Amateur Audubon - A Thread for Birders

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Lucky24Seven, Apr 27, 2019.

  1. Eric The Viking

    Eric The Viking Nitro, the All Knowing
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    When I was 10, my older brother and I walked through our neighborhood after a tornado came through it. While surveying damage to houses, we heard a chirping noise, and my brother investigated. He found a duck hatchling under a car. We walked and tried to find the family, but had no success.

    We kept the duckling for a couple days, while we continued searching for its family, and during that time it had imprinted on my brother. It followed him around everywhere and would freak out when he left. We took him (turned out to be a male) to an animal sanctuary, and the guy there said they couldn’t take him in (they were full after the storm), but he also said that they usually have a life span of about 4-5 years and make good pets.

    We decided to keep him. We made a hutch for him and even laid in concrete for a small pond for him. Five years later, and Howard (cheesy name, I know) was still going strong. It turned out, that wood ducks live much longer in captivity. He lived until he was 8, which was shortly after the age that my brother moved out of my parents’ house. He moved into an apartment, so he couldn’t take Howard with him.

    Sad ending, but he lived a long spoiled life. It was always interesting explaining to people why there was a duck flying around and chasing my brother in the backyard.
     
  2. Fran Tarkenton

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    probably the wrong thread, but the Bats in my neighborhood tonight were in peak #s
     
  3. Tiffin

    Tiffin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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    I'm preaching to my dad to get a bat house for our 40 acres in Arkansas.
     
  4. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    Had a great survey today, especially with shorebirds. Observed a marbled godwit (lifer), whimbrels, long-billed dowitchers, dunlin, semipalmated plovers, pectoral sandpipers, and willet amongst others.
    Other species included swallow-tailed kites, Mississippi kites, prairie warblers, and yellow warblers. Early migrants are beginning to make their move.

    Also watched a Cooper’s hawk intercept a black-necked stilt in midair, seemingly out of nowhere. I’ll try and get some pics up tomorrow.
     
  5. cutig

    cutig My name is Rod, and I like to party
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    Fuck that hawk, stilts are my favorite shorebirds
     
  6. shawnoc

    shawnoc My president is black, my logos are red...
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    I’m camping at Sandy Hook this weekend. So many people here who know what they’re looking at and I’m not one of them. I did see an egret, a cormorant, and a heron and a ton of different gulls and terns.
     
  7. WillySaliba

    WillySaliba Well-Known Member
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    Get the Merlin Bird ID app.

    Also there’s this bird that I know I have seen throughout the summer that’s pretty big in comparison to the norm, but quicker than shit. I’ve caught glimpses here and there but never could make an ID. Finally saw him last week and the second I went to get a pic he saw me and was gone.

    broad-winged hawk. Nice looking bird.
     
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  8. shawnoc

    shawnoc My president is black, my logos are red...
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    i talked with two of the guys here that had super cameras and they were both searching for the same two birds. A summer tanager and a lark sparrow - someone had posted that they saw them both this morning and these guys each drove for about an hour to come see.
     
  9. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    Summer Tanagers are so cool, I've only seen one adult male in my life. Seen juvenile males a lot, but they are just a muted yellow green color.
     
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  10. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
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  11. Lucky24Seven

    Lucky24Seven Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil
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    Saw a Kingfisher nail a pond I was by today. All gray bodied. Soared over the pond, caught the southern wind and hung up in the air for a second, and dove. Not a very graceful dive, but popped out of the water and flew up into a Boxelder Maple.
     
  12. Lucky24Seven

    Lucky24Seven Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil
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    Seems like the Hummingbirds are gone for the season. Last time I saw them was half a week ago. For a while, they were at the feeder constantly getting ready for the trip south.
     
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  13. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    3B4B247A-CE7A-4D8F-AA0D-4A73788C60B1.jpeg

    Found this guy on my run this morning. En route to the raptor rehab center now.
     
  14. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    Sharp-Shinned Hawk?
     
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  15. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    Got a case number and updates should be posted via their Facebook. I’ll keep the thread informed.
     
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  16. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    Yep. You see so many more Cooper’s (at least I do) that it’s hard to appreciate how small the sharpies are. I actually saw a second one flying with a robin in its grasp as I was bringing this one home. Raptor migrations are never too far behind their prey.
     
  17. WillySaliba

    WillySaliba Well-Known Member
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    What do you guess happened?
     
  18. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    I honestly couldn’t tell. There were no outward signs of trauma/injury, but judging by its behavior I’d assume a wing injury, though I guess it could’ve been a striking injury. It was extremely calm and alert the entire time and settled immediately into the box I used for transport.
     
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  19. cutig

    cutig My name is Rod, and I like to party
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    No blood or anything?
     
  20. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    None. Outwardly the bird looked fine.
     
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  21. cutig

    cutig My name is Rod, and I like to party
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    Hopefully not poisoning. I've picked up a few Hawks that were poisoned and they always just acted strange like they were hurt but were more docile than the birds with busted wings or ones that got fried by power lines.
     
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  22. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    This would deeply bum me out.
     
  23. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    Rodenticides killed most of the Owls around where I live. People need to chill the fuck out with the rat poison, it's so destructive.
     
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  24. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    There's a green parrot population that numbers in the thousands where I live. They are loud as hell and travel in huge flocks. I guess some escaped some pet shop way back in the day, but they've thrived since then.

    [​IMG]
     
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  25. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    I’ve really enjoyed observing a black and white warbler in my yard today. They’re one of my favorite species, and if you aren’t familiar with them they act much more similar to a nuthatch than a true wood warbler.

    Last weekend we had several massive groups of migrating sandhill cranes pass overhead. I’m guessing over 500 individuals, easy. Impressive how high they can fly yet still be as loud as they are.

