Kara
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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Since I enrolled in eBird on June 1, I started a ritual in which I record birds for at least 20 min while I drink my coffee in the morning. I'm a bit disappointed because, like another commenter, I missed out on recording all the good sightings I've had since the beginning of PA's lockdown in March - especially the warblers! I wrote down each type of new bird I saw on which day in my "Covid Journal," but not the quantity. Currently, I enjoy seeing which bird has the highest tally of the day - what I call the "Bird of the Day." Today was, surprisingly, an "Oriole Day." Ever since the mulberry tree near my house started fruiting, it's been the local hotspot for all types of birds, but particularly orioles. I signed up for emails from my local Audubon chapter, incidentally in Audubon, PA. I live less than 10 minutes from Mill Grove, Audubon's first home in the US, and I always intended to visit but never have. Once we can participate in gatherings again I cannot wait to go to some of their events!
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#1: The other day I was gardening in my yard when I saw three crows join together at the top of an electric pole. They appeared to be in some sort of discussion, facing and garbling to one another. Then a blue jay's scolding call comes from a nearby tree, and then the jay joins the crows on the other side of the electric pole (i.e. from a safe distance) and "yelled" at the crows, as if making its case. The crows continued to "discuss" the situation, and after a few more scolds the blue jay flew off. I wonder if the crows had encroached on the jay's territory or taken some food! #2: At our feeder we have had a bunch of different birds that eat different ways. The sparrows eat directly from the feeder, while the cardinals try to eat from the feeder but they are too big and so eat on the ground. The mourning doves eat from the ground as well. The other birds usually leave when a blue jay arrives. The red-bellied woodpeckers hang off the feeder and peck at the seeds. I did see a white-breasted nuthatch take the seed and bang it into the trunk of the tree to open it. #3: I often hear cardinals, robins, song sparrows, blue jays, Carolina wrens, catbirds, eastern peewees, and red-bellied woodpeckers, occasionally crows, and a far-off wood thrush in the evenings. I have been hearing a full melodious song all spring and had been trying to identify the singer for months. It always sounded like it was a few houses away, so our yard must not be in its usual territory. I went on All About Birds, listening to different song recordings of our usual guests - to no avail!! Then, just this morning, right out my window, I heard the song and a little house finch was singing in an arbor vitae. I actually recorded it, because there is nothing like it among the recordings I listened to. I think it must be a regional dialect for the house finch!
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Activity 2: I've been learning the importance of knowing what bird are seasonal, as I recently thought I had seen a tree sparrow but eBird warned me it was a rare sighting in early summer. I swear that there was a dark spot on it's chest! but I expect it was a chipping sparrow, which are more prevalent now than in winter months. This past spring I saw yellow-rumped warblers (first in Florida in late February, later here in Pennsylvania in early May) and magnolia warblers over two days in mid-May, but now they're all gone! Currently, I'm enjoying the peewees and wood thrushes, which apparently will only be around until fall. I'm sort of glad to see the catbirds leave around that time (so loud and whiny!). For year-round residents, I was surprised to learn that tufted titmice are so common around here since I only occasionally spot them. I see Carolina wrens year-round, a few are my little neighbors, always hanging out and setting up a nest around my deck. I have yet to see a goldfinch - which apparently are common here all year.
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During quarantine (and coincidently, spring migration), birding has been a welcome escape and a perfect pastime! My suburban house is outside Philadelphia and near some small forested areas. I have started a morning habit of drinking my coffee outside and logging birds observed within 20 min or so on eBird, using the Merlin app for any tough-to-identify birds. My friend also lent me her Kaufman's guide so I can practice using a field guide. On a typical morning I average about 13 types of birds - the usual backyard suspects - catbirds, house sparrows, robins, song sparrows, Carolina wrens, blue jays, cardinals, crows, and various woodpeckers (red-bellied most common). This morning I spent a little longer than usual, walking across the street to a field at an abandoned school. I saw a couple pairs of birds that through the Merlin app I was able to identify as Great crested flycatchers with their big round heads and light yellow bellies. They were flitting and flirting around the tops of the trees, must be breeding. Next I heard a peewee, whose song I never would have known without the Merlin app, now I hear it all the time! I followed the song and finally spotted it - it kept me company and sang to me for about 10 minutes! Then I was passing time with a few house finches when I saw another black and white bird I'd never seen before perched on a chain link fence. Thanks to the Merlin app I confirmed it was an Eastern kingbird by the white end of its tail. Finally, I was surprised to hear the "Peter Peter" and see a tufted titmouse singing in the branches right above my head. Honestly I can't think of a better way to spend my Sunday morning!
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I am enjoying these activities, as they have helped me think about identification strategies I'm not prone to using. For reference, I'm located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, near a river and small wooded areas, so most of my sightings and activities have been regarding birds typical of this area. Activity 1: Two birds I can easily tell apart by shape are blue jays and mourning doves. Activity 2: Three birds that share the same color on different parts of their bodies are cardinals, red-wing blackbirds, and red-bellied woodpeckers. Activity 3: Behaviors of 3 birds searching for food: white-breasted nuthatch climbing down a tree, robins grazing on the ground, and eastern peewee flying out and back from a branch. Activity 4: I saw a cedar waxwing this weekend and here's how I identified it: First, I noticed it was perched high in a treetop in a grove of old-growth trees (behavior, habitat), its yellow belly visible from below. I initially considered it may be a type of warbler, but it was roughly the size of a robin (size), and in particular the yellow tip of the tail gave it away (markings). The crest and black mask only served to confirm my ID. Later that day, I recognized the high-pitched whine (sound) while outside my house and saw that three cedar waxwings decided to visit a large oak in my yard!
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At first I thought the only bird groups I'd be able to identify in my neighborhood were songbirds, but then I realized I saw a blue heron and (what I think was) a sandpiper by a nearby river, and just yesterday I saw a female downy woodpecker. My current favorite bird is a wood thrush, because now I have been able to identify which bird makes those lovely, haunting chords in the woods. I was very excited when my new binoculars helped to fade out some tree branches to help me spot one singing! My current goal, however, is to spot a kestrel. I agree with the comment below that I struggle to identify the "fliers" as well.
Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)