Dreary Day for Project FeederWatch

Sunday was a dreary day as far as weather is concerned. Fog blanketed the area for the majority of the day. But that didn't stop the birds from coming to the feeders. We added four more species to our Project FeederWatch list: Blue Jay, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird. I never look forward to the blackbirds coming because I know they'll form enormous flocks that will empty my feeders all too quickly. Time to switch to safflower, I guess. I am thinking of trying to put the cage that excludes larger birds over a portion of my ground feeder to keep them off at least a little of it. The American Goldfinches began showing up in numbers. I had five at a time on my feeder yesterday. I have never had just one goldfinch on my feeders for two weeks before. That was kind of weird!

There were some interesting birds that didn't come to the feeders yesterday. A White Ibis poked around out in the pasture for most of the day. A Red-shouldered Hawk called loudly from a tallow tree in the pasture and gave us some great looks at him. I tried to get a picture, but this was the best I could do.
More Tree Swallows flew over. They were in a large flock. This time they were all heading southwest at a pretty good rate of speed instead of just hanging around over the pasture. A pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers visited the hackberry tree behind the house. I hoped they would find the Bark Butter or the suet so they would continue to visit. Maybe they'll be back.

Birds Seen 12/13/09 (21 species): White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Project FeederWatch 4th Weekend

This weekend of Project FeederWatch was a little slower. It rained nearly all weekend and the Sharp-shinned Hawk was around quite a bit. But, we were able to add three more birds to our PFW list - Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird and Pine Warbler bringing our species total to 13. The chickadees had never shown up at the feeders while we were watching them on previous PFW weekends. The bluebirds came in and enjoyed the birdbath. The Pine Warblers came to the suet and the seed cylinder with sunflower hearts and fruit. The Chipping Sparrow numbers were way down, probably due some to the House Sparrow numbers being way up. If it doesn't rain next weekend, I'm going to put out the trap for them and try to thin them out. They're starting to show interest in my martin housing and I'm not going to put up with that! A male Northern Cardinal visited the feeders yesterday and was missing the feathers around each of his eyes. I'm not sure what was going on there.

Tree Swallows flew over the pasture. There were literally hundreds of them. I'm not sure what they are catching out there, but they were certainly going after something! The Red-bellied Woodpecker still shows no interest in trying the feeders, although he's out there in the tree quite a bit. Hopefully he'll find them and be a regular. A Northern Flicker called from somewhere close yesterday. It would be fun to see him at the feeders as well.

Project FeederWatch 3rd Weekend

The third weekend of our Project FeederWatch was fun! On Sunday morning, we added four more species to our PFW list. A House Wren was checking out the brush pile. He spent quite a bit of time around it. Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Robins and Cedar Waxwings all used the birdbath. The Cedar Waxwings were the FOS of the winter season for me. There were about 50 of them in the tree in the backyard and about eight visited the birdbath. I hope they come back more often. The rest of the birds were pretty normal. The Chipping Sparrow population has increased quite a bit. We had 21 of them on the ground feeder at one time yesterday. An American Goldfinch visited the Nyjer feeder yesterday and was back this morning. Hopefully he'll hang around and bring his friends with him.

Birds that we didn't count on the PFW list included more Tree Swallows. There were 10 to 15 flying around over the pasture. Six Eastern Bluebirds were on the power lines out front. American Crows made their presence known around the area where the cows are fed. A Red-bellied Woodpecker dined on the tallow seeds.

This morning has been cold and wet. We haven't had many birds at the feeders. Several Yellow-rumped Warblers were in the hackberry tree behind the house. Fox squirrels have been at the ground feeder several times this morning and that makes the birds a little nervous to be there with them. I've also seen a Sharp-shinned Hawk make several passes over the yard and that will definitely make the birds nervous.

Birds Seen 11/29/09 (15 species): Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Crow, Tree Swallow, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Project FeederWatch Day 3

Today was a little better. It was cool this morning and quite a few birds came in. Two cardinals, two Eurasian Collared-Doves, six Chipping Sparrows, one Mourning Dove, eight House Sparrows and one Common Grackle visited the feeders. I kept hoping one of the Yellow-rumped Warblers would visit the water so we could count them.

I think I'm going to get up early in the morning and go birding in the woods for a little bit. I'm curious to see how many more winter migrants have come in. I also want to check the pond to see if any ducks are hanging out down there. There are several more plants around the edges, so they may feel a little more comfortable.

Feeders Are A Little More Active

It seems that the birds are slowly coming back to the feeders. This morning as the sun was just coming up, three Chipping Sparrows were on my ground feeder eating millet. As I watched more, the Yellow-rumped Warblers really got active in the trees behind the house. Several of them came to the bird bath and got a drink. A couple of Eastern Bluebirds came to the bird bath as well. I'm hoping the Yellow-rumped Warblers find the suet I put out. That would be fun to have them coming to a feeder. Two Carolina Chickadees were enjoying the new oil sunflower I put out for them. I'm ready for them to all be back at the feeders all the time!

As I was going to my car to leave for work, a flock of about 10 American Robins flew overhead. Those were the first ones I've seen this fall. I need to get down in the woods and see what has shown up. Maybe on Monday.

Raptors! Raptors! Raptors!

Our second day of Project FeederWatch was a little more productive, but not much. We added Northern Cardinal and Eurasian Collared-Dove to our list. It was nice to see the cardinal out there because I haven't seen one regularly in weeks. Hopefully they'll start coming back a little more.

I did watch the rest of the birds around the house today and it was the day of the raptors! I saw six species of raptors flying around or over the house this afternoon. Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk and Merlin. The Merlin was perched on a utility pole. He stayed long enough to allow me to get my scope and get some good close-ups. The Sharp-shinned Hawk snagged a House Sparrow at the feeder this morning.

Overall, I saw fifteen species of birds today. It was fun even though I didn't get to get out and go birdwatching.

Birds Seen 11/16/09 (15 species): Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Project FeederWatch Day 1

Our Project FeederWatch started off pretty slowly today. A male Sharp-shinned Hawk chased the House Sparrows for a little while. He hung around the feeders for a while, so they were pretty quiet. He must have left because the House Sparrows came back along with a couple of Chipping Sparrows. That was it. Maybe things will pick up a little more tomorrow.

Project FeederWatch

Project FeederWatch began this weekend. It's a six-month long survey of birds that visit feeders, water and other things provided by people for them. Our count starts today. This year, instead of just seeing what birds come, we're going to keep a record of which feeders they visit. It's an added piece of information for us to see which of our feeders are most commonly used and which aren't used very much. I think it's going to be a lot of fun for us.

I have seen most of the winter migrants in the area now. An Eastern Phoebe hangs out around the house quite a bit. Yellow-rumped Warblers are in the tops of the trees along with Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Occasionally I'll hear a Northern Flicker calling from in the woods. I sure wish one of them would find my feeders! That would be cool! I'm hoping the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker finds me again this year. It won't be long before the American Goldfinches begin coming to the feeders. They're in the area and a few people have them at their feeders already. That's a little earlier than usual. It will be interesting to see if the National Weather Service's prediction of a cooler, wetter winter comes true and how that influences the birds.

