Look! A bird!

[mamselle]

More goldfinches flitting up into a tall pine and chattering at me [or, more likely, each other] on my way to a student's home yesterday.

The nuthatch didn't reappear, but that student has a local bird ID guide (plus six feeders, binoculars, and a telescope--by which they spotted an eagle last month) and confirmed the ID as a white-breasted nuthatch--they've seen it (or its brother, across the street from mine), too.

They haven't yet seen (or heard) wrens. I was surprised by the raspy call the first time I saw one on a porch post awhile ago. They're so pretty, I expected a more mellifluous sound. But there it was, croaking at me...

M.

[Thursday's_Child]

Yet another unidentifiable fall warbler - very drab, white on tail feathers, rarely still, eats small caterpillars, didn't seem to match anything in the book.  Hummer feeder still being controlled by an adult male who was busily giving all the others some flying practice.

[nebo113]

Check for wing bars.  That might help with ID.

[Catherder]

So I have a question about hummingbirds. I have a large backyard, probably about a half acre, surrounded by woods. I have some bushes at the perimeter that probably do have hummingbirds (they have flowers that look appropriate). If I put a feeder by my kitchen window, where I could actually SEE the birds, do you think they would venture all the way over, or should I plant some bushes to lure them in? The septic tank is right next to the house near the kitchen (great placement!) so I can't really block it with a bigger garden or anything (it's one reason that's a big open grass area, for the drainfield. I know not to use colored water or anything, but I'd like to be able to see the little boogers. I could maybe plant some vines.

Has anyone mentioned putting something bright red on or near the feeder?  Hummingbirds love that colour.

Today there are at least 20 swans in two different groups on the lake. Two groups because the trumpeters and mute swans don't get along.  Also two birds I can't identify--cormorants by their shape, but black-winged, red- breasted and yellow- beaked.  Anyone know?

[professor_pat]

Check for wing bars.  That might help with ID.

Hahaha! Thanks, Nebo, I needed a good laugh.

Kidding aside,  I'm sure wing bars help many folks and I'm totally impressed that you're one of them. But since those little warblers sit still for only about 12 nanoseconds, I can never get a good enough look to make any useful observations.

[nebo113]

Check for wing bars.  That might help with ID.

Hahaha! Thanks, Nebo, I needed a good laugh.

Kidding aside,  I'm sure wing bars help many folks and I'm totally impressed that you're one of them. But since those little warblers sit still for only about 12 nanoseconds, I can never get a good enough look to make any useful observations.

Believe me, I understand!!!!

[Thursday's_Child]

Check for wing bars.  That might help with ID.

Hahaha! Thanks, Nebo, I needed a good laugh.

Kidding aside,  I'm sure wing bars help many folks and I'm totally impressed that you're one of them. But since those little warblers sit still for only about 12 nanoseconds, I can never get a good enough look to make any useful observations.

Believe me, I understand!!!!

It had wing bars, but I still can't find it in the book.  It was so drab that I was hoping for worm-eating warbler, but the head pattern wasn't there.

Other bird news:

I've seen no adult male hummers for over a week.  Another (male juvie, perhaps?) took over trying to dominate the feeder for a few days and then also migrated.  The two around this morning are mostly feeding rather than chasing - one of them is not only a newbie in the yard (checked out the red peppers for nectar) but is also a country-cousin because it ignored the feeder.  It chased a chickadee right up to the feeder (c-dee was getting a drink from the ant guard) and then went right back to sipping from a Salvia.

I'm pretty sure I saw a drab blue-headed vireo.  At first I thought it was a ruby-crowned kinglet, but it wasn't flitty enough and then a titmouse got close enough for scale so I knew for sure it wasn't a kinglet.

[nebo113]

My hummers seem to have moved on, though it's a bit early.  I put out fresh juice anyway, as others may migrate through.

[Thursday's_Child]

My hummers seem to have moved on, though it's a bit early.  I put out fresh juice anyway, as others may migrate through.

Yes!  I wish more people realized that it isn't the availability of food that drives migration - it's day length.  For a late migrant - blown off course by a storm, spent a week lost in a maze of sky scrapers, etc. - a feeder can make the difference between life and death.

Plus, I'm far enough south that having off course western species stop by and stay for the winter is a possibility!  I keep a feeder up until late December - just in case.

[mamselle]

You're the bird concierge.

M.

[nebo113]

The male bluebird of happiness reappeared, though he may have been tucked into the woods since mating earlier this year.  I put out dead meal worms, just in case.

And a hummer has been flitting around, but I don't know if it's one of the regulars so is en route to somewhere elsewhere.

As for being the bird concierge:  Thank you!!!  I confess to buying the cheapest seed and it doesn't seem to deter them!

[AmLitHist]

We've had more hummingbirds the past few days than all summer put together.  (It was so ungodly hot here I just assume the little guys were sitting in the AC somewhere.)  I put out fresh nectar for them over the weekend, and they've been enjoying it--and I, them.  It's remained hot here (still 93 degrees yesterday), so they'll be around a good while yet. Most years they stay almost until first frost, which looks to be pretty late according to forecasts.

[professor_pat]

I'm realizing it's been a while since I've seen a rufous hummer at my feeders - such gorgeous little guys 'n' gals. I had a Townsend's Warbler and even a Wood-pewee in the last week, late for both but so delightful to see.

It's pretty quiet out there these days. Can't wait for the winter birds to start showing up.

[Thursday's_Child]

Late yesterday afternoon, for a couple of hours, I thought I was getting a glimpse of birder heaven - or perhaps hell.  Every time I finished noting (and saying them outloud in hopes of remembering them better) all the field marks that I'd been able to see and reached for the book, another would flit into view.  By the time they stopped, all I knew for sure was vireos! a thrush! warblers! catbird! something else entirely! because all the lists had merged into a complete scramble in my paltry brain.  Eyes with and without rings; eyebrows not obvious or white or yellow; necks and chests white or yellowish or bright yellow; sides white or yellow and striped or not; wing bars 0 or 1 or 2, white except one obviously yellowish; butts not contrasting or bright yellow (on a bird that clearly wasn't a yellow-rumped warbler); tails uniform or with white flashes; undertail feathers white or yellow; etc.

To top it all off, this morning I got a good look at and description of --- yet another warbler that isn't in the book.

I think I need those binocs that have a built-in camera.

[nebo113]

Horde of starlings yesterday.  Gone today.

And Thursday's Child:  I get it!!!!