanging. He stopped for just a few seconds and then flew off to the tallow tree in the front yard. He was joined by at least one more in the tree. I usually see several Baltimore Orioles in the trees around the yard in the fall. Normally I don't see that many in the spring, but this year was an exception. I saw quite a few of them in the spring.

I think I may try to get out in the woods this afternoon and see if I can find any fall warblers.

Fall Migration

Fall migration is underway. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get out and observe any of it! I hope to get out in the woods this weekend. Hopefully the birds will be around with the oil/gas well drilling underway. It's a noisy process. Not to mention the 3+ acres of hardwoods that were cleared to make room for the well.

The hummingbirds are still very light at my feeders. Two or three at a time are all I've had so far. If I remember correctly, it was the middle of September last year before the birds showed up in large numbers at my feeders. So, it should be any day that I'll see them.

Not many hummers and fall migration

The hummingbirds haven't increased in numbers at my feeders at all. I do see different dominant birds out there. Last year it was mid-September before they really thickened up at the feeders.

Not too long ago, I heard Indigo Buntings in the weedy areas of the yard. Now that summer is over, I'll probably start heading down into the woods to see if I can find any fall migrants. The first warbler I saw on the property was in Sept. 2003 when a Canada Warbler popped out while I was in the woods. Fall migration can be just as productive as spring, but it can be more challenging. The females and juveniles can be very difficult to identify, as can males that have already molted into non-breeding plumage.

Hummingbirds on the Increase

Yesterday afternoon I watched my feeders for about fifteen minutes and counted at least five hummingbirds around them. I'll probably get one of my large feeders out this weekend and put it up. They always seem increase dramatically in numbers after I get one of those feeders up. As of yesterday, the dominant bird was a male. I saw several females and/or juveniles flying around, but he was not allowing them to drink very long. I wonder what affect the wet summer will have on the hummingbird numbers. Last year when it was pretty dry, they arrived really late and didn't stay that long.

Hummingbird Feeders Are Out

I got my hummingbird feeders set up this morning. I put out three feeders. So far I've only seen one hummingbird around them. As soon as I see more, I'll put out one of my bigger ones and see how many show up. It will be interesting to see if the dogs have any impact on them. If they do, I may have to reconsider the placement of them.

Juvie Bluebirds and others

The juvenile bluebirds are flying around and feeding a lot in the yard today. They are starting to get some really blue feathers in their tails and wings. They still look like juveniles on their head and breast. I only see two of them at a time. So, the other two are either somewhere else or didn't make it.

I put some seed in my feeders today and within five minutes a male cardinal and a Eurasian Collared-Dove were feeding. I have my suet out warming up so I can put some in my suet log for the Carolina Wrens.

Still no increase in the numbers of hummingbirds. I am going to move my pole to the front yard tomorrow and hang two or three feeders to see if anything comes to them yet. I always get really excited this time of year in anticipation of the hummingbirds' arrival. I know that by the time they leave in October I'll be ready for them to go because of having to mix up so much sugar water, but they are fun while I have them here!

Late Summer Musings

It looks like the bluebirds are only going to have one brood this year. They are probably young birds taking their first shot at raising a family. Since they were successful this year, they will most likely be back next year and raise two broods. I still see two of the juvenile bluebirds around pretty often.

I love this time of year when the cardinals bring the juvenile birds to the feeders. By this time they have learned to eat by themselves and don't be nearly as much to be fed.

A Carolina Wren is calling outside right now. I need to get some suet in my feeder for him.

I had kind of an interesting experience on Saturday. It wasn't on the property. It was a the Gulf Coast Christian Youth Camp in Columbus. One of the kids at the camp found a female hummingbird on the ground at the gym. I'm not sure if it was a Ruby-throated or a Black-chinned. Anyway, she appeared to be stunned and I figured she had run into something like one of the lights at the top of the gym. So I held her for a little while and let the kids see her. Then I went to put her on a branch and she fell off. I picked her back up and held her in my hand. She started scratching at her neck with her feet. She arched her back and made a little squeak and then just died in my hand. I've never watched a hummingbird die. I don't know what did it, but it must have been pretty traumatic.