I have seen between ten and twelve Eastern Bluebirds around and in my yard over the past couple of weeks. I'm really hoping for two pairs of them to nest this spring. It's so fun to listen to their call as they're flying overhead.

It's daylight now, so I'm going to start watching the feeders!

Inside Birdwatching

Between the insanely high numbers of mosquitoes and the all-day rain even we had yesterday, I didn't get out to do any birding on the property. I did take some time to pull up a chair and watch through the back door as much as I could.

I finally had a pair of cardinals at my feeders again! It has been at least a couple of months since I have seen cardinals out there. My other feeder birds included Carolina Chickadee, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove and Blue Jay. An Eastern Phoebe came to check out my bird bath and got a drink out of it. I'm not sure why he chose my bird bath over all the water on the ground! I still have one Ruby-throated Hummingbird hanging around my feeder. It's a female or juvenile. I am glad to see my feeders becoming more active since it's just three more weeks until Project FeederWatch begins. It would be embarrassing to send in reports of no birds at my feeders! One of the more interesting sightings from yesterday was the hundreds of Northern Rough-winged Swallows that were passing through. They were all moving from northeast to southwest.

It's been nice to see the American Crow population rebounding. When West Nile Virus hit several years ago, it really took a toll on the crow population around here. There were years when I didn't record a crow on the property list (2004 and 2005.) Now I see or hear them almost daily.

I got kind of excited yesterday when I realized it is just about three months until the Purple Martins return! I'm looking forward to seeing the pair that nested with me this past year return. The male should be in his adult plumage and looking great! I'm hoping they attract lots of their friends!

Birding On A Cool Fall Morning

Even with the cooler temperatures, there are still at least three hummingbirds hanging around my feeder. I took all but one feeder down for the winter. I'll keep a feeder going throughout the winter with the hope that a Rufous Hummingbird or other western hummingbird will find me.

I went walking in the woods for a little bit this morning. The mosquitoes weren't nearly as bad today. That was a welcome relief! I did find four FOS birds today. A Chipping Sparrow was in my backyard. I haven't seen him down at the feeder yet, but he'll be there at some point. Down in the woods, we found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was in a tree in the pasture. He flew right above us giving us some great looks at him. A Belted Kingfisher alerted us to his presence with his rattle call and we watched him fly overhead. As far as neotropical migrants, they were non-existent down there. This is the worst year for fall migration that I can remember since we've been here.

Birds Seen 10/19/09 (23 species): Cattle Egret, Sharp-shinned Hawk (FOS), Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher (FOS), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (FOS), Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Chipping Sparrow (FOS), Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Nighttime Birding with Cooler Temps

Last night, the kids and I decided to enjoy the cooler temperatures and went outside. We got a fire going in the chiminea and just sat around it visiting. It was amazing to me how many Indigo Buntings I heard flying overhead. After hearing probably 20 of them, I started keeping count of how many calls I heard. It was well over 50 in about two hours. There was also a strange call that I heard that I couldn't identify. It sounded closest to a Whooping Crane, but not exactly. I'm not ready to write that down on my list from the call. It was definitely something I've never heard before. I also heard a Killdeer (which isn't that uncommon at night around here) and what sounded like a Green Heron.

Yesterday was the first day after the cool front came through, and I still had two hummingbirds at the feeders. I'll be interested to see how many stick around. On Monday, I'm going to work at building up my brush pile a little bit to provide some cover for the wintering sparrows while they're here. I'm also going to get some plywood for a ground feeder for them.

I signed the kids and me up for Project Feederwatch. It's sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Basically you pick two consecutive days of the week to watch the birds in your backyard from November through April. If the bird is attracted by something you've done for them - coming to a feeder, coming to water you've provided for them, coming to berry-producing plants you have planted - then you count those birds. There are some special rules about how to count the birds that you have to follow. It will be a fun project for us to be involved in. I'm thinking of doing an Excel spreadsheet for our own records to see what the winter bird population does from year to year at our feeders. It's a fun project for the whole family that allows regular people to contribute scientific information to help those at Cornell.

Slow Fall Migration

So far the fall migration here has been slow. The kids and I went out in the woods on Monday as a part of their science. They have expressed an interest in learning about birds and birdwatching. So we went out and weren't impressed! We would walk 50 feet, stop and scan the trees and understory for movement, not see anything and move another 50 feet. Nothing was moving. Not even the resident birds. I think in the whole time we were down there we saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, caught a fleeting glimpse of a Barred Owl as it flew away from us and heard a few others. I'm ready for the winter residents to come in so I'll have something to see when I'm down there!

The hummingbirds are still holding about 20 at the feeders. It will be interesting to see if the front this weekend takes them all away. It's getting to be that time where they go away until spring.

Nothing is eating from my feeders except for one Mourning Dove and a couple of Eurasian Collared Doves. I've had several customers in the store ask me where the birds are. It's a slow time at feeders in October and November in this area. The plants produce their seeds and the birds eat them. No matter how fresh the seed in the feeder is, it's not going to be as nutritious and fresh as what's recently been produced on the plant. So, the birds eat the wild seeds to fatten up for winter. I know at some point after much of the wild seed has been eaten or knocked to the ground, they'll be back and the blackbirds will flock to my feeders and eat all the oil sunflower within a day. Maybe I should invest in some safflower!

Autumn Birding

I went birding on the property this morning. It was nice to be out there again. The mosquitoes were awful, but I just covered myself with Off! and they pretty well stayed off me. I pretty much saw the birds that one would expect at the end of September. Some of the highlights were Gray Catbird, a Swainson's Thrush that posed for me and an Osprey flying overhead. I saw three FOS winter residents: Brown Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Northern Flicker. Hopefully we'll get some cooler weather in here soon and the mosquitoes will slow down.

The hummingbirds are still pretty slow around here. I counted about 20 around the feeders last night and this morning. Others are having an above-average year. I guess all of mine decided to go to other peoples' feeders this year!

Today was also a good day for reptiles on the property. I came across a Three-toed Box Turtle crawling through the woods. An Eastern Hognose Snake and Prairie Kingsnake were around the pond. A Banded Watersnake was swimming in the pond.

Birds Seen on Property 9/28/09 (26 species): Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (FOS), Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (FOS), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher (FOS), Northern Cardinal, Common Grackle

Hummingbird Numbers Down & Butterfly Garden

The numbers of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at my feeders is way down this year. We haven't really had a cool front push through to help bring them down, so maybe that's it. Maybe it's the lack of flowers because of the drought, and they're just passing on through without stopping long at the feeders. Yesterday and this morning I have noticed more birds around the feeders, probably ten to twelve. Normally by now, I've got 50+. Here's what I had last year on September 20.




Yesterday, the kids and I worked on making a butterfly garden. I got some blue mist flower and some lantana from the Texas Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg when we were there over the Labor Day weekend. I also planted some lantana that I rooted in it as well. With plants and all, the whole thing cost about $50. I'm really looking forward to seeing what butterflies we get when the plants are fully blooming! Here is a picture of our new garden and a picture of a male Queen butterfly I took on some of the blue mist flowers at the Texas Wildseed Farms.

