Rosy-Finches Arrive

We have had a warm, dry season so far and the Rosy-Finches missed the Christmas Bird Count! They weren't quite a month late, arriving here on New Year's Eve. Last year they were here on December 4th but this year at least they arrived in December, even if it was the last day of the year. And if things go typically, now that they're here, they come on early mornings and only when we get a snow storm. At first only a few hundred come, but soon the numbers grow to huge flocks. Every year I have exponentially more Rosy-Finches and last year had as many as 600 in my yard at any one time. This year I suppose I could have 1000 of them visiting. Early in the season, they come only in the morning and only when it snows but as the cold continues and the snow increases, they begin to stay later and come more often.

All three species come: Brown-capped, pretty much endemic to Colorado; Gray-crowned, including Hepburn's; and Blacks. The flocks are always mixed and even fairly tame. While they do whirl up and wheel around a lot, they will actually land at my feet. Sometimes I can walk right up to them. When they fly, it's breath-taking. The underside of their wings are silver and a flock moves in unison, like large schools of fish in the sea.

Today is January 1st of 2011 and I watched birds, on and off, most of the day. It was quite stunning with the yellows of the Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins and Goldfinches; the reds of House Finches, Cassin's Finches and Woodpeckers and Flickers; with the blues of the jays and orca-like look of Magpies with the blacks of the Red-winged Blackbirds. Stripes, spots, streaks, barred and buffy breasts; big birds and tiny...it was visually quite exciting.

It was also quiet a good part of the day. While out re-filling feeders and scattering more seed under evergreens and where the lawn meets tall grass, I startled a good sized Cooper's Hawk. But later in the day I watched a young Sharp-shinned Hawk race through the yard scattering every bird in sight. I watched it land and thought it'd missed its lunch, but when I came back out with my little, old camera, I watched it pluck and eat...someone. I don't know who. I know this is a young bird because it's still got spots on it's back. I don't know the sex, but imagine it may have been a female as they are larger than males. This was not the smallest Sharpy I've ever seen.

It was a treat to see the winter birds: Cassin's Finch, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, so many versions of Dark-eyed Junco and a White-winged Dove even made an appearance. Happy New Year!

I Have a Birdy Yard

Spring has sprung; the birds today are far more colorful and appear in greater and greater numbers like the brave and glorious bulbs and tiny spring flowers and the Dandelions in the lawn.

It seems more arrive every day; I find it both cleansing and inspiring. I want to get out and work in the yard, but it is still too wet and my RA prevents me from even pulling weeds. It can be frustrating but also teaches me to be patient and to accept what I can do and to embrace what is…as it is. Besides, the birds like the wildness and even more come as spring unfolds. I open windows to listen, as I watch dozens and dozens come to the different feeders offering different selections of seed, nectar, fruit, peanuts and kibble.

This weekend, sitting at the big windows that stretch the entire width of my kitchen I see dozens of Red-winged Blackbirds, Common and Great-tailed Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings and the ubiquitous Eurasian Collared Doves. I recently bought some Safflower Seeds and filled their favorite feeders with that seed instead of their preferred Black-oil Sunflower seeds. They will try the new, white seed…but no longer mob those easy feeders. I am thrilled. And the squirrels don’t like it, either. All three grosbeaks seem to love it, however.

Speaking of grosbeaks…three varieties are visiting my yard right now. Over the past day or two, I have counted as many as 18 male Black-headed Grosbeaks, six male Red-breasted and as many Evening Grosbeaks all at or under feeders or waiting a turn on nearby branch or wire. Just seeing this many brightly colored birds who are having such a hard time with their habitat fractured by manicured yards and the disfavor of the too common native plants they need to survive…makes me smile. I enjoy offering them a respite; and they often choose to nest nearby; it’s a win/win for everybody.

