Beth
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Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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Because of this course, I am more likely to watch birds through binoculars, check field guides, and pay attention what I see and hear walking in the woods. I went out with a birding group one Saturday. I would like to do more of that. I am using birding apps and starting to make lists. I will continue to feed the birds, provide water, and bird-friendly plants. Thanks for building this online introductory course! I enrolled when my local Audubon chapter decided not to offer its in-person course due to Covid-19.
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#2 We feed the birds, provide water for birds, and grow plants in the garden for birds. We could get involved in community awareness projects to decrease light pollution during migration periods as well as promote efforts to fight global warming which harms birds and their habitats.
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This course has introduced me to new tools like Merlin Bird ID and other resources available to birdwatchers. Apps, electronic lists, weather radar, migration and range maps are all involved in birding today. These tools are sophisticated and technology dependent. Birders rely on more than their field guide and binoculars. Now scientific data is collected and used to track bird populations, migration, and identification. Birders can contribute to this data collection through various projects.
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I am thinking of 2 different habitats. One is developed by retail, restaurants, high school, and library with water nearby. That habitat attracts Canada Geese that like the water and the surrounding grass areas. A Great Blue Heron also appreciated the water. A hawk, maybe red shouldered hawk, flew in to perch on some metalwork. The second habitat is less developed. It is a metropark with a pond which caters to walkers and children playing. There I see red-winged blackbirds and sparrows in the brown shrubs and plants around the pond. I also see mallard ducks swimming in the pond.
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I know only a few bird calls like Canada Geese on the wing, crows cawing, herring gulls screaming, and blue jays scolding. There are so many calls by warblers and song birds I don't know yet. Perhaps learning bird calls is like learning a foreign language?
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House Finches stay longer at the backyard seed feeders. Sometimes they look around and then go back to eating. They stand n the lower dish or the perch. The white-breasted nuthatch and Carolina chickadee fly in and away quickly when feeding. I usually see more birds feeding in the late afternoon before dark. This seems to be a favorite time of day to fill up.
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I notice the American Goldfinch is a brighter yellow in the summer during breeding season and is less vibrant in the winter. The Common Loon is more distinctly black and white in the summer during breeding season and a grayish brown during the winter. Birds are safer from predators if they do not stand out in the winter months when they do not need to attract a mate.
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#1 I live in Southwest Ohio. Using Merlin's Likely Birds feature, I notice these year-round birds in our area: Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, and Red-Breasted Woodpeckers. House Wrens, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, and Purple Finch migrate through our area. We await their arrival, especially at our backyard feeders.
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eBirds Status and Trends maps of abundance and migration are interesting. In Southwest Ohio we see Northern Cardinals year round. I have not seen Blackburnian Warblers which I now realize migrate in the spring and fall through Ohio but do not remain here. No wonder this bird is new to me.
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I tried the Merlin app most likely feature for Butler County Ohio. It was interesting to see the lineup because many come to our backyard feeders and trees. Now I know what to be on the lookout for. I also liked checking the eBird website for our state and county to see which birds are here in October. Looking at the photos and calls of ducks seen here will be helpful for identification when I am walking by marshes, ponds, etc. These are handy, informative tools to have at the ready as a new birder.
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I identified a white-breasted nuthatch at our bird feeder using the Merlin app. I have also seen him creeping down the tree trunk. I identified a hairy woodpecker pecking upwards in our river birch tree using Merlin. The Merlin app is very helpful in suggesting likely birds. I also like using a state field guide with good photos and a limited listing, based on color.
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Activity 2 I often see Red-winged blackbirds (blackbirds) when walking around marshes, ponds, and lakes in Southwest Ohio. I also see Great Blue Herons (herons) wading and fishing in similar waterways. They are patient when fishing and majestic in flight. It is a rare delight to see a pileated woodpecker (woodpeckers) come to our backyard feeder to investigate. They are striking in size and coloration.
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Activity 1 I like the call of the common loon. I hear and see them when I am traveling near lakes in New Hampshire and Maine. I have seen them flying and swimming and observed their platform nest from a distance. Their chicks don't always survive although the entire New London, NJ Pleasant Lake community tracks and roots for them each year.
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)