Window Birdwatching

I was doing a little window birdwatching this morning. The hummingbirds continue to increase around the feeders. This morning, even with the rain, I had 10 to 12 buzzing around. It won't be long before they're really thick. While watching the hummingbirds, several other birds flew into my backyard. A Great-crested Flycatcher perched in one of the trees and showed off his flycatching skills for me. Six Eastern Bluebirds flew in and came to my birdbath to quench their thirst. A male and female Baltimore Oriole flew in and feasted on the hackberries along with a Northern Mockingbird. A little bird was flitting around in the trees. I suspected a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, but that wasn't what it was. I never got a really clear view of it, but what I saw reminded me a lot of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. If that's what it was, he would be a month early. Hopefully as it cools more, I'll start getting out to see what kind of fall migrants are coming through. My first warbler on the property was a Canada Warbler in September 2003 just after we moved here.

We spent the weekend in Fredericksburg with my mom and step-father and extended family. We go every year to their place. I didn't get a chance to do any birding this year, except for what I saw in the backyard. There wasn't much to report. I did see some Black-crested Titmice. The boys and I slept in a tent and early on Saturday morning a Great Horned Owl called from somewhere to our east. I am still amazed at the numbers of White-winged Doves. They are everywhere there. What amazes me more is how they have naturally expanded their range from the Rio Grande Valley to areas far north of their historic range. I commented to my step-father that if we had been there 15 years ago and saw a White-winged Dove, we would have jumped up and grabbed our cameras to document the occasion. Now, they're just everywhere.

First Hummingbird of the Season

This last week I finally saw my first hummingbird on my feeders. I took the day off on Monday and looked out at the feeders when I got up and there was a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting on the feeder I had up. I put another feeder up with the hopes of attracting more hummers to them. So far I've seen up to three at a time with the male still standing guard over the two that are there. They seem to be a little late coming in this year. I wonder if the drought has anything to do with it.

I would like to get out and see what kind of fall migrants are coming through, but the mosquitoes are really bad right now, and it's still pretty hot. I may wait for a cool front to push through before I try getting out and doing much birding on the property.

Long, Hot Summer

Birding in the summertime doesn't happen very much between the craziness of my schedule and the heat. But I do get some birding in while I'm at camps and doing different activities with the teens. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Painted Buntings were everywhere at the Gulf Coast Christian Youth Camp just east of Columbus. I could hear them singing all over and found several of them.
• While doing a door-knocking campaign in Mont Belvieu, a Swallow-tailed Kite flew above us for several minutes, giving me the opportunity to point him to people who would have never seen him.
  
• An Eastern Bluebird pair build their nest in one of the poles at the camp. I saw the female leave the nest cavity one day. I decided to investigate and four four eggs in it. I haven't been back since then, so I don't know what happened.
• The Northern Cardinals are bringing their young birds to my feeders. It's always fun to watch the young ones beg for a seed and for the adults to patiently crack one open and feed it to them.
• I decided to take the slow way to work one morning and as I drove along, a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers landed on a tree just ahead of me. I stopped the car and was treated to great looks at them for several minutes.
  
• At the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, there were several Black-necked Stilts, a couple of Purple Gallinules, lots and lots of all the common herons and egrets, several Roseate Spoonbills and a few Wood Storks.
  
• Yesterday, lots of Black-bellied Whistling-ducks flew over us as we had a water fun day at a house right on the San Jacinto River in Highlands.

Normally I dread summer because of the lack of activity and the heat. But this summer I decided I was going to enjoy the birds wherever I was. It was fun!

The Purple Martins that nested in my gourds successfully fledged all four young birds. Just before they fledged and right after, lots of SY martins would come and check out the cavities and just hang around the housing in general. I'm hoping some of them decided that they like what they saw and join the pair that was there this year.

Fall migration will start happening soon. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes through. I have my hummingbird feeder out ready for them to show up. So far I haven't seen one. I'm going to try and get out in the woods more this fall to see any warblers and other neo-tropical migrants that come through. Hopefully I'll start blogging more about what I see.

Property Stuff and Church Camp

On Saturday, June 6, I kept hearing a warbler-like call and finally found a male Yellow Warbler in the trees to the west of the house. I know I've never seen one here that late.

The juvenile Purple Martins are doing well. They should fledge between June 16 and June 18. Yesterday was the last day I could safely lower the gourds to check on them. The general rule of thumb is not to lower the housing once the babies reach 20 days old or you run the risk of premature fledging. So, I'll have to just wait and see what happens. Here's the last picture I got of them. It was kind of bitter-sweet seeing them for the last time. I'm looking forward to years of having Purple Martins nesting with me!



I spent Sunday through Thursday at the H.E. Butt Foundation Camp north of Leakey, TX at a church camp. I completely forgot my binoculars, but as it turns out I didn't need them at all. The most exciting bird I saw was an Ash-throated Flycatcher. He was life bird #368 for me. I was sitting by myself in the pavilion and he flew into a tree about 15 feet from me and sang. I listened to their call on my iPod and it matched perfectly. Two other pretty exciting birds for me were the Zone-tailed Hawk that flew along the cliffs that overlook our campsite. I could hear him early in the morning calling from the tree or rock where he perched and then he would fly and call. Also, Golden-cheeked Warblers were everywhere. Here's my list of birds I saw at the camp:

HEB Birds (27 species): Green Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Zone-tailed Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Chuck-will's-widow, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Painted Bunting

I checked the bluebird nest box yesterday and there is no sign of a second brood being started at all. I'm surprised they haven't even started constructing a new nest. I'll keep checking.

Purple Martin update

I checked the Purple Martin nest today. The babies are between four and six days old. They're really growing quickly! Here's a picture. Notice the dragonfly in the mouth of the one furthest to the right.


I also took some video of the parents going in and out of the gourd. Some slow motion of them doing both. It's pretty cool to see how graceful they are!

Purple Martin Hatching Day!!!

Knowing the Purple Martin eggs were to hatch this weekend, I went out this morning and hoped I'd see some chicks in the nest. I wasn't disappointed! Below are pictures from my first ever Purple Martin hatching in housing I provided for them.




Needless to say, I'm very excited about this! I'm looking forward to watching them grow and fledge successfully. If all the eggs hatch today and tomorrow, we are looking at a fledging date of of June 16 or 17.

In other news, the Eastern Bluebirds haven't started their second nest yet. It shouldn't be too long. I have seen the parent bluebirds busy catching insects, but haven't located the juveniles yet. I have an idea of where they are, but haven't actually seen them. It won't be long before they're coming to the water in my birdbath in my backyard.

A Swallow-tailed Kite flew over yesterday giving me some great looks at him. I ran inside to get a video camera, but by the time I found it and got outside again, he was just going behind the trees across the street. When will I learn this time of year to have a video camera handy so I can get some shots of him?

Nesting Updates

I checked the bluebird nest yesterday morning and one of the five had left the box already. When I checked it yesterday afternoon, all five of the chicks had left. I always have mixed feelings on fledging day. On one hand, I'm really happy to know there are five more bluebirds out there and a second brood can get started. On the other hand, I'll miss checking on them and taking pictures to post here. Hopefully in about three weeks we'll have more eggs in the nest.

