Project FeederWatch Week 5

This week had 20 species at my feeders. The only ones that hadn't been on the list before were the American Robin that visited my birdbath and the Downy Woodpecker on my suet log. My bluebirds have found the new mealworm feeder I put up for them. The birdbath is very popular since it's the only water for quite a ways around. The American Goldfinches are holding steady with ten birds at the feeders. If they hold to the pattern over the past years, their numbers should begin increasing quickly at the feeders next week.

Project FeederWatch Week 5 (20 species):
Eurasian Collared Dove - 2
Mourning Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 2
Carolina Chickadee - 4
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Carolina Wren - 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 2
American Robin - 1
Brown Thrasher - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3
Pine Warbler - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 5
White-throated Sparrow - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 1
Northern Cardinal - 4
American Goldfinch - 10
House Sparrow - 22

I didn't have a lot of time to go birding around the property. There were a couple of American Crows that were around most of the time. Northern Flickers are still calling all over the place in the woods. There are now two American Pipits at the pond consistently. Eastern Phoebes are abundant in better numbers than I remember in a long time. The Yellow-rumped Warblers are still enjoying the bountiful crop of berries on the yaupons, bayberries and cedar trees. I did see one small flock of Cedar Waxwings last week for the first time this season. I'm toying with the idea of putting a ground feeder in the woods. I have a feeling it would just be a possum, squirrel and raccoon feeder, but maybe some birds could get to it when they're not around. I'll have to do some clearing to surround it with barbed wire to keep the cows out first. Winter is my second favorite season for birds around here because of the variety we get at the feeders.

Project FeederWatch Week 4

I had another good weekend for Project FeederWatch. I ended up with 19 species. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet is actually coming to the feeder now. The number of American Goldfinches rose this weekend. I saw a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos at the feeder. When I was a kid living at home, my feeder used to be covered with Dark-eyed Juncos every winter, but now I don't see that many. I saw more today while out birding on the property than I've seen in the seven years we've lived here.

Project FeederWatch Week 4 (19 species):
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Eurasian Collared Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 2
Carolina Chickadee - 4
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Carolina Wren - 1
House Wren - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Brown Thrasher - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 15
Pine Warbler - 2
Chipping Sparrow - 8
White-throated Sparrow - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 2
Northern Cardinal - 3
American Goldfinch - 6
House Sparrow - 30

I took a couple of hours this morning and went birding around the property. I went to my ground feeder to see what was showing up around there. The Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere! As I was watching the feeder, a Fox Sparrow hopped up in a little southern bayberry bush. He is a new property bird for me - #197! I got some great looks at him before he flew into the thick yaupon holly bush behind him. The Dark-eyed Juncos have shown up in good numbers. I counted at least 20 individuals today. I haven't seen that many since we moved here. I would see one or two most years, if I saw one at all. That was pretty exciting for me to see all of them. My BirdCam quit working, so Wingscapes is sending me a new one. I hope it gets here quickly so I can set it up on my ground feeder to get some shots of them. Hopefully the Fox Sparrow will find the feeder and be caught by the BirdCam. There were two American Pipits at the new pond today.

December 5 & 6 Property Birds (43 species): Snow Goose, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Crested Caracara, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, American Pipit, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Project FeederWatch Week 3

The number of species at the feeders and birdbath increased quite a bit over the past two days. I've seen 19 species. The rules of Project FeederWatch say that if you put something out in your yard for the birds (i.e. feeders, bird bath, brush pile) and the birds use it, you count them. Several of the birds have used only the bird bath because they have very little interest in the feeders.

Project FeederWatch Week 3 (19 species):
Eurasian Collared Dove - 5
White-winged Dove - 1
Mourning Dove - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 2
Carolina Chickadee - 4
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Carolina Wren - 1
House Wren - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 2
Brown Thrasher - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 12
Pine Warbler - 2
Chipping Sparrow - 8
White-throated Sparrow - 1
Northern Cardinal - 4
American Goldfinch - 1
House Sparrow - 20

Other than feeder birds, this weekend was great around the property. The American Goldfinch was the first one to visit my feeder. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet found the birdbath, as did the Yellow-rumped Warblers (in the picture). I may bring my BirdCam from the woods to get some shots of them bathing. The Yellow-rumped Warblers were literally covering the hackberry tree in my backyard eating the berries it produces. While walking in the woods on Sunday afternoon, I saw my FOS Snow Geese, Ross's Goose, Sandhill Crane, American Pipit and Field Sparrow. The geese and cranes were flying overhead. The pipit was near the new pond. The Field Sparrow was in some thick weeds along the gully. Both Great Horned Owls and Barred Owls are calling in the woods. An American Woodcock flushed from right beside me as I walked on the trail in the woods. I watched where he put down and got some really great looks at him walking around probing for insects in the ground.



Property Birds Nov. 28 & 29 (45 species):
Snow Goose, Ross's Goose, American White Pelican, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, American Woodcock, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, American Pipit, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Ground Feeder Fun

I've been very pleased with the visitors to my ground feeder. I set it up on the west side of the property where there is tall grass and several small trees that provide excellent cover for the birds - yaupon holly, southern bayberry and cedar. I just took an old piece of plywood, put some fencing slats around it to create a border and put it on the ground. I had to put barbed wire around it to keep the cows out of it. So far my BirdCam has photographed three species: Northern Cardinal, White-throated Sparrow and Brown Thrasher. I'm looking forward to seeing
what comes as the winter progresses.


Female Northern Cardinal


Male Northern Cardinal


Brown Thrasher


White-throated Sparrow

Project FeederWatch Week 2

The numbers of birds are still down at the feeders, but they seem to be picking up a little bit. I have my BirdCam set up on my ground feeder on the west side of the property. The habitat there is great for sparrows and towhees. I checked it today and had a male and female Northern Cardinal and one picture of a White-throated Sparrow (below).


I hope that I'll finally see a White-crowned Sparrow on the property. I'd also love to get some pictures of Dark-eyed Juncos and Eastern Towhees.

Project FeederWatch Week 2 (10 species):
Eurasian Collared Dove - 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Eastern Bluebird - 2
Pine Warbler - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 1
Northern Cardinal - 2
House Sparrow - 20

I went into the woods this morning to mark the next trail I want to clear. It is hard to walk through there, but that makes it easier to see birds. Joshua and I marked the new trail and then walked to the trail we just finished clearing. As we were about to turn onto it, I heard a bird calling. I got closer and closer to it and finally a Brown Creeper climbed up a tree trunk. I have very rarely seen Brown Creepers on the property. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker flew into a tree just behind the creeper. Hermit Thrushes were everywhere. There were more than I ever remember seeing. Yellow-rumped Warblers were in nearly every treetop. An Orange-crowned Warbler and two White-eyed Vireos flew around in some yaupon thickets. Except for fighting mosquitoes, it was a very fun day birding!

