October 3

Common birds: chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, house sparrow

Fall visitors: white throated sparrow (5+), common yellowthroat (female), yellow-bellied sapsucker (2)

October 2

I've just started trying to add whether a bird like the hawk is perched or flying when I see it.

Common birds: downy woodpecker, chickadee, house sparrow, blue jay, red-tailed hawk (perched)

Fall visitors: white throated sparrow (3+), red-eyed vireo, yellow bellied sapsucker

September 29

Fall visitors: yellow-bellied sapsucker

I also wrote in the edge of my notes two other birds I saw recently and wasn't sure about IDs.

1 - dark bird? maybe chickadee in shadow?  It may have been a dark warbler, or a junco. 

2 - a sparrow with a a rufous cap.  It didn't stat put long, but I thought I saw a spot on the chest.  It could have been a chipping sparrow, or an american tree sparrow. 

September 28 & other recent

Some  of the common birds in today's post were seen today, others in previous days.  The fall visitors are today's.  I also saw the red-eyed vireo today, which is not one I've identified here before.  I was able to see the red eye, which is also a feature.  I may have misidentified it as the Philadelphia vireo sometimes, but the Philadelphia has a yellowy front, the red-eyed is creamy/white. 

Common Birds: red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee (3+), goldfinch(es), cardinal (pair), gull(s), robin

Fall visitors: wren (ID?), white throated sparrow, red-eyed vireo, yellow-bellied sapsucker, brown creeper, flicker?

I didn't write down which wren I thought this was.  See upcoming (October) posts for more on wrens. 

May 18 pt. 2

Adding more tags!

April 14

Common birds: blue jay, robin, red-wing blackbird (male, female?), starling, goldfinch, chickadee, cardinal (pair), house sparrow, mallard duck (?)

Spring visitors: junco, yellow-bellied sapsucker

October 1 / the kinglets

The nuthatches, and there were at least two, were happy that I put more seed in the feeder today.  There were also at least two golden-crowned kinglets in the spruce trees this afternoon. 

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker (female), chickadee, starling

Fall visitors: yellow-bellied sapsucker, golden-crowned kinglet

the brown creeper / September 27

Sat outside enjoying the weather for a while.  It's fall, and feels like it, but still warm and sunny. 

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, downy woodpecker, starling, blue jay, goldfinch

Fall visitors: yellow-bellied sapsucker, brown creeper

Overhead: gull

September 26 / the food

Saw fewer things today, though I also spent less time outdoors looking.  I was busy with family and friends.  This did include bringing in some more beets, some carrots, and even  a few brussels sprouts from the garden, which became part of dinner.  My potato plant has grown a lot, and I checked the base for signs of potato the other day, and found one!  I decided they could use some more time so I left it alone.  The kitchen is well stocked with tomatoes, too. 

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, blue jay, chickadee, robin, cardinal (pair), starling

Fall visitors: yellow-bellied sapsucker

Overhead: red-tailed hawk

the sapsucker / September 25

Well the birds kept me busy today.  I've found that over the past few days, the late morning/lunchtime is the time I see the most activity in the garden.  It also seems the fall migration is underway, based on the variety of bird life. 

The flycatcher is still confusing.  I think it's the eastern phoebe, but it's hard to get a great look.  I did see whatever it is today.

I also had other surprises - one being the presence of one or more yellow bellied sapsuckers, actually in my neighbour's big trees, but visible from my garden.  The other was the little red-breasted nuthatch, which is not uncommon, but I was standing under 3 feet away from the suet feeder, when the nuthatch came to eat.  Although the nuthatch never sits still for long, it was there longer than I expected, I just stood still and watched.

There were a couple of hawks, they seemed small, but they may just have been high up.  It wasn't the kestrel, as that had sharp wings, so probably the red-tailed we often see here. 

Common birds:  house sparrow, cardinal (male), blue jay, grackle, starling, chickadee, robin, goldfinch (pair), downy woodpecker, mourning dove

Fall visitors: brown creeper, nashville warbler, yellow bellied sapsucker, flicker, black throated green warbler, ruby-crowned kinglet, golden-crowned kinglet, white throated sparrow, eastern phoebe (?)

Overhead: gull, Canada goose, hawk(?)