I took the camera out to the gourd rack to take pictures of the complete clutch today. It's interesting to me that they are using willow oak leaves as their green leaves. There is a big pecan tree about 60 ft. away from the gourd rack, but for some reason they're flying over to the woods and picking off willow oak leaves. Anyway, here are the pictures.



While I was mowing today, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher flew overhead. That's the first one of the year for me. That was fun to see.

Spring Migration 2009

Spring migration is winding down. Over the past few weeks we've had strong southerly winds at the surface which help the migrants fly right over us. Those that do stop only stop for a few hours to refuel and then take off again. The past two weeks that I went out, there were very few migrants to be seen. In fact, the woods were very quiet, with the exception of the hordes of mosquitoes. On May 1, the mosquitoes were so bad they literally chased me into the house. They weren't quite as bad on May 8, but the birds weren't there. If I had been a migrating bird and stopped here for a little bit of food, I wouldn't have stayed long either with as many mosquitoes as I would have had to deal with!

I ran a report of my spring numbers on the property. I ran the report from March 1 to May 8. I saw a total of 112 species. Here are the migrants I saw:

Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Blue-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole

It was a good spring for me on the property. I got 23 species of warblers (including Yellow-rumped which are winter residents, but do start changing into breeding plumage while here), both tanagers, both orioles, both grosbeaks and all of the swallows. I was a little disappointed in some of the species I missed, though. So far I haven't seen a Painted Bunting. Some of the warblers I missed include Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush, Bay-breasted Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler and Nashville Warbler. I didn't see a Veery, Chuck-will's-widow or Common Nighthawk (yet). There are always some misses every spring.

On a positive note, the Purple Martins have laid four eggs in the gourd. They laid the last one on Saturday, May 9 and the female started incubating that day. With the eggs taking 14 - 18 days to hatch, I have projected a hatching day for Sunday, May 24. I'll start checking them on the 22nd. I'm so excited to see them nesting with me!

The Eastern Bluebird chicks are doing well. All five of them are growing quickly. They should fledge on May 14 or 15. Then it will be onto the second brood! Here's a six-minute video I shot of the parents coming to feed the babies, and then of the babies at the end of the video. I actually shot an hour of video and was able to condense it to six minutes!

Eggs!!!

I checked the gourd where the Purple Martins had been building their nest and there were two eggs in it! The first one was laid yesterday. It will be interesting to see how many eggs they lay being SY birds. At this point, I'm just excited to see eggs in the nest! I'll take some pictures when they've finished laying all the eggs.

The bluebird chicks are doing well. I checked them on Monday and they're getting their feathers in slowly. I need to check them again today and make sure they don't have any parasites affecting them.

Update on the Martin Nest

I checked the gourd the Purple Martins are using and there is some significant progress on the nest. I grabbed the camera and took a couple of pictures:

As they collect mud for their nest, some gets on the entrance hole.


The entrance is to the left. There is quite a bit of stuff toward the front. You can see the mud mixed in with the nesting material. They are using the pine needles that we collected for them. We watched them land several times, grab a beakful of pine needles and take them into the gourd. This picture is already outdated!

I am so excited to finally have martins nesting! It's been five years of waiting. I'm looking forward to having them every year from now on!

Bluebirds Hatch and Purple Martins Build Nest

I checked on the bluebirds yesterday and the female was finally off the nest. All five eggs hatched! Here are a couple of pictures:



After I got the pictures of the bluebirds, I checked for any progress with the Purple Martins. They are slowly adding nesting material into one of the gourds. There was a lot of twigs and things that look like grass roots. They are beginning to add a little bit of mud as well. I'll know to start looking for eggs when the green leaves show up in the nest.

Saturday, April 25

Saturday was windy still, but there were several migrants still around. I guess the deluge we had Friday night was enough to keep them grounded into Saturday morning. The gully that runs through our property was as high as I've ever seen it. It was way out of its banks in several places.

I entered the woods in one of the most productive spots and it was the most productive again. I added three FOS birds there - Magnolia Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Canada Warbler. There were a couple of Ovenbirds around. A Kentucky Warbler and a Hooded Warbler were singing on territory. A Chestnut-sided Warbler chattered as he looked in the leaves for some caterpillars. When I got down to the new pond, a Dickcissel flew in and called from some of the trees that were knocked down during the hurricane. That's only the second time I've ever seen a Dickcissel on the property, although I know they migrate through here. I've got good breeding habitat for them.

Speaking of breeding, the bluebird eggs haven't hatched yet. I checked them today and they are still unhatched. They should hatch in the next couple of days. The Purple Martins have begun putting nesting material in the gourd. Hopefully it won't be long they lay eggs. I observed the female plucking feathers from her brooding patch on Saturday.

Bird species seen 4/25/09 (39 species): Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler (FOS), Blackpoll Warbler (FOS), Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler (FOS), Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel (FOS), Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird

Birding On A Windy Day

A strong southerly breeze didn't give me a lot of hope that there would be many migrants around today. Many of them take advantage of the winds and just keep going north once they hit the coast. Those that did stop yesterday take off at nightfall (you can actually watch that on radar between 8:30 and 9:30 usually) and continue their journey north. So, I went out this morning not expecting to see a whole lot. Unfortunately, I was right. Most of what I saw were either year-round residents or resident migrants that nest here. I was only out for a couple of hours this morning. I got back in and Eastern Kingbirds showed up in some really great numbers! At one time there were six of them trying to get to the mulberry tree on the east side of the house. A mockingbird was vigorously defending "his" tree. That was fun to watch. I thought maybe I could go out in the afternoon and catch some of the incoming migrants as they stop to refuel before continuing north. It was pretty much the same story, except for the ten to fifteen Baltimore Orioles that I found in the top of some trees. Those were the only two FOS birds I got today.

The mulberry tree has been pretty productive today. Along with the Eastern Kingbirds, I've seen Orchard Orioles grabbing a few berries. I thought I saw a Baltimore Oriole, but the mockingbird chased it away before I could get my binoculars to see very well. I keep looking for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in there. They typically show up in there every year.

An adult White-winged Dove showed up at my feeder today. I have never seen an adult at my feeders. That was kind of fun to see, although I know that if they start increasing in numbers, I'll soon want to get rid of them because of how much they eat.

I checked the bluebird nest this morning. The eggs haven't hatched yet. I projected them to hatch tomorrow, so we'll see if I'm right. The Purple Martins haven't continued their nest-building activities. It will happen, but I'm ready for them to get started now!

Even though it was a slower day, I did end up with 43 species. That's not too bad. I checked my list against the birds I saw last year on this date and I'm fifteen species ahead for this year. I'm not sure what to attribute that to. I have seen several birds this spring that I didn't get last year, but I don't think it is that many. Maybe I just had a better winter than I thought.

