Jessica
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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Birds matter to me, on the surface, because of their beauty in physical appearance and beautiful song. But, deeper than that, they are a sign of healthy ecology and balanced life. I have enjoyed watching and observing birds since 2008 when my step-sister got me into it. But they also matter because of their high intelligence. As far as the seven actions, I am already reducing my use of plastic by using a recyclable container for water. I am interested in checking out more about how to safeguard windows from birds running into them. Unfortunately, we had a Northern Cardinal run into it this past year. It was okay but still prompted the awareness. I am already keeping my cat indoors as well. I also hope to participate in more Citizen Science and I currently volunteer as a Wildlife Rehabilitator. Thank you for this course! It has helped me to take my bird watching to the next level and increased my appreciation for them.
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As I peruse my neighborhood I see a plethora of Chipping Sparrows as well as the same feeder suspects such as Black-Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Mourning Doves. Venturing out a little further I had the privilege of seeing a Brown Thrasher and a Northern Mockingbird perched on top of a house going through its variety of sounds. When I float the river I get to see Blue Herons, Eastern Kingbirds, and Kingfishers. Sometimes I spot an Eagle and plenty of Osprey!
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I watched a Tufted Titmouse for quite some time. Firstly, I noticed it flying back and forth between the two feeders in my yard. I then saw it perched on top of the bird feeder pole as it was cracking open a sunflower seed. I also saw it engaging in what appeared to be playful behavior with the other Titmice around the feeders. I wasn't really surprised with any of my observations as I often watch them at the feeders. They are very vocal, playful birds. Again, the Tufted Titmice typically appear to take one seed at a time and crack it open. They spend a lot of time at the feeders and flying back/forth from them. The White Breasted Nuthatch tends to spend less time at the feeders and will only climb up or down the poles--not across the feeders. The Mourning Doves are ground feeders and will only stay on the ground to eat the seed on the ground. Listening to the birds for five minutes I heard Black-Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White Breasted Nuthatch, a Caroline Wren in the background as well
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Northern Cardinal: I noticed that it stays relatively stable and does not migrate very far. There is also an abundance of Cardinals! In regard to the Blackburnian Warbler they have a distinct migration pattern of flying south for the winter and spend their summers in Canada. The Scarlet Tanager and the Western Tanager are different in that the Scarlet Tanager mainly migrates up and down the East coast while the Western Tanager migrates up and down the West coast. Wow, there is an abundance of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds! They migrate up north in April and migrate south in September/October. There is not as much of an abundance of Rufous Hummingbirds and they migrate south a little earlier than the Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Aug-September). The Sandhill Crane has a very long migration up to Alaska. The Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher appears to follow a very strict path and are less widespread. Three species that are year-round residents: Northern Cardinal, White-Breasted Nuthatch, and Chipping Sparrow. The Dark-Eyed Junco is only here in the winter and I will be seeing them at my feeders soon!! The Wood Thrush is only here during the summer and this elusive bird is mostly heard and not seen. The Cedar Waxwing is not a year-round resident and should be spotted soon as they migrate to this area around this time of year (Sept-Oct). Last year, we had a small group of them hanging out in a tree. The American Goldfinch has much brighter plumage in the summer and takes on a more brown-ish color in the winter. Wow! The differences between the summer Common Loon and the winter Common Loon were drastic. Their teal band around the neck disappears in the winter along with the outline of their plumage. The darkness around their face also fades. My favorite birding spot is just around my neighborhood. Right now I expect to find Chipping Sparrows, Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Flickers, White-Breasted Nuthatches. In six months it will be April so I would expect to see Eastern Phoebes. Purple Martins will also be returning in six months as well as the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.
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Activity 1: I identified an American Goldfinch and an American Robin just by noting shape. The Goldfinch was much smaller than the Robin. The Goldfinch was also more prone to be perched on my feeders whereas the Robin stayed on the ground in search of food. Activity 2: An American Crow, a Red-Winged Black Bird, and a Common Grackle. I have the privilege of working as a wildlife rehabilitator and we have all three of these species in rehab currently! The American Crow is obviously much larger than the other two species. Red-winged Black Birds and Common Grackles are a little difficult from afar but once one sees the red wing--it is easy! Activity 3: An American Robin as described above searching the ground for worms; several Mourning Doves also on the ground eating bird seed right underneath the feeders; and an Eastern Phoebe going after bugs in mid-air. Activity 4: One of my favorite birds is the Carolina Wren because it is very vocal, bright, and alert. It is a smaller bird not much larger than the finch-size and is round--almost kind of plump. It was singing it's classic "tee-kettle--tee--kettle" song while hopping around the entrance of the garage. It had the white patch under the beak and the very noticeable white streak over its eye.
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My favorites from the Wall of Birds are the Blue-Footed Booby and the Wandering Albatross. I just love the silly sounding name of the Blue-Footed Booby and their demeanor. I read a book called the Eye of the Albatross years ago and have been fascinated by albatross eve since then. They are elegant birds. Outside, at my feeders, I have identified a White-breasted Nuthatch which is from the Tree Creeper family; a Mourning Dove which is from the Dove/Pigeon family; and a Chipping Sparrow which is from the sparrow family. Also, I have shared a picture of the classic northern cardinal that is always a frequent flyer at my feeders.
Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)