Predator Alert

This afternoon while outside gardening, I heard robins scolding loudly and looked up, flying in circles were two robins and another bird about their size, who then flew away and and in my direction, it was a sharp-shinned hawk.

More immatures today, boreal chickadees, a Stellar's Jay, who acted so different than his parents, and siskins. Also we saw a red-backed vole in the last two-three days. Good owl lunches.

Baby Gray Jays

Yesterday late afternoon the first baby gray jays came into the backyard with one of the adults. They flew around checking things out, finally one brave jay landed on the birdbath and started bathing. Soon it was joined by a sibling. We observed that the adult gray jays rarely bathe in that birdbath, but the immatures certainly love the water. When they left, a single song sparrow came back and bathed. Very nice to see him/her coming in. Also have seen several white-crowned sparrows, myrtle warblers, chickadees (both kinds), nuthatches, pine siskins, juncos, an occasional redpoll, two-three robins, stellar jays, and hearing kinglets, have not seen any kinglets yet. Have not seen our spruce grouse lately either. But we expect one day to see her with babies.

One of our black-capped chickadees showed up about 10 days ago, with a sort of scalped look. The black cap feathers were missing, from where they usually begin on his forehead above his beak to about the mid-part of his head. At first we wondered if it was afflicted with an avian pox or some other type of illness. He or she has a partner who looks normal and healthy. The scalped chickadee keeps coming back, and it looks as though the feathers are starting to grow back. We wonder what happened to him/her.

We are finally beginning to recognize the myrtle warbler's song. Typical warbler -- nothing too elaborate but a sort of twe-twe-twe-twe-twe, getting a little louder in the middle.

Bird in the "Bush"

This morning we drove out to the Kenai Boat Dock Rd. and stopped along the way to look at and listen to birds. In the thickest part of the mixed forest right before the habitat changes to wetlands, a bird was singing. At first we thought it was one long bird song, then we realized the first half was a warbler, and the second half was a mystery bird. We walked slowly towards the area from where we heard it emanating, but had no luck seeing it.  After we got home, I googled different sparrow songs, trying to recall what I'd heard. Nothing was quite right. It was a full-bodied, rich song, not long, and made us think of either sparrow or finch songs.

Robert Frost's poem, "Come In," always comes to mind when I hear birdsongs in the midst of a forest. Although we were not out for stars, we were out for birds. And of course, this poem is about much more than a bird call in the forest.

Song Sparrow

This late afternoon, we saw a song sparrow sitting on our brush pile, he has a little spot in the middle of his streaked chest. I looked up his song on google and it's the song I've heard across the street. Finally id'd this song after all these years. Very pretty! To hear click on this link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddavalos/2409730304/

Bird Song

This morning I heard a familiar song, across the street where formerly there was a large wild meadow. I would hear him but was never able to track it down in time. I grabbed binocs and stalked it a bit, studying every tree from across the street in our yard. I finally saw it, a sparrow with a large black spot on its chest, so we're saying it's a Fox Sparrow. I hope he visits us too, and in the past we have occasionally seen one at the feeder system.

Also, later this morning, my husband saw a Pine Grosbeak, which is great since we have not seen many of those in our yard in the last years as our yard vegetation changes to almost all spruce, the climax forest, and very little deciduous.

Have not seen our Blackpoll visitor again, but we're keeping a watch.

As many spruce trees as we have in our yard, and as ubiquitous as they are all over the peninsula, they still seem very beautiful to me. I found a sprout coming up in my garden, and then another one, I could not bear to pull them up and throw them away. So I planted them in my house, in a pot of dirt with a coleus. I see trouble ahead when they start getting big.

Blackpoll Warbler

Today saw a Blackpoll Warbler, first one we've ever seen, and of course, a first for our backyard. Only a very fleeting glimpse. Totally easy to ID.

Last night, a lively hilarious lecture on birds and other weird phenomenon by the famous Mr. Whitekeys. One of his 5 rules for birding, is to go birding every day. We do!! Without even having to leave our kitchen.

New Songs

This morning around 5:30, going out to get the paper, I heard a new song in the neighborhood, I am not sure but I think this is the mystery bird I used to hear across the street when we had a meadow turning into a small forest, and which is now a 3-story log house and graveled parking lot for 5 vehicles, including two RVs. The mystery bird sings a varied melodic tune, and its incisive like the white-crowned sparrow's song, I think it is probably a sparrow of some kind but I'm never able to see it clearly.

Yesterday we were in Anchor Point near the bluff and a swampy area, heard a number of golden-crowned sparrow calls. One of my favorites.