Project FeederWatch Week One

Week one of Project FeederWatch (PFW) is over. I had 11 species visit my feeders over the two days. That equals the highest number of species I had visit on PFW days last year. The opening week of 2009 I only had three species. Bird activity is still low at my feeders, but the number of species is varied.

PFW Week 1 (Total Species - 11):
Eurasian Collared-Dove - 5
Mourning Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 1
Carolina Chickadee - 2
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Carolina Wren - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
Northern Cardinal - 2
House Sparrow - 12

I went down into the woods to clear more on the trails. We finally got through with the first one! It looks great and will be easy to walk on. There are several big trees on either side of the trail. It connects the new pond to the trail around the fence line. We've got a little clearing to do on the fence line now. Tallow trees have grown up in the trail and a tree fell across the fence. I don't think it will be too hard to clear it. Here's a map of the property with the existing trails and proposed trails.

While we were down in the woods, two Hermit Thrushes were chasing each other. They seemed oblivious to our presence and came close several times. Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere. Eastern Phoebes and Northern Flickers called from the treetops. I am still waiting to see Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Maybe if I just went birding instead of being in the woods with a chainsaw. Hmmm . . .

Time for Project FeederWatch

Project FeederWatch starts on Saturday, Nov. 13. I signed up again this year. It's fun to know that my observations are going to help the scientists at Cornell Lab of Ornithology understand the overall picture of the bird populations across the U.S. My count days will be Sundays and Mondays. If you're not familiar with Project FeederWatch (PFW), it is a program where people watch the birds for two consecutive days at their feeders, birdbaths, or anything they have put out specifically for birds and report the highest number at any given time. I am hoping that having the feeders in the woods and the ground feeder on the west side of my property will help the numbers of birds I see.

On Sunday, I noticed a sparrow that looked a little smaller than the House Sparrows at the ground feeder in my backyard. I grabbed my binoculars and saw the first Chipping Sparrow of the season. Several people have told me in the store that they have already had American Goldfinches coming to their feeder, so I went ahead and put out my thistle feeder. So far I haven't seen anything on it. I keep hoping every time I get my memory card from my BirdCam that I'll have a picture of a Red-breasted Nuthatch on the feeder, but no luck on that yet. The wintering birds have arrived in good numbers. Yesterday there were Yellow-rumped Warblers all over the place. Eastern Phoebes were calling. I saw a Hermit Thrush last week. Northern Flickers make their presence known with their cirr call. I still haven't seen any Ruby-crowned Kinglets or Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

The boys and I have begun clearing trails in the woods to make walking easier and give us access to different parts of the woods. As we go, I'm cutting wood for firewood. We got within 30 feet of finishing our first trail yesterday, but darkness got us before we could finish. We should be able to get that done on Sunday pretty quickly. There are several small tallow trees to cut out and one pretty good size one in the way. I'm hoping by spring migration to have several trails cut through the woods. It would be nice to be able to get to areas now where walking is nearly impossible because of all the blackberry vines and trees that have fallen.

Here are a couple of pictures of a Tufted Titmouse on one of the feeders in the woods. I just love these little birds!

Eastern Bluebird Photos

I set my BirdCam up on my birdbath since I've had several Eastern Bluebirds coming each evening. I got some great shots of them yesterday and today. Here are a few of them:













You can see all my birdbath photos taken with my BirdCam on my Facebook page. I really love having bluebirds around. They fly over a lot and make their churr call. I wonder how many of them in the winter are migrants and how many are residents. I keep hoping I'll have more than one nesting pair in the spring.

Winter migrants are showing up more and more. I had my FOS (First of Season) Yellow-rumped Warbler today. I thought he was going to come to my birdbath and have his picture taken with the BirdCam, but the bluebirds were too aggressive toward him and he left. An Eastern Phoebe called in the front yard this morning. A Northern Flicker was calling in the woods. I keep waiting to hear American Goldfinches, but so far haven't heard one. I'm also expecting to see Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers any day now.

My hummingbird garden is doing really well. The abutilon is blooming and is about 4 ft. tall now. My first firespike is about to bloom. The turk's cap has been blooming for several weeks now. One of my coworkers gave me some hemelia to put in there along with another plant that I can't remember the name of. It will be great next year. I'm looking forward to the plants being established next winter and hopefully I'll see a Rufous or other wintering hummingbird at it. I do still have a Ruby-throated Hummingbird coming to my feeders.

Florida Vacation and Winter Migrants

We took a vacation to Florida from Oct. 7 to Oct. 14 and really had a great time. I didn't do much birding there except to watch what was around the resort and a very little bit at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. With little effort, I did add two life birds to my list - Smooth-billed Ani (#370) and Florida Scrub Jay (#371). I didn't expect the Smooth-billed Ani, but four flew overhead calling which I was able to match up with the song from the Stokes CD that has bird songs for the eastern U.S. The Florida Scrub Jay is an endangered bird that occurs only in Florida. They need periodic fire to sweep across the land to keep the scrub habitat low. Before modern-day fire prevention, fires would clear the land once every two to five years. Now we don't allow wildfires, so much of the jay's habitat has been lost. The people at Merritt Island NWR periodically set controlled burns which keeps the habitat intact for the jays. I had to walk about 1/2 mile along a trail before I finally saw them. Two of them were flying from the ground to the top of a dead tree. When I stopped to look at them through my binoculars, about a million mosquitoes found my legs! We could see the Kennedy Space Center from the refuge, and I could see Space Shuttle Discovery on the launch pad waiting for its Nov. 1 launch. That was pretty exciting! Merritt Island NWR also is a place where Florida manatees are pretty common, so we went to one of the places where they frequent called Haulover Canal. Unfortunately, the manatees didn't cooperate with us and we didn't get to see them. In all of Florida, there were more Anhingas than I've ever seen. It seemed like there was one on every little pond we would pass. The resort where we stayed was built on a large lake with a couple of small ponds on the grounds. Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons and Great Egrets frequented the ponds. One day a couple of Wood Storks were probing the mud on one of the ponds. I wish I had more time to go birding, but it was fun in what little time I had.