Fall migration isn't too far off. We should start seeing the migrants come through soon. I have seen more Baltimore Orioles in the fall than I have in the spring. This spring was pretty good for them, so I'm hoping that I see lots of them this fall.

Summertime Hummingbird and Rain!

For the second year in a row, I've had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my feeder for the majority of the summer. It's a female, as was the bird last year. She's here often enough that I don't think she's nesting anywhere because she would have to leave her eggs way too long and too often. But, it's been kind of neat to have her the past couple of years while I wait for the large groups in late August and September. Here's a video I shot last September of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at my feeders.



You know it's rained a lot when you look out on your front yard and see 15 - 20 White Ibis poking around looking for something to eat. That's what happened yesterday while the rain was falling. Since July 1, we've had 9.5" of rain at our house. I love that because of the lower temperatures, but hate it because I know what it means for mosquito numbers.

Pretty Quiet These Days

Things are pretty quiet around the property these days. I haven't been down in the woods in a long time, mainly because of the mosquitoes and because I've been very busy. The juvenile bluebirds continue to feed in our front yard. The Eurasian Collared-Doves have obviously had a successful breeding season. The numbers of ECDo at my feeders has increased by six in the past couple of weeks. I still occasionally see a Mourning Dove and a couple of Inca Doves at my feeders. The House Sparrow numbers have gone up, which I'm not excited about at all. It is fun to look out and see the cardinals feeding their newly fledged youngsters.

It won't be long befire the hummingbirds show up again! Just another month or so and I'll be mixing sugar water every day. Come out and see them this year!

Fledged Bluebirds

It's always a joy to watch as bluebirds fledge and start learning to live on their own. This morning one of the young bluebirds was perched on the fence in our front yard. He sat there for quite a while. Meanwhile, Mr. Bluebird was on the power lines near the road catching insects. The young bird saw this and flew to his dad asking for food. Mr. Bluebird fed him a few insects while Junior watched intently as Dad hunted. He's learning and it won't be long before he's completely self-sufficient.

Bluebird Update

The kids and I went to check the bluebirds today. They are all doing well. They're fully feathered. According to my bluebird book, they are anywhere from 14 to 16 days old. I sure wish I had been checking the box regularly so I would know when they hatched. They will probably fledge next week while I'm at camp. Hopefully I can get back in time to remove the old nest before they start nesting again!

Finally! Success!

After three nesting seasons with absolutely no success, we finally have a successful nesting in one of my bluebird boxes! There are four baby bluebirds about a week old in the box in my aunt's yard. I hadn't even been checking the box for a possible nest. So, clutch number one is well on its way to fledging. We'll watch for clutch number two soon!

On A Rainy Day

With all the rain, I've been watching my feeders quite a bit today. It was kind of a neat day at them. I had four species of doves visit - Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove and Inca Dove. I've seen all four in one day only one other time. So that's kind of special!

I've seen more Roseate Spoonbills flying over today! I can't remember a day when I've seen this many! I must have counted ten or twelve. Lots of White Ibis have been flying over as well. A Black-crowned Night-Heron perched on top of the telephone pole in the front yard for a while.

I did get on the four-wheeler this morning and check out the pond. When I got down there, an Anhinga was perched in a tallow tree along the bank. He splashed down in the water and swam off. While I was walking out on the dam, I heard some scratching noises coming from a little cedar tree to my left. I looked up and there were three young raccoons soaking wet climbing up in it. They were less than half the size of an adult.

*This isn't a sighting from the property, but I was driving this morning on Massey Tompkins and got to the intersection at McKinney and saw a Swallow-tailed Kite flying overhead with a snake that must have been three feet long! I wish I could have followed him. He was heading east toward Cedar Bayou.

Birds Seen (31 species): Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow

Guardians of the Bird World

Yesterday I heard several Blue Jays making quite a ruckus outside. I looked out thinking I'd see a hawk or an owl in the tree. Instead they were looking down to the ground. A mockingbird was flying from the tree to the ground, pecking at something and then going back into the tree. I put my boots on and walked out with the boys. What we found was a 4 ft. Texas rat snake on the ground. The birds were simply going nuts! We watched the snake for a little while as it climbed a cedar elm and draped itself over one of the branches. The Blue Jays left, but the mockingbird stayed and was giving the snake a hard time. Birds for miles around could have heard the Blue Jays when they started in on the snake!