I have a single ‘flat-bed’ feeder that is a lipped, metal, rectangular tray with a good pattern of holes for drainage. In it I put shelled and unshelled and unsalted peanuts, kibble and sometimes grapes or what I call ‘fat-worms’ made from thin strips of meat-trimmings I get from the butcher. Mostly it is the big black pests who feed there…along with the more dominating Black-billed Magpies, as many as 6-8 at a time; one waiting after the other for a turn to grab, stuff and fly off. Also 2-3 Blue Jays come back and forth too, flipping unshelled peanuts to find those with the heaviest meats inside before they decide and fly off to give the other a turn. I’ve not seen for some months the single, male Lewis’s Woodpecker that spent the winter here, but there is one visiting my friends Polly and Paul, across town. I hope he finds a mate there! While I have occasionally had Scrub Jays visit and once a Steller’s Jay…I have never seen the hordes of Pinyon Jays she gets, either.

I impale orange-halves on feeders, for the dozen or more male Bullock’s Orioles (it’s easier to just count males) I have in the yard at any one time, but have noticed the Black-headed Grosbeaks also enjoy them. As I’ve said before, I also carefully enlarge several feeder-ports on the hummingbird feeders (ensuring they are also smooth inside so as not to damage delicate tongues), so that the big, yellow and black orioles can use them, too. For that small gift, I am rewarded with their hanging, sock-like nests in the local trees and their youngsters who follow them here in the summer. Two feeders hang almost against my kitchen window; I hear a ‘thump’ when an oriole lands and lately am privileged to watch 2-3 tussle over who gets to feed first. Birds stand on the feeder, hang on the wire holder and cling to the bird-netting I stretch across the outside of the window. They argue and chortle and hang in all manner of positions just inches from me as I sit and watch. I feel blessed…yanno?

I have discovered a much cheaper feed for the little finches than pure, black thistle (Nyger) seed. It’s offered at feed stores by Purina Mills and is called Finches’ Feast. It contains about an equal mix of the black thistle with the similarly shaped little Canary Seed and tiny, tiny sunflower-seed chips. The birds love it; it works very well in any finch-feeder and it’s half the price of pure thistle. At any time now, I find as many as two dozen American Goldfinches, the same number of Pine Siskins and perhaps half as many House Finches all vying for position at these feeding stations. I try to keep these separate from feeders bigger birds enjoy, as they seem to frighten off these little birds. The big black birds will try to feed at these feeders too, but these particular feeders make it hard for them and they usually leave after just a bite or two…and the little finches come right back. Several times this week I have seen two or three Lazuli Buntings sharing these feeders too…though they seem quite timid. If I remember correctly, last year these startlingly blue little birds seemed to like a feeder full of ‘premium mixed seed’…I think they like the white millet it included. (I try to avoid cheap mixes that contain milo or red millet; cheap seed-filler that birds don’t seem to like). Once I even saw an Indigo Bunting accompanying the other buntings, finches. I regularly have Cassin’s Finches, occasionally Purple Finches join the little birds at these tiny-seed feeders.

Right now, as I look out over my yard I see so many yellow birds; different hues, different sizes; they seem to mirror my lawn; liberally laced with bright yellow dandelions. I’m patiently waiting for the Western Tanagers to appear; Polly recently saw one in town. They bred here as well and bring their fledglings to my feeders. Who knew how much red appears on the face and head of a Western Tanager is dependent on the insects it eats? Unlike other red tanagers, the Western Tanager cannot manufacture the red coloring itself, and depends on the bugs…who get it from the plants they eat. They also enjoy seeds and fruit, especially the orange-halves I offer.

Other heralds of spring are the hummingbirds. First to arrive are the red-throated Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that sound like chirping crickets when they fly. A day or two latter the Black-chinned Hummingbirds arrive, though I can’t understand why they are not called ‘Blue-collared Hummers’…their dark throats are edged with such a beautiful blue-purple iridescence. Soon will come the belligerent but beautifully-brown Rufus Hummingbirds and finally the tiniest of birds…the Calliope Hummingbirds who bred in on the Canadian west-coast to Alaska but spend winters in Central America. By summertime, there will be 50-75 of these brightly iridescent little birds flitting and dashing through the yard.

