Wednesday we were out walking saw 14 Turkey Vultures and 1 Black Vulture kettling above us.
Today Cardinals, Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, Grackles, Collared Doves
Today Cardinals, Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, Grackles, Collared Doves
Bird Sightings
- Thread starter Geoface
- Start date
Bird sighted: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Place sighted: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Submitted by: Edward Lillywhite Norton
Place sighted: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Submitted by: Edward Lillywhite Norton
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This hawk was hunting mice and lizards from palm to palm outside my office window. It's been up to it for a few weeks now, so must be good eats.
Was outside barbequing yesterday. All of the woodpeckers are looking for mates. Territorial drumming all around, and a male downy woodpecker is working on a nest hole in my paper birch. There were a lot of yellow-bellied sapsuckers working on the same paper birch, and the flickers have been foraging for ants in my backyard.
I stepped inside the house to get some stuff and when I came out, a "whoosh" that I heard, and felt over my head caused me to instinctively duck. There were alarm calls from all over, and then things became strangely silent. A sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk had almost plowed into my head and was perched on my neighbor's fence, staring intently into the tall grass. It jumped down, rustled around for a bit, and came back to the fence with nothing. I stood perfectly still and just watched as it flew past me, waist level, about an arm and a half length away from me, into the other neighbor's yard to peek under his deck.
I really need to set my camera up and start getting some of this on film.
Don
I stepped inside the house to get some stuff and when I came out, a "whoosh" that I heard, and felt over my head caused me to instinctively duck. There were alarm calls from all over, and then things became strangely silent. A sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk had almost plowed into my head and was perched on my neighbor's fence, staring intently into the tall grass. It jumped down, rustled around for a bit, and came back to the fence with nothing. I stood perfectly still and just watched as it flew past me, waist level, about an arm and a half length away from me, into the other neighbor's yard to peek under his deck.
I really need to set my camera up and start getting some of this on film.
Don
We have a number of birds in our neighbourhood. It is one of the reasons I love living where I do. We have the usual collection of Chickadees and Finches, Robins and more Grackles than I would like. Someone in the area has doves, which I HATE. We see the occasional Hummingbird in the high summer months, but what REALLY tells me that Spring is here is when I hear the return of our local Cardinal. He rules the street, tolerating only a couple of Blue Jays in the neighbouring houses, and even then, not for long before running them off. I love seeing his crimson feathers in the morning sun, high in the trees. BEEYOOTIFUL.
The other day we saw Purple Martins. They had return to their condos at the local nature center.
When I was a kid, a Great Snowy Owl (male) landed on the neighbour's TV antenna. Maybe 40-50 feet up. Stayed perched there until dark and, in the morning, he was gone. Went on a "Hoot n Howl" hike once at a local Conservation Area. Got dive-bombed by a Barred Owl. Did not know until that point that Owls are silent in flight. SPOOKY feeling.
My fishing buddy from last week...
We had a pretty slow winter for birds this year. I think I refilled the feeder only once or twice all winter when normally I would do it weekly. This was the first year I put out a heated bird bath and I think I only saw a handful of birds at it all winter. I saw more squirrels drink out of it than I did birds.
I'm very pleased this spring to see 2 male cardinals and 2-3 female cardinals on a regular basis. In addition the the cardinals I've seen a pair of blue-jays, chickadees, goldfinches, juncos, a nuthatch, a couple of different woodpeckers and even a huge wild turkey one day.
I'm very pleased this spring to see 2 male cardinals and 2-3 female cardinals on a regular basis. In addition the the cardinals I've seen a pair of blue-jays, chickadees, goldfinches, juncos, a nuthatch, a couple of different woodpeckers and even a huge wild turkey one day.
The woodpeckers are getting busier here. I saw a downy woodpecker last week.
Baldies are so common in my neighborhood seeing one is getting to be a bit everydayish. I walk under an active nest just about every day walking the dog. Somewhat intimidating when those big things are looking down at you
Several Warbler species have returned to the NYC area, Yellow Rumped and Yellow-Throated the first I found this year. Was up at dawn in the Catskills to welcome a pair or Wood Ducks and a Red Breasted Merganser. Great time for birding; birds returning and no leaves on the trees.
Tom
Tom
So far this year it's been White-winged dove, Mocking and Field Sparrows. Last year I changed my feed to small Nyjer seed. I placed them in a tube feeder so the dove could not get access. That's when a few more interesting birds came, like the Painted Bunting and the ***-mouse.
edit: Just filled up my feeders. Hopefully I'll see some nice birds.
edit: Just filled up my feeders. Hopefully I'll see some nice birds.
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I always look forward to the return of the Swallow-tailed kites. I've been seeing them since March.
I saw a Great Crested Flycatcher's nest in a nest box the other day. Snakeskin, feathers from other birds and assorted odds and ends. Beautiful eggs.
I saw a Great Crested Flycatcher's nest in a nest box the other day. Snakeskin, feathers from other birds and assorted odds and ends. Beautiful eggs.
I wish I had my phone with me, then I'd have some awesome pics and/or video to show you....
I was out for a ride last week on my bike (pedal not motor), and I stopped near a small pond at a 4-way stop on a country road. I looked over and couldn't believe my eyes. I full grown bald eagle was standing on the ground near the edge of the pond. I walked up the side of the road, up a small hill to get a better look and noticed that it was eating on a large fish that it had apparently caught from the pond. The fish was at least a foot long, and still flopping around. A guy pulled up and was trying to see what I was looking at. He asked if it was a bald eagle, to which I replied, Yep (thinking in my head, Duh, what else looks like that
) I then said and he's eating a fish. The guy said it was a catfish. It was his pond and he'd never seen an eagle around his property before.
I had another 5 miles to ride back to my house, and I quickly returned with my car and a camera, but by then it was gone. It was an amazing sight.
I was out for a ride last week on my bike (pedal not motor), and I stopped near a small pond at a 4-way stop on a country road. I looked over and couldn't believe my eyes. I full grown bald eagle was standing on the ground near the edge of the pond. I walked up the side of the road, up a small hill to get a better look and noticed that it was eating on a large fish that it had apparently caught from the pond. The fish was at least a foot long, and still flopping around. A guy pulled up and was trying to see what I was looking at. He asked if it was a bald eagle, to which I replied, Yep (thinking in my head, Duh, what else looks like that
) I then said and he's eating a fish. The guy said it was a catfish. It was his pond and he'd never seen an eagle around his property before.I had another 5 miles to ride back to my house, and I quickly returned with my car and a camera, but by then it was gone. It was an amazing sight.
Lots of Sandhill Cranes flying around here these days. It's always amazing how well you can hear them even when they're way way up there.
I saw a Sparrow Hawk today.
The first cottontail rabbit broods are starting to appear, and avian predation is on the rise. Saw a crow take a newborn rabbit from a nesting hollow, and a broad-winged hawk did the same thing not 2 minutes later. Mother rabbit didn't make it back in time.
Don
Don
A big red-bellied woodpecker has been making short work of the suet cake at the bird feeder.
I'm now seeing the Lessor Golden-finches...male and female at my tube feeder.