A Pleasant Surprise

I had a nice surprise this evening when I got home. A female House Finch was on my feeder! She was the first one I've seen on the property since December 30, 2003! House Finches are an interesting species of birds. They are native to the southwestern U.S. Some of them were transported (illegally) to the Northeast where their population did very, very well. Both populations have been expanding, probably due to the abundance of bird feeders. Now they're meeting in the middle and this part of Texas is one of the last they haven't taken a strong hold in. It won't be long, though. When we lived in Mansfield and Arlington, I had lots of House Finches at my feeders, sometimes upwards of 40 at a time! They love oil sunflower and safflower, so if you're feeding those two seeds, watch for them at your feeder!

Not many birds, but a nice walk

Birding was a little slower today, as I would expect getting into mid-May. But, the cooler temperatures made being out in the woods incredibly enjoyable! Also, the mosquitoes were not as bad either. Even if there weren't a lot of birds, the walk was nice. I did add one for the year - a Canada Warbler. He was calling and I finally found him in some thick brush. Other than him, everything else was what I would expect around here.

There were several newly fledged birds flying around. I came upon a family of Carolina Wrens. The babies were following the parents begging for food. It was fun to watch them. Then I watched as a White-eyed Vireo fed a couple of babies well camouflaged in the thick brush. There were also young Cardinals, Blue Jays and Carolina Chickadees.

Birds Seen (24 species): White Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Magnolia Warbler, Canada Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Feeder Watching

My feeders have been quite busy throughout the day. I was not able to go birding this morning, which might have been pretty good with the migrants stopped because of the rain. I'll try to go on Sunday. But the feeders have been fun to watch. Cardinals, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Carolina Chickadees, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and House Sparrows are finding the seed to their liking. A couple of Carolina Wrens are feasting on the suet log. The most exciting bird of the day (so far!) has been a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I hope she brings one of the males along with her!

Another New Property Bird

I realized very quickly today as I entered the woods that today would be the day of the Magnolia Warbler. They were everywhere! I was even treated to their song on numerous occasions. Unfortunately the mosquitoes were so bad that I didn't get to spend nearly as much time in the woods as I would have liked. But, it was a pretty good day even with the irritation of the mosquitoes! I added a new property bird - Golden-winged Warbler - #181! Actually, I saw two on separate occasions. One Kentucky Warbler was singing in the same location he was singing last week.

I'm a little surprised that I have not seen one tanager this spring. Normally I'll get both Scarlet and Summer, but none so far. I also haven't seen as many cuckoos. I wonder why.

Birds seen (40 species): Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Golden-winged Warbler (FOS & property bird #181), Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-and-white Wabler, American Redstart, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow

Working From Home

I had some work to do on our home computer today, so I stayed home instead of going into the office. Before "work hours" began this morning, I rigged up a drip system on our birdbath since my other dripper is broken. It was actually more of a stream system instead of a drip. The birds took to it immediately! Cardinals, Blue Jays, House Sparrows, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Carolina Chickadees were among the first to visit it. During my lunch break, I was just sitting at the door watching what would show up. A male Baltimore Oriole came in and took a bath. A few minutes later, a Yellow Warbler stopped on the edge and got a drink. I had just a few seconds to look at him through my binoculars before he left. I'm excited about my new drip system. I think it will work well.

My feeders were also busy today. Cardinals and Red-winged Blackbirds were the most common around them. Blue Jays showed up occasionally and feasted on the peanuts. Eurasian Collared-Doves showed up with regularity, as did the Mourning Doves. I had a pleasant surprise when two male Indigo Buntings showed up on my ground feeder. They were around quite a bit through the afternoon.

I was a little surprised to see two flocks (possibly the same flock) of about ten Cedar Waxwings this afternoon. I didn't see the Song Sparrow today, so perhaps he's headed north to find a mate.

Three fox squirrels and one Eastern gray squirrel were at my squirrel feeders throughout the day.

Birds seen (25 species): Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Sparrow

You see one . . .