This morning I saw my First of Season (FOS) White-crowned Sparrow. I have not seen one in months and months and am tickled pink to know they are back. I also saw a Chipping Sparrow, but they show up from time to time, as do the Song Sparrows. But another bird I am yearning to see are the seal-like, black-backed Lesser Goldfinches; they should be here any minute. While I do see the errant one from time to time, they’ll be here in greater numbers all summer. I just love their shiny black tops; from bill, over top including wings, to the tips of their tails and the bright, unblemished yellow over their entire undersides. I would imagine there are also the green-backed version too, as they are more common here in the west (black-backed are a more ‘eastern’ bird, I understand), but I cannot yet ‘see’ them. While Lesser Goldfinches are even smaller than the tiny American Goldfinch, I still find it difficult to tell females from young males…and perhaps from the green-backed Lessers. Still, those black-backed beauties are stunning.

Coming and going daily, all year even, are both Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees and, I know now, both White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches. I wish I could discover a way to continue to put out suet feeders now that all the black birds are here…but they will eat a cake a day! So, some of my favorite birds must go without…their visits here have fallen a bit, now that they only get sunflower seeds. The Flickers just aren’t coming around these days; haven’t seen one in weeks.

Eventually, I’ll stop feeding sunflower seeds too, as a method to get the black rascals to move on. Right now it is too early in the migration for me to want to pull the feeders, but as bears wake, deer get hungrier and the weedy-birds start thinking ‘nests’…I’ll stop. Hopefully that will encourage them to leave.

About this time, the warblers and sparrows and fly-catchers arrive; they don’t use seed feeders. I saw the second Black Phoebe I’ve ever seen in my yard yesterday and the Yellow-rumps have been here awhile. Once I had an American Redstart…I’d love to encourage another to stop. Already seen in by Polly are the quite common Yellow Warblers who bred here; but I’ve not yet seen them in my yard. Any day now, I’m sure. They too, bring their youngsters…sometimes including a single cow-bird chick looking for all the world
like Baby Huey hulking and begging food from their diminutive yellow parents. Ugh…

Soon the fly-catchers will arrive. In addition to the phoebes, I’ve seen Western Wood-Pewees and perhaps the Gray Flycatchers Polly has seen. I am not yet good enough to tell the flycatchers one from another.

Of course, the American Robbins are here, 3-4 at a time in the grass under the trees. Hopefully one won’t decide to build a nest, again, near where I come and go. It was not pleasant getting hit in the head by an irate bird trying to protect its nest every time I ventured into my yard.

And while they don’t nest here, the Turkey Vultures have taken up roosting at night in the trees in front of my house…something I find a bit disconcerting. I do like being in their flight-paths however; when they come and go, I get long, slow viewings of the big vultures flying quite low over my yard…adults sporting that naked, red face and head. Kinda makes me want to keep moving when outside in the yard, though!

I continue to plant berrying vines and shrubs, small trees and native perennials and grasses for the birds here. While Paul and Polly have Gray Catbirds and Spotted Towhees, I’ve never seen them here. I believe I’ve heard the cat-birds…but I can’t be sure. I want to see these guys. I hope to get something called a (female) single-seed juniper or perhaps a Rocky Mountain Juniper. The evergreen tree will offer both cover and small fruits for my birdy friends. At my friends Dave and Marta’s home, I’ve watched over a hundred robins and a good-sized flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding on such trees…not to mention the Townsend Solitaires. While the robins enjoy the fruit early on, it is when the Virginia Creeper’s fruit has frozen and thawed a few times by late September and October, the Hermit Thrushes show up.

Both the Black Phoebe and the Banded Kingfisher I’ve seen flyover my yard now and again, like water. I plan to create a pond this season, just outside my kitchen window. Yeah, I'm blessed to have a very birdy yard, a stone's throw from the river and surrounded by tall trees...but I also plan it that way. That, and the pond, will be another story.

Thanks to birdfreak on Flickr and the free wikipedia for all photos on this post.

A Preditor Arrives...

