Winter Bird Watching Log:

You're in the deep woods?

We have a pair of cardinals with attitude as well -- male cardinals are the most attitude-filled birds I've seen, pretty much. They're beyond gorgeous against the snow, though. When everything was still covered with ice, Mr. Cardinal alighted on a gracefully curving icicle-festooned branch right outside my window and I scrambled to take a picture but didn't quite make it.

I have a lot of woodpecker types, including one I hadn't seen before and haven't looked up yet -- looked kind of like a very small downy, about chickadee sized, that readily went upside down as it pecked away. Some sort of sapsucker?

Maybe it was just plain a smaller downy than I'm used to.

Well, here in the city, it's all the same - crows, pigeons, sparrows, an occassional hawk..... But, my sister lives in the burbs and my parents live on cape cod.

In the burbs of Boston, I'm awaiting the return of the Bald Eagle who lives near my sister.

On the cape last week, I saw junkos, bluebrids (bluebirds are back!), blue jays, cardinals, red finches chicadees (they're always around).....

sozobe--

When we moved here, sixteen years ago, our neighbors were a quarter mile away--and that was as the crow flies. By road they were much further.

Since then several houses have been built--including a new development of MacMansions.

We still have deer, bear, raccoons, skunks, weasels, but the bobcat population left the area long ago.

I'm not a bird expert, but the only bird I know who goes head first down trees is a nuthatch. (Originally known as "nut-hacker").

http://greennature.com/article2322.html

Someone you know?

littlek--

Are bluebirds usual this time of year? I'd count sighting a winter bluebird as a Very Good Omen.

Our favorite is a red-bellied woodpecker that shows up two or three times a day. Other than that we get the usual chickadees, juncoes, goldfinches (in winter colors now), downy & hairy woodpeckers, titmice, and nuthatches; we also have a mockingbird that is fond of our (heated) birdbath. We had a rose-breasted grosbeak stop by for one visit last spring but haven't seen him since--I guess he didn't like our cuisine.

Out here in California and in the City (SF), we've seen the usual, although the crows are making big inroads in the bird population.

But over Xmas, we were visiting a friend in Alameda and saw a wonderful Egret and a spectacular heron along the water.

The best birds ever though were on a recent trip to Tanzania. Wow. Every size, shape and color: Goliath Herons, Lilac breasted rollers, bee-eaters, Superb and Hildebrandt's starlings, hoopoes and hornbills, Secretary birds, Kori Bustards (our favorite name!), tons of different eagles and so much more.

I gained a new appreciation of the breadth of the bird world there, and I've bought a feeder and I'm doing research on birds at home now!

On Christmas Eve, the day after we got pummled with all that snow, I looked out the kitchen window and there was a cardinal sitting in the snow covered tree. The red of the bird against the white backdrop was so beautiful. *sigh*

Unusual behavior for cardinals, Noddy... usually, in a mated pair, one keeps sentry while the other feeds.
I've never seen a mated pair throw all caution to the wind like that... they must feel very safe in your yard.

Here in the Casino Corridor of Connecticut, we are beset with a plethora of crows this winter... every sunset they gather by the thousands and come to roost near the river. While in flight en masse they remind me of that scene in LOTR where the crebain search for Frodo...

I'm not sure about the bluebirds, Noddy. My mother seems to think that they do over-winter here. But, I don't really know because they're just making their return after many years - DDT made them disappear from our part of the world for a couple decades.

We have mallards year round, and Canada geese as transients. I haven't seen any bald eagles this year, but they're usually here by now. I've seen flicker woodpeckers for years, but only found out what they were called a few weeks ago.

Littlek--


Because of global warming, more people with bird feeders and fewer predators many birds are wintering further north than they used to.

Seven hours south of you, the bluebird is not a winter bird.

Maybe the bluebirds like to be near the ocean....? Are you near the ocean? Maybe I should get out my bird book.

littlek--

The Poconos are well inland.

After a little research, your explaination must be on target, Noddy. They're supposed to be migratory, and they have a huge range.

This is a great idea, Noddy.

Yesterday, at work, a co-worker called us to the window. The immense grassy horseshoe in front of the school was COVERED in Robins. I'm used to Robins arriving in groups during the Spring--but ITS DECEMBER!!! And this wasn't a group--it was a freakin' Hitchcock movie.

We really felt uncomfortable walking to our cars after work.

I have seen the usual buzzards, red-tailed hawks, other hawk-looking birds (now, I'll have to look them up.) Continue to see bald eagles, bluebirds, mockingbirds, jays, brown thrashers, sparrows ....used to be a cardinal haven around here--but now that you mention it--haven't seen any recently. Got a lovely treat last week. A really large flock of Canadian Geese was passing through--and stopped off for a rest in the the pond at the college.

We have a family of geese living in another pond uptown--but haven't seen them in a month or two. Usually have ducks there, as well, but they aren't the 'town pets'--and they come and go.

At work, we have a wonderful deep-woods Nature Trail. I usually park my car at the entrance, but as it gets warmer (it is warm today!!!), I'll do a little walking at lunch, and report my birdage.

We also have Great Herons walking around in the many ponds around here--South Georgia, rural.

<Forgot mourning doves, huge, murderous red-headed woodpeckers, crows, pidgeons and I don't know what they look like--but we hear the Bob-Whites in the late afternoon.

Sozobe I wonder if your small woodpecker was a Brown Creeper or White Breasted Nuthatch. The creeper spirals up the tree and the nuthatch works its way down.

Update--

Weird. Our huge Canadian geese group is still at the college hanging out on the banks of the pond. (Embarrassed. I counted them. There were so many. 48. I mean, I've never seen a group that large all together. Shouldn't they be moving on?)

The weather here is really messed up. I think that's why the Robins came early and the geese are hanging around. Any bird aficiandos know if this is unusual?

I don't know whether it's global warming or the lack of serious predators or a combination of the two, but it seems that more and more birds are wintering farther north than they ever did. Seeing a robin on Boston Common or even in southern New Hampshire in December is no longer unusual. And there are whole flocks of Canada geese that stay around here year round now.