Pt. 2

May 18 - 24 tags.

Pt. 3

Tagging!

pt. 2

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?)

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. 

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

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 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

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? 

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)

November 6

I am sure I saw a ruby-crowned kinglet today, I had a pretty good view of it.  It also makes me more sure I was right about seeing a kinglet yesterday.

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, mourning dove, downy woodpecker (male)

Fall visitors: ruby-crowned kinglet, junco

October 26

I recently saw what I am reasonably sure was a purple finch.  Today's house finch I wondered about a little, but I think house finch is likely correct. 

Common birds: chickadee (2-3), house sparrow, downy woodpecker, house finch, turkey vulture

Fall visitors: white-breasted nuthatch, hermit thrush

October 25

Common birds: chickadee (4+), cardinal (pair), house sparrow, downy woodpecker (male)

Fall visitors: white throated sparrow (1)

October 24

Common birds: chickadee, house sparrow, cardinal (pair), red-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker (pair)

Fall visitors: white-breasted nuthatch, wren (ID? winter wren?), turkey vulture

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 19

It looks like the juncos are coming back.  Also, we were out a few minutes drive away, and saw a large group of turkey vultures flying over.  I couldn't count them, but I guess at 30+.

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

Fall visitors: white-breasted nuthatch, white throated sparrow (1), golden crowned kinglet, junco

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)

October 12

Common birds: chickadee, cardinal, house sparrow, hawk (red-tailed? flying), goldfinch, downy woodpecker

Fall visitors: golden crowned kinglet, white throated sparrow, thrush (ID? see Oct. 10.)