The winter migrants continue to filter in here on our property. I went into the woods to mount my BirdCam on Friday evening and heard a Northern Flicker calling. On Saturday morning as I was leaving for work, an Eastern Phoebe called from the power lines in my front yard. I'm just waiting to see the Chipping Sparrows show up at my feeders and the Yellow-rumped Warblers to show up in the trees. According to reports on Texbirds (a birding listserv for Texas), Red-breasted Nuthatches are showing up in Texas. We don't get a lot of them every year, so this year seems like it could be an irruption year for them. If I could get one on my feeders in the woods, it would be a new property bird for me.

Feeders in the Woods

After finally getting the tire on my four-wheeler repaired, I took some seed down to the feeders in the woods. I haven't filled them in months. It was just too hot to walk down there! I'm pretty excited to see what finds them this winter. I hope Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers and House Wrens find the suet and Bark Butter. It's possible, but not probable, that Golden-crowned Kinglets or nuthatches will show up down there. I'd love to see some Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows on the seed. Maybe even Brown Thrashers will find it. Once the birds begin using the feeders again, I'll put the BirdCam down there to see what is visiting.

I'm thinking of putting a ground feeder on the west side of the property along the road that the drilling company cleared and putting millet on it. My concern is that it will turn into a cow feeder instead of a bird feeder. I'll have to see what happens. Maybe I can put up a little fence around it to keep the cows out. I'd love to have a feeder there to see what sparrows and possibly towhees are there in the winter.

The hummingbirds appear to just about be gone. I'm going to take down most of the feeders and clean them up for next year. I'll leave a couple out for the next couple of weeks and see what happens. I really hope to get a wintering hummer this year. That would be a lot of fun!

Cool Mornings

I love the fall season when the first cool mornings arrive. I like to take my coffee outside and watch as the bird activity picks up. Cardinals are normally the first birds to arrive at my feeders. They are usually followed closely by Blue Jays and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds buzz around my nectar feeders. They are down to the point now where one bird tries to dominate all the feeders. There are still enough around where she has a tough time with that, but she tries. I saw my first winter resident migrant this morning. A Brown Thrasher was in the thick yaupons along the fence line. If he hadn't made the "chip" call, I probably never would have seen him. Fall migration was really great in my yard on Sunday, Sept. 19. A male Baltimore Oriole caught my attention in the hackberry tree in my back yard. I got my binoculars to take a look at him and also found a Philadelphia Vireo and Black-and-white Warbler in the same tree. I normally don't get a lot of migrants in my backyard, so that was a lot of fun to see them. Also, an Indigo Bunting visited my ground feeder yesterday.

The hummingbirds were not as plentiful this year as they have been in years past. So far I've only gone through just over 20 lbs. of sugar. They aren't draining my feeders after a couple of days now either. Others have said they are having higher than average numbers of hummingbirds at their feeders. In a couple of weeks, the majority of them will have migrated out of here down to Mexico and Central America.

I've had a ton of fun with my BirdCam! I have put it on my birdbath to see what visits it during the day. Here's my favorite picture of a Eurasian Collared-Dove that just splashed the water to take a bath.
The birdbath as it was made was far too deep for birds to get in and bathe in it. I had tried putting bricks and other rocks in it to make it more shallow, but the birds never seemed to be comfortable getting in. So, I went to Home Depot and bought 40 lbs. of concrete and filled in the birdbath to make it more shallow. I added some of the rocks into the concrete to give the birds a little better footing. Now it goes from very shallow at the edges to about 1" deep in the middle. The birds have been using it like crazy now! So, if you're looking for a birdbath to add to your yard, and you actually want the birds to use it, go with the more shallow ones over the really deep ones.

Hummingbirds are migrating

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration has begun. Hummingbirds are showing up at feeders in Southeast Texas now. Their numbers will continue to increase as the birds, some that nested as far north as Canada, make their way south to the coast. Unlike in the spring, the hummingbirds follow a land route for their southward migration and do not fly straight across the Gulf of Mexico. So, all the adult birds that came through in the spring move southward along with the juveniles that hatched this year. The result is a lot of hummingbirds on the move! It is time to put your feeders out. The nectar solution is four parts water to one part plain white table sugar. Boil the water and add the sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it cool and put it in your feeders. Change the nectar in your feeders every three days to prevent mold, mildew, fungus and bacteria from growing. Some of these can be lethal to the hummingbirds. Store excess nectar in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Watch for mold in the nectar before filling your feeders. We should see hummingbirds at our feeders into October. A feeder can help hummingbirds keep up the energy they need to continue southward. Planting flowers in your backyard can help too. My hummingbird garden has turk's cap, abutilon and firespike. Next year it will have some red salvia.

I haven't been birding on the property in quite a while. It's just too hot and humid. The fall neotropical migration hasn't begun in full yet, so I will wait until September to get out and see what is going on.

I have seen quite a few Mississippi Kites flying around as they are about to begin their southward migration. Hawk Watches are gearing up for another season. If you've never checked out a hawk watch, you should go. There is one at Smith Point in Chambers County and one in Lake Jackson. You can see an unbelievable number of hawks and have people who are experienced in hawk identification help you learn how to be better too.

New Property Bird - #196

This one has kind of a funny story to go along with it. I was driving to work on Friday on FM 3180 about halfway between I-10 and FM 565. I saw something along the left side of the road on the shoulder. As I passed it, I realized it was two Fulvous Whistling-Ducks with two or three ducklings. The first thought I had was that they need to get off the road or they're going to get killed. My second thought was that I could get them, take them down to my pond and count them as a new property species. Deciding that would be unethical, and not to mention that it would put me really, really late for work, I went on. Saturday morning, I was walking to my car to leave for work and heard a high-pitched whistling above me. I looked up, expecting to see Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and it was a flock of five Fulvous Whistling-Ducks. So, I got to count them on my property list without cheating!

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are beginning to show up. I've seen at least two individuals at my feeders. I'm trying to get pictures with the BirdCam, but that's proving to be a little frustrating! It seems they are so small they don't trigger the motion sensor even when it's set on the highest sensitivity. When I get it close enough for them to trigger it, it is too close and the pictures are out of focus. I did get a couple of shots of a female where you can really see the iridescence on her back. Hopefully I'll have more to post later.

