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

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

Monday Bluebird Update

Still just three hatchlings in the nest. If the other two eggs don't hatch today or tomorrow, they're probably infertile and will need to be removed from the nest. I'll give them a few days.

Bluebird Update

The bluebirds have laid five eggs. The last one was laid on Sunday, March 30. I am putting the projected hatching date at April 12. The female is diligently incubating the eggs. I only see her out of the box when I go over to it to check on them. I'm trying not to disturb her too much.

I haven't been able to get out birding much. I had a doctor's appointment last Friday and wasn't able to get out. Then on Saturday I was busy all day. Hopefully I'll get out on Friday if the 50% chance of rain will hold off. I know there are Hooded Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, Summer Tanagers, Kentucky Warblers, etc. down there just waiting for me to see them. It's killing me that I can't get down there. I may go birding even if it's raining lightly.

I'm really looking forward to the third weekend of April. One of my long-time birding buddies is coming down from Abilene to go birding on my property and at High Island over the weekend. It will be fun. The last time we were at High Island together was in 2002. In 1997, we just happened to be there on the weekend of a huge fallout. It was absolutely incredible! Well, good for us, not so good for the birds. For our sake, I'm hoping for the same kind of luck, but I hope the birds have an easier time of it!

The Cattle Egrets have made a return to the property. On Sunday I was outside when a large flock of them came in. They all landed around one of the calves and kind of spooked him! He started kicking and running from them. They didn't seem bothered by his actions much.

Bluebird Nest March 27

Here is the picture from March 27. Two eggs!

One Egg!

I decided to check the bluebird box today and found a single egg in it. If she lays four eggs, the last one will be laid on Mar. 29 and that will put the hatching date on Apr. 10 or 11. I'm so excited!

Bluebirds!

This afternoon I saw steady activity at the bluebird box in my aunt's yard, so I walked over to see what was going on. As I got close, the female flew in with some nesting material in her beak. She went in, stayed for a couple of minutes and flew out emptyhanded, er, emptybeaked. I looked in and found a nearly completed nest! I wouldn't be surprised to see eggs within a couple of weeks. This is the second year for bluebirds in this box.







We've also got some nice Indian paintbrushes growing in our yard. I took this picture of a bunch of them this afternoon.




While at Mom's house to feed the cat this afternoon, I was almost sure I heard a Hooded Warbler call. I wasn't expecting it when it happened so I'm about 85% sure I heard it. He never called again.

I walked down to the new pond this evening and a Great Horned Owl flew from one tree to another. He sat on an exposed branch giving me some great looks at him! He started calling and was answered by a female further to the south. While I was down there, a couple of small brown birds started flying around pretty quickly. I followed them with my binoculars and found them to be Spotted Sandpipers. They landed on the edge of the pond and worked the edges for quite a while while I was down there.

'08 Property List as of Mar. 20: 64
'04 Property List as of Mar. 20: 63

Finally! Success!

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