I was standing in the kitchen and happened to look up as every bird in the yard suddenly took cover; I couldn't see a single bird. Of course, this has happened enough times before that I knew what to do; pick up the binoculars and scan the trees! And, thanks to a little movement, there I found the culprit...a little Sharp-shinned hawk. Here's a lovely shot from Wikimedia:

So, yet another bird for the weekend count! I know it was a Sharpie and not a Cooper's Hawk mostly because of the size. A Sharp-shinned hawk is not much bigger than an robin or a jay...though with all hawks, females are nearly big as large as males. A female Sharp-shinned Hawk could be about the size of a (small) male Cooper's and a large female Cooper's could be nearly as large as a Red-tailed hawk! So what was the other clue? A Sharpie's tale is squared-off...the edges are 'sharp' compared to a Coop's more rounded tail-feathers. Just another play on words to help remember differences!

Here's an interesting montage showing the two birds together...also from the free Wikimedia:

According to size alone, that should be a male Cooper's hawk on the left and a female Sharp-shinned hawk on the right. While it's hard to see here, the slightly longer tail (both physically and proportionally) on the Cooper's has a noticeably wider, pale terminal band. Also, the Coop's head is larger and extends past the bend in a flying bird's wing. Click either bird's name above and see many more photos of each species.

Another tidbit from Bill Thompson III's Identify Yourself : "...the rule of thumb is that Cooper's are the longest accipiter and sharp-shinneds are the most compact. The longer tail and greater head projection of Cooper's make it seem longer than it is wide. The shorter tail and smaller head and proportionally longer wings make sharp-shinneds seem more compact and shaped more like a buteo, such as a broad-winged or red-tailed hawk."

You folks may have seen an online pal's comments here from time to time...or perhaps you've visited one of his websites that I list on the right: Burque Birding or Bosque Bill's Place. I frequent both and find his wealth of information more than helpful and his photographs stunning. Here are some of Bill's hummingbird shots.

At any rate, since we just discussed how difficult it can be for a novice like me to get the hang of two similarly-marked birds, Bill let me include a couple of his videos here, to help show the two little brown, stripy birds I wrote about earlier this weekend.

White-crowned sparrow by BosqueBill:

White-throated sparrow by BosqueBill:



You can find more of BosqueBill's video clips here.
Thanks Bill!!!

A Winter Day

Sooooo...snow for the past couple of says. Yesterday not so much...and it was lovely. Today I woke up to over a foot of snow; it's almost noon and it's still snowing. I love it...except I'm missing even more work! [sigh] At least I can make up some of the time here at home. Ever try 'LogMeIn'? I like it.

I've been keeping a close watch on the birdies...but am sad to report I've not seen the Rosies yet. Year before last I had all three; but perhaps it's too early, yet. I'll let ya know...
So far, on my upside-down suet-feeder I've had Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches and
............. Magpies! Yup, the Black-billed Magpies have figured out how to jump up from below (unlike the little birds who start on top and walk below) and hang on, wings flapping, tails spread...while they mostly hack away at the cake and then pick up the pieces that fall below. It's funny to watch, I'll try for a photo.

I'm dismayed at how many Eurasian Collared-Doves (not Eurasian-colored Doves, as I've heard them called!) and how many House Sparrows have invaded my place. I've had troubles with the Doves and Red-winged Blackbirds in the past...but I've never seen so many of the House Sparrows. They are vermin...and they ruin other birds' eggs and kill their nestlings; not to mention compete for food. I'll tell you, by shear numbers they're getting the bulk of the food I put out.

It seems one was nearly lunch to another creature;
it lost it's tail! Doesn't seem to bother it much, though.

I like to toss seed out the back door where I can watch the birds come onto the little cement walk-way there. I've seen several Dark-eyed Juncos (mostly Oregon, Gray Headed, Pink-sided and Slate colored, but I've also seen the Cassiars (like the Oregon but with very dark wings) and occasionally the 'White-winged' sweeties that display two white wing-bars (though not seen this year yet). Some look like they could be 'Red-backed'...but I've never seen that bi-colored bill...so are obviously the Gray-headed versions, with the standard pink bill.