A Quick Walk in the Woods

It had been a week since I filled my feeders in the woods. I want to keep them going so that when the fall migrants come through, they'll be attracted by the resident birds that visit them. I walked down and heard several birds still singing. At one point, there were several Indigo Buntings singing in an overgrown field with lots of dead snags. A juvenile male flew into a tree right above my head and investigated me closely before deciding he needed to get out of there! A female Orchard Oriole was getting nectar from trumpet creeper flowers. A juvenile White-eyed Vireo perched right in front of me and gave me a great look. Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens were all vocalizing quite a bit. A Pileated Woodpecker vocalized from somewhere deep in the woods. It was a quick walk because of all the mosquitoes, but a fun one to do a little summertime birding.

Quest for 200

With the recent addition of the Hairy Woodpecker to my property list, I have gotten excited about the possibility of having 200 species on my property list. The Hairy Woodpecker was #195. So, five more is all I need. Should be easy, right? Well, not really. I sat down and made a list of birds that would be possible here, but not probable. It's going to take some work (and a little luck!) to add those five! Here are the possibilities and where I might see them:

Gadwall - pond
American Wigeon - pond
Northern Shoveler - pond
Northern Pintail - pond
Ring-necked Duck - pond
Greater Scaup - pond
Lesser Scaup - pond
Northern Bobwhite - pasture
Pied-billed Grebe - pond
Wood Stork - pond, wet pasture
American Bittern - pond
Least Bittern - pond
Bonaparte's Gull - pond
Common Ground-Dove - feeders in the woods
Vermilion Flycatcher - pond
Red-breasted Nuthatch - feeders in the woods
Brown-headed Nuthatch - feeders in the woods
Winter Wren - woods, overgrown areas of the pasture
Marsh Wren - pond
Sprague's Pipit - pasture
Palm Warbler - pond, creek
Mourning Warbler - woods
Wilson's Warbler - woods
Grasshopper Sparrow - pasture, overgrown areas of the pasture
Le Conte's Sparrow - pasture, overgrown areas of the pasture
White-crowned Sparrow - pasture, overgrown areas of the pasture, feeders
Purple Finch - woods, feeders in the woods

If I had to predict which would be the first five I see, I would pick:
1. Wood Stork (more likely flying over)
2. White-crowned Sparrow (I have excellent habitat for them)
3. Gadwall
4. Bonaparte's Gull (flyover in the winter)
5. Mourning Warbler

The ducks, gulls and Wood Stork are all possible with birds flying over. Sometimes the ducks are pretty hard to identify when they are backlit by a bright sky.

The number of new birds on the property declines dramatically from year to year, which is to be expected. Here are the numbers of new species I've seen by year since 2003:
2003: 91
2004: 55
2005: 17
2006: 7
2007: 10
2008: 10
2009: 3
2010: 2

It could take a couple of years to get to the 200 mark. Some of the positives are that the new pond has a healthy growth of cattails all around it and has several trees growing around it. It looks like it will be more attractive to ducks and other birds that like water. There are lots of minnows in it now. I need to get some plants to put in the water that would be attractive to dabbling ducks. Having the feeders in the woods can make it a little easier to find some of the species down there, especially having the BirdCam set up to record what visits. So, I'm on a quest to get five more species to get to the 200 species mark.

With our four-wheeler having a flat tire, I've had to resort to walking to the feeders in the woods. It's a tough life, I know! But, it's given me the opportunity to listen for some of our summer residents that are still singing. Yellow-billed Cuckoos are everywhere and still calling. A Northern Parula was singing along the gully. An Indigo Bunting sang from the top of a tall weed and let me get a good look at him before he dropped and disappeared. I've also heard Red-eyed Vireos, Great Crested Flycatchers and all the resident birds (cardinals, Blue Jays, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers).

On a non-bird note, I did add another mammal to my property list - nine-banded armadillo. He was foraging in the woods near the feeders yesterday when I went down to fill them. I don't know if they're getting more rare, but I am surprised this is the first one I've seen in the nearly seven years we've lived here. I don't see as many of them dead alongside the road as I used to, either.

BirdCam Fun!

I bought a Wingscapes Audubon BirdCam to put on my feeders down in the woods. I can't sit down there and watch the feeders, so I let the BirdCam take pictures of the birds that visit them. It's a motion-activated camera that only takes pictures when a bird moves in front of it. I was impressed with the quality of the photos. Even when I cropped them quite a bit, the clarity was still there without the pixels showing up. One of my feeders is simply a log about two feet long. I drilled a couple of 1" holes about 2" deep in it. I put Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter in it. Before I got the BirdCam, I knew something was eating it, but didn't know what. I was excited to find an adult female Red-bellied Woodpecker, a juvenile male Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Hairy Woodpecker. The Hairy Woodpecker was property bird #195 for me! I pointed the BirdCam to the tube feeder and got several pictures of Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice. I decided to try the video function on it and pointed it at the log feeder again. I wasn't as impressed with the clarity of it. The videos are kind of grainy. Maybe I'm not doing something right on it. I'm really looking forward to this winter when Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Northern Flickers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and others might use the feeders. I could get some great shots of spring migrants in April, such as Indigo Buntings and Painted Buntings. Anyway, here are some of the pictures and a video taken with the BirdCam. (The noise in the video is the baffle being blown by the wind.)

Summertime Birding

Summertime in Southeast Texas can be boring as far as birdwatching goes. The excitement of spring migration is over. The birds that are here are breeding birds and they can be seen most of the time. But, summer holds rewards that no other time of year does. Watching cardinals feed their young ones at the feeder is one. The Red-bellied Woodpeckers have brought their young ones to the feeder and are teaching them how to find food. Purple Martins and Eastern Bluebirds have chicks in the nest. The Purple Martin chicks should fledge on June 24 and the bluebird chicks should fledge on June 27. It's so fun to watch the juvenile bluebirds as they learn to use the birdbath in my backyard. As the summer progresses, the anticipation for the fall Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration builds. We normally see their numbers greatly increase late August into September and October. Summer is just a different kind of activity. I think we try to convince ourselves that nothing is going on so we don't have to deal with the heat and mosquitoes.

I set up some feeders down in the woods. I had an extra pole and decided to use it for that purpose rather than holding our windchime. Within five days of putting it up, I noticed that several seeds were cracked and something had been eating the peanuts. I went down on Friday afternoon and watched them for a while. After fifteen minutes, a group of Tufted Titmice and Carolina Chickadees came through and visited the feeders. The titmice were feeding young ones. They were the only ones I saw at the feeders, although cardinals and woodpeckers were nearby. Hopefully I'll purchase an Audubon Wingscapes BirdCam soon and be able to put it down there to take pictures of the birds. While watching the feeders, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was flying around in the canopy. I watched him catch a katydid and eat it. That was fun to observe him. I had hoped that he would catch an insect and take it to a nest, but he didn't. I'll go back down there soon and watch for him to do that.