I hadn't seen a Kentucky Warbler on the property in the three years that we've lived here. Yesterday, I saw the first one. Today, I saw one and heard at least two, possibly three, singing as if they are on territory. They sure are hard to see! A Hooded Warbler also sang in a spot where I've never heard one singing. I did see one FOS bird today, a Yellow-breasted Chat. I actually saw three of them. It's fun to listen to all their vocalizations.

At one point, a juvenile Blue Jay waited until I was directly under him (I hadn't seen him at this point) to call loudly as if I were attacking him! There aren't too many times that something really scares me in the woods, but this did it!

I was a little surprised this morning to look out and see a Song Sparrow at my feeders. All the other winter birds have migrated out. I haven't seen a White-throated Sparrow or Ruby-crowned Kinglet in a week or so.

Birds seen (38 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat (FOS), Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, House Sparrow

Other Wildlife Seen
Butterflies: Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Giant Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Buckeye, Great Purple Hairstreak, Little Wood-Satyr

Mammals: Eastern Fox Squirrel, Eastern Gray Squirrel

Reptiles: Eastern Three-toed Box Turtle, Green Anole, Red-eared Turtle

Slower Day

Today was a bit slower down in the woods. Even the mosquitoes weren't quite as bad! But, even with the reduced numbers of birds, I was still able to get three FOS birds and two new property birds. One of the FOS birds was a Swainson's Thrush. I got some great looks at him. Wood Thrushes were singing again today. Warblers were not nearly as abundant, but some were evident: Tennessee, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, and a property first Kentucky Warbler. The Kentucky Warbler was singing as if he is on territory. I'll keep watching him and see if he is around this summer. The other property first bird was a Black-billed Cuckoo. I got some great looks at him. The Indigo Buntings are still thick down in the woods.

Birds Seen (33 Species): Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo (FOS and Property Bird #179), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Swainson's Thrush (FOS), Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Kentucky Warbler (FOS and Property Bird #180), Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

What A Day!

I left work a little early today because of the potential for great birding this afternoon. Heavy rain moved through in the early afternoon grounding the migrants. I got out into the woods around 4:00 and had two hours before having to get back to get cleaned up for church. Things started off pretty slowly. However, I realized that I would be dealing with hordes of mosquitoes. How did people survive without DEET? I saw a Tennessee Warbler at the first place I stopped. A bit later, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew past. A Blue-winged Warbler called from a thicket of tri-foliate orange trees. After waiting for a couple of minutes and swatting hundreds of mosquitoes, he showed himself. Along the gully in the NE corner of the property, thrushes were abundant! I saw a Wood Thrush, a Gray-cheeked Thrush, a Veery and several Hermit Thrushes. The Wood Thrush called a few times. I don't believe I've ever heard one live before. What a treat that was! At my favorite yaupon stand, an Ovenbird walked along the ground. He was joined by several Indigo Buntings. I walked south along the eastern fence line to the dry gully. I almost turned around to head back because I hadn't seen that much and was ready to get out of the mosquitoes. I heard a warbler-like call from the other side of the dry gully, so I went across to see if I could find it. I sure am glad I did! I stopped in one spot and warblers came through in droves. It wasn't a matter of finding a bird to look at. It was trying to determine which one to look at! It reminded me of the fallout in 1997 at High Island. Warblers were everywhere: Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Yellow Warbler. And then it happened. It was one of those moments where you are simply in the right place at the right time. It was one of those moments where you know what is happening, but refuse to believe it. A warbler lit in a small tallow tree about 25 ft. from me. I looked at him through my binoculars and quickly identified it as a male Black-throated Blue Warbler! A LIFER!!! I had looked at that bird in my book so many times and wanted to someday visit their breeding grounds to see one. I never thought I'd see one on the Upper Texas Coast, especially not in our woods! But there he was. I followed him for about five minutes until he flew out of sight to the north. By this time, I needed to start heading home. At another spot in the woods, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings and several warblers flew from tree to tree. I finally had to tear myself away from the spectacle and go home. I did stop for another couple of minutes and watched an Eastern Wood-Pewee catch several flying insects. They looked like flying termites, but I couldn't tell for sure. The Black-throated Blue Warbler and Cerulean Warbler were new property birds - #177 and #178. The Black-throated Blue Warbler is life bird #363 for me. What an incredible day! With 55 species, it is the most productive day on the property since we moved here in September 2003.

