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. 3

Tagging!

Pt. 2

Tags for May 4-10.

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?)

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

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??

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)

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 17-23

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

Fall visitors: junco

November 2

Saw a small bird of prey again, two times today perched in the tall tree. 

Common birds: chickadee (3+), red-breasted nuthatch (2), house sparrow, blue jay, robin, red-tailed hawk (perched)

Fall visitors: junco, small bird of prey (merlin? perched, twice)

October 23

Really cool - saw both the red-tailed hawk, and then a smaller bird of prey (one of those I've been trying to identify), perched in a tall evergreen.  The smaller is dark grey on its back, with heavy markings.  I'm almost sure it was a peregrine falcon. 

Also I know I saw a wren, small, dark, with a darker front than some I have seen.  Winter wren is my best guess. 

Common birds: downy woodpecker (male, female?), chickadee (3+), house sparrow, blue jay, cardinal (pair), red-breasted nuthatch, goldfinch, red-tailed hawk (perched)

Fall visitors: junco, winter wren (ID?), smaller bird of prey (perched)

October 22

There was a little finch on our seed feeder, basically house finch, but the wrong colour.  I know what we typically get are house finches, which are a brighter, redder colour.  This was more, berry, or purple, and the amount of colour all over it, I really think it was a purple finch, which is possible in our area.  It's also possible I've seen them and called them house finches before, the colour can vary, but I'm more sure this time.

Common birds: chickadee, downy woodpecker (pair), cardinal (male), blue jay, starling, house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, red-tailed hawk (perched, twice)

Fall visitors: white throated sparrow (1+), ruby crowned kinglet (ID? likely), golden crowned kinglet (2), common flicker, purple finch (ID?)

October 16

Common birds: downy woodpecker (male), red-tailed hawk (perched, twice), robin, cardinal (pair), house sparrow, house finch (male)

Fall visitors: white throated sparrow (1)