Bird species seen on 4/24/09 (43 species): Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird (FOS), White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole (FOS), House Sparrow

Update on the Purple Martins

I came home at lunch today to pick up Kristen for an appointment and went out to check the gourds where the martins are hanging out quite a bit. When I got out there, I lowered the gourds and as I got them all the way down, the male and female came in with the female carrying some nesting material! I was so excited! I didn't see any real efforts of nest building in any of the gourds, but today may have been the first day they're starting. We'll collect some pine needles this afternoon to put beneath the gourds for them to use.

On another note, there are a pair of House Sparrows trying to claim one of the compartments on the house. Once they get good and comfortable, I'll trap them and get rid of them.

Slower Day, But Still Good!

Today was definitely a little slower than the previous two, but still a lot of fun to be out there. The sheer numbers of birds weren't around, but there were still quite a few. I added six more FOS to the property list today: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Philadelphia Vireo, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Yellow-breasted Chat. It was definitely the day of the thrush! I enjoyed seeing all of them. The Yellow-breasted Chat was in some of the thick yaupons along the trail to go into the woods.

I saw something today I've never seen before. There were between 100 and 200 Chimney Swifts flying low above the trees very, very fast. It was as if they were feeding on something. They stayed in basically the same area for long periods of time. Barn Swallows would join them occasionally, but mostly it was just the swifts.

This was a productive weekend for my yearly property list. I added 21 FOS birds this weekend. They really showed up in great numbers. I just wonder how many more I would have gotten if it hadn't rained quite so much and I could have spent more time birding. I saw a total of 74 species on the property this weekend, fifteen of which were warblers. This is definitely one of those weekends that I'll remember for a long time!

Bird species seen 4/19/09 (43 species): Turkey Vulture, Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo (FOS), Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker ,Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo (FOS), Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray-cheeked Thrush (FOS), Swainson's Thrush (FOS), Wood Thrush (FOS), Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat (FOS), Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting

Fun Feeder Bird

Yesterday a male Indigo Bunting visited my feeder. I was pretty excited because they don't show up very often at the feeders. I remember as a kid having my feeders covered in blue with Indigo Buntings. Occasionally a blue head would raise to reveal the red chest of a Painted Bunting. I haven't had that here. But, seeing the one bird at my feeder was fun yesterday.

After I posted my blog yesterday, I added three other species - American Crow, Little Blue Heron and Blue Grosbeak. The Blue Grosbeak was perched on the fence surrounding our dog yard. That was fun seeing him up here around the house.

My Two-Hour "Big Sit"

Birding this morning was cut short by thunderstorms moving into the area. I knew they were imminent, and told myself as soon as I hear thunder that I would go in. So, I went into the woods to one of the birdiest places on the property. I decided to just stay there and see what would show up. I was reminded of the importance of being still and the rewards that come with it. We're always wanting to know what's going on somewhere else and many times we miss what is going on all around us. I just stood in one spot for over two hours and the birds were everywhere. When the activity would stop, I just waited and more would show up.

On the way into the woods, I heard a bird fly from my left and found a Green Heron that had been looking for breakfast in the water left from yesterday's rainfall. As I walked into the woods, a FOS male Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew into the top of a small tallow tree. He was still molting into his spring plumage. I saw one a little later that was completely molted. He was beautiful! I'm looking for them at my feeders. While I was in the woods, warblers were everywhere! The only FOS warbler I saw was an Ovenbird. A male Hooded Warbler was flitting around in the vegetation while singing on territory. A male Kentucky Warbler also sang several times while I was there. He showed himself pretty regularly. In all, I saw twelve species of warblers. There were Acadian Flycatchers and Eastern Wood-Pewees flying around. The Eastern Wood-Pewee was singing his territorial song. A Great Crested Flycatcher called in the distance. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets joined the warblers in the trees. Finally, I heard the rumble of thunder and went inside. Hopefully tomorrow the front will have passed and we'll have a nice day for birding!

Bird species seen April 18 (42 species): Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Eastern Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Blue-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Ovenbird (FOS), Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FOS), Indigo Bunting, House Sparrow

Record-breaking Day!

Today was an excellent day for birding on the property! Until today, April 25, 2007 was the day where I had seen the highest number of species which was 55. Today, so far, I have seen 56 and the possibility of seeing others is there because there are a few pretty common birds I haven't seen today.

On my way to the woods, a crow flew over and called, instantly identifying itself as a Fish Crow. I haven't seen one in quite a while. Barn, Cliff and Northern Rough-winged Swallows flew overhead. A lone White-winged Dove flew over as well.

The woods were absolutely full of migrants today! I ended up adding thirteen FOS birds to the year list. I also added Warbling Vireo to the property list. I got some great looks at him! I had hardly gotten into the woods when I stopped to observe some movement in a tree to my right. Two Blue-winged Warblers were flitting around looking for a meal. An American Redstart was just above them in the tree. They moved on, but I could hear a lot of activity coming from around some thick stuff, so I started moving that way. A Kentucky Warbler flew in front of me and lit on a dead branch about three feet off the ground giving me several seconds of really good looks at him. A Worm-eating Warbler flew across low to some dead branches left after Hurricane Ike. I got to where all the birds were and it was almost impossible to look at just one. Yellow-throated Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, an Acadian Flycatcher were the most active. A male Hooded Warbler lit on an exposed branch about 15 ft. from me and sang. I spotted some movement in a little tree to my right and looked through my binoculars to see a beautiful male Cerulean Warbler. The Warbling Vireo flew in just above him. A Chestnut-sided Warbler hopped out behind the Cerulean. At one point, I had the Cerulean, Chestnut-sided and Warbling Vireo in one binocular view! I moved out a little bit an a Tennessee Warbler was in the top of an oak tree. I saw a larger bird fly into one of the trees. I found him in my binoculars and it was a Black-billed Cuckoo! That is only the second one I've ever seen on the property. To top it off, a Summer Tanager came flying in and began singing.

I moved on from that spot after the bird activity had quieted down. I came upon a spot where an Indigo Bunting was singing from the top of a small tree. I watched him sing for a couple of minutes. I found several other males and females in the branches of the tree that was laying on the ground. To my left, a Blue Grosbeak popped up out of the thick branches. I checked the radar on my phone and saw that the rain was making steady progress toward me, so I decided to move on.

There is a spot to the east of the new pond that has been pretty good for warblers in the past. I slowed down quite a bit there and I wasn't disappointed! A Yellow Warbler was hopping around in the branches looking for some food. Black-and-white Warblers clung to the tree trunks and branches. A male Blackburnian Warbler showed off his fiery throat for a few seconds. Black-throated Green Warblers joined the show. A male Scarlet Tanager flew in and showed off his brilliant red plumage. Red-eyed Vireos were busily looking for food, while one sang from a perch I could not find. I heard to my right the song of an Eastern Wood-Pewee and found him sitting atop a dead tree. I checked the radar on my phone again (which I found out when I got home was not showing the correct images!) and decided to call it a morning and go in. The mosquitoes almost carried me off when I got to the pond.

I loaded up our van with our trash and took it off. On the road to the dump, several Black Vultures were eating something and a Crested Caracara tried to get some of it too.

The Eastern Bluebirds have laid five eggs in their nest. The projected hatching date is Saturday, April 25. The Purple Martins are still hanging around the house and gourds. I haven't seen any nest building activity, but they are around a little more each day. They will probably start building anytime now.