Warblers Seen (17 Species): Blue-winged Warbler (FOS), Tennessee Warbler (FOS), Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler (FOS), Chestnut-sided Warbler (FOS), Magnolia Warbler (FOS), Black-throated Blue Warbler (FOS & Lifer), Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler (FOS), Bay-breasted Warbler (FOS), Cerulean Warbler (FOS), Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird (FOS), Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler

Other Species (38 Species): Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Veery (FOS), Gray-cheeked Thrush (FOS), Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush (FOS), Gray Catbird, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FOS), Blue Grosbeak (FOS), Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting (FOS), Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole (FOS), Baltimore Oriole (FOS), House Sparrow

Potential good birding late this week

With the frontal boundary set to go off the coast sometime Wednesday afternoon bringing rain and north winds with it, we could be in for a good run of birding on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. Depending on how long the north winds stay (according to Tim Heller on Channel 13, they'll be around through Thursday and into Friday morning), we could see good birding through Friday. While frontal boundaries often make good birding for us, it's really hard on the birds. Imagine flying 500+ miles across the Gulf of Mexico and be met with rain, thunderstorms and headwinds the last 50 to 100 miles of your flight. Last year when this happened, Kristen and I went out into the woods and saw 13 species of warblers on Apr. 29, 2006 and 11 species of warblers on Apr. 30 in approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours of birding each day.

It's 6:42 a.m. and already I've heard a Northern Cardinal visiting my feeders and a Carolina Wren singing on territory.

An Exciting Bird

I didn't get to do any birding this weekend. I finished a fence for our dogs on Saturday, and then felt absolutely horrible on Sunday and slept most of the afternoon. But, there was a bit of birding excitement around here on Saturday. I had just finished with the fence and was doing some of the clean-up when I looked to the north and caught a glimpse of a Swallow-tailed Kite flying from west to east. A little later, I saw him again flying west. He went behind the trees, and I figured that was it. But, he came back to the east and really put on a show for us. My sister, Paige, and my daughter, Amberlyn, were out there and got some really good looks at him. What an absolutely beautiful bird!

Birding on a Misty Day

Well, it wasn't misty when I went out, but by the time I came back in, the mist was falling quite heavily. Around 8:00, I left and walked out to the woods. Things started out pretty slowly. About 8:45, birds were everywhere! A female Hooded Warbler was hopping around in the tangles of yaupon and tri-foliate orange trees. A male American Redstart showed up in the trees above the Hooded Warbler and showed off his black and orange plumage for a little bit. A Black-and-white Warbler examined the branches for something to eat. An Eastern Wood-Pewee showed off his flycatching skills. Birds were singing everywhere - cardinals, White-eyed Vireos, Carolina Wrens and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. A little while later, I was watching several Yellow-rumped Warblers. A Yellow-throated Warbler was in the trees with them. Today was the day of the Indigo Bunting. They were everywhere! On my way to the pond, several Bank Swallows flew over mixed with Barn, Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

I added a new property species today! A Boat-tailed Grackle was calling at the pond. I found him and saw the dark eye. He makes property bird #176.

One of the more interesting observations this morning involved a large flock of female Red-winged Blackbirds. They kept flying in a tight flock and I could tell they were nervous about something. Suddenly, a Cooper's Hawk flew in and snatched one of the blackbirds. The blackbird screeched all the way to the ground. The hawk quickly killed the blackbird and started tearing the feathers out. I watched for about ten minutes until the hawk flew off with the blackbird in its talons.