Also, I found out that one of our dear friends' daughters, age 9, is becoming a fascinated birder. I have been taking her and her sister out birding, as well as showing them pictures in the birdbook and talking about our backyard birds. She now has a new bird book and has been marking the birds she's seen. She is very excited about it. As am I!

Birding Festival

Homer's Bird Festival was two weeks ago and ours in Kenai is this weekend. I hope we can attend part of it. We've been down to the K River Flats almost every day to see what is new and also to enjoy the birds who are hanging out for more than 2-3 days. The late afternoon-evening is a great time to go, as many of the birds on the flats are on the east side of the highway, and the setting sun lights them up so perfectly. Since it's been cloudy the last few days, who knows how the light will be? So almost any time is ok. Our backyard seems a bit too quiet for my taste. I have heard robins, kinglets, white-crowned sparrows, juncos, and other calls, but not to the degree and intensity that I recall from other years. My heart soars when we have a backyard full of birdsong. We have been hearing and seeing a couple of robins regularly, so that is encouraging. Our spruce grouse keeps coming back, we see her on the feeder, the ground below the feeder, and just around. We are hoping she has a nest and baby grouses nearby. I don't know what they're called, but I do know they are precocial, so they may show up themselves with her one day. Yesterday I thought I saw a golden-crowned kinglet in the spruce near our bird watering station. And we continue to see the Myrtle Warbler too. All good. Just keep 'em coming.

Large Visitor to our Feeder

Two days ago, we saw a spruce grouse under our feeder. We've been seeing grouse around our yard off and on for a couple of years, but more lately in the past winter. Then yesterday and today, we've seen her on top of the bird feeder. It's a bit of a double-take, when you look out expecting to see the tiny delicate pine siskins or something approximately that size, and there sits that enormous bird. The squirrel even avoids the top of the feeder when she's up there, as mild-mannered and shy as grouse are, still a big bird.

We've had a robin, myrtle warblers, white-crowned sparrows, and our usual suspects to the watering stationg. Still chilly out, so hopefully soon more sunshine will bring out more birds. Hearing kinglets, sparrows, robins, juncos singing all around in the early morning, even during the day. Nothing new to report on the Kenai River Flats.

Myrtle Warbler, Yellow-Rumped

Today, both of us spent the whole day outside working, hearing robins, white-crowned sparrows, juncos, and kinglets singing all around. Then around 1 PM, we saw a Myrtle Warbler show up at the water in our backyard. So exciting to see a Myrtle Warbler today,our first sighting of the summer, and one of those birds whose call we're not familiar with. And then a bit later, finally, we saw a white-crowned sparrow! Wonderful spring day.

White-crowned Sparrow

This morning, heard the unmistakable song of the W-C Sparrow in our back "40" somewhere. Absolutely springy and fresh sounding. Have still not seen one, but would expect we will sometime soon.

Black-Bellied Plovers!

One of our favorite spring migratory birds! We saw several of them last night on the Kenai Boat Dock road. Along with dowitchers (we're assuming long-billed), green-winged teal, Hudsonian Godwits, some sort of sandpiper, just could not get a good enough look to ID, dunlins, and then a bit later, on the KR Flats, parked in the pullout, we saw a flock of red knots! Also - a long ways away to the east, there was an enormous flock of something UFO, white bellies, black and white when they turned. They flew up and back and forth and landed several times. With the setting sun shining against them, it was very flashy, even without binoculars, you could see them across the flats. Large flocks of Canada geese and white-fronted geese. Also about 20 sandhill cranes. A great evening for birds.

Robins Yes

Yesterday we saw and heard robins in our yard. One fed at our bird feeder. Also heard and saw juncos, varied thrush, and ruby-crowned kinglets, all singing away joyously this morning. Yesterday a trip down the Kenai Boat Dock road, yielded a sighting of two dowitchers mating, and many other dowitchers in the vicinity. Also a small sandpiper, could not get a clear view or ID. Sandhill cranes, shovelers, pintails, mallards, widgeons, green-winged teal, and godwits. Three swans. Anxious to visit later today, maybe we'll see a black-bellied plover. Every day things are changing.

Not So Silent Spring

A lot of spring birds are officially here. Snow geese, sandhill cranes, widgeons, the usual pintails and mallards, teal (blue-winged), ruby-crowned kinglets. We checked our book from last year, by this date we had seen a white-crowned sparrow. Have not seen nor heard one yet. Yes to the varied thrush. Thought I heard a robin tonight. Swallows. Our neighborhood trees have changed so much, I'm concerned about habitat loss. The thought of a silent spring is in the back of all of our minds some way or another. Some places are alive with birdsong. We are hopeful for more spring birds in our neighborhood soon.