Today started
with very cold temperatures, and out of my bedroom window, I could spot Bluebirds, Nuthatches and a Brown Creeper, and I was so happy. None of the above came to the cam setups but other surprise visitors did - Pine Siskins, whom I only see here every other odd year. They are goldfinch size, have pointy beaks, Goldfinch temperament and some yellow on the wings.
The end of November
is usually marked here by plenty of visits from Nuthatches (White and Redbreasted), woodpeckers, Bluebirds, Chickadees and the regulars (MoDo, Blue Jay, Cardi, House Finches), but this year, bird activity is low with mostly the regulars. I guess there’s plenty to eat in the north so less have migrated. But there have been lots of feisty Goldfinches here lately. Come on, winter!
Early spring and fall
can be exiting times here because migration may bring in surprises. That happened this week, when one of my favorites showed up, a Purple Finch. They can be hard to identify when you haven’t seen one yet - many birders mistake vibrant House Finches for them. I have learned to not trust the color and follow my instict. Usually you can tell right away that this is a different bird. One mark that is easy to see and check for is the streaks / stripes on the lower belly. The House finch has them, the Purple does not.
During this still
rather boring stretch of the year, the birds that do pass through or are regulars appear to be more skittish and camera shy than in previous years. But maybe I am just overly focused after having such little diversity and activity for the last few months. I did get the White-throated to come a little closer, and also got the young Cardi (I love his color transitions) along with a beautiful House Finch and a very pleased looking Chipmunk.
So there are
native sparrows migrating through my yard, namely White-throated, and I have seen and heard them and tried to get pictures. Cam on the ground. Here is my best effort, they are very skittish and camera shy, and other beings are also interested in the offerings. And a nice Blue Jay. Juncos are here, but activity is still low.
A fun visitor
arrived yesterday, a lone Robin. Today, I also saw one lone Grackle. Maybe there will be some fall migration sightings in this backyard after all. It is a weird fall, it is colder but the trees are not there yet, they are still all green! Calendars are still on the hold (except for desk ones) but I hope to get them all out by the end of the week.
While I absolutely love
to have the Titmice back, them, Blue Jays and Mourning Doves continue to be the only birds visiting here currently. I do hear woodpeckers but they will not come down. There are mature Oaks as well as nut trees, Cedars and the like in the neighborhood, so I think many feast there while a huge group is still on the move too. This is a welcome break for my bird seed budget but I also really miss seeing birds. The critters are filling up as usual.
It continues
to be quiet in the yard, with very little bird activity. I haven’t seen a hummer since the 15th, so I may just as well put the hummer cam to a different use (I will still leave two feeders out for a bit for any stragglers.) Much to my delight, the Titmouse keeps returning, and the Chippies are happy to fill their winter pantry. Let’s see what today brings.
With this fantastic garden season,
nature is abundantly full of seeds, grains and fruit of all sorts. This and the fact that fall migration has begun makes for slim pickings when it comes to birdwatching at the moment, at least here. There is hardly any visitor apart from some MoDos, a bunch of Blue Jays and the occasional hummingbird. A good time for some maintenance and preps for the colder weather. Livecams will be down for a couple of days, and here are some recent hummers to hold you over. Happy September!
A little fall surprise
The other day, a flock of Pine Siskins visited. From afar, they are often mistaken for House Finches but they do differ in size - they are a lot smaller, more the size of a Goldfinch - in color - they wear fancy yellow stripes on their wings - and their beak is pointy rather than curved and thick. They are one of the most hyper and aggressive birds I have seen, this photo is typical 😆 I rarely ever have them here, so this was fun to see.
This unusually mild fall
has resulted in the latest Grackles and Redwinged Blackbird I have seen in my yard. These two are from yesterday and the day before. I have not seen any today yet, and we had the first snow here this morning. The Redwinged Blackbird is an immature male, and I totally love his markings. (Just as I am writing this, I am seeing a RWBB outside.)