Birds Seen (41 Species): Great Egret, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow (FOS), Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler (FOS), Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart (FOS), Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle

Birding on a Windy Day

I didn't expect much when I went down into the woods today because of the high wind. I watched on the Nexrad radar last night a spectacular lift off of migrating birds that had been waiting for the south wind to return. Usually the birds migrate at night, so if you're watching the radar shortly after sunset and see an explosion of color, it's probably songbirds taking to the sky. (You can also see incoming migrants as they come across the Gulf and head inland.) So, I was expecting things to be a little slow today. And the way things started off, I thought my expectation would turn into reality.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglets were putting on a show chasing each other and flashing their ruby crowns. Cardinals and Carolina Wrens were singing everywhere. I watched a Tufted Titmouse carry a caterpillar in his beak for a while, but I never saw him go into a cavity. The Northern Parula called a few times from one of the trees covered in Spanish moss. There are still a couple of Hermit Thrushes and Brown Thrashers hanging around. It won't be long before they head north to their breeding grounds.

Suddenly, the spring migrants came out of the woodwork! The first two I saw were an Eastern Wood-Pewee and a Great Crested Flycatcher. Both were sitting on dead branches flying out after flying insects and returning to the branch. The pewee started calling some. A Red-eyed Vireo began calling from high in one of the oaks. It took a long time to find him, but he finally came out in the open giving a great look at him. A Black-throated Green Warbler hopped around in the oaks along with Yellow-rumped Warblers that were in various stages of molting into their breeding plumage. On my way out of the woods, I saw a Worm-eating Warbler in a thick tangle of vines. A Blue Headed Vireo hopped around right behind the Worm-eating Warbler.

Just before entering the woods, I saw a shadow on the ground of a rather large bird. I looked up and saw a hawk that I wasn't familiar with. After watching it until it flew out of sight, I pulled out my book and identified it as a White-tailed Hawk - property bird #175! Fortunately White-tailed Hawks are becoming more populous on the Upper Texas Coast. I had wondered when I was going to see one here.

Birds seen (30 species): Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee (FOS), Great Crested Flycatcher (FOS), White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo (FOS), Red-eyed Vireo (FOS), Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler (FOS), Worm-eating Warbler (FOS), White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Other wildlife seen:
Butterflies: Question Mark, Giant Swallowtail, Little Wood-Nymph, Monarch

Reptiles: Western Cottonmouth

I sit here wondering what's down in the woods with the passage of the cold front. How many warblers and other migrants are hunkering down in our woods waiting for the south winds to return? Can I go down there? No. I have to go to LTC this weekend and miss one of the better birding moments of the spring. Sigh. And then I'm busy the next two weekends taking lifeguard classes. They didn't have anything available in May, so I get to take two weekends in April. Fortunately I can get out in the evenings and see what's happening. I'm scheduling NOTHING during the day for the last weekend of April and first weekend of May.

On another note, I haven't seen the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at my feeder lately. I wonder if he's gone up north to establish his breeding territory. What I have seen at my feeders lately is House Sparrows. I'm not real happy about that.

Once again, the Purple Martins have not nested in my gourds or house. I'm really disappointed. When I look on the Purple Martin Conservation Association website, I'm doing everything right - good location, good clearance, good EVERYTHING!!! So why can't I get martins? I hold out hope because of a customer at the Dallas WBU store who came in all excited one day and told me that she finally had martins nesting with her. I asked how long she had been trying to get them and she said, "Ten years." Six more to go . . . I keep a glimmer of hope. I sold a martin house to a guy mid-May one time and warned him that the martins wouldn't nest with him that year. He said he understood but wanted the house up anyway. Two days later, he came in and told me that he had a pair of martins hanging out around his house. A week later he came in and told me that they were nesting. So, there's always hope. It just diminishes GREATLY the further through April we go.

Friday and Tuesday

I got a little birding in on Friday, but the mosquitoes were absolutely awful and I didn't stay out as long as I wanted. It didn't matter how much Off! I had on. They were ravenous and ignored the repellent. There were several Hooded Warblers calling. I got my FOS Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

This afternoon I walked around after getting home from work. The mosquitoes weren't nearly as bad. The wind was strong out of the south which usually means a pretty slow day. That held true today. I did see and hear FOS Indigo Buntings this morning. They were behind the house, so I made sure to get some seed out so they'll come to the feeder. I heard several more this afternoon. Around 5:15, the birds got very active and started singing and moving. A FOS Nashville Warbler showed himself for just a little while. The activity lasted for fifteen minutes and then all was quiet again.

