Kurt
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Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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Based on this, I have heard many creatures in the night which I had not expected. The particularly spooky call of the grey fox and deer were a surprise. I have heard Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Burrowing Owls either in my area or back east. I will try to have Merlin on-hand for any future calls I hear in the night, which could possibly be Owls or other night-time birds.
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I've noticed as spring turns to summer that a previously unseen bird, the Gambel's Quail, has decided to venture into my backyard. I've noticed usually two males and one female, feeding on the ground from seeds that fall from my feeder. More recently, I have noticed the quails traveling in larger family groups, with the chicks between mother and father. However, because my backyard is walled, I have yet to see the chicks in my yard, only the adults.
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The nocturnal lifestyle of owls distinguishes them from many other bird species. Because owls consume food whole, they do not digest or pass certain materials (bone, fur, feathers) and need to regurgitate those as pellets. Owl pellets are a unique and useful way of understanding certain diets of specific owl groups. Like most birds, owls will lay and incubate their eggs, raise their young and care for their young for a while after hatching. They do not often build their own nests like most bird species do, and instead look for ready-made homes. Owls form pair-bonds to raise young, similar to other birds. Like other birds they return to the same nesting grounds year after year barring certain changes to the area.
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I had never heard of fish owls before, it was surprising that certain types of owls eat fish! They would need to rely on their eyes over their ears. I had also never considered that larger owls might consume insects or arachnids. (I wonder what the pellets of an owl appear like when they consume invertebrates or amphibians)
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Burrowing Owls - Nesting at the school I work at. There is a pair of burrowing owls which have raised young year after year. (The children at school named them Odysseus and Athena.) Great Horned Owl - I've encountered Great Horned Owls in Arizona and in the North East. One perched on the light post outside my bedroom window, calling to a fellow owl at some distance. It's also possible that I have heard some barn owls in a few rural environments, but did not see them. (This also discounts owls seen at zoos or bird shows)
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I love birds, I love looking at the various birds in my area, as well as the beautiful variety of birds across the world and across time. Too many beautiful and unique bird species have been brought to extinction by human action, including the famous Dodo Bird. Looking at birds calms me down when I am stressed, and it is always a treat to see favorites like owls out in the wild. I follow several of the recommended ways to help birds thrive, my yard is xeriscaped with native plants and flowers, as well as a garden in the backyard with flowers that promote certain types of insects which birds are drawn to. I keep my cats indoors, making them content to simply watch birds instead of hunting them. I have worked to reduce plastic use, and do not use heavy pesticides in my yard. When I was a child, I would go to summer camp at the local Audubon Society, and I remember it being such a rare treat to see any kind of predator bird, particularly the red-tail hawk. I look forward to seeing more and more birds in my area, as I continue to hike and explore the mountains, and waters of Northern Arizona.
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I try to take pictures every-time a new bird, or a familiar bird but with an interesting "twist" comes into my yard. This includes seeing juveniles or fledglings or eggs. I will try to begin compiling these photos as well as memories, to come up with a "Birds I Have Seen" list. A partial list just for the year 2022 would include Pigeons, Great Horned Owls, Cactus Wren, Burrowing Owls, Arizona Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinals, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Roadrunners, Turkey Vultures, Falcons, Hawks.
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In my yard, which is a suburban area west of Phoenix (Sonoran Desert). In my yard I have witnessed a variety of common birds including hummingbirds, who feed from my agave flower in the spring and summer, gambles quail, who nest in my rosemary bush, and all manner of pigeons or doves, primarily rock pigeons and mourning doves. Going into the city of Phoenix, the variety is less noticeable, though on occasion some pigeons and cardinals have been located, along with the more uncommon roadrunner sighting. It's estimated that 1 acre of land in the Sonoran desert is lost every hour due to construction within Phoenix's city sprawl. The Phoenix metro area is growing rapidly, and as a result the wildlife is being affected too.
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Watched the Panama cam, saw a group of 6 Grey-Headed Chachalaca feeding on the fruits present, while 2 or 3 would dip their heads down, the others kept their heads up, then they would alternate. These are larger birds and they muscled out the smaller blue and red birds who were briefly present. They eat by grabbing and ripping the fruit, primarily bananas.
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Activity 3: Birds that undergo a plumage change over the year will sometimes see a sharp change in their colors as the seasons pass. For example, a Goldfinch, which in May and the Summer breeding period will have a distinct bright yellow color, will gradually transition to a more drab, dull almost brown during the winter months. The color change may have to do with the shift from mating to winter survival. Blue Jays, on the other hand, while they do molt, retain their colors even as new feathers come in.
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Activity 1: I watched a few minutes of a BirdCam based in Ontario, Canada. In the short time I viewed this I saw several chickadees, they mostly grabbed what was down in the lower pan, though a few fed from the feeder above. When they left, a group of red-capped small brown and white birds arrived. Later investigation revealed these to be common redpols. A medium sized red bird with black and white wings arrived, and was joined by two others. These were pine grosbeaks, later a female pine grosbeak joined them. The female was distinguished by an orange, or rust colored coloration in place of the red of the males. These birds all fed together, leaving and returning in short intervals, until a squirrel came and caused them all to disperse. Most went down to the ground below and fed on seeds which had blown off the feeder station. The squirrel remained for about 3 minutes before leaving, at which point the grosbeaks and redpols returned.
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Activity 4: My favorite bird has a larger size, larger than a crow. It has a drab, brown color, with tufted feathers on the top of the head, and white feathers on the throat. My favorite bird has a distinct behavior of hunting for prey at night; it has large eyes for accomplishing this. The range of this bird is the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. This is a solitary bird. This bird has a distinct call, a "hoot" that comes in three then two (Hoo-Hoo-Hoo Hoo-Hoo) My favorite bird is the Great Horned Owl; I had the fortune of seeing and hearing one while it perched on the lamppost outside my house. When/if I see it next, hopefully I can capture some photographs of it!
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I live in a suburban subdivision west of Phoenix. In my backyard I will often see mourning doves or rock pigeons perched on the wall. I've also encountered woodpeckers pecking at the side of my house. Raptors and Owls are rarer, but still appear (or are heard) from time to time. I am excited to learn more about the birds of my area, as well as all the other fascinating bird species of the world! Here is a family(?) of doves, what appear to be three juveniles and two adults, eating on my patio.
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)