Please refer to part one, I'm tagging to note unidentified birds.
Monday, March 23, 2015
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??
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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+)
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
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)
En route, saw 6 hawks in trees. Likely mainly red-tailed, not close enough to tell for sure.
Common birds: red-tailed hawk (?) (6)
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