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

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.

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

New Property Bird - #190

I took a quick four-wheeler ride to both of the ponds today just to see if any ducks were on the water. There were none at the new pond, so I went to the old one. There were no ducks on our side, but I walked to the dam and just inside our property line, a Green-winged Teal flew out from under one of the trees. He makes property bird #190 for me.

So far for 2008, I've added ten new property birds. Getting ten more will be tough. I'm looking forward to trying!

Property Bird #189!!!

Today as I was working in my garage, I looked out in the yard and saw the familiar silhouette and walk of two American Pipits. I have wondered why I had never seen them in my yard, since they seem to like short grassy areas. I would see them at the Cedar Hill Park on the north shore of Lake Charlotte every year. So, I finally got American Pipits for my property list.

Another surprise was looking out at my feeders and seeing a yellow parakeet sitting on the fence behind them. He stayed there for a few minutes and flew off just before I was able to get the camera to take a picture. Maybe he'll be back.

The House Sparrows are increasing in numbers very quickly. I may need to get my trap out again soon.

On Sunday, I looked up and saw 20+ Tree Swallows flying overhead. It's kind of surprising to see swallows here in the winter, but Tree Swallows stay and I see them every winter.

Year Property Bird #140

When I got home from work, several sparrows were hopping around my ground feeder where I have millet out for them. I grabbed my binoculars and found a Dark-eyed Junco (year property bird #140) among the Chipping Sparrows and House Sparrows. I remember growing up and seeing Dark-eyed Juncos at my feeder regularly, and sometimes abundantly. I just don't see that many of them now. Maybe it's a result of warmer temperatures. Maybe they just don't have to come down as far south any longer. I'll enjoy the few I get when I see them.

When I started out the year, I wanted to beat my 2004 number of species seen on my property. That was 129. I didn't think I could beat it by eleven. I figured it would be late December and I'd be scouring the woods to get #130! There is still a month left to add to my total. What's really cool is that I've seen all but 48 species this year that I've seen in the five years we've lived here! It's been a good year for birding.

Property Bird #188!!!

On Monday, November 17, all of us were outside working in the yard a little at the house. I took my last days of vacation this week. I heard a really strange bird call, which sounded like it was coming from the pasture. The call was familiar, but I couldn't place it. I was looking intently out there trying to find what was making that call. I heard it again and realized it was coming from above. There were 20-25 birds flying in a V-formation. I ran inside to get my binoculars thinking they were some sort of weird sounding geese. As soon as I stepped inside, it hit me what they were based on the sound - Sandhill Cranes! I ran back out with my binoculars and got some great looks at them. I looked and looked for a big white crane to be flying with them, but no luck there! Over the next 30 minutes, three more flocks about the same size flew over. I came inside and entered the sighting into my Birder's Diary and Petey the Parrot did his little celebration and said, "Rawk! This is the first sighting of a Sandhill Crane in property list for Paul!" When Petey does that little celebration, I know I've got a new property bird. I was very excited about it. Sandhill Crane will be #188 on my list now. Just 12 more and I can get to 200. That's going to be tough to do. I'll have to see some rarities to get to that number. Either that or have several gulls, terns or sandpipers to find my new pond.

Other than that, not much new has been going on around the property. I have pretty much the same birds at my feeders. I'm not seeing many Chipping Sparrows yet. Hopefully they'll show up next month. I am excited to have a pair of Carolina Wrens coming regularly to my suet log. I see Downy Woodpeckers and Red-bellied Woodpeckers in the yard pretty regularly, but they haven't found the suet yet. I keep hoping to look out and see them on the feeder. Cardinals have pretty much been non-existent at the feeders recently (although there are a male and female on the on the feeder now.) They must be finding enough food in the wild to satisfy them. But, the Eurasian Collared-Doves, Carolina Chickadees, Blue Jays, House Sparrows and Carolina Wrens are usually present at the feeders at most times during the day. I'm seeing more Eastern Phoebes this year than I remember in years past. Seems like they are everywhere! The Yellow-rumped Warblers love my birdbath with the drip. They are on it quite a bit. So, it's fun to see what's around this time of year.

Feb. 1

This morning I walked for about three hours in the woods. I saw a brand new property bird right off the bat - a Vesper Sparrow! He makes property bird #183. I was pretty excited about seeing him. I got down into the woods and the other three new ones I saw were White-eyed Vireo, Brown Thrasher and Black Vulture. There were vultures flying all over today! I'm not sure why.

The cardinals, Carolina Wrens, White-eyed Vireos and Tufted Titmice were singing territorial and mate-attracting songs this morning. I noticed several times male cardinals chasing each other. Spring is coming, even if it doesn't seem very close! I was thinking that it will just be six weeks or so before the Northern Parulas are back singing in the Spanish moss laden trees. While I don't look forward to spring because it means summer is right around the corner, I love it for migration.

The pond is nearly full. I am amazed at how much it has filled just with run-off. It only lacks a couple of feet to being absolutely full. Shouldn't be long if we continue to the the kinds of rains like we've had lately.

Birds seen today (26 species): Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Vesper Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch

'08 Property List as of Feb. 1: 43