Early Spring Storms

Rosy Finches, all three species, have been coming to my yard since I started feeding birds here three years ago. This year, they arrived on December 4th.

It started with only 40-50 Rosies and quickly grew to as many as 5-600. This is the first year they have stayed around as much as they have; longer between snowstorms and longer through the days they visit.

About 16-18 inches of snow fell here a few days ago, and another such storm came yesterday, so I assume the Rosies will be here close to the end of March, but I don't believe I've ever had them here in April. It will be sad to see them go; as the seasons change, so do the birds that visit.

For example, the Evening Grosbeaks, here about all year, have been coming in numbers of 40-50 at a time. Not only their numbers, but the color of their bills tells me Spring is near. Have you noticed the Evening Grosbeaks bills turn a beautiful teal color during breeding season? Yes, and their bills are changing now, I detected the blue/green color on several, if not most of the visiting big beaks.

This Song Sparrow is one of 3-4 that I see in the yard at any given time.

Also around with the Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, and Eurasian-collared Doves, are lots of Juncos, House Finch, Am. Goldfinch, Pine Siskins, Song Sparrows, Mtn and Bk-capped Chickadees, Wt-breasted Nuthatchs, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Blue Jays, the occasional Scrub Jay, Crows and Ravens are around, 40-50 Evening Grosbeaks, a few American Robins and a couple Cassian’s Finches.

The Meadowlarks didn’t stay but the one day, the Lewis’s Woodpecker hasn’t been seen in a couple weeks, but the White-winged Dove was here again today and I saw the FOS (First of Season) Turkey Vulture in a nearby tree on March 20th. In the past week I’ve watched a Red-tailed Hawk, a Cooper’s Hawk and a Great Horned Owl watching the yard.

It's time to put out the Hummingbird feeders!

While the rest of the photos are mine, the Turkey Vulture is from Wikipedia...

Rosie Goodness

I can't help but share some of the Rosies.
This is one of three places they congregate, just outside my back door.

Yes, every bird you see here, is a Rosy-Finch.
Oh, and the White-winged Dove showed up, too.

Yesterday, just as it began to snow,
I had some new yard-birds:

Meadowlarks! Isn't March 14th a little early?
There are more pictures below, who knew they'd come to a yard?

A New Yard Bird!

After a week of clear, sunny weather much of the snow has melted and turned my yard into a mud-pit. And dispite my warnings, some folks have waited too long for a sure thing seeing the Rosy-Finches that visit here.

Generally, these guys show-up when the mountain weather is particularly bad. That said, they've been here for a good week since the last snow storm, but their numbers dwindled from around 500+ to maybe just 250 pink-butts that come and go before long before noon.

Yesterday morning only 100 or so showed up in the early morning and were gone by 10 o'clock. Late morning visitors did manage to see the Lewis's Woodpecker, a few Evening Grosbeaks, a Cassin's Finch and several other woodpeckers, but were disappointed not to see Rosies. Early afternoon visitors didn't see much at all.

This morning 100-200 Rosies showed up, along with at least as many Red-winged Blackbirds. The flock of blackbirds grew, but the Rosies were gone by ten o'clock. And then the snow started. I was absolutely tickled that the Rosy-Finches came back; first time they've visited in the afternoon in over a week! All three continue to come...including the Coastal or 'Hepburn's' variant. They are such a delight to have back. I just hope we get lots of snow because some folks plan to stop by Monday and Tuesday...early. I'm thinking they might just get to see hundreds of the pink-butts.

While watching the birds and cursing the big, weedy gluttons, I noticed a bright splash of color and realized there was another fairly good-sized bird in the yard that I'd never seen before! A first!

I have seen Meadowlarks before, just not in my yard, so it was easy to find the bird in my field-guides, but not so easy to determine if this was an Eastern or a Western Meadowlark, as their areas apparently overlap here. I felt better when I read that basically the easiest way to tell them apart is by their song, but they weren't singing in the snow.

And then there were two!

