Look! A bird!

[cathwen]

An American Redstart was hopping around in our dogwood tree this morning!  It's been eons since I've seen one.  `I hope he comes back.

[mamselle]

In case anyone's around the Pittsburgh area....

   
   https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/massive-bird-migration-event-take-place-over-pittsburgh-area-monday-night/ZILM77ZGVFH2THEGX5VE3ZZ4WQ/?outputType=amp

Happy watching!

M.

[apl68]

Saw two white herons at the park today, instead of the usual one.

There's still one grey heron as well.  There used to be three.  It looks like the egrets are displacing them.

[cathwen]

I saw my first white-throated sparrow today!  Fall is officially here.

Two days ago, I heard a bird crash into my living room window.  I looked outside and saw that it had landed head-first in the boxwood bush, with only its tail feathers sticking out.  I put on some vinyl gloves and gently lifted him out--it was a red-eyed vireo.  I spoke some words in a voice I hoped was soothing rather than frightening, and put him down in a shady spot to (I hoped) recover.  A little while later, I went to check on him, and he was moving his head and looking fairly perky.  I knelt down and spoke softly to him, and he swiveled his head around and gave me a good, long look!  Was he saying, "Hi, friend! Thank you!"  Or was he saying, "Who the heck are you?"  A few minutes later, he flew away, much to my relief. 

[Thursday's_Child]

My resident hummers are now gone - on now with the season of newbies who stay for an hour or a few days, have the jitters about everything because it's strange, don't necessarily know what a feeder is, but often still decide it's all theirs and how dare that other hummer intrude!

Also, a rose-breasted grosbeak trailed by a juvie!  Both hung out, eating and drinking, for much of yesterday afternoon.

[nebo113]

I saw my first white-throated sparrow today!  Fall is officially here.

Two days ago, I heard a bird crash into my living room window.  I looked outside and saw that it had landed head-first in the boxwood bush, with only its tail feathers sticking out.  I put on some vinyl gloves and gently lifted him out--it was a red-eyed vireo.  I spoke some words in a voice I hoped was soothing rather than frightening, and put him down in a shady spot to (I hoped) recover.  A little while later, I went to check on him, and he was moving his head and looking fairly perky.  I knelt down and spoke softly to him, and he swiveled his head around and gave me a good, long look!  Was he saying, "Hi, friend! Thank you!"  Or was he saying, "Who the heck are you?"  A few minutes later, he flew away, much to my relief.

Oh my!  What an adventure for you and thee little avians.  Why vinyl gloves rather than a towel or some other cotton fabric? 

[Catherder]

A sparrow just slammed into my window a few minutes ago.  So far when this happens--and it has happened a lot these past months--I just watch to make sure it recovers. Usually after an hour it does. But I may follow Cathwen's example when the weather gets worse.

[cathwen]

Nebo--I chose vinyl gloves rather than a towel because they were right beside the door, with my pile of masks.  It was faster to grab those rather than go hunting for a towel.

Catherder--I usually just keep an eye on birds that crash into my windows, but this one was half-buried in a boxwood shrub, and I wasn't sure that he would be able to free himself once he came to!

[Catherder]

Looks like the sparrow has recovered and flown off. I can't imagine how resilient these little guys are. It hit the window hard.

[apl68]

No owls hooting in the woods before daylight on my morning walk at the city park.  I wonder where they go when they're not around here?

[apl68]

The egret pair at the city park put on a little flying show for me this morning.

[nebo113]

Bluebirds flying in and out of the bluebird box.  Day temps are in low 70s and nights are 40-50s.  Typical first frost by mid month.

Are they nesting?

[FishProf]

I was mowing the back 40 on Saturday and came out of the brush to find a Red-tailed hawk on the ground scarfing a mouse.

Hawk gave me a look like 'sup?  I stopped, turned off the mower and just got to watch from <10 feet away for about 5min.

Then, Hawk ran/flapped up the slope of the septic field, and watched me carry on.  Totally unruffled.

So cool.

(Copied from the Fauna thread - as requested)

[apl68]

That was a rare sight!  Especially the way you were able to observe at close range for a while like that.

Some years ago I saw an urban hawk swoop down and take a squirrel just a block or two from my apartment.  First I saw the squirrel on the ground.  Then a huge pair of wings swept between me and it.  Then the squirrel was gone.  It all happened in the blink of an eye.  Now I understand what "one fell swoop" really means.

A year or two later, some blocks away, I saw what may have been the same hawk try to catch a squirrel and miss.  You could almost see the disappointed hawk shrug before it flew away to try the hunting somewhere else.

[Catherder]

This time it was a northern flicker that hit the window. It might have been blown into it by a strong wind gust--they usually don't forage so close to the house.

It's breathing and has flipped itself over. Hoping for the best.