I guess the first frost
was just the first load of “fake fall” because this weekend, temperatures rose again, and it was beautiful outside. The birds all enjoy what nature has to offer on these days, and there is not a lot going on at the feeder. I am trying to get the White-throated Sparrow to take a mug shot but haven’t been lucky so far. He does like the bird bath though. Anyways, here are some regulars and a traveler. The Redbellied Woodpecker I find most interesting, here for the second fall. Is it a boy or a girl? The Nuthatches are one of my favorites right now, almost divebombing me at the feeders and being very tame. Come good into Monday! (Redbreasted Nuthatch, Redbellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Redwinged Blackbird)
Nothing much is happening,
but I am having a good weekend with very little work for a change. I got some knitting and watching tv done, which I usually do not have a lot of time for. I have had to wear socks for the last two days, it has gotten cooler. And things are slow in the yard. But there are some new visitors. The Red-breasted Nuthatches are here, and I am so happy because they are a complete delight. They sound like little beat boxes and have little to no fear of humans. I walked up to feeders earlier today and just watched with a big grin how they were watching me, doing their noises. A perfectly wonderful bird to cure the little void birdwatchers feel after the summer frenzy.
The light is changing,
the evenings are getting cooler, and there is still not much going on bird-wise. Yesterday I saw the Bluebirds, which was wonderful because it’s been quite a while. At least two Redbreasted Nuthatches have emerged and are competing with the Chickadees for material that is worthy to cache for the winter. I like the light at this time of the year because it feels less harsh. Here are some of the current regulars, look at that Woodpecker, all nice and pretty again! Have a great Tuesday.
Birds are clearly on the move,
and diversity has gone down to pretty much House Finches, MoDos, Blue Jays and Chickadees. But there are still some Gracks too. This is a nice time for the wallet, and I totally love the temperatures outside. I saw a Downy starting to pull things out of the Wren house, so hopefully there will be a roosting winter tenant there. We are all settling in a bit, I will start working on the 2023 calendar, and I hope there will be some fun fall migration sights.
And since things are calmer now,
with many of the summer guests gone, the regulars and smaller birds are starting to return to feeders. As sad as fall migration makes me, it is also nice that things are calming down a bit. There is still lovely weather ahead of us and of course the migration may still hold surprises too. This is also a good time to see the Goldfinches in their bright summer colors before they start to dull for the cold season.
The end of the summer
is always bittersweet but when fall migration has started, the backyard becomes alive with flocks of travelers. Some are just stopping for a short break while others stay for a couple of days. This is the case with Baltimore Orioles right now. I have added an extra jelly feeder, and the cups need to be refilled several times a day now (I also clean the cups with each refill). It is always wonderful to see the full spectrum of color variations at display when indivisuals of various ages come together. And in between, the Robins, Woodpeckers and Finches (the one pictures has a very interesting molt going on) also get their share.
I am sorry for not posting more frequently
right now, but work is busy and there is also not really a ton going on bird-wise. Nature is amazing right now and providing a lot of food to birds and wildlife. It is a bumper crop year for Black Walnuts and acorns here, and I am excited to see what that means for the winter bird population. Here is a view into the current regulars, furried and feathered. Also, since it is Thursday - check out the Ostdrossel calendars!
Video: It’s thrush season!
The last couple of days, the air has sounded a lot like spring, with Robins, Grackles, Redwinged Blackbirds and Starlings calling and coming to feeders, Bluebirds visiting again and temperatures in the 20’s (Celsius). I spotted a couple of White-crowned Sparrows, some White-throated Sparrows too. And then this cutie. I believe it is a Hermit Thrush, at one point you can see a little red on the tail. It stayed by the water for about 20 minutes and looked pretty alert. I hope it comes back tomorrow.
I also worked a bit on the livestream, trying to figure out why people might not see it. It would be nice if people could comment in the comments if there are still issues. Maybe clear your cache before you load the page.
Today when I went outside,
it sounded like spring, there were Robin calls, Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cardinals and Starlings. There is a place nearby that has a mature Cedar tree, and I have checked it a couple of weeks ago to see how far the berries were, and I went there today again. The tree was basically covered in happy Robins, and it also had some Cedar Waxwings sprinkled in. I will go back to try and get some Waxwing goodness. Here is a photo of the teen Cardinal too, he posed just outside my window today, and a Whitecrowned Sparrow was at the bath!
