For a while they were blaming cicadas and/or a fungus that infects cicadas (bird die off coincided with the Brood X emergence). But I'm not sure that was ever proven.
I can't figure out if this is a Cardinal or a Prryhuloxia? I never see either, and I figured this would be easy. But idk. Bill looks more Cardinalish. Spoiler
Spotted the first oriole of the year a few days ago. Thought I saw a humming bird zoom by as well, but can’t confirm it. Put out both feeders about a week ago.
I’ve been using the sound ID on Merlin a lot and I’m getting decent at recognizing whether or not I’ve ever heard a sound before. The only problem with it is how loud cardinals are. half the time I start a recording some annoying-ass cardinal will interrupt and ruin the recording.
My friend, the loud ass whip-poor-will that hangs out in the woods right behind my house, woke me up early again this morning.
Our oriole Came several months later this year… Haven’t seen them in a little over a week, so I think they’ve already gone
One of the two I've ever seen was last week in my backyard. What food besides a oranges could I put out to attract him and others back? Also, we had an indigo bunting and a painted bunting! didn't even know there was a painted bunting, absolutely beautiful
I asked Merlin to identify it based on the photo and those were the two and gave me… It looks like they both have a little red.
Didn't do the Global Big Day yesterday, but I'm heading to the mountains in a couple hours. Hoping to see Lazuli Buntings and Western Tanagers.
I had a warbler day yesterday, btw. Blackpoll, yellow, black and white, blue-winged were all spotted.
The place I went to wasn't very active today, kind of a bummer. Did see a Lawrence's Goldfinch and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher though. Worst photo of a White-headed Woodpecker ever; attached. Spoiler Steller's Jay Ash-throated Flycatcher Brewer's Blackbird Chipping Sparrow American Robin. I almost never see these guys even though they seem to be common as hell everywhere else.
My thistle socks are doing nothing. (Actually, there’s a mourning dove that keeps flying up into them to knock seed onto the ground and then eat the seed off of the ground.)
My neighbor has had a ton of luck with his mesh feeder full of peanuts - that’s where I got the photo of the woodpecker. He also has a feeder full of sunflower seeds that attracts every house sparrow from a mile.
when the finches were here, they were just chowing down on the shelled sunflower etc... like the rest of them
Visited friends in Albuquerque last weekend which included some camping in the Santa Fe National Forest. Had a great birding trip when though that wasn’t the focus. Species seen included: Western tanager male and female Hermit warbler - lifer Townsend’s warbler - lifer Yellow-breasted chat Lesser goldfinch - lifer Violet-green swallow - lifer (and absolutely stunning) Swainson’s thrush Black-throated hummingbird - lifer Broad-tailed hummingbird - lifer Greater roadrunner Ladder-backed woodpecker Red-shafted flicker
shawnoc this is typically the best indicator, but another good field mark is that hairy’s have solid white outermost tail feathers whereas they’re spotted on downies.
Had one briefly, but got a finch feeder for niger seeds. Seems only Goldfinch hit it & they are gone until next spring… I’m taking it down this weekend & replacing it with feeder with whole peanuts, for blue jay
I was just out watering our ferns and had a baby bird of some type jump out of one of the ferns when I started spraying. I had noticed a bird flying out of that fern a couple times but hadn't put together that it might have eggs in there. Anyway, I put on some gloves, scooped it up gently, and placed it back in the fern as I assumed it wasn't ready to leave yet. Was this the right move? If not, what was?
That is about the extent that you should interact with baby birds. Unless they are clearly exhibiting signs of injury. Maybe unnecessary, but the right thing IMO. Kind of a tangent here (and not directed at you Degausser ), a really frustrating problem is how many people think fledgling birds need human assistance. People seem to assume the bird is abandoned, but the parents are almost always nearby keeping watch. Plus, this is a period of time where the bird is supposed to be out of the nest, and not yet able to fly. This time of year I get like 4 to 5 people a week bringing us perfectly healthy fledglings, and what they've essentially done is kidnap the bird from its parents. Like one lady rushed in crying because this Mockingbird fledgling she had been keeping in her house for 6 days was understandably pretty much near death. They thought its leg was messed up, and they tried to stabilize it by wrapping it in scotch tape which of course fucked it up even more. When I told her there wasn't anything we could do and to take it to a wildlife rehab place, she started putting on a show about how we wouldn't help. Like, bitch, if you actually gave a shit, you wouldn't try to raise a wild animal that you have no capability of raising.
This just happened... I love woodpeckers and have a feeder just for them. https://ring.com/share/34a7f537-4287-45c5-80a5-b259a16a64e9
Definitely tried to keep contact to a minimum. I know that's a no-no. My fear was that I had forced it out well before it was ready.
Did a quick walk this morning. Got a lifer with a Blue Grosbeak. Spoiler Anna's Hummingbird Bullock's Oriole juvenile. Tree Swallow Tree Swallow feeding young. Great Blue Heron Blue Grosbeak
Snack Fact Of the Day An owl’s eyes can account for 3% of its entire body weight, compared to .0003% for humans
Took about 2 dozen shots, before I realized my memory card wasn’t in the camera. Still managed this, before it flew away. Great Crested Flycatcher Spoiler
Didn't snap a pic, but saw the reddest Cardinal of all time yesterday on the golf course. An absolute beaut
Just got contacted about participating in a western snowy plover and streaked horned lark survey in coastal Washington. Hoping it works out.
Gifted my step-daughter my old Nikon D3400 & a few lens... & Wife just rewarded me with a D7ii, for our anniversary