One thing that has surprised me
...finding a crow just outside the door! I feed the Magpies dog-kibble, fat and meat scraps, and sometimes leftover cake I get from work. Cake and doughnuts are much better for birds than is plain bread...as the fat and sugar content is higher and at least provided instant energy; I still don't feed it often. One of these times, I'll get a shot of the fat-worms I've made for them!

What else is here on this very snow day? Both American and Lesser Goldfinch (a beautiful black-backed male that was still in breeding yellow), several White-crowned Sparrows (lots of youngsters still in brown crowns), at least one White-throated Sparrow today, and three (3!) Hermit Thrushes on the berry-covered front fence.

Oh, and now there are two White-winged doves! These are tropical birds, yanno.

I meant to say something about the evergreen tree; it's a Blue Spruce that I made sure wasn't too damaged when I had the fence built. It's really grown since I moved in here, some four or five years ago. The thing is though, I need more evergreens. You can't believe how many birds use this tree for cover and shelter from rain and snow. Besides, they make the bones of a garden...and I need more bones! LOL

It's now close to five o'clock, and it's still snowing. I'm guessing we've had at least 18 inches. But it's been lovely, light and calm; a beautiful day.

Winter Weather Brings Winter Birds

Heyyyyy, the Juncos are back and several White-crowned
Sparrows, too; mostly first-year birds (they're still brown-crowned.)

We're in the midst of our first really good storm of the season (I keep loosing power here), and so far have had nearly a foot of snow. This kind of weather usually brings the birds down; I half expect
to find the Rosy Finches, too.
I wish! A couple years ago, I got all three color variations here...it was very exciting. I'm thinking it might be too early for those pink-butts...er...finches, though.

As I look at some of these photos I managed to get, I'm wondering if these are all White-crowned
Sparrows. I think so...but some of them look so different. Part of the problem of identifying youngsters, I'd imagine.

And, I think I've IDed my first Brewer's Blackbird. He was pretty ratty looking, actually, with very frayed feathers, but that he was next to a Common Grackle really helped me figure him out. Smaller, of course, and his bill was significantly less robust; his tail was squared off and only about half the length of his body. At one point he was next to one of the blasted Eurasian Collared Doves that frequent my place...and was quite a bit smaller than that bird, too. I'm thinking I just got a life bird in my yard, and there were two. It could happen...

Oh, and what the heck is the Goldfinch doing here today? That bright yellow butt was a complete give-away, and rather a shock, too. Course, in that I just saw my last hummingbird 3-4 days ago (October 17th), perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

Today is also the first time I've put up seed-feeders in awhile. I was trying, without much luck, to discourage Grackles and those ever present doves. Because of the weather though, I brought out most of my feeders; including sock feeders that I filled with black thistle and canary seed (cheaper than pure thistle). These brought back the Pine Siskins, which I've not seen for weeks.

With them are dozens of House Finches, so far in Red and Orange variations. Sometimes I see yellow variants. Also in the yard are Common Flickers (Red); racing the blasted Starlings for the last berries on the Virginia Creeper lining the fence. I've watched at least two or three Black-capped Chickadees flit in and out with a single sunflower seed as well as at least one white eye-browed Mountain Chickadee.

I have not seen any of the Hairy Woodpeckers in awhile, but the Downey’s are hitting the suet like there is no tomorrow. I thought I was so clever attaching a suet cage to the bottom of a wooden feeder, but other birds do try for a bite or two; flapping and struggling to hang on.

Most often it is the Magpies, which is why I came up with the fat-worms; they look so funny trying to hang on that tiny cage. They must like the fat a lot, which is why my dog hates them. If he doesn’t keep track of the bones I give him, they will practically crawl inside after the marrow; big dog, big bones! They are the only bird he chases.

I suppose I don’t help their relationship much, when I feed them lightly moistened kibble on a high-up, pole feeder. I think they tease him. I’ve watched the Magpies hide the kibble in the barn, wedging it between boards, and even under-ground; they bury it like squirrels! I wonder if that’s why the skunks are digging up my yard…

Sparrows: The Little Brown Birds

I had a ‘snow day’ yesterday…as I started off to work the freezing fog was so dense I couldn’t see two blocks; I turned around before I ever got out of town and stayed home for the day. And I watched birdies. Yeah!