The Eastern Bluebirds seem to be doing well. They fledged five in their first brood. Then they hatched five more eggs in the second brood. Unfortunately, House Sparrows got into the nest and killed the chicks. So, the bluebirds decided to try again and laid five more eggs. I purchased a Sparrow Spooker to keep the sparrows out of the nest. Four out of the five eggs hatched this time. The chicks look very healthy.

On my way to check the bluebird nest one day, a female Killdeer began performing her "broken wing" display. That is a defense display to lure potential predators away from the nest thinking they'll have an easy meal of an injured bird. I began to look closely where I was stepping and found four eggs neatly arranged on the ground. I put a marker near the nest to make sure they do not get destroyed by a lawnmower. I have no idea how long they've been there so I don't know when to expect them to hatch.

The three Purple Martin chicks are two weeks old now. They'll be in the nest for another nine days. I still only have one pair. This year was weird for martins returning. Many people reported the martins arrived very late at their colonies. That was the case here. Most of the time the adults return in February. It was early May when mine returned. I had given up on having martins this year. Hopefully next year will be more normal and I'll have several pairs.

We planted several shrubs yesterday. As I watered them in, several birds came and enjoyed a cool shower. Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds and House Sparrows bathed in the sprinkles. I need to set up my mister in the trees and give them a place to bathe. They love getting under the water dripping off the leaves. It also helps keep them cool on hot summer days.

Spring Migration Wrap-up

Spring migration has come and gone. Now instead of seeing reports of the migrants people are seeing, we start seeing the results of breeding bird surveys. I have never really tried to find breeding birds on our property. A couple of years ago, I happened to look up and see a Yellow-billed Cuckoo sitting on a nest. Last year I found a tuft of Spanish moss where a pair of Northern Parula had built a nest. I know that Hooded Warblers, Kentucky Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos and Summer Tanagers nest here, so they should be out there. Most of the time it's just too hot and the mosquitoes are too bad to spend the time in the woods to find the nests.

I had a good spring on the property. I saw 21 species of warblers, both tanagers, both buntings and both orioles. I saw all of the thrushes that migrate through here, as well as all of the swallows. I did miss several warblers that I normally expect to see - Yellow-throated Warbler, Canada Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Swainson's Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler and Yellow Warbler. I added one property bird to my list this spring - Prothonotary Warbler. That brings my property list to 194. I missed seeing a Philadelphia Vireo and Warbling Vireo on the property this year, although I saw them at High Island. The best bird of the spring for me was the Fork-tailed Flycatcher seen at Smith Oaks in High Island. They normally don't range farther north than central Mexico. We had a period of strong west winds that brought several rarities to the Upper Texas Coast including the flycatcher. Overall spring migration was a lot of fun this year.

The last time I checked the Purple Martin nest, they still had three eggs in it. There was a lot of activity today with some SY martins flying around the gourd. The male and female that have the nest in it were trying to make them leave. I didn't check the nest today. I did check the Eastern Bluebird nest and found it empty. The babies should be a week old today and not nearly ready to leave the nest. I blame House Sparrows for this one. I'm going to make a sparrow spooker and see if I can keep the sparrows out of the nest in the future. I am intensifying my trapping and hope to take care of the sparrows around here.

Last Days of Spring Migration

Walking in the woods was a joy yesterday. The sweet smells of Chinese privet and honeysuckle filled the air. The bees busily gathered nectar from the privet and grapevines. Giant Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails and a couple of Monarchs also feasted on the flowers. The wind was strong and that made looking in the tops of the trees difficult. But, there were several birds in the woods. I added three new ones for the year - Bay-breasted Warbler, Magnolia Warbler and Acadian Flycatcher. I have probably seen the flycatcher before, but they look so similar to four other species of flycatcher that come through here that I don't count them unless I hear them call. The Magnolia Warbler was one of the first birds I saw as I entered the woods. He was hopping around in some yaupon thickets. It has always been my experience that when the Magnolia Warblers show up, migration is just about over. There were several throughout the woods. The Bay-breasted Warbler was hanging around with a mixed group of Carolina Chickadees and Red-eyed Vireos. Seeing him gave me what I like to call "The Big Three" for the year - Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler. I'm not sure what it is about those three that I like to see every year, but they are high on my list each migration. The Acadian Flycatcher was showing off his flycatching abilities along with an Eastern Wood-Pewee. He would fly off a dead branch, catch an insect, fly back to the branch and sing. It was a lot of fun watching him! I haven't seen nearly as many Indigo Buntings, so they must be moving on north. Several Yellow-billed Cuckoos called their frog-like call. Swallows and swifts flew overhead almost constantly. Kentucky Warblers and a Hooded Warbler called from deep within tangled understory.

The Purple Martins that showed up last Sunday have just about completed their nest in gourd #5 on my gourd rack. I keep checking hoping to see a pure white egg in the nest, but nothing yet. The SY male that has been trying to attract a female is still not giving up. He sits on top of the house and sings frequently. He may end up being an unmated bird this year, but will return next year and have more success. The unmated males actually serve a purpose at martin colonies. They will hang around throughout the breeding season. When the young martins fledge, these unmated males will harass them and give them a negative impression on the colony. Next year, those newly fledged birds will not return to their natal colony, but will join a new one or establish a new colony. The gene pool is kept much cleaner that way. So, unless a late-arriving female joins the SY male out there, I'll have one pair again, but should have more next year. Hopefully they'll arrive sooner next year and be here to sing their dawnsong to attract more SY birds to the colony.

The Eastern Bluebird eggs should hatch on Monday, May 17. There are five eggs again. I still haven't seen the young from the first brood. Normally they come to my birdbath within two or three weeks of fledging. I've seen the parents flying around, but the juveniles have been absent. I hope they're okay. The first year of life for a songbird is extremely perilous. Fewer than half of all the birds that hatch this year will live to see their first birthday. That's why they have so many at a time. I'm thinking of trying a time-lapse photo session with the bluebird chicks this time and seeing how it goes. I'll take pictures every day at the same time (weather permitting of course!) and then put them into my video editing software and creating a video that shows each day of their development. That could be fun. I hope they cooperate!

