I went to New York to attend the Belmont Stakes hoping to see Big Brown sweep the Triple Crown. No such luck. But I did have a very good day of birding on Friday.
I hit four different places on Long Island. Connetquot River State Park, Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Heckscher State Park, and Jones Beach. All but Jones Beach produced a life bird. Life birds bolded.
Connetquot River State Park: Mourning Dove, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Canada Geese, American Robin, European Starlings, Common Grackle, Barn Swallow, Grey Catbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Eastern Towhee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Brown Thrasher, Osprey, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Field Sparrow, House Sparrow, Rock Dove, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Mallards, Eastern Pewee (heard), Pine Siskin (heard), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Common Yellow-throat, Red-eyed Vireo, Veery (heard), Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, Black-crowned Night Heron, Mute Swan, Yellow Warbler (heard), Eastern Kingbird, House Finch. ~ Unfortunately I only heard the Pine Siskins, and the Veery as they both would have been life birds. Also on a unfortunate note I only got a glimpse of the Red-bellied Woodpecker so no photo :(
Bayard Cutting Arboretum: Northern Flicker "Yellow Shafted", Fish Crow, Ring-billed Gull, Great Egret.
Hecksher State Park: Great Black-backed Gull, Osprey, Herring Gull, Red-tailed Hawk.
Jones Beach: Glossy Ibis, Sanderlings.
All in all a good day, seven new life birds added.
Attached photo of the Great Black-backed Gulls.
I'll put the Yellow Shafted Flicker in my gallery.
Attachment(s): Greater Black-backed Gulls Heckscher State Park - New York, June'08.jpg
So I was cleaning my room and ran across a field list from May 11th. Oops.
I do remember finding a full breeding plumage female Red-necked Phalarope!! Not a life bird, but VERY exciting to find one in breeding plumage. I was also very excited to finally see some of the Yellow-headed Blackbirds that had been reported at the marsh. Unfortunately I only saw some females. I was really hoping to get to see a male as I've never seen the male YHB before.
I don't remember much else of the day, so I'm just going to post the list.
Dey Rey Lagoon: House Sparrow, Snowy Egret, Mallards, Rock Dove, European Starling, American Crow, Ring-billed Gull, Caspian Tern, Brown Pelican, Elegant Terns, Surf Scoter, Pelagic Cormorant, Western Gull
Ballona Freshwater Marsh: Northern Mockingbird, Barn Swallow, Mouning Dove, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Coot, White-faced Ibis, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Great-tailed Grackle, Yellow Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Killdeer, American Crow, Wilson's Warbler, Canada Geese with goslings, Commom Moorhen and chicks, Snowy Egret, Mallards, Black Phoebe, Song Sparrow, Ruddy Duck, Black-neck Stilt, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Red-necked Phalarope, Bufflehead, European Starlings, Common Yellow Throat (heard), House Finch, Bustits, Tree Swallow.
Attached photo of Red-necked Phalarope
Attachment(s): Red-necked Phalarope (female) (breeding) Ballona Freshwater Marsh May '08.jpg
Well this little bird outing didn't go exactly as I envisioned it. It rained nearly non-stop the entire day. From the time I opened my eyes at 5:00 a.m. until nearly 2:30 p.m. there was some form of water falling from the sky. What a let down. However since I only had one day to bird I wasn't going to let that stop me.
The Cylburn Arboretum is a lovely place and I'm sure I would have had a heck of a birding day had it not been raining, and if there had been just a little sun.
Despite the rain I spent several hours trying to bird. I got fairly well soaked. I had plans to meet an old friend at the Inner Harbor so I took a break from the birding around 11:00 a.m. I was going to head to Pimlico after the Inner Harbor, but the sun finally made an appearance and the rain stopped falling, so instead I went back to Cylburn. Good thing because it was on my return trip that I spotted the Red-eyed Vireo.
All in all I had a decent time. I did add six new life birds so I guess it was worth getting wet.
The list, life birds in bold...
The list includes all birds seen on May 16, not just those from the Cylburn Arboretum.
Northern Mockingbird, Gray Catbird, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinals, American Robins, Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Towhees, House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Carolina Chickadee, Brown-headed Cowbirds, American Crow, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-rumped Warbler "Myrtle", Common Yellow Throat, House Wren, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Barn Swallow, Song Sparrow, Northern Flicker, European Starlings, Yellow-throated Warbler, Rock Dove, Mallards, Ring-billed Gulls, House Fincc, Double-crested Cormorant, Chimney Swifts, Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female), White-breasted Nuthatch, Turkey Vulture, Common Grackles, Blue Jay (heard)
I thought I heard a Pileated Woodpecker, but it could also have been a White-breated Nuthatch. I don't have much experience with either bird.
The "Myrtle" Yellow-rumped Warbler is new for me. I've only seen the "Audubon's" form before.
Due to the rain and poor lighting conditions most of the pictures I took just sucked. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo of the Yellow-throated Warbler. The little sucker only popped up long enough for me to get a look through my binoculars. Drat. It was such a lovely little bird.
Attached photo of a male Eastern Towhee. You can see the rain falling and the drops of water on him. LOL
Attachment(s): Eastern Towhee (m) Cylburn Arboretum.jpg
Very exciting. I haven't seen Black-headed Grosbeaks in my yard for a couple of years.
I had one show up Friday morning, a female. In fact, judging by the pictures I took, I believe there were at least two females enjoying the sunflower seeds I've put out.
Friday morning I also got a brief glimpse of a male Bullock's Oriole that flushed from the yard. I had gone out to feed my Western Scrub Jay his peanuts. When I first saw the shadow over my head I assumed it was Scrubby but then I saw the brilliant orange and realized it was an oriole. Darn. I would have loved a good look at him, plus a few pictures.
Saturday morning I was able to get some nice shots of the female Black-headed Grosbeak. (The ones I took Friday weren't so great).
While watching the birds out my window yesterday I briefly saw a male Black-headed Grosbeak. I sure wish he'd spend some time at my feeders. I'd really love a good picture of the male.
I had a few warblers in the yard yesterday morning as well. They moved through my garden so quickly that I couldn't get a clear look at them. But I believe they were a Yellow Warbler and an Orange-crowned Warbler.
I'm headed to Baltimore on Thursday. I'm going to the Preakness, It's a horse race. It's the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown.
I've added an extra day to my trip so I can have a day to bird watch. I'm planning to spend Friday morning birding at the Cylburn Arboretum. Fingers crossed to add some life birds. At the top of my wish list is a Pileated Woodpecker, closely followed by a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. But I'm not too choosey, I'll take anything I can get. Also hoping to get some good photos of a male Northern Cardnial and a Blue Jay. Both birds I've seen before but wasn't able to get photos.
Any owl sightings would be fantastic. The Great Horned Owl is listed as a resident at the Cylburn Arboretum so I'm very hopeful.
Attached photo of the female Black-headed Grosbeak
Attachment(s): BHG3.jpg
Headed out to the marsh in hopes of seeing a large flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds that had been reported there two days earlier. Also was hoping to see a Solitary Sandpiper that had been reported.
I didn't have as much time as I would have liked. This was a mid-week trip to the marsh and time was limited since I had to go to work later.
No luck on either bird. I looked and listened and no evidence of the Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Darn. Also struck out on the Solitary Sandpiper.
The list....
Northern Mockingbrid, Least Tern, Common Yellow Throat (heard), Red-winged Blackbirds, Ruddy Ducks (still lots of them), Great-tailed Grackles, Killdeer, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Barn Swallows, Mallards, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow, Snowy Egret, Mourning Dove, Bushtits, European Starlings, Black Phoebe, Common Moorhen, Dowitcher, House Finch, American Crow, Cooper's Hawk, Great Blue Heron, Caspian Tern (heard)
Not 100% sure but I thought I heard a Least Bittern.
Eek once again I've fallen behind in my blogging.
Nothing new was sighted.
The list...
Great-tailed Grackle, Borwn-headed Cowbirds, Barn Swallows, American Coot & chicks, Canada Goose, Black-necked Stilt, Ruddy Ducks (lots of them), Snowy Egret, Pied-billed Grebe with six chicks, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Mockingbird, Black Phoebe, Mallards, Dowithcers, Killdeer, Gadwall, Cinnamon Teal, Common Yellow Throat (heard), Song Sparrow, House Finch, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Great Egret, Green Heron, White-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-throated Swift, European Starlings, American Crow, Sora, Common Moorhen, Northern Shovelers
I took the family on a small vacation to the Grand Canyon & Las Vegas over spring break. April 5-10, 2008.
We did the AAA Rails to the Rim tour. It was a nice way to see the Grand Canyon.
This wasn't really a birding vacation, but none the less I was hoping to add a few life birds. At the top of my wish list, of course, was a California Condor. They are very rare and one of the best places to find them is the Grand Canyon.
On the whole I was a bit disappointed with the bird watching. I did see a lot of birds, but not a great variety of them. I got up early one morning and spent about 2 hours wandering around the wooded area behind our lodge. Like I said, I saw lots of birds, but unfortunately they all seemed to be the same 2-3 species. - Western Bluebirds and Pygmy Nuthatches.
Our first day at the canyon I did see a California Condor. The bird was high in the sky soaring over the