Mostly I didn’t see anything other than the ever-growing number of usuals; several Junco variants, Pine siskins, American goldfinch, House finch, chickadees, woodpeckers, Blue jays, magpies and of course Eurasian Collared-doves.

But I also saw what, last year I called a ‘chipmunk-colored bird…different from the rest’…but only for a moment. Having done my homework, I was convinced I’d seen a White-throated Sparrow. I noted that under the brown & tan stripped head was the long, white throat-patch…lined in dark on either side. I noted the very streaky flanks and finally the dark blotch high on its breast, from which the streaks seemed to emanate. I was quite sure I finally saw a fairly common bird for this area. But perhaps not. Ah the joys of sparrows; Little Brown Birds (LLBs).

White-throated sparrows’ stripped heads are black-stripped, not chipmunk-brown and their breasts are a clear, sooty-gray. Well, unless the bird is young.

Immature White-throated sparrows (like immature White-crowned sparrows) have brown, rather than black strips…and they are streaked with these marks coming together in a central
breast-spot.

The problem is that several many times I have thought I might have a Savannah Sparrow in my yard, and upon consulting various books I’ve decided this bird was not one…but that is based on the fact that Savannah Sparrows’ breast is far more pale and unstreaked than the bird I saw. And the head-stripes were more evident than I can see in most Savannah sparrow photos. But then, I didn’t find many ‘immature’ photos.

So, could it have been a Song Sparrow? Yes; stripy head, streaky breast and the dark, central spot. The photo to the right is most like what I remember seeing. Especially with that lack of yellow near the lores.

Obviously I have more work to do. But, isn’t that the fun of it all?


Photos from Wikipedia

Where Have All the Birdies Gone?

Well, I nearly thought every bird that played in my yard has flown south! Well, except the dratted Eurasian Collared Doves, of course. And I did discover three Starlings scuffling over who should claim the opening under the eve of my home. (yeah, lovely to have birds in the attic!). But for a House Finch or two I’ve not really seen a bird in weeks! Even my woodpeckers have disappeared...and I thought they didn't migrate!

Till this morning… Yeah! I’m so happy I’ve kept the hummingbird feeders out and about a quarter full; I watched one feed today. It’s almost time to bring the feeders in…but it’s lovely to assist the few who are still coming through.

Folks north and south of me have seen White-throated Sparrows, so I’m sure one of the first birds I learned to ID, the White-crowned Sparrow is soon to show up. I just love those little guys!

Looking for a couple pictures to post I hit Wikipedia and discovered there are two ‘versions’ of White-throated Sparrow; the white…and the tan kind. They are similar, but one’s head-stripes are more tan than white. Both are quite similar to the White-crowned Sparrow…but that bird has a grey chin.

According to the Stokes site: in the West, where I live, during the fall migration it’s possible I might see a number of warblers, too; and perhaps an American Red-start…which I did see last year here.

All photos on this post are from the free Wikipedia.

Little Brown Bird

I got a new bird the other day…I’m calling it LBB, for Little Brown Bird, until I know what it is.

I got a few shots (through the old, glass door), but not a single Full Frontal, so some of the clues are missing.

I thought it might be a ‘First Year Bird’, due to the mosaic-pattern of little clarity on its head. I could find nothing in the books that would indicate such a bird…so I hadn’t a clue which little brown bird it might be.

Then, another showed up. Yes, I’m pretty sure it’s another bird, but Gary, over at Colorado Birder, suggested what the new bird might be, as well as saying the first is probably the same type. This is way cool…I learn even more by doing the research; like the fact that White-crowned Sparrows have brown crown-stripes until they mature a bit. Hence the mosaic-look; I’m betting the first bird is almost adult.

Perhaps I’m learning something after all…my bird is a White-crowned Sparrow with an immature companion. Thanks, Gary!