Birds seen 5/10/10 (37 species): Great Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher*, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, European Starling, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler*, Bay-breasted Warbler*, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Best Day of the Year!

Today has probably been the best day of the year for me. I didn't see a new species. I didn't have a record high species count for the property. Today was the best day because the Purple Martins that showed up yesterday are still around today! I had given up on having any martins in my housing this year. Yesterday an ASY male (left picture) and female (right picture) along with an SY male showed up and explored the gourds and the house. They were joined today by another SY male and female. I just love hearing their gurgling call as they fly around. It's so fun to have them!

I did get out and do a little birding this morning. The woods were pretty dead as far as activity goes. There were a few warblers singing on territory - Hooded, Kentucky, Northern Parula. A Summer tanager sang from high in the tree tops. A late Chipping Sparrow chipped from a cedar tree. A juvenile male Painted Bunting sang from a clump of thick vegetation. An Eastern Wood-Pewee and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo sang on the trail near the new pond. It's getting to that time of year when I stop seeing new things and start hearing the nesting birds singing. I watched the Red-shouldered Hawks flying around and finally found the nest. I couldn't see in it very well because it was obscured by leaves. I couldn't tell if there were chicks in the nest or not. I'll keep watching it.

The Eastern Bluebirds have four eggs in their nest. The second brood is well underway! If they lay five eggs, they should hatch sometime around May 17. I haven't seen any of the first brood flying around yet. Normally the parents will bring them to my water, but so far I haven't seen them. It probably won't be long, especially when the parents have another brood in the nest box to feed.

Birds Seen 5/3/10 (41 species): American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Three More Year Birds

I went into the woods on Monday hoping it would be a little more active than I found on Sunday. Unfortunately, the birds just weren't there. Even with the strong northwest winds, the birds just weren't there. I thought they might have sat tight for the night with those winds, but I guess they decided to go on. I did add three new ones for the year. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo foraged in an oak tree right above the trail giving me some great looks at him. A Veery skulked beneath a thicket of yaupon. A Chestnut-sided Warbler announced his presence with his song, leading me directly to him. Indigo Buntings continue to have a strong showing, including on my feeders. I saw several individuals including females at my feeders yesterday.

For years I had tried to attract woodpeckers to my feeders. I blogged a few weeks about about Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter and how it finally got Red-bellied Woodpeckers to my feeders. Now I'm using a Cranberry Fare seed cylinder from Wild Birds Unlimited and have really had some great luck with it! The ingredients are pecans, sunflower chips, peanuts, safflower, black oil sunflower and cranberries and they're put together with gelatin. The woodpeckers almost exclusively feed from it now. Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, House Sparrow, Carolina Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird and American Goldfinch have been seen eating from it. The Eurasian Collared Doves and White-winged Doves seem to leave it alone since they can't eat from it easily because they don't peck at it to break parts out and their beaks aren't strong enough to pull the seeds off. They are content to pick up what is dropped to the ground below. It is a great product (can be ordered online through the Houston Wild Birds Unlimited web site) and is easy to use. If you've got a problem with White-winged Doves at your feeders, it can be a problem-solver!

Speaking of White-winged Doves, I have seen several of them lately. I had five of them at the feeders yesterday. For years I had two at the most. It seems they have moved out this way.

I checked the Eastern Bluebird nest box in my aunt's yard yesterday and found the beginnings of a nest. So, brood number two is on its way!

Birds Seen 4/26/10 (45 species): Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo*, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Veery*, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler*, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow

* = First of Season

Bird-a-thon 2010

I spent the entire day birding. Well, after I cooked omelets and bacon for my family this morning, I spent the rest of the day birding! I started off on my property where things were a little slow. I did add three new birds for the year - Mississippi Kite, Broad-winged Hawk and Common Yellowthroat. I ended up with 35 species on the property, but very few migrants. Most of them were resident birds. I went next to the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. One of most encouraging things there was seeing how many alligators there are. Hurricane Ike's storm surge covered the refuge with about ten feet of water and 75% of the alligators dehydrated and died because of the salt water. There were several little ones out there. I ended up seeing 28 species there. I was a little disappointed that I didn't see a Purple Gallinule. There are lots of Barn Swallows there. I left ANWR and went to High Island. The Houston Audubon Society has several sanctuaries there. I went to the two where I have had most luck. I started out at Boy Scout Woods. Before I even walked in the gate, a Tennessee Warbler landed in the front yard of one of the neighbors across the street. Things were a little slow in the sanctuary. It took some slow walking in the woods to find some migrants. I found 13 species of warblers there. There were also more Painted Buntings than I have ever seen at one time! I easily saw 10 males and at least that many females. I went from Boy Scout Woods to Smith Oaks. When I pulled into the parking lot, a male Baltimore Oriole and male Painted Bunting were in the mulberry tree right in front of my car. I went through the gate and there were several species of warblers in the live oak trees to the left. I only saw 7 species of warblers, but there were lots of them. I went through the woods, went to the rookery and then went back to the live oaks. I was watching a Bay-breasted Warbler and Black-throated Green Warblers when a lady came down the trail and told me the Fork-tailed Flycatcher that had been seen the day before was back. She told me where it was and off I went. I rounded the corner and saw a group of about 50 people with their binoculars pointed toward the top of the trees. I got over there and a lady pointed it out to me. It is life bird #369 for me. Fork-tailed Flycatchers are very rare on the Upper Texas Coast. It was a special find!

Overall, I ended up with 97 species. It was a fun day! I am hoping that our woods will be a little more active in the morning. The wind is still blowing pretty strong out of the northwest. I am hoping that the birds left the coastal woodlots and have spread out over the region.

Birds seen April 25 (97 species total):

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (28 species): Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Great Egret, White-faced Ibis, Black Vulture, Sora, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Common Tern, Mourning Dove, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Sedge Wren, Marsh Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Red-winged Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole

Boy Scout Woods (38 species): Turkey Vulture, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Inca Dove, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, Baltimore Oriole

Chambers County (2 species seen while driving): Green Heron, Eastern Meadowlark

Property List (35 species): Neotropic Cormorant, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Smith Oaks (41 species): Neotropic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Common Moorhen, Laughing Gull, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole

Birding on a Windy Day

I had a couple of hours after I got home from work and my family was all gone, so I went down in the woods to see what was moving around. I wasn't expecting much because of the strong southeast winds, but hoped something would be worth seeing. I was pleasantly surprised with 44 species and seven first of season birds! Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Northern Waterthrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Orchard Oriole, Bank Swallow and Eastern Kingbird were the FOS birds seen today. There was only one Louisiana Waterthrush (very late in the area), but there were five Northern Waterthrushes around the gully. The Eastern Wood-Pewee lit in a tree in front of me and called. There were swallows flying overhead almost without a break. Several Bank Swallows flew over for the first time this spring. A Kentucky Warbler looked for food on the ground under some thick understory.

