Bird Watching Project by Cornell U - Redbelly98 Spotted

[Evo]

This might be a fun project for some of our members that enjoy bird watching. It's a project by Cornell U that wants to gather information on bird sightings. I was thinking turbo might be a good source.

I see Redbelly98 has been spotted.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/News/PressReleaseAutumn07.htm

 

[runner]

Your post reminded me that I need to get some birdseed. The feeder attracts a nice variety of birds, but every once in awhile, a small Cooper's or Sharp-shinned hawk will perch nearby and make a meal of one of the birds. It doesn't happen very often though. The birds seem to have a sixth sense about that, and they usually scatter or freeze when they become aware of a predator. I do wonder sometimes though if the feeder isn't a magnet for some poor unsuspecting bird. On the other hand, the hawks have to eat too.

 

[Evo]

I have hawks, so I usually put food out under my covered patio, that way they can eat without being eaten. But I agree, a bird feeder out in the open is a hawk diner if you have hawks.

 

[Redbelly98]

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/News/PressReleaseAutumn07.htm

There are some awesome photos there. Click on any of the small photos at that URL to see the full-blown original.

 

[Math Is Hard]

They might be really interested in your NotAGoshawk, Evo.

I don't think they'd be too excited about my crow sightings.

One of OmCheeto's bird's (apostrophe abuse?) friends came to see me yesterday. I had a little brown dove on my patio all day. Every time I opened the door, there she was.

 

[Evo]

I wish I could get a picture of the NotAGoshawk. I still have never seen a picture of a hawk that looks like it. But, I would expect no less than a freak hawk in my back yard.

 

[Redbelly98]

Or perhaps NotEvo could get a picture of NotAGoshawk

 

[Evo]

I had a Carolina Wren the other day, so pretty!

 

[Astronuc]

Geez, we've seen all those birds.

I'll have to post my latest picture of our neighborhood Melanerpes carolinus.

We see quite a few birds from the mid-Atlantic region. We have a lot of finches, tufted titmice and chickadees, and an occasional Carolina Wren. We recently have about a dozen pine siskins, and they seem to be recent arrivals in our area.


I also have to get pics of our neighborhood hawks. We have a pair of redtails in the area, and at least one Cooper's hawk.

 

[Evo]

I have a lot of dark eyed juncos. The first picture to the right is the one.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Dark-eyed_Junco.html

 

[Astronuc]

I have a lot of dark eyed juncos. The first picture to the right is the one.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Dark-eyed_Junco.html

We have quite a few of those too. The slate-grey version is the most common (figure top right on that page).

 

[runner]

It won't be long before the juncos are gone. They've been plentiful here this winter (mid-Atlantic). You can check out the birding list for your area and other lists here: http://birdingonthe.net/birdmail.html

 

[Proton Soup]

i remember when the reports of an http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_Woodpecker sighting came out. then i managed to spot a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_Woodpecker on one of my old hiking trails. i even found the tree it nested in. i don't know that i would report it. they are rather shy, and i wouldn't want to attract attention to it.

 

[turbo]

i remember when the reports of an http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_Woodpecker sighting came out. then i managed to spot a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_Woodpecker on one of my old hiking trails. i even found the tree it nested in. i don't know that i would report it. they are rather shy, and i wouldn't want to attract attention to it.

We have pileated woodpeckers here, and they love digging into dead trees for bugs, though they hammer on live ones when they want to make noise. They are shy, but I have had them come pretty close to me when I was sitting quietly while hunting. Their calls can be pretty crazy-sounding.

 

[Astronuc]

We have pileated woodpeckers here, and they love digging into dead trees for bugs, though they hammer on live ones when they want to make noise. They are shy, but I have had them come pretty close to me when I was sitting quietly while hunting. Their calls can be pretty crazy-sounding.

Pileateds have an interesting and loud call. We've had one visit the downed trunks in our yard, and he really chopped it, sending pieces of trunk flying several feet.

 

[Evo]

The juncos are a hoot to watch! When there is seed mixed in with chaf on the ground, they do this little kick with one foot that sends everything flying allowing them to find the seeds. The movement is so quick and it's pretty powerful considering how tiny their feet are.

 

[turbo]

The juncos are a hoot to watch! When there is seed mixed in with chaf on the ground, they do this little kick with one foot that sends everything flying allowing them to find the seeds. The movement is so quick and it's pretty powerful considering how tiny their feet are.

When the slate juncos are ground-feeding in the hulls and dropped seeds under the feeder, they make metallic "pinging" calls that sound like someone is tapping on a hammered dulcimer. Do yours do that?

 

[runner]

Pileateds have an interesting and loud call. We've had one visit the downed trunks in our yard, and he really chopped it, sending pieces of trunk flying several feet.

They do the same thing when they're creating a cavity for a nesting site. I've seen them in the woods, high up on a tree, sending chunks of wood flying all over while they are digging out the cavity. A few days later when I returned, there was a nice, large, oval hole. On some soft, decayed trees they will just rip'em apart looking for insects and grubs to feed on. They are really equipped to do some serious drilling.

 

[physics girl phd]

We have pileated woodpeckers here, and they love digging into dead trees for bugs, though they hammer on live ones when they want to make noise. They are shy, but I have had them come pretty close to me when I was sitting quietly while hunting. Their calls can be pretty crazy-sounding.

Piliated woodpeckers are amazing! When I was a teen I used to bike to a rural park that I knew had them.

My brother and I volunteered with the park system and also went on "woodcock night hikes" during the spring breeding season. The whistling, spiraling descent of the male is pretty amazing (like a female woodcock, you can sneak up to his "spot" while he's busy climbing altitude).