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