Look! A bird!

[nebo113]

Yesterday morning I saw a Carolina wren with nest material in its beak!

Since most of my birdhouses are a bit battered I splurged on two more - one for wrens and another for downy wps.  Not sure where the downy box will go, but I've spotted a hopefully perfect branch (visible from the house but not too close to everyday activity) for the wren house.

Generic birdhouses or designed specifically for wrens and downies?

[cathwen]

It was a blissful moment. Looks like the birds say winter is over!

Tomorrow it will be March in New England, so I know that we could still be knocked for a loop before spring sets in for good.  However, a crocus came up yesterday, and the birds have begun to sing.  I bow to the wisdom of the natural world and dare to hope!

[Thursday's_Child]

Yesterday morning I saw a Carolina wren with nest material in its beak!

Since most of my birdhouses are a bit battered I splurged on two more - one for wrens and another for downy wps.  Not sure where the downy box will go, but I've spotted a hopefully perfect branch (visible from the house but not too close to everyday activity) for the wren house.

Generic birdhouses or designed specifically for wrens and downies?

Specifically designed for them.  The downie house even came with a bag of shavings b/c they apparently don't bring in nest material!

[nebo113]

May be behind paywall but fascinating look at bald eagles love lives.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/03/02/dc-bald-eagles/

[nebo113]

Yesterday morning I saw a Carolina wren with nest material in its beak!

Since most of my birdhouses are a bit battered I splurged on two more - one for wrens and another for downy wps.  Not sure where the downy box will go, but I've spotted a hopefully perfect branch (visible from the house but not too close to everyday activity) for the wren house.

Generic birdhouses or designed specifically for wrens and downies?

Specifically designed for them.  The downie house even came with a bag of shavings b/c they apparently don't bring in nest material!

Might you share the source? 

[Thursday's_Child]

Yesterday morning I saw a Carolina wren with nest material in its beak!

Since most of my birdhouses are a bit battered I splurged on two more - one for wrens and another for downy wps.  Not sure where the downy box will go, but I've spotted a hopefully perfect branch (visible from the house but not too close to everyday activity) for the wren house.

Generic birdhouses or designed specifically for wrens and downies?

Specifically designed for them.  The downie house even came with a bag of shavings b/c they apparently don't bring in nest material!

Might you share the source?

Happily - sorry for the delay!  They were from the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise in my town.  The houses are very Audubon-standard in construction & proportions, so not anything unique to WBU despite having their logo.

Lots of robins lately, & lots of Canada geese activity, & I think the wrens are nesting.  Also lots of loud barred owls AND I saw one the other morning!  It was on the ground near the road as I was leaving the neighborhood.  Luckily I slowed down to look, because it took off and when right in front of the car!  Amazingly long wings for something that looked so short when on the ground.

[nebo113]

Thanks Thursdays Child!

Female painted bunting at feeder.  I was completely stumped as to what it was, but my sister identified it rather quickly.  Hope the male visits, too.

[namazu]

Also lots of loud barred owls AND I saw one the other morning!  It was on the ground near the road as I was leaving the neighborhood.  Luckily I slowed down to look, because it took off and when right in front of the car!  Amazingly long wings for something that looked so short when on the ground.

Oh, hurray!

Speaking of both barred owls and WBU, the Cornell/WBU Barrel Owl Nest Cam is up and running for another season.

[Langue_doc]

Assorted ducks and songbirds, a kestrel, a Cooper's, and  a turkey vulture yesterday.  The day before, a large flock of snow geese, a cardinal, and a glossy cat bird.

[cathwen]

I've seen a number of red-tailed hawks recently--in flight or hanging out on tree branches. 

The condo had a large tree chopped down that was within view of our living room window, and which attracted all sorts of birds--downy woodpeckers, brown thrashers, nuthatches, and the usual assortment of northeastern birds (chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, tufted titmice, song sparrows, house sparrows, house finches, robins).  I am heartbroken.  There are other trees within view of the window, but the bird count seems way down.  I don't know why the tree was removed—perhaps there was a good reason—but it has made me very sad.

[Langue_doc]

cathwen, it's a shame about the tree. The condo association probably had good reasons, but even so...

The windows of the nature center in one of the parks we visited yesterday (city park)  had see-through bubble-like objects affixed on the outside to prevent birds from getting injured when trying to fly through the glass. The nature center at the park (state) had wire netting draped over the entire glass walls of the building. I was quite impressed.

[Harlow2]

On a larger scale Philadelphia implemented a new skyscraper lighting plan to save migrating birds. There was a terrible toll last fall

https://apnews.com/article/science-philadelphia-climate-change-birds-ae7b8dc52663edd720596445f76aa105

[Puget]

On my walk along the river this evening I got to watch a Cooper's hawk working on its (probably his, as apparently the males do most of the nest building) nest. It was flying from the nest to nearby trees that to me looked just like the nest tree, but apparently to it offered better branches, inspecting multiple small branches, then having a tug of war with its selected branch to pull it off and flying back to the nest with it. It was doing a lot of calling the whole time-- I suspect trying to get its mate to notice how hard it was working on the nest!

[nebo113]

See lots of vultures.  Driving down two lane road I saw a white headed vulture by the side of the road, dining.  Hmmm....a white headed vulture???  Was that a bald eagle??????  Turned around to confirm and to show my mother who was with me.  And yes, it was a bald eagle sitting on the side of the road, dining.  We watched it fly.  We just looked at each other......

[cathwen]

Bald eagle sightings are always exciting!  What a thrill for you and your mother. I've seen them around here, but infrequently.  Our daughter in Maine sees them on a fairly regular basis.

I saw two goldfinches today, perhaps fighting over turf. 

We've been hosting the Festival of House Sparrows.  They seem to like perching on the awning over our living room windows, and they chatter chatter chatter and fly back and forth all day.  I've been trying to determine whether there is a nest up in the mechanism—I don't think so, but I'm not sure.  Because of the uncertainty, I've been reluctant to roll the awning down (windows face due west).  Also, the awning is in bad shape and needs replacing, but I don't want to disturb the birds!  I know that house sparrows are an invasive species, but I enjoy their antics.  I guess I'll wait until fall to replace the awning.  The world will not stop spinning on its axis.