Yesterday we visited friends in Sterling, enjoyed hearing the very raucous call of the ruby-crowned kinglet the instant we opened the car door. Also heard varied thrushes, robins, and snipes.
This morning, I took an early morning birding walk with a friend out north. We saw and/or heard song sparrows, robins, white-crowned sparrows, various warblers (I'm not confident about the three-four different warbler songs), mallards and chicks, red-necked grebes, common loons, and a belted kingfisher. Really fun - different habitat.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Many New Baby Birds
Today we saw a huge influx of immature birds, out of their nests for the first day, maybe. There were 4 nuthatches, along with their parent bird, sitting on branches around one of the feeders. They sat perfectly still, two of them even sat crowded close together and moved their heads and beaks around in sychronized movement. They seemed like Siamese nuthatches. Not much moving around, just sitting and waiting for food and further instructions. Also saw more pine siskins than ever, and chickadees that looked quite fuzzy and almost grubby. Several times this evening we saw the golden-crowned kinglet. Around 3 pm we had a flyover by a Northern harrier. Also had a visit from a female crossbill to our birdbath. It's been a busy day.
A family member from CA sent this picture today. Exotic and amazing looking bird - white-tailed kite, our book calls it the black-shouldered kite. Very beautiful.
A family member from CA sent this picture today. Exotic and amazing looking bird - white-tailed kite, our book calls it the black-shouldered kite. Very beautiful.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Neighboring Bird Life
Our neighbors who live on the bluff, and have somewhat different habitat, particularly with the bluff and beach immediately adjacent, have been seeing crossbills regularly, and this morning I saw a group of about 6 immature crossbills eating cones on their driveway. Also observed a fox sparrow, myrtle's warbler and heard a savannah sparrow. Earlier on a bike ride along the beach frontage road, we saw a Yellow Warbler. Back here at home, a golden-crowned kinglet flew in just as I looked out the window. Great time of year!
A Visit from Somebunny
Baby bunnies yesterday (snowshoe hares). A sharp-shinned hawk continues to check our backyard. Almost daily sightings of our golden-crowned kinglet. One glance outside to the birdbath at around 4:30 pm, myrtle warblers, juncos, white-crowned sparrows and pine siskins waiting to bathe.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Hawk Visitor
Yesterday early evening, sitting at our window, I happened to glance up in time to see a fanned tail with horizontal bars of light brown and white and a spruce branch waving up and down as a bird landed on it. Our sharp-shinned hawk is back. We have seen him about half a dozen times in the past two weeks. We also have had a couple flyovers of Northern Harriers.
We watched our golden-crowned kinglet bathe in the early morning. Later two Myrtle Warblers were there, along with about 6-7 pine siskins. And another batch of gray jay immatures are coming in to drink and bathe.
Our guests include a two-and-a-half year old. She is identifying gray jays, puffins, nuthatches and chickadees. She claims to have seen a humming bird out the window. I was impressed that she even knew about them. A new birder in the family!
We watched our golden-crowned kinglet bathe in the early morning. Later two Myrtle Warblers were there, along with about 6-7 pine siskins. And another batch of gray jay immatures are coming in to drink and bathe.
Our guests include a two-and-a-half year old. She is identifying gray jays, puffins, nuthatches and chickadees. She claims to have seen a humming bird out the window. I was impressed that she even knew about them. A new birder in the family!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Golden Crowned Kinglet
He/she is becoming a daily visitor to our birdbath. We are hearing the song sparrow, savannah sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, robin, ruby-crowned kinglets, all regularly. Of course the usual group of backyard birds in addition. Very cool.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Two New Returnees
This morning while we were watching our birdbath, a little bird flew in to bathe, and I thought it was an immature Nuthatch, with the stripes around the eyes, so we grabbed binoculars and watched as he bathed, but then his little topknot parted as he was splashing, and we saw the firey crest of a golden-crowned kinglet! Because of his/her markings, we think it was an immature golden-crowned.
And then about an hour later, I stepped outside and heard the call of a Savannah Sparrow, calling from somewhere in our "savannah" section, the more open part of our property, where we've been keeping trees out and maintaining it as a sort of meadow. Along with that lovely familiar call, I heard white-crowned sparrows and other beautiful morning bird calls. After two days of intermittent rain, the sun today makes everything look shiny.
And then about an hour later, I stepped outside and heard the call of a Savannah Sparrow, calling from somewhere in our "savannah" section, the more open part of our property, where we've been keeping trees out and maintaining it as a sort of meadow. Along with that lovely familiar call, I heard white-crowned sparrows and other beautiful morning bird calls. After two days of intermittent rain, the sun today makes everything look shiny.
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