Erin
Forum Replies Created
Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
-
Thank you for this course! This was my first foray into more serious birdwatching and I've learned so much. I've always enjoyed watching birds and hearing their songs and sounds but now that I'm doing so more actively and actually able to identify who I am hearing or seeing it's made my world all that much more fun and enriching. I intend to further my knowledge of these truly awesome and fascinating animals, thank you for providing a spark!
-
Activity #1- I watched the feeder in my yard this morning and had lots of options as it was bustling with activity! I landed on a little bird I didn't recognize but found it very beautiful- mostly brown with a streaky belly and a beautiful black-and-white striped crown with two points of yellow by its eyes.. a White-throated Sparrow I learned, with the help of Merlin. It was foraging below the feeder, for the seeds that had dropped to the ground. It looked liked it was mostly using its beak to grab seeds but I also noticed it scratching at the grass/leaf-litter with its feet.. was this double-scratching? The movement was so fast it was hard to tell but cool to see a different foraging technique in action.
-
Activity #2- Three year-round residents here (northwestern NJ) are the Great Blue Heron, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Cooper's Hawk. I am regularly graced with a Great Blue sighting when I'm out exploring the area. The meeting is usually brief but always breathtaking. The Red-bellied Woodpecker I've been seeing a lot more lately, in the colder months, and I can recognize their call now so sometimes that helps me spot one + less foliage on the trees so it's easier to glimpse that bright red hood! I don't know if I've seen a Cooper's Hawk.. I've been seeing lots of raptors lately but find it so challenging to ID them. Three part-time birds are the Yellow-rumped Warbler, the Dark-eyed Junco, and the Wood Duck. I did see a Yellow-rumped Warbler, back in Oct so I'm guessing he was just passing through during his migration. The Dark-eyed Juncos I've been seeing a lot of only lately, Nov/Dec. The Wood Ducks I've been seeing here and there since Oct or so. Lately I don't find them as often so I wonder if they've relocated. Merlin tells me that they are year-round residents actually but I've only been seeing them around lately. They are beautiful and their calls make me think of loon calls (one of my favorite birds and sounds!)
-
Activity 4- I've chosen the Belted Kingfisher, a new favorite since meeting two of them near my home recently. The excitement is still fresh in my mind.. What attracted my attention first was their call- who goes there? The sound was loud, fast, and stuttery. Fortunately, I had my binoculars with me so I watched and waited until I saw two birds flying from tree to telephone wire to transmission tower and then back again, all up and down the stream bank. I could see they were between robin and crow in size and their bill was medium-long, fairly slender and pointed. I saw that their top feathers were gray-blue in color, their bellies were white and I noticed one of them had rusty brown patches under her wings (I found out later on that only the females have this brown patch). These two were truly enjoyable to watch! I'm hoping to meet them again sometime.
-
Hello! Happy to join in with everybody here. I've had to relocate from my urban home in NYC to a much more rural area in NJ. I am amazed at how many birds I see and hear out here! Taking this course has certainly enriched my exploration of my new environment, in a sonic sense in particular (I find bird sounds very inspiring). From the Wall Of Birds I've chosen the Common Loon. Not native around these parts but their calls are one of my favorites- for me it's an ancient sound. They are clumsy on land but so powerful and graceful in their element, water. I find that relatable. I didn't know that they can also remain underwater for up to 15 minutes! As for the locals, I've been enjoying the Pileated Woodpecker very much. They are elusive, I usually catch a glimpse of them flying if anything but I hear their call and drum patterns often. I wish I had a photo to share. I've also been really into the Turkey Vulture. I see them everywhere and find them fascinating. Not the prettiest bird but I like that they are a bit eerie and they are not scared of anything! I came across a gathering one morning and was absolutely awed and intimidated! I wish I had been a bit braver for a better shot but below you can get an idea of the size of the group I tiptoed past..
Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)