Saturday, June 13, 2015

Pt. 2

Tagging the post for this week.

June 1 - 7

Seeing a good number of butterflies - especially the yellow (Eastern Tiger) Swallowtail.  Have also heard the chickadees, the song sparrow, and what I think is a chipping sparrow. 

Common birds: house sparrow (7 days), cardinal (pair 5 days), red-wing blackbird (pair 3 days, female +1 day, male + 2 days), robin (5 days), starling (6 days), mallard duck (2 days), Canada goose, grackle (2 days), goldfinch (2 days), turkey vulture (2 days), blue jay, mourning dove, great blue heron

Spring visitors: hairy woodpecker, brown-headed cowbird (female, 2 days), baltimore oriole

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

May 25 - 31

Tracked a singing chestnut-sided warbler to a neighbour's birch tree one morning.  Also, have heard a couple of times a warbler-like noise, which I am pretty sure is an American redstart - I might even have seen it once or twice, I thought I saw a little black bird with orange bits, not big or orange enough to be the oriole, but it was so quick I ignored it until I was listening to bird songs on the computer and figured I was hearing it, which made it more likely I had seen it as well. 

Common birds: swan (2 days), turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk (2 days, flying), robin (6 days), goldfinch, cardinal (pair 2 days, male +1, female +1), mourning dove (2 days), house sparrow (6 days), starling (6 days), grackle (3 days), red-wing blackbird (male 3 days, female 4 days), chickadee (2 days)

Spring visitors: song sparrow, chestnut-sided warbler, American redstart??

Heard: red-breasted nuthatch, song sparrow, American redstart

Pt. 2

May 18 - 24 tags.

May 18 - 24

See last week re. thrushes.  Also, there was a warbler in the big evergreen one day, it was too far and too small to get a really good look at, but it was also singing, and with that in mind, it was possibly a cape may warbler.

Common birds: chickadee (2 days), red-wing blackbird (male 2 days, female 3 days), grackle (3 days), starling (3 days), house sparrow (3 days), mourning dove (4 days), cardinal (pair 5 days), downy woodpecker (2 days), blue jay (2 days), goldfinch (2 days), robin (3 days), turkey vulture (2 days), crow

Spring visitors: song sparrow, Lincoln's sparrow, brown-headed cowbird (female 2 days), baltimore oriole (3 days), Swainson's* thrush, magnolia warbler, warbler (ID? cape may?), parula warbler

Heard: song sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch

Pt. 3

Tagging!

Pt. 2

Tags for May 11-17.

May 11 - 17

Some bird migration still - not seeing as many warblers as the last couple of springs, but seeing a few different things.  I saw a mourning warbler this week, a new one for our garden, as well as the gray catbird, which although I've heard/seen it elsewhere I don't think I've seen it in the garden before.  Another new one for the garden is the Lincoln's sparrow I've been seeing. Then, there's a warbler-like noise I heard as well.

The thrushes are tricky, the veery and hermit thrush I can ID, the Swainson's and gray-cheeked look very similar, but their song is a bit different.  Based on seeing and hearing it, I've decided to call this week's thrush the Swainson's, but I might be incorrect.

The great-crested flycatcher wasn't in the garden, it was in a local public garden/park, but still counts! I saw a warbler there, in trees, not brightly coloured.  Based on appearance and sound, I think Tenessee warbler, but not certain. 

I've also been hearing what I think is the chipping sparrow.

Common birds: chickadee (1-2, 4 days), red-wing blackbird (male, 7 days, female, 1-2, 2 days), house sparrow (7 days), swan (2 days), Canada goose (2 days), robin (7 days), blue jay (1-2, 4 days), grackle (6 days), cardinal (pair 5 days, male +1), turkey vulture (2 days), starling (5 days), mourning dove ( 1-2, 5 days), goldfinch (5 days), red-breasted nuthatch (2 days), red-tailed hawk (3 days, flying), cormorant, house finch, mallard duck, downy woodpecker

Spring visitors: hairy woodpecker, song sparrow (3 days), Lincoln's sparrow, veery (2 days), yellow-rumped warbler (ID?), palm warbler (ID?), brown-headed cowbird (pair), great crested flycatcher, gray catbird, mourning warbler, magnolia warbler, Swainson's thrush*, baltimore oriole

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Pt. 2

Tags for May 4-10.

