Pt. 3

Tagging!

Pt. 2

Adding post tags.

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

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

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 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 9

Common birds: chickadee (3+), goldfinch, house sparrow, mourning dove, downy woodpecker (male), red-breasted nuthatch, turkey vulture (19+), cardinal (pair), Canada goose

Fall visitors: white throated sparrow, golden crowned kinglet, brown creeper

Not sure: I saw the/a small bird of prey, actually two of them, perched and flying.  I'm still wondering what this is, if it's a merlin, or a peregrine falcon, or if I am seeing both on different days. I wrote merlin? in my notes. 

There were a number of turkey vultures.  Some were flying quite low over the garden.  I counted 19, there may have been more. 

October 3

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

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

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. 

September 26 & 27

Common birds (26th): red-breasted nuthatch

Common birds (27th): grackle

September 14

Common birds: hawk (red tailed), red-breasted nuthatch

Summer visitors: flycatcher/phoebe (ID?)

Feb. 19

Common birds: cardinal (pair), downy woodpecker (male), red-breasted nuthatch, crow

Overhead: gull

Winter visitors: junco

Feb. 15-16

Common birds: red-tailed hawk, cardinal (pair), gull, red-breasted nuthatch

Winter visitors: junco

the middle / January 29

I think I also saw Canada geese, but am not counting them in the tags since I'm not sure.

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

Winter visitors: junco

the movie / January 24

Movie night!  I think I saw a nuthatch and forgot to write it down, so I'm counting it.

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch

Winter visitors: junco

the nuthatch / January 15

Common birds: red-breasted nuthatch