Our favorite photographer posted an artistic view of one of the great shorebirds we have here in the summers.
http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2011-08-30/yellowlegs-takes-a-break
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Early Morning Surprise
We were up around 5:30, reading the paper at 6 AM. It was still pretty dim outdoors. I heard a sort of squeaky sound outside, and thought it sounded vaguely like a Varied Thrush's call. I looked out the back door, and there sat a Varied Thrush on a spruce branch only about 6 feet away, he flew towards the birdbath and hid there for a moment. Then we saw another VT hopping down the trail. I kept hearing the little whistley sound they make, it was not quite the classic "telephone" ring sound you hear, but related. Absolutely gorgeous birds! They are so elusive.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Other Backyards
Had a recent trip to California, observing interesting backyards and lagoons. A daily sighting was a black phoebe and immature phoebe feeding on insects, including a large walking stick. Also, hummingbirds - Anna's - and a brown towhee, also called California towhee. Once in the past, we viewed an oriole here. There is a grapefruit and an orange tree in the yard, makes for great feeding and habitat.
In a side trip to a lagoon area, we viewed dozens of brown pelicans, ruddy ducks, avocets, phalaropes, cormorants, some least terns (whose protected nesting area was near our hiking route), and - a somewhat challenging ID problem which turned out to be a horned lark and family. The lark was acting somewhat sparrow-ish, and the beak fooled us, but we finally figured it out.
As we drove back home from the airport in Kenai, we saw a Northern harrier in the KR flats. Many backyard pine siskins, chickadees, and nuthatches. Our yard is still full of birds this late in August.
In a side trip to a lagoon area, we viewed dozens of brown pelicans, ruddy ducks, avocets, phalaropes, cormorants, some least terns (whose protected nesting area was near our hiking route), and - a somewhat challenging ID problem which turned out to be a horned lark and family. The lark was acting somewhat sparrow-ish, and the beak fooled us, but we finally figured it out.
As we drove back home from the airport in Kenai, we saw a Northern harrier in the KR flats. Many backyard pine siskins, chickadees, and nuthatches. Our yard is still full of birds this late in August.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Woodpecker
Just now, about 11 AM, studying my bird blog, I heard a familiar, "Tseek!" outside. There on our peanut butter post, was a hairy woodpecker, male. Beautiful. First one in a few weeks.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A Bright Morning
This morning, after a rain, everything is refreshed. The immature robin we've seen, injured but hopping around and eating, has disappeared. We are hoping that means it was able to fly away. In addition, I saw a small bunny in the front yard, two days ago, hopping around and out of my way. I believe it is the same bunny that seemed lethargic earlier this week. I hope both little animals survived whatever was wrong with them.
A lot of voles in the front, and our mousetrap in the garage trapped a vole, unfortunately. We still occasionally trap a mouse in the crawl space.
Bird wise, though, many many immature pine siskins, chickadees, juncos, nuthatches. Have not seen many warblers or kinglets lately. White-crowned sparrows, adult and immature. Almost every day, at least one redpoll. One immature crossbill last week.
Later the same day: we once again saw our crippled robin, hopping to beat the band but not flying. We also found two dead bunnies in the yard, however still see one small one hopping around. Attrition in nature is a tough thing to observe.
A lot of voles in the front, and our mousetrap in the garage trapped a vole, unfortunately. We still occasionally trap a mouse in the crawl space.
Bird wise, though, many many immature pine siskins, chickadees, juncos, nuthatches. Have not seen many warblers or kinglets lately. White-crowned sparrows, adult and immature. Almost every day, at least one redpoll. One immature crossbill last week.
Later the same day: we once again saw our crippled robin, hopping to beat the band but not flying. We also found two dead bunnies in the yard, however still see one small one hopping around. Attrition in nature is a tough thing to observe.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Injury
This morning we have seen our immature robin, who was injured several days ago, crashing into one of the windows, although this window had a screen on it but it was a hard enough crash to injure it in some way. Ever since that collision, we've seen it hopping and walking around. We have plenty of feed and water on the ground so it does not have to fly to get fed. But it does not fly, it only walks or hops. The right wing looks slightly askew. We wonder if it will heal and eventually to be able to fly. It's sad to think of it not surviving, since it seems healthy otherwise.
On another note, this morning I noticed a very small bunny in the grasses near one of the feeders. We'd seen it several days ago, very active. But today it is just sitting there, not moving, even when I came fairly close to it. I think it is a goner.
A couple of hours later: Sharp-shinned hawk flew in and swooped to the feeder, grabbed something, don't know what. I have not seen the bunny, but he's not on the feeder, so it was probably a bird. A redpoll and two pine siskins were there a few moments later, totally innocent!
On another note, this morning I noticed a very small bunny in the grasses near one of the feeders. We'd seen it several days ago, very active. But today it is just sitting there, not moving, even when I came fairly close to it. I think it is a goner.
A couple of hours later: Sharp-shinned hawk flew in and swooped to the feeder, grabbed something, don't know what. I have not seen the bunny, but he's not on the feeder, so it was probably a bird. A redpoll and two pine siskins were there a few moments later, totally innocent!
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