I checked the bluebird box this afternoon. No second nesting has begun yet, but the chicks have only been out of the nest for six days. Maybe they'll start within the next couple of weeks.

Birds Seen 4/22/10 (44 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Killdeer, Upland Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee*, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird*, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow*, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush*, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Northern Waterthrush*, Louisiana Waterthrush*, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole*, House Sparrow

* = First of Season

Excellent Day in the Woods

On Sunday, I walked in the woods with Amberlyn to see what migrants might be there. It was raining on us nearly the entire time, at some times pretty heavily! We came across a few birds, but for the most part it was pretty slow. I figured Monday would be a better day with the rain all night and front moving through. I was right! I ended up with 60 species today. Some of them were at my feeders and in my yard, but the majority were in the woods. I added fourteen birds to my year list today. I saw fourteen species of warblers, three thrushes, both tanagers, both buntings and one grosbeak. There were several places in the woods where there were just too many birds to look at. It was a lot of fun. Before I knew it, I had been down there for four hours. The time just flew by! Yellow-breasted Chats sang from the thick understory. It seemed everywhere I went a Kentucky Warbler was singing. Hooded Warblers sang from several locations too. Red-eyed Vireos have begun singing from high in the canopy. A Blue-winged Warbler sang from thick tree. I almost gave up seeing him, but he finally came out and gave me some really good looks at him. Another Prothonotary Warbler caught my attention. After six years of not seeing them, I've seen one the last two times I've been in the woods. A Scarlet Tanager almost took my breath away with his neon red and striking black wings. Scores of Indigo Buntings called from the understory and looked on the cleared land for seeds. A Painted Bunting perched on a tree limb that had fallen and allowed me about 30 seconds of viewing pleasure! A Cooper's Hawk flew across my yard carrying a bird. The male Eastern Bluebird was chasing him. I hope he didn't get one of the juveniles that just fledged on Saturday. I sure wish I had tomorrow off because it will be a good day as well.

Our Bird-a-thon day was rescheduled to the 25th because of the rain and a stomach bug. Apparently Sunday was an excellent day at High Island. If we can see 200 species, we'll raise over $400 for the Houston Audubon Society.

I mentioned before that the Eastern Bluebird chicks fledged on Saturday. I cleaned the old nest out today. Hopefully they'll start a second nest within the next couple of weeks.

Birds seen April 19, 2010 (60 species): Neotropic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow*, Barn Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Gray-cheeked Thrush*, Swainson's Thrush*, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Blue-winged Warbler*, Tennessee Warbler*, Nashville Warbler*, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler*, Blackburnian Warbler*, Blackpoll Warbler*, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler*, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat*, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager*, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak*, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting*, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

*= First of Season

Bluebird Chicks - 14 Days Old

The bluebird chicks are 14 days old today. They have really gotten their feathers in. They should fledge either Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully this year we'll have a second brood. The first brood is fledging early enough where they should have plenty of time to start a second brood. Hopefully I can get some pictures of the fledglings when they come to the water in my backyard. It's fun to watch them following the male around learning how to live. Here's a picture of them at 14 days old.

More and More Migrants

More and more migrants are coming in. My day began with three Indigo Buntings on my feeders. Walking in the woods was very productive. A male Summer Tanager busily ate insects in the tops of the trees. A little further down the trail, I ran into a mixed flock of birds. The majority of them were Red-eyed Vireos. I don't think I have ever seen so many at one time. A Yellow-throated Vireo showed up and gave me some good looks at him. A Blue-headed Vireo was just below him. White-eyed Vireos and Carolina Wrens called from the thickets. A male Cerulean Warbler was looking for insects in the top of an oak tree. The Cerulean Warbler is a little early. That's what I love about migration. You just never know what you'll see!

The bluebird chicks in my nest box will fledge sometime around April 17. Hopefully they'll have a second brood this year. Last year they just had the one. They started late with the first one, so hopefully we'll have more than one this year.

Birds seen April 11 & 12 (44 species): Neotropic Cormorant, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Killdeer, Upland Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barn Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Cerulean Warbler, Summer Tanager, Chipping Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

First Swallow-tailed Kite

While I was out mowing this afternoon, the first Swallow-tailed Kite of the season flew overhead. He flew in really low and then climbed in altitude until he flew off to the east. I know that they aren't all that rare in the area anymore, but they are so beautiful to watch. They just seem to effortlessly fly through the air. It's always a treat to see them!

New Property Bird - #194

I spent about three hours walking in the woods this morning. There was a lot of activity, but not a lot of migrants just yet. Just to the east of the new pond, several warblers and other birds were flying around. Most of them were Yellow-rumped Warblers, many in their breeding plumage. A Northern Parula called incessantly and came out several times to show off his brilliant plumage. Then my new property bird showed up. A Prothonotary Warbler was in the same tree as the parula. He gave me some great looks! I never would have thought I'd see a Black-throated Blue Warbler and Cape May Warbler on the property before a Prothonotary, but that's just the way it worked out. He is property bird #194. In a clump of yaupon trees just below the Prothonotary, a Worm-eating Warbler looked for insects. A female Hooded Warbler came in and out of the thicket. A Red-eyed Vireo and Black-and-white Warbler flew from tree to tree in search of breakfast. Swallows, martins and swifts flew overhead. On the way back in, an Osprey flew overhead.

The Eastern Bluebird chicks hatched on 3/30. I checked the box yesterday (4/4) and this is what they look like.
They're starting to get feathers in on their wings. They should fledge around April 17. I'll post more pictures over the next couple of weeks.

Here's a picture of Mr. Bluebird I took a while back.


Birds seen 4/5/10 (43 species): Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo (FOS), Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler (FOS & new property bird), Worm-eating Warbler (FOS), Hooded Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting (FOS), Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Recliner Birding

I spent yesterday in a recliner in front of our backdoor watching the birds at our feeders because of hyper-extending my knee pretty badly on Sunday. There was no way I could have walked in the woods. The worst part is it was an absolutely gorgeous day! Sigh . . .