Birds seen on Friday: Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Hooded Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle

Birds seen on Tuesday: Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Nashville Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Other wildlife seen on Tuesday:
Mammals: Eastern Gray Squirrel, Raccoon

Reptiles: Eastern Three-toed Box Turtle

Butterflies: Giant Swallowtail, Little Wood-Satyr

Cattle Egrets and a Cool Front

The past few days I've seen Cattle Egrets on my front yard. There must be enough insects around to support them.

Saturday morning could be a good time to get out and see some migrants. A cool front is forecast to move offshore which will cause the northbound migrants to fly into a headwind. They will tire more quickly and land in the first trees they see. They are likely to stay in the area until a south wind returns to help them on their journey northward.

Looking More Like Spring

Today was the day for birds with brownish backs and spots on the breast. Brown Thrashers and Hermit Thrushes were absolutely everywhere today! The Hermit Thrushes were calling with their flute-like call. I don't think I've ever seen that many of them at a time! I saw several Golden-crowned Kinglets today too. I haven't seen one all winter, but they were out in good numbers today.

Springtime migrants are increasing. There were at least two Northern Parulas calling this morning. Hooded Warblers are singing their territorial song. Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows (FOS) are flying over in large groups. I had an FOS Black-and-white Warbler hopping around in the thickets of tri-foliate orange trees. Cardinals, White-eyed Vireos, Inca Doves, and Tufted Titmice were filling the woods with their songs. At one point, I heard so many birds calling that it was hard to distinguish between them all. Pileated Woodpeckers were calling back and forth. On my way back in, an Upland Sandpiper called as it flew overhead.

Later in the afternoon while riding the four-wheeler through some standing water, a Spotted Sandpiper flew away from me. He makes property bird #174.

Birds Seen (33 species): Great Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Pileated Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle

Other Wildlife Seen:
Mammals: Eastern Gray Squirrel

Reptiles: Eastern Three-toed Box Turtle

Butterflies: Giant Swallowtail

Swallows!

As I went out to get the mail, twenty to thirty Tree Swallows and five or six Purple Martins were flying overhead. I love watching swallows! They seem like they fly just for the fun of it.

I've still got a couple of Song Sparrows hanging out around my feeders.

New Bird & Butterflies

Today was a great day out in the woods. Not only was the weather absolutely beautiful, the birds and butterflies were active. The Northern Parula is singing in the first tree covered with Spanish moss. A Hooded Warbler was foraging along a trail that has been cut into the woods. There are thick blackberry vines and a fallen tree there providing him ample cover. A Common Yellowthroat sang his witchity-witchity-witchity song. I watched a Carolina Chickadee flying around with a large caterpillar in his beak. He wouldn't go to the nest wherever it is with me standing there. The Inca Dove was calling again. Cardinals were singing everywhere.

Among the winter birds that are still here, Yellow-rumped Warblers are most prevalent. White-throated Sparrows are not far behind. The Field Sparrows are still along the fence in the backyard. The most exciting wintertime bird that I saw today was an Eastern Towhee. The reason it is so exciting is that it is the first time I've seen one on the property. That makes 173 species I've seen since we moved here in September 2003.

The butterflies were actively flying around today. The Question Marks were the most common. I also saw several Pearl Crescent and Falcate Orangetip. It seems they were flying all over.

Total Bird List (32 species): Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal

Other wildlife seen:

Butterflies (10 species): Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Falcate Orangetip, Cloudless Sulpher, Red-banded Hairstreak, American Snout, Gulf Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Question Mark, Hackberry Emporer

Reptiles (2 species): Green Anole, Three-toed Box Turtle

Mammals (1 species): Eastern Gray Squirrel

Wet! Wet! Wet!

