More Summer Property News

The old pond continues to lose water. From Saturday evening to Sunday evening, the level went down about 3". There is still life at the old pond, though. A Yellow-crowned Night-heron is nesting alongside a Green Heron. A Little Blue Heron comes to feed at the edge of the water. I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo down there this morning. I found six baby alligators about 12" long on Saturday evening, but they weren't there on Sunday. A female hummingbird was gathering nesting material from a willow tree this morning. I couldn't see where she went when she flew off.

Little Blue Heron hunting at the old pond

My birdbath in the woods developed a larger crack than it had before, so I brought it to the house to fix it. When I pulled it off the four-wheeler, it had broken into two pieces. I'll have to replace it with a plastic one soon!

I still hear Red-eyed Vireos singing in the woods regularly when I go down there. Hopefully I'll get a new birdbath and be able to see some of the juvenile birds that come to it.

Oh Canada!

Spring migration is winding down, but it's not over yet. With the cool front passing through yesterday and 10-15 mph north winds all night and this morning, some of the late migrants were grounded today. All of the migrants that nest here were singing including Northern Parula, Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Eastern Wood Pewee and Acadian Flycatcher. Several migrant warblers were flitting around in the trees fueling up for their journey north when southerly winds return. There were Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, American Redstart and the first Canada Warbler I've seen on the property this year. Yellow-billed Cuckoos finally have shown up and were calling in several places.

I was trying to find a little bird in some pretty thick tangles of tri-foliate orange and yaupon holly trees. I could see a little ways back in this particular spot. I could see a little dip in the ground. As I was looking for the little bird, a Green Heron hopped up out of the little dip. He's the first one of his species I have seen this year on the property.

When I came back in, I went to check the bluebird box. The female seemed a little apprehensive with me going toward it. They have begun constructing a new nest. This nest has a lot of pine needles in it. I would guess they are halfway through with their construction. We'll probably see eggs in the next seven to ten days.

Birds seen on May 16 (35 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

'08 Property Birds as of May 16: 122
'04 Property Birds as of May 16: 105