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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Spoiler 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.
I swear I saw a few hooded mergansers in a pond driving home from work today. Any way to easily check their migration patterns?
Awesome. Had no idea Mergansers were year round where I live. Probably only ever seen a few in my life.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You’re moving to the Clayton area, right? The mountains up there are one of my favorite spots for spring warblers and raptor migrations.