Bird species seen 4/17/09 (56 species): Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo (FOS), Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee (FOS), Acadian Flycatcher (FOS), Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo (FOS), Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Blue-winged Warbler (FOS), Tennessee Warbler (FOS), Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler (FOS), Chestnut-sided Warbler (FOS), Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler (FOS), Cerulean Warbler (FOS), Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart (FOS), Worm-eating Warbler (FOS), Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager (FOS), Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak (FOS), Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Orchard Oriole, House Sparrow

More on Purple Martins and additional sightings

The Purple Martins hung around for most of the day. I grabbed the camera and got a couple of shots of them. Here is one:


As I sat outside on my backporch this evening, I added a few new birds to the day's list. A Great Horned Owl called from the woods. Cattle Egrets flew over. A couple of Killdeer chased each other around the yard. Chimney Swifts twittered overhead as the sun set. With those, it brings my daily total to 49 species.

Finally! Maybe . . .

I am cautiously optimistic today! There are four Purple Martins around my gourds and house today. They've been there all morning! I'm very, very excited about this! It's been five years since I put the gourds up. This is the most promising sign of them taking up residence with me that I've seen.

The Eastern Bluebirds are within a few days of completing their nest. They are using quite a few pine needles in their nest. Hopefully we'll see eggs soon.

The birding this morning in the woods was good. There are still a really high number of Northern Parulas flitting around and singing. Not to be outdone today were the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. There were parulas and gnatcatchers everywhere. I have never seen it like that. I did get a few FOS birds - Bank Swallow, Tennessee Warbler and Orchard Oriole. I saw several Black-throated Green Warblers. A male Yellow-rumped Warbler came out nearly in full breeding plumage. I always have to stop and figure out what they are when I see them like that. A Swallow-tailed Kite flew over while I was at the new pond and gave me some really great looks. A flock of eight Anhingas flew over while I was down there too. Red-eyed Vireos are beginning to sing on territory.

Birds seen 4/3/09 (44 Species): Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, 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, Gray Catbird, Tennessee Warbler(FOS), Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole (FOS), American Goldfinch

Slow Day In The Woods But Two FOS Birds At The House

I went out birding this afternoon in the wake of a cold front that moved through. Relatively light north winds were blowing, so I thought today might be a pretty good day. I could not have been more wrong. Nothing was moving down in the woods. Nothing was singing. Nothing was flying. It was as quiet as I've ever seen it down there. So, I came up to the house, built a fire in the chiminea and sat outside. I saw more sitting outside the house than I did in the woods. There were two FOS birds that showed up while I was out there - Mississippi Kite and Chimney Swift.

The bluebirds are building their nest! I was getting concerned about them. I'm hoping that with them starting a little later, maybe they'll have a higher percentage of eggs that hatch. It looks like they're probably at least a week or so away from laying eggs. The male bluebird also flies over to the box in my yard and sings quite a bit. I wonder if he's making sure that no more bluebirds nest in it, or if he has another female that he wants to use the box.

Birds seen on March 31, 2009 (19 species): Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Mississippi Kite (FOS), Eurasian Collard-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift (FOS), Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird

Cold, Windy Migration Day

Today was slower than yesterday. It was very cool this morning, around 44 degrees and the wind was blowing 15 - 20 mph. Not much was moving around in those kinds of conditions. I didn't see much this morning, but went back out this afternoon and made up for it some, even though the wind was blowing pretty hard still. The only FOS birds I saw today were Broad-winged Hawk and Blue-headed Vireo. My first thought when I saw the Blue-headed Vireo was, "Solitary Vireo!" Old habits are hard to break. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were displaying their ruby crowns today. There were still quite a few Northern Parulas around, still more than I remember seeing.

Birds seen 3/28/09 (27 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch

The Day of the Northern Parula

Spring migrants were all over the place today! It was quite exciting in the woods. I got several FOS birds for the property. One thing that was very noticeable was the number of Northern Parulas. I probably heard ten individual males singing. I saw a couple of females with males chasing them around. One time I stopped to watch a couple of the Northern Parulas in the trees and a male Hooded Warbler hopped up in a tree not too far from me. He stayed in full view for a long time. Then the birds really started showing up! In the half-hour I stood in that spot, a Black-and-white Warbler showed up, followed closely by a Yellow-throated Warbler. I could see something moving in the understory, so I moved forward and found a Kentucky Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. A Summer Tanager began singing behind me high in a post oak. Just after the tanager began singing, a Red-eyed Vireo flew into view and began singing too. A couple of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds flew overhead. I was in a pretty open area where a tree fell during the hurricane and could see Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows flying overhead along with the Purple Martins. A Great Crested Flycatcher flew in and showed off why he is called a fly catcher.

One thing that concerns me is the bluebirds. There is no nest started (they had eggs in the nest last year at this time.) I see the male over there pretty regularly, but haven't seen the female in a while. I hope nothing happened to her.

Birds seen 3/27/09 (41 species): Great Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Crested Caracara, Upland Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Ruby-throated Hummingbird (FOS), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher (FOS), White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo (FOS), Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler (FOS), Black-and-white Warbler (FOS), Kentucky Warbler (FOS), Common Yellowthroat (FOS), Hooded Warbler (FOS), Summer Tanager (FOS), Field Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Lifer! On The Property!

On Tuesday, March 17, I was out birding in the afternoon and ran across a warbler that didn't look at all familiar to me. That usually doesn't happen. I can normally tell without a doubt, at least with breeding-plumage males, which species I'm looking at. This one was not like that. I saw him at the top of a tree about 30 ft. away. At first all I could see was his breast. It was bright yellow with heavy black streaks on it over the yellow. My first thought was a Canada Warbler, but the streaking was too heavy and it's typically too early for Canada Warblers to be here. My second thought was a Magnolia Warbler, but it's very early for a Magnolia Warbler to be here. So I kept watching hoping to get a view of his face. He turned a little bit and I saw the white patch on his wings. That confused me even more. Finally, he showed his face to me and I got some really great looks of him. It was yellow with a rufous patch under his eye. I watched him for probably fifteen minutes before flew out of sight. I chased and did not find him after that. I didn't have my book with me, so I logged all the field marks I could. I got home, pulled down my Sibley field guide and started flipping through. There is no doubt in my mind that I was looking at a Cape May Warbler! They're not incredibly common here as they usually migrate on the Eastern Flyway (we're in the Central Flyway.) They do show up and I see reports of them every year on the rare bird alert of people seeing them at High Island or in the Beaumont area. It's a bird I've wanted to see since I've been birding. So, the Cape May Warbler makes life bird #367 for me and property bird #191. I always get excited seeing a life bird, but especially on the property! With the Cape May Warbler on my list, I've seen all of the eastern wood-warblers with the exception of the Connecticut Warbler and Kirtland's Warbler. Maybe they'll pass through the property at some point . . .

More Spring Migrants Showing Up

This morning I went birding on the property and had a few more FOS birds show up. Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows flew overhead. A Hooded Warbler called several times. The highlight of my day were the two Swallow-tailed Kites that were circling with a couple of Black Vultures. I was able to watch them for a quite a while. There are still lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers around. I even heard a few White-throated Sparrows. Cardinals are singing everywhere. White-eyed Vireos sound their calls from the dense blackberry vine tangles.