    CBC is coming up soon, and I highly recommend connecting with your local Audubon society to get out and participate. Citizen science at its finest. We’ll be doing ours in the Atlanta area 12/14.
     
  26. Buenos Nachos

    Buenos Nachos Palabra.
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    My father-in-law has taken me out on Counts each year. Originally i thought it was wacko, but now it's one of my favorite traditions
     
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  27. WillySaliba

    WillySaliba Well-Known Member
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    Had a fuck ton of European Starling visit the last two weeks. They’re gone now but what a group of ass hats. All they do is rumble with each other and they are loud as hell. Good looking birds though.
     
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  28. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    They’re awful to other cavity nesters as well. They’ll destroy eggs and chicks, similar to house sparrows. Do agree on the looks though, especially the winter plumage.

    We’ve had a ton of grackles and redwing blackbirds the past week or so. Always good to see those huge mixed flocks. I’m always looking for a rusty mixed in but haven’t seen one yet this year.
     
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  29. cutig

    cutig My name is Rod, and I like to party
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    Fucking hate starlings. Garbage birds
     
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  30. Tiffin

    Tiffin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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    Been a real good December in Arkansas. Came up the first week and saw more hawks than I ever have in my life driving in the farmland in NW Mississippi and SE Arkansas. Had a huge red-tail park it in the largest oak next to the house up here one morning, was awesome to see that close. The turkey vultures usually perch in a tree not far away. They sat up there several below freezing mornings to warm up and spress their wings.

    A couple of days ago drove over to Wynne, AR to see a friend who was going on a guided duck hunt. On the way over, I have never seen more fucking birds in my life. Tens of thousands of duck and geese in fields. Some beautiful herons and a crane and hawk as well on the way over. Saw a couple more fields full the next morning heading back. I reckon I saw half a million waterfowl in ~2 hours of the drive through farmland in that area. Was awesome.
     
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  31. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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  32. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    We did our CBC a few weekends ago. Counted 58 species just north of Atlanta. Nothing too crazy, but we did get a red-breasted nuthatch which was surprisingly a lifer for me.
     
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  33. Lucky24Seven

    Lucky24Seven Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil
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    Getting one of my bird prints framed for Christmas. Will report back with pics later.
     
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  34. Stagger Lee

    Stagger Lee Crazy. Sexy. Cool.
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    I grew up with an African Gray. AMA
     
  35. Lucky24Seven

    Lucky24Seven Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil
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    68B5F05F-31A5-4713-A429-4EA4F6A9EEEE.jpeg

    Edit: Red Breasted Nuthatches. One of the few bird species that will climb down a tree head first, I believe.
    Downy Woodpecker. Great Horned Owl. Oak trees, Maple, and River Birch, I believe.
     
    #235 Lucky24Seven, Jan 2, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2020
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  36. Lucky24Seven

    Lucky24Seven Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil
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    I swear I saw a few hooded mergansers in a pond driving home from work today. Any way to easily check their migration patterns?
     
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  37. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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  38. Lucky24Seven

    Lucky24Seven Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil
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  39. Tiffin

    Tiffin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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    Saw my 2nd bald eagle ever today and 2nd in about 3 or 4 months actually. Total luck both times. First one was just flying over a highway in coastal Alabama. Today was on the side of a road in central Arkansas. It took off as I drove by, but I got out and stalked it for a pretty shitty picture. He changed trees twice, but turned around to check me out after he dipped further into the woods.

    2020-02-04 16.50.55.jpg
     
  40. Tiffin

    Tiffin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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    Also been seeing what I think are either kestrels or red shoulder hawks. Mating pair I believe. But haven't seen them recently to try and get a good look at them. Scared a couple black ducks off the pond twice, hope they nest near here.
     
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  41. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    I thought Kestrels were noticeably smaller than Red Shouldered Hawks.
     
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  42. Tiffin

    Tiffin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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    I honestly don't know. I've tried several different identification guides, but I'm still unsure. They were crow-sizedish. One reddish brown, one with a black and white stripped tail. Really need to see them again and get a good look.
     
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  43. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    They are. Female kestrels are roughly the size of a mourning dove with males closer to the size of a robin.

    Crow-sized rules out kestrel and banded tail goes with red-shoulders.
     
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  44. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    Plus Kestrels have that bluish gray on the wing bars.
     
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  45. Popovio

    Popovio The poster formerly known as "MouseCop"
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    Got sent this in a group chat, because apparently I do this on every camping trip.

     
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  46. arrdub

    arrdub Well-Known Member
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    Pileated woodpecker in backyard going to town
     
  47. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    Drinking tea and watching a pair of Carolina wrens making a nest in my neighbors porch. So far this morning I’ve seen cedar waxwings, myrtle warblers, northern cardinals, song and white-throated sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, eastern towhees, downy, red-headed, and red-bellied woodpeckers, a northern flicker, white-breasted nuthatches, Carolina chickadees, an eastern phoebe, and tufted titmice in/around my yard in addition to the wrens. Great start to the weekend.

    I now have my binoculars out, scanning neighboring trees/shrubs/yards. Nothing creepy about that.
     
    #247 Owsley, Feb 8, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2020
  48. cutig

    cutig My name is Rod, and I like to party
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    I quit putting feeders out because here there's just a horde of house sparrows that shows up. Only time I saw others was during the spring migration

    Moving to GA next month. Can't wait to get some better birds to show up in the yard.
     
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  49. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    You’re moving to the Clayton area, right? The mountains up there are one of my favorite spots for spring warblers and raptor migrations.
     
  50. AIP

    AIP Team bush
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    As a post I am watching a big red cardinal at the feeders