After nearly 4 inches of rain since Monday, I put on my rubber boots and went out into the woods this morning. As I was walking toward the woods, two Barn Swallows made their first appearance on my list this spring. I made my way to one of the trees where the Northern Parulas nested in the past. As I walked through the standing water, mosquitoes were flying low over the surface. I sure hope it dries before the eggs have a chance to hatch! I got to the tree and stood around for quite a while listening for the Northern Parula to call. I finally decided that there wasn't one around and began to walk off. I had taken no more than five steps when I heard that rising buzz! I was not able to visually locate him, though. I walked on and came to the second tree where the Northern Parulas usually are. I heard a warbler-like call that I wasn't completely familiar with. I finally found the caller - another Northern Parula! As I was walking out of the woods, I heard another warbler-like call, which ended up being another Northern Parula. While I was searching for that parula, a male Hooded Warbler popped up in front of me! After I lost visual contact with the Hooded Warbler, a Gray Catbird began hopping around in the tangle of tri-foliate orange trees. He is probably a winter resident here rather than a spring migrant. Spring is definitely coming!

Winter birds still rule the day. Along with all the regulars, I had a pair of Field Sparrows along the fence in the backyard. An Orange-crowned Warbler was quite active around my favorite yaupon holly thicket. His feathers around his face must still be coming in because his head was bald! There were literally hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers on a feeding frenzy. They were flitting through the tops of the trees very quickly. I looked at as many as I could hoping to see something different. I suppose they are getting ready for their northward migration.

I added a new bird to my property list this morning! A Caspian Tern flew over and will forever be property bird #172. I tallied 31 species this morning in a couple of hours of birding.

FOS Species: Barn Swallow, Northern Parula, Hooded Warbler, Gray Catbird

Other wildlife seen:

Reptiles: Common Garter Snake

Mammals: Gray Squirrel

Butterflies: Buckeye

An Abundance of Brown Thrashers

Today was the day for the brown thrashers! If I didn't see them, they saw me and sounded their sharp alarm call from deep in cover of tri-foliate orange thickets or yaupon holly bushes. I saw and/or heard at least six in the hour I walked around in the woods today. There is nothing new to report with the spring migrants. I looked at dozens of yellow-rumped warblers hoping they'd be something different. I keep going to the two trees laden with Spanish moss where the northern parula nests each year and listen for him singing. Nothing yet. He'll be here this week announcing to possible rivals that he's claimed this territory.

Other wildlife seen today:
Butterflies - giant swallowtail, eastern tiger swallowtail, falcate orangetip, cloudless sulpher, gulf fritillary, question mark and red admiral
Reptiles - chicken turtle, five-lined skink

Spring Is In The Air

Spring is definitely in the air around the property this morning! Several species were singing announcing their territory. Cardinals with their pretty-pretty-pretty call, tufted titmice saying peter-peter-peter, white-eyed vireos with their jumbled song, Carolina chickadees saying feed me-feed me, and Carolina wrens calling tea kettle-tea kettle-tea kettle-tea were the loudest. The Inca doves were calling with their incessent coo-coo call that seems to go on for hours. Even the pileated woodpeckers were getting into the act as if to say, "We may not be the largest woodpecker in North America anymore, but we're the biggest in these woods!" The red-shouldered hawk is sitting on eggs. Eastern bluebirds are in the very beginning stages of nest-building in the nest box in Aunt Nona's yard. Purple martins are flying around. An ASY (after second year) male and female checked out my house as they were flying around this morning. The chances they'll nest in my house is low. Late in the afternoon, two tree swallows flew over for the first of season (FOS) this year.

Even with all the signs of spring, winter is still in evidence. The yellow-bellied sapsucker that has been visiting my suet log did not disappoint this morning. Northern flickers were calling back and forth. Ruby-crowned kinglets and yellow-rumped warblers flitted through the treetops. White-throated sparrows and two brown thrashers were in the heavy cover of the tri-foliate orange trees with their 2" thorns. Cedar waxwings announced their presence with their high-pitched calls as they fly around looking for a yaupon or deciduous holly still holding onto its berries.

I will be birding as much as possible through the second week of May. My records over the past three years indicate northern parulas and black-and-white warblers will show up this week. Hooded warblers will begin showing up in the last week of March. There are some spring migrants that are surprisingly absent on my property list. Kentucky warbler, cerulean warbler, prothonotary warbler, golden-winged warbler, mourning warbler are the ones I would expect to find at some point. Maybe this year . . . With the early start of Daylight Saving Time and getting off at 4:00 in the afternoons, I should have quite a bit of time for birding this spring.

Other wildlife viewed this morning were gray squirrels and fox squirrels.