I put up the Barred Owl box I built over a year ago. I'm not sure why I waited until now to put it up. It's too late for them to use it this year, but maybe next year. I still have no Purple Martins in my house or gourds. The Eastern Bluebirds haven't started building their nest yet. I hope they get started soon.

Yesterday as I was working on my four-wheeler, I could hear a couple of American Goldfinches calling from the hackberry tree in my backyard. I finally found them and the male was nearly in complete breeding plumage. It's been a long time since I've seen a male goldfinch in breeding plumage. That was fun.

Bird Species Seen 3/21/09 (32 species): Little Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite (FOS), Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow (FOS), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (FOS), Barn Swallow (FOS), Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hooded Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird

The First Spring Migrants

This afternoon after getting home from a trip to Columbus, I decided to go out in the woods and see what was moving around out there. Spring migrants are beginning to show up. Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Vireo and a Black-throated Green Warbler. Birds are singing territorial songs everywhere.

I'm a little surprised at the bluebirds. Last year they had their nest completed on March 20. This year they haven't even started. I hope they nest with us again this year!

Bird Species Seen 3/17/09 (25 species): Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo (FOS), American Crow, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Northern Parula (FOS), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler (FOS), Field Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird

Crested Caracara in Lakewood

This morning as I arrived at my office, I saw a large bird flying in the distance. I grabbed my 8x21 binoculars out of my glove box and found it. It was a Crested Caracara flying somewhere over the bay. He flew around for several minutes before disappearing behind the trees as he was moving south. I believe he's the first Crested Caracara I've seen in Harris County. It's amazing to think that ten to fifteen years ago, this sighting would have made the rare bird alert. Now, while not common, it's not all that surprising to see it. They, along with several other tropical species, have been moving northward and expanding their range from Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley.

Finally!

After five and a half years, a Red-bellied Woodpecker has finally found my feeders! I was beginning to think they would never come to my feeders, although they are regularly in the hackberry tree right behind them. They try to nest every year in the top of a telephone pole at the end of our driveway. This morning there was a male and female there checking out the hole that has been drilled. Unfortunately, there were also a couple of starlings eyeing the same hole. I hope the woodpeckers win that battle.

The male Red-bellied Woodpecker at
the top of the telephone pole in my yard.

A Purple Martin flew over this morning serenading me with his bubbling song. I've got my martin housing up, but I'm beginning to lose hope that I'll ever have martins nest in them. I know it's early in the season, but I'm not anticipating having them this year. But, I'll keep them up just in case!

The Carolina Wren that comes to my suet has been singing his heart out for the past few mornings. I woke up early this morning and listened to the chorus of birds in the pre-light hour. I haven't seen the Eastern Bluebirds that were checking out my nest box in a while. I see the pair that nested in my aunt's yard regularly over there.

We're about two weeks away from when I typically see my first Northern Parula on the property. About a week after that I'll start seeing Hooded Warblers. It's hard to believe spring is upon us again! It will be interesting this spring to see how the birds respond to the thinned woods because of Hurricane Ike. I know our woods took a hard hit. Maybe they'll be easier to see?

The Great Backyard Bird Count is this weekend. I spent three hours birding today, watching my feeders and walking in the woods to see what was out there. Overall I had a pretty good day for a warm, wet February day. For the GBBC, I record all the birds I see and the maximum number I see at one time. For instance, if I see 2 cardinals at 7:00, 4 cardinals at 8:00 and 3 cardinals at 9:00, the number of cardinals I report is 4 since that is the most I saw at one time. That system eliminates the possibility of counting one bird multiple times. I may start keeping records like that every time I go birding. There were a few nice surprises today. A Barred Owl flew into a tree and looked at me for a couple of minutes before flying off. While at the new pond, I heard an interesting bird call that I couldn't identify. I walked into to woods to find three Hermit Thrushes making the calls. As I walked further into the woods, two Great Horned Owls were sitting in a tall tree watching me. I saw them before I made them fly away. That was neat to look at them. If I had only had my camera . . . An interesting observation is I saw no American Goldfinches. The woods should be full of them.

I'm not sure why (climate change? hurricane?) but several of the oak trees still have green leaves on them. Mostly willow oaks and water oaks have them, but there were even a few post oaks that still had leaves. I just wonder why that happened. It's interesting that trees considered to be deciduous (trees that lose their leaves in the winter) have not this year. On many trees that lost their leaves, I noticed buds coming in. Spring is coming.

Birds Seen 2/13/09 and numbers (31 species): Eurasian Collared Dove (4), Mourning Dove (1), Great Horned Owl (2), Barred Owl (1), Red-bellied Woodpecker (2), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1), Downy Woodpecker (1), Northern Flicker (1), Pileated Woodpecker (2), Eastern Phoebe (1), White-eyed Vireo (2), Blue Jay (2), American Crow (3), Purple Martin (1), Carolina Chickadee (2), Tufted Titmouse (3), Carolina Wren (1), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3), Eastern Bluebird (2), Hermit Thrush (3), American Robin (22), Gray Catbird (1), Northern Mockingbird (1), European Starling (5), Yellow-rumped Warbler (37), White-throated Sparrow (2), Northern Cardinal (2), Red-winged Blackbird (10), Brewer's Blackbird (45), House Sparrow (5)

Little Time For Birding

Today was a pretty nice day around the property. I didn't get a lot of time to go birding, but I was out in the woods doing some clearing on the fence line. I saw a Red-tailed Hawk for the first time in a long time. Robins were everywhere. I heard Purple Martins today for the first time this year, although I never actually saw one. Yellow-rumped Warblers were abundant today. Nothing spectacular, but a good day overall.

While down at the pond, a Great Horned Owl called repeatedly. When I got home, I lit a fire in the chiminea at the house and a Barn Owl flew past several times, screeching to make his presence known. After four or five passes, he lit on the kids' clubhouse and sat there for a few minutes. It looked like he was watching my bird feeders for rodents coming to snack on the seed.

Birds Seen 2/7/09 (21 species): Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, Northern Flicker, American Crow, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Feeder Birds Today

This morning there were 25+ American Goldfinches on my oil sunflower feeders. A couple of cardinals showed up to snack on the safflower. Until all the Brewer's Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds showed up. After they got their fill of millet, cracked corn and whatever else they could find, they left and the other birds returned. When the goldfinches came back, they were accompanied by a female House Finch. I haven't seen a House Finch at my feeders since May 22, 2007. I keep thinking they'll expand into this area, but so far I haven't seen any signs of that happening. I know lots of people don't like House Finches, but I really like them.

I haven't seen a Purple Martin yet, but they're coming back. If you haven't, check out the Purple Martin Conservation Association website and click on "Martins Are Back" to the right. When the map opens, you can see all the areas where martins have been reported. Also, you can click on the individual states to see who has reported martins and from which specific city. I think I'll get out and put my martin housing up and see if we have any takers this year. It's a beautiful day to do that!