But, the day wasn't completely without highlights! Pretty early in the morning, a Dickcissel showed up in the tree behind my feeders. I got some excellent looks at him. Later, he hopped down to my ground feeder and ate some of the millet there. He went to my birdbath a couple of times and drank from it. I got several really good looks at him, as did my wife and kids. I checked the UTC Checklist and Dickcissels aren't even mentioned to be here at the end of March, so this little guy was very early. The first week of April it's considered uncommon and then common by the second week of April. I guess he wanted to get a jump on all the other Dickcissels and get some good territory to nest in! He was only the second Dickcissel I have seen on the property in nearly seven years. It was neat to enter the Dickcissel into my Project FeederWatch records. When I was finished, they very politely wanted me to go back and confirm that I actually meant Dickcissel because their records show it is early for my area.

American Goldfinches were coming to the feeders. I had five of them. One of the males had nearly completed his molt into breeding plumage. There was one streak of the light brown on his chest. The rest of his plumage was breathtaking! A House Wren has found my suet and visited several times yesterday. Also, a male and female Yellow-rumped Warbler ate from the suet throughout the day. The male has changed into his breeding plumage. I always enjoy seeing them in that plumage because we don't get to see them like that very often. Like the goldfinches, they leave about the time they molt.

Several Northern Rough-winged Swallows flew over. That was the first time I've seen them this year. Cattle Egrets were following the cows in the pasture. A Pileated Woodpecker flew across the pasture on his way to the woods. The numbers of Mourning Doves and Eurasian Collared-Doves is going up at my feeders. I had four of each yesterday. The most I saw all winter of each was two.

The eggs in the Eastern Bluebird nest should hatch on Wednesday or Thursday. I'll walk/hobble over there to see what's going on with them on Wednesday afternoon.

Birds seen 3/29/10 (22 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow (FOS), Carolina Chickadee, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Dickcissel (FOS), Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

More Spring Migrants

Kristen and I went walking for about an hour this morning in the woods. The trail around the fence line on the east side of the property is cleared, so the walking is a bit easier. It was chilly this morning when we left, but it warmed up nicely by the time we were going in. We were about halfway around the trail and a Hooded Warbler began calling. I walked off the trail and found him in a tree that fell down in Hurricane Ike. He sang several times and then some Carolina Wrens began making their alarm call which attracted his attention. He gave me several good looks at him. Not too much further down the trail, a male Northern Parula sang from the one tree left with Spanish moss on it. He gave me a few good looks. Those were all the migrants we saw this morning.

There are still several winter birds around. There are large flocks of Cedar Waxwings on the yaupon trees. American Goldfinches were in the woods on the budding trees. White-throated Sparrows called from the thick understory. A Hermit Thrush sang from somewhere in the woods. Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets flitted around in the treetops.

I love being in the woods and hearing the spring chorus of territorial calls. Northern Cardinals, White-eyed Vireos, Carolina Wrens and Tufted Titmice all were singing.

On Saturday, 3/20, I saw the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year. It was a male visiting the feeder I have set up in the backyard.

Birds seen 3/22/10 (29 species): Little Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, blue Jay, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hooded Warbler (FOS), Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

First Outing of the Spring

This morning I went birding in the woods for the first time this spring. I still can't get over how different things look since Hurricane Ike. I was hoping to see some early migrants. I did see four - Great Crested Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Black-and-white Warbler and Northern Parula. It was nice to see them. I look forward to spring migration so much and it is very exciting when I start seeing the migrants come in. The birds are certainly anticipating spring's arrival. The woods were filled with songs of Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, White-eyed Vireos and Hermit Thrushes.

Another sign of spring is nesting. I checked the Eastern Bluebird nest to find one egg in the nest! This is two weeks earlier than they laid eggs in 2008 and a month earlier than last year. If they lay five eggs, the last one will be laid on March 17.

Birds seen 3/13/10 (31 species): White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird

Spring!

I love spring! Watching the birds begin their territorial displays and courtship is so fun. I love to walk outside early in the morning and hear the chorus of cardinals, Carolina Wrens, White-eyed Vireos, bluebirds and robins ushering in the new day. Watching the birds at my feeders is fun too. Male cardinals will crack a safflower seed and feed the female. When another male cardinal comes to the feeders, a chase ensues to get the intruder out of the territory. It won't be long before the hummingbirds come to the feeders. Buntings and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks may come to the feeders. I am still hopeful the Purple Martins will return to the houses here. They seem to be late coming in across the board this year. Add to all that the anticipation of the upcoming migration of many songbirds heading from South America and Central America to their breeding grounds as far north as Canada. I always look forward to the trill of Northern Parulas singing to announce his territory and attract a mate. I look forward to finding Hooded Warblers skulking in the tangles of tri-foliate orange trees. I always feel my spring has been complete if I can see the trio of Chestnut-sided Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler. Last year I missed the Bay-breasted Warbler. I look forward to the breath-taking red on Scarlet Tanagers as they fly through the treetops in search of insects. And I'm always hopeful to see a male Painted Bunting. Spring is such a fun time of the year for birds!

The American Goldfinches are slowing down quite a bit at the feeders. I went from having 50+ last week to having fewer than 20 this week. I am always sad to see them go. They provide a lot of entertainment over the winter months. I did have a happy feeder story today. I have been spreading Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter on a tallow tree in the backyard. Bark Butter is a mixture of suet, peanuts and corn made by the CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited to attract Brown Creepers in his yard. I have seen woodpeckers in that tallow tree often and hoped they would eventually find the Bark Butter. This morning I watched a female Red-bellied Woodpecker go to the Bark Butter and eat from it. That is very exciting to me because I have never had any luck with attracting woodpeckers to my feeders. Other birds I have seen eating the Bark Butter are Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird and Carolina Wren. I'm looking forward to seeing what else finds it!

I checked the Eastern Bluebird box in my aunt's yard on Saturday and found a partially completed nest. This is the earliest I have seen a nesting attempt. There isn't any activity in the other boxes I have up yet, but some younger birds sometimes take a little longer to get going in the spring. I'm still hopeful it will happen.

Next week I will begin my weekly trips down into the woods to see the migrants that are coming through. I would go today, but it's raining. March 9 is the earliest date I have seen any of the migrant songbirds coming through. Normally I will see them beginning in the third week of March. I will post what I am see regularly.