It was pretty neat watching these big birds feeding; they'd slam their rather large bill down into the grassy mud and open it...looking all the time for what might turn up. They worked the yard from one side to the other and stayed through several rounds of blackbirds, starlings, pigeons (that's what I call Eurasian Collared-Doves out of total disrespect) and Rosy-Finches all winging up and back all in unison rather like schools of fish.

What a treat, huh.

As winter winds down and spring arrives...my yard birds are beginning to change. All the Rosies continue to come and no longer ONLY when it snows. Apparently they know a good food source when they find it. Yesterday, while there was still snow on the ground, it is receding and hasn't snowed in a week yet a visiting birder counted 240 Rosy-finches...all three species. He also was granted a visit by the unusual winter Lewis's Woodpecker, who is still around. The day before I'd seen two Cassin's Finch feeding near a bush under a feeder, their bright red crests shockingly identifiable as the sun back-lit the little, pale-breasted birds. And as I got up early to fill feeders before the visitor arrived, I walked out to find a Great Horned Owl calling from the very top of the huge evergreen...and another answering nearby. Yup, spring is coming!

February birds:

Pine Siskins, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Scrub-Jay, Cooper's Hawk, Brewer's Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Common Raven, American Robin, Lewis's Woodpecker, Cassin's Finch, Evening Grosbeak, Black Rosy-Finch, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Blue Jay, American Crow, White-winged Dove, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Northern Flicker - Red-shafted, Downy Woodpecker, Black-billed Magpie, European Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Collared-Dove.

New Bird Discovered

I have been meaning to mention something I found on Andrew's blog (Burdr) the other day...a new bird! Yes, last month an article was published in BirdingAsia, the Oriental Bird Club's journal, that detailed the discovery of a new species of bird scientists call the Spectacled Flowerpecker.

Flowerpeckers have been seen and named before, but this is a new one that spends it's time high above the forest floor at the Danum Valley Conservation Area located in Sabah, Malaysia. The only reason it was found is because of conservation methods and tourism efforts that has lead to birdwatching walkways high in the canopy of the trees.

Do go read his full article and find more pictures of this facinating find at Andrew's blog here. Wow...a new bird in 2010!

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2010

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual, four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts.

IT'S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3!

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you're likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number of each species you see on this checklist.

3. When you're finished, enter your results through our web page. You'll see a button marked "Enter Your Checklists!" on the website home page beginning on the first day of the count. It will remain active until the deadline for data submission on March 1st.

These images, all from Wikipedia, are examples of birds I have in my backyard right now. They are pretty common birds almost anybody would have at their feeders. What's in your yard?

The Great Backyard Bird Count is put on by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada, with sponsorship fromWild Birds Unlimited. After uploading your sightings you can even stay on the site and see other counts pour in across the US and Canada. It’s lots of fun and keeps ya off the streets!

Cornell has put up a whole bunch of helpful information to help the new birder. Click here to check it out! There is also a whole bunch of information on Google, here. Have fun!

Here is another cool site I just found for beginning birders. This site has four nice videos on how to 'see' birds: "Size & Shape", "Color Pattern", "Behavior" and "Habitat"...all excellent clues experienced birders use when watching birds. Do check them out!

Lotsa Rosy-Finches

I wish I could adequately capture an image of the numbers of Rosy-Finches that visit my yard. It's got to be well past 200 now, and they visit every single time it snows.
The other day, we got less than an inch of snow, but the Rosies came. Sure, they only stayed a couple hours in the morning...but they showed; like clockwork.

I have read that during breeding season these birds develop a special 'pocket' where they can store extra food. In the high places of the tundra where they breed, they must search far and wide; going great distances, to and fro, looking for food. But apparently those pockets are not 'year 'round' attributes.
Still, it seems they may come a distance as they seldom arrive all that early here...perhaps an hour after daylight. And they don't stay nearly as long as the Juncos, who will feed till nearly dark.
I have also read that, because of their limited exposure to people on their breeding grounds, they are fairly comfortable with people in close proximity. I've noticed that while I'm tossing seed or re-filling feeders, they will land within a step or two of where I'm standing. If I quit moving, they will land by the hundreds; feeding right in front of me.
It is the most astounding sound when they all take off at once. I wonder where they go at night.