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

We went to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge this morning to see what was around there. It is very, very dry. Most of the ponds are dried up. There is still some water in the canals, but not much anywhere else. There are hardly any ducks out there. We saw one flock of Snow Geese. Mallards were the only ducks. There are several Pied-billed Grebes in the canals. Savannah Sparrows lined the sides of the road. At one point, I "pished" and drew out Song Sparrows and Common Yellowthroats. ("Pishing" is making a noise like telling someone to be quiet.)

What we found quite a bit of is debris left from Hurricane Ike. We noticed along FM 1985 going to the refuge that we would have been under 8' to 12' of water in several places. All the way into the refuge, we could see grass debris in the trees and on the fence. At the entrance to the refuge, the visitor center is an empty shell, and one of the brick walls had been ripped off and all the windows were gone. As we started around Shoveler Loop in the refuge, we saw lots of building debris. I was trying to figure out where it all came from and finally realized it must have come from houses in Gilchrist on the Bolivar Peninsula. There was quite a bit of it. It was really kind of weird to think that I was looking at debris that had five months ago been someone's house. There were all kinds of things - pillows, a baseball bat, a recliner and lots of boards. Even though I go to my office and see the results of hurricane damage, it's different looking at debris knowing that someone's house was literally ripped apart to create it. They are still cleaning things up in Chambers County and have a long way to go.

Sign of Spring

This evening, two male Northern Cardinals were vying for the attention of a female Northern Cardinal. With gusto. They were singing to her and chasing each other off.

After hardly seeing any robins all winter, they showed up today! I got home from the office and there were 40+ robins in my yard feeding. They're coming to my birdbath quite a bit, along with the Yellow-rumped Warblers.

The Carolina Chickadees have found my suet. They have come to my oil sunflower feeders pretty regularly, but they've found the suet now. I just wish the Red-bellied Woodpecker that comes to the trees around my feeders would find it.

I think my family and I are going to visit Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow morning to see what ducks are out there. I haven't been out there yet this winter.

Eastern Bluebirds

This time of year is always a tough one for me. I know the joys that spring brings - migration, nesting birds, new life and growth. I also know that spring is followed by summer and all it brings - heat, humidity, hurricanes and mosquitoes. So, as winter begins to wind down, I always reluctantly look forward to spring. This morning, I had one of those times which makes me very excited about spring coming. A male and female Eastern Bluebird were showing courtship display and checking out the nest box about fifty feet from my bedroom window. For the past two years, we've had bluebirds nesting in a box in my aunt's yard, but I was never able to attract them to the box in my yard. I moved the box out of the line of sight of the box in my aunt's yard with the hopes that we would have two pairs of bluebirds nesting. So, with those two around my box, I'm looking forward to spring to see if that comes true.

Other than that, not a whole lot is going on around here. There are still lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees around. The Carolina Wren continues to come for my suet. All the "normal" birds - Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Carolina Chickadees, Eurasian Collared Doves and American Goldfinches - continue at the feeders. I was out early this morning to hear the beginning of the chorus of territorial calling that starts as spring approaches. I enjoy listening to that every morning.

Beginning The Year in Colorado

January 5 - 10 found me in Colorado Springs for the National Conferences on Youth Ministries. The conference lasted from Monday through Thursday. Kristen and I decided to take Friday as a day to do some birding and sightseeing around Colorado Springs. We started that morning at the Fountain Creek Nature Center in the southern part of Colorado Springs. It was COLD! A cold front had moved through and snow was quickly following it. They have a really nice visitor center with bird feeders right outside the window. There were Red-winged Blackbirds all over them. But, there were several American Goldfinches, Pine Siskins and Dark-eyed Juncos (both Slate-colored and Pink-sided) at the feeders. Kristen and I decided to brave the cold and walk one of the trails. Just as we started, I saw my lifer Black-capped Chickadee. I know I've been in places where Black-capped Chickadees occur, but for some reason I have never laid my eyes on one until this trip. That was pretty cool. There were also a couple of White-breasted Nuthatches on the trees. I haven't really seen those guys in quite a few years. There wasn't much on the trails. The winds had really picked up and the temperatures were dropping. We came to a little bridge over a small stream and an American Dipper flew out from under the bridge to some cattails. It's been since 1996 since I've seen a dipper. We came to a larger pond that had quite a bit of the water open (most of the ponds were frozen). There were some Hooded Mergansers on the water, but then I saw two larger Common Mergansers a little further out. Those were new for me as well. I also saw the southwestern subspecies of the Song Sparrow that I had never seen before. It just got too cold to stay out anymore, so we decided to get in the car and drive to Focus on the Family where we could do some sightseeing indoors! There were several Black-billed Magpies in the parking lot. This guy stayed still long enough for me to get a shot of him.


We left Focus on the Family and drove to visit the home of a gracious lady who offered for us to go birding at her home. Her home is enough to make anyone envious. It's nestled in the foothills of the Rockies surrounded by tall pine trees. My target birds were Pygmy Nuthatches. Unfortunately, the Pygmy Nuthatches didn't cooperate, so I missed them. But, I did get to add Mountain Chickadees to my list. I haven't seen them since 1997, so that was a treat to see them.

Overall, my birding in Colorado Springs was good. I added two life birds and saw several birds I haven't seen in over a decade. I need to get out west to go birding more often! But, I saw 29 species:

Canada Goose, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, American Coot, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (red-shafted), Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Dipper, American Robin, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow

We go back to Colorado Springs in two years. I told Kristen I'm going to take the entire day to go birding at lots of different places. Even though I enjoyed the snow, I hope it isn't in two years so I can get up in the mountains and go birding some.

2008 in Review

I began 2008 with the personal challenge to beat my 2004 record of 129 species in a year on my property. I had made it a goal to spend Friday mornings birding, and then go as often as possible during spring migration. I kept to that as much as I could. During the summer it got difficult to do that with my schedule, and then after Hurricane Ike walking became very difficult in the woods because of all the trees and branches that are down. Here is 2008 in review:

Species seen: 142, which broke my 2004 record of 129

Highlights: Hearing Pine Warblers singing for the first time; have two successful broods of Eastern Bluebirds in my box; seeing the Bald Eagle fly over on May 4; having flocks of Sandhill Cranes fly over; seeing American Pipits on my lawn.

New Property Birds in 2008 (10 species!): Savannah Sparrow (1/1), Vesper Sparrow (2/1), Caspian Tern (2/8), Neotropic Cormorant (2/29), Blue-winged Teal (4/25), Monk Parakeet (5/29), White-crowned Sparrow (10/28), Sandhill Crane (11/17), American Pipit (12/17) and Green-winged Teal (12/22).

Warblers seen during spring migration (3/1 - 6/1): 22 species

Birds I missed in 2008: Canada Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Wood Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager, Blue Grosbeak

My property list stands at 190. I will keep my eyes open for the other ten that I need to get to 200. It's great living on this property!

Spring migration will be here before I know it! Purple Martins will be here in a month or so. The average date I see Northern Parula is March 10. Hooded Warblers usually show up around the last week of March. I am really trying to keep my schedule open in April and May to be able to go birding as much as possible.