May 4 - 10

Common birds: grackle (6 days), cardinal (pair 5 days, male +2 days), house sparrow (7 days), robin (1-2, 6 days), mallard duck (2-3 days), cormorant (2-4 days), goldfinch (several, 4 days), mourning dove (1-2, 6 days), Canada goose, swan (1-2 days), red-wing blackbird (male 5 days, female 1 day), house finch (4 days), chickadee (1-2, 5 days), crow (2), blue jay (several, 3 days), starling (4 days), turkey vulture (2-3)

Spring visitors: yellow warbler (ID likely), brown-headed cowbird (2 males, 1 female), ruby-crowned kinglet, baltimore oriole, common flicker, veery, Lincoln's sparrow, ruby-throated hummingbird, gray catbird, rose-breasted grosbeak (2 males, 1 female), white throated sparrow

Not sure: red-tailed hawk, purple finch?? (probably house finch), wren/kinglet (something small, too quick to ID)

Heard: chipping (?) sparrow, song sparrow

 Other critters: butterflies (cabbage white, orange/painted lady,dark/black swallowtail?), chipmunk

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Pt. 2

Adding tags for Apr. 27 to May 3.

April 27 - May 3

Common birds: red-wing blackbird, cardinal, junco, robin, crow, house finch, cormorant, goldfinch, grackle, starling, mourning dove, swan, Canada goose, house sparrow, chickadee, blue jay, Turkey vulture, mallard duck, tern

Spring visitors: song sparrow, ruby-crowned kinglet, white-throated sparrow, chipping sparrow, brown headed cowbird

pt. 2

Tags!

Thursday, May 7, 2015

April 20 - 26

As well as the birds, a chipmunk was looking for birdseed on Friday.

Common birds: house sparrow (6 days), cardinal (pair 3 days, male +3 days), downy woodpecker (male), red-wing blackbird (1-2 males, 5 days), mourning dove (5 days), chickadee (2-3, 2 days), junco (5 days)), swan (3 days), cormorant, robin (4 days), Canada goose, starling (4 days), crow (3 days), grackle (2 days), blue jay, Turkey vulture (2 days), goldfinch (pair)

Spring visitors: song sparrow (1-2, 4 days), ruby-crowned kinglet (2 days)

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Pt. 2

Adding post tags.

April 13 - 19

So, among the birds this week, I saw a little wren, which I think was a winter wren; a thrush I couldn't see clearly enough to identify; a hawk that may have been a red-tailed, but I think was probably a Cooper's, it was flying, and just didn't look right for a red-tailed.  I also saw a fox sparrow, which is not common, I saw one just once or twice last year.  A ruby-crowned kinglet, song sparrow, and brown creepers, two at once one day.  We also had a chipmunk eating the seed the birds dropped from the feeder. 

Common birds: junco (5 days), house sparrow (6 days), robin (7 days), starling (6 days), mourning dove (6 days), red-breasted nuthatch (2 days), swan (4 days), Canada goose (2 days), cardinal (pair, 5 days), chickadee (2 days), grackle (3 days), goldfinch, blue jay (2 days), red-tailed hawk (flying), crow, downy woodpecker (male, female?), turkey vulture, cormorant

Spring visitors: red-wing blackbird (4-5 days), song sparrow (3 days), fox sparrow, brown creeper (1-2, 2 days), ruby-crowned kinglet

Not sure: wren (probably winter), thrush, hawk (RT? Coop?)

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Pt. 2

Adding tags!

The bunny was also seen once in the garden. 

April 6 - 12

Common birds: junco (7 days), mourning dove (7 days), house sparrow (4-5 days), robin (7 days), Canada goose, starling (6 days), red-breasted nuthatch (3 days), chickadee (1-2, 4 days), cardinal (male 2 days, pair +3 days), downy woodpecker (male 1 day, female 1 day), red-wing blackbird (2 days), goldfinch

Spring visitors: brown creeper, song sparrow, chipping sparrow

Not sure: turkey vulture (likely), cormorant?

The turkey vulture is likely, seen flying overhead, large and dark.  The cormorant, well, water-bird like, possibly duck, but the shape looked like a cormorant.  The chipping sparrow, I'm pretty sure that's what it was.  It was a sparrow, with a red-brown cap, unstreaked breast, and seemed to have a little eye bar.  It was too quick to be totally sure - American Tree (has dark spot on breast), is also possible. 

See next post for additional tags. 

Monday, April 6, 2015

pt. 2

Adding tags for March 30 to April 5.  On one or two days, it was hard to tell whether the blackbird shaped bird I was seeing was the redwing or the cowbird, because of the light conditions.  Other days it was clear. 

March 30 - April 5

Crazy weather -- Good Friday was beautiful, enough to eat lunch outside.  Easter Sunday, a light snow.  With the weather on Friday came a few season's firsts: The red-breasted nuthatch, song sparrow, golden crowned kinglet, hairy woodpecker, cowbird, and brown creeper.

Common birds: cardinal (pair, 6 days, male +1), mallard duck (2-3 days), Canada goose (3 days), robin (6 days), junco (6 days), house sparrow (6 days), starling (6 days), mourning dove (5 days), goldfinch, blue jay (4 days), chickadee (3 days), downy woodpecker (female, 2 days), common crow, grackle, red-wing blackbird (2-3 days), red-breasted nuthatch (2 days), great blue heron, house finch

Spring visitors: song sparrow (2 days), golden-crowned kinglet, hairy woodpecker, brown-headed cowbird (1-2 days), brown creeper

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

March 23-29

The white-breasted nuthatch was back and forth frequently on Saturday!! First time this season.
Spent some time in the garden clearing leaves and such on Sunday, being 'chatted' to by the downy woodpecker.
Also saw two raccoons walk across the fence during the week. 
Four bird of prey species - red-tailed hawk, turkey vulture, merlin and another hawk (Cooper's, I believe)

Common birds: mourning dove (2 days), starling (4 days), house sparrow (2 days), junco (6 days), cardinal (pair, 4 days), chickadee (1-2, 3 days), Canada goose (2 days), robin (3 days), common crow (2 days), red-tailed hawk (flying), turkey vulture (flying), downy woodpecker (2 days)

Spring visitors: merlin (perched, ID not 100%, but likely), another hawk (flying) which I believe was a Cooper's, but it flew by so quickly it was hard to be completely sure, it had a long tail, which is a clue, white-breasted nuthatch

Heard: blue jay

Monday, March 23, 2015

March 16 - 22 pt. 2

Please refer to part one, I'm tagging to note unidentified birds. 

March 16 - 22

Welcome to spring, and a busy week of birding!  I've had one or two 'whatsits'.  Well, one.  I'm pretty sure the second was a merlin, seen perched on Sunday evening.  It was certainly a bird of prey, small (blue jay or slightly bigger size), dark back, streaking on white front (streaking appeared more vertical than horizontal).  Its wingbeats when it flew off were rapid, flight steady. 

The first 'whatsit' was Friday.  Also perched on top of the big evergreen tree, briefly.  It had some red on the back of its head/nape, and was roughly blue jay sized, but woodpecker shaped, with a long straight bill.  I think it wasn't big enough to be a pileated woodpecker.  A flicker, maybe, we do get them fairly regularly and I have seen one up there before.  But even though it was hard to be sure in the lighting conditions, it seemed to have more red.  Its flight was steady, quick, and dipped up and down a little. It may have been a red-bellied woodpecker (not to be confused with red-breasted sapsucker, which is a Western bird).  The range is possible, though I don't remember seeing one before. 

Some of my hawks were definitely red-tailed.  One day there were 3 flying up behind our house.  Another day I saw two, en route from work to home, not in the same place as each other.  Saturday, also out and about, there were 2 birds, one was probably a red-tail, the other was something different, maybe a turkey vulture?  I wasn't able to really pay attention to it. 

Common birds: blue jay (3 days), common crow, cardinal (pair, 5 days), swan, Canada goose (several, 4 days), red-tailed (likely) hawk (1-3, flying, different locations, 4 days), junco (several, 5 days), robin (1-several, 5 days), chickadee (1-2, 5 days), starling (several, 2 days), grackle, house sparrow (several, 5 days), downy woodpecker (male, 2 days), house finch (pair 2 days, 2 males in one of those days), mourning dove (2), goldfinch (1-2)

Spring visitors: red-wing blackbird (male, 1-3, 2 days), merlin (a small falcon)

Whatsit: woodpecker ID??

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

March 9 - 15

Typically, I see one pair of cardinals on any given day.  One day this week there were 2 males.  On the same day, there were also 2 male red-wing blackbirds.  As well, the downy woodpecker, and several robins eating crab apples. The bird of prey was smaller than the red-tail, and I think darker; maybe a peregrine or merlin, but I couldn't tell.

Common birds: house sparrow (several, 2 days), common crow (varying #s, 3 days), downy woodpecker (female, 1 day, male, 1 day), cardinal (1-2 male, 4 days, female, 2 days), mourning dove (1-2, 3 days), chickadee (2, 2 days), junco (several, 2 days), starling(s), robin(s) (6 or more)

Winter visitors: red-wing blackbird (2, male)

En route: small hawk/bird of prey (perched, ID??)

Heard: blue jay

Thursday, March 12, 2015

March 2-8

Common birds: cardinal (pair, male +1 day),  robin (several), junco, chickadee (2), Canada goose, common crow

En route: red-tailed hawk, ducks, geese, hawks (ID? red-tail likely, 1 flying, 3 perched)

February 23 - March 1

Saw the red-tailed hawk perched on Friday (evening) & Saturday (midday).  On Saturday it was there twice - it perched a few minutes, flew away, then came back shortly after (that is assuming it was the same individual). 

Common birds: junco (plural, 3 days), cardinal (pair, 3 days), house sparrow (2 days), chickadee, Canada goose, common crow, red-tailed hawk (2 days, perched)

February 16-22

Common birds: junco (5 days), house sparrow (3 days), cardinal (pair, 3 days, female +1 day), chickadee (1-2, 3 days), Canada goose (several, 2 days), red-tailed hawk, mourning dove

En route: hawks (red-tailed likely, plus 1-2 smaller unidentified)

February 9-15

Two days this week, in the early evening, I saw a hawk in our front tree and our neighbour's front tree.  It had a dark back with white bits, wide, even bands on the tail (upper side).  Having looked at the bird book and online, I think it was a juvenile Cooper's or Sharp-shinned hawk.  The two are hard to tell apart, but the Cooper's may be more common in this area. 

Common birds: red-tailed hawk (perched), chickadee (2?, 2 days)), junco (plural, 3 days), cardinal (pair, 3 days), house sparrow

Winter visitors: Cooper's or Sharp-shinned hawk (2 days)

February 2-8

No birds recorded from January 26 to February 1st.

Common birds: red-tailed hawk (3 days, perched and in flight), chickadee (2 days)1, blue jay, cardinal (pair, 2 days), juncos (8+)

January 19-25

Even though I'm not always paying attention on a daily basis, there haven't been that many birds.  Probably too cold?  I did see a hawk fly across the garden this week. 

Common birds: red-tailed hawk

January 12-18

No birds January 5-11, so no post for that week. 

En route, saw 6 hawks in trees.  Likely mainly red-tailed, not close enough to tell for sure. 

Common birds: red-tailed hawk (?) (6)

Monday, February 16, 2015

December 29 - January 4

Common birds: cardinal (male), house sparrow

Winter visitors: junco

December 22-28

Common birds: turkey vulture, cardinal (pair) (2 days), downy woodpecker (female?), chickadee (2 days), house sparrow, 6+ gold finches

Winter visitors: junco (2 days)

Not sure: bird of prey, with white/light tail tip? 

December 15-21

Common birds: red-tailed hawk (in flight)

December 8-14

I didn't record any birds the week of December 1-7.  That doesn't mean there weren't any, I just didn't write them down.

Common birds: red-tailed hawk (perched)

November 24-30

A first this week - a fox sparrow!

Common birds: chickadee (2 days), house sparrow, cardinal (male)

Fall visitors: fox sparrow, junco

Not sure: chipping sparrow - looks a different in winter colouring, but I think that's what it was.

November 17-23

Common birds: red-tailed hawk (perched), house finch, house sparrow

Fall visitors: junco

November 11-16

Since my last post I haven't been as good at recording daily sightings.  Still, there have been some interesting ones.  I'm going to post them in week by week.  My previous post was dated November 10, so starting with the 11th to the 16th.

Common birds:  house sparrow (2 days), chickadee, cardinal (male), downy woodpecker, blue jay
Fall visitors: junco (2 days),  white throated sparrow (2 days)