I've been outside quite a bit the past few days that I've had off and not much is moving around these days. The White Ibis still fly over with great regularity. I just wonder if they're having a population explosion because I don't recall ever seeing this many of them, except in the past couple of years. There are juveniles in the flocks now. A Downy Woodpecker is in our yard quite a bit. I've never seen them with regularity in the yard, so that's kind of fun. The young bluebirds are still hanging out in the yard. It seems that they are getting the hang of foraging and taking care of themselves. I see the male around pretty regularly. One of the most exciting things that happened is a Yellow-billed Cuckoo showed up in the trees to the west of our house on Saturday. I was sitting at our dining room table and saw him fly in and perch on a power line. There was no doubt what he was. I grabbed my binoculars just to get a good look at him.
I cleaned my birdbath and put some bricks in it that make the water depth about 1/2 inch. That should be better for the birds than the two rocks I had in there before which were kind of slick and didn't give the birds a good place to stand in the water. I'm really hoping the fall migrants find it and use it. The Baltimore Orioles used it quite a bit last year. Fall migration will be on us before we know it. I'm looking forward to it. I'm still three short of tying my 2004 number. I should be able to get it pretty easily. I'll be able to pick up a couple of the warblers that I didn't get in the spring as well as Baltimore Orioles. I didn't get one last year, but in years previous I have gotten an Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Also, it won't be long until the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds come through on their southward migration. It's usually the end of August that they start getting really thick around my feeders. I'll put one feeder out in a couple of weeks to see if any of them are hanging around here early. In case you haven't seen it, here is a video I took in 2006 of the hummingbirds at my feeders.
Showing posts with label yellow-billed cuckoo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yellow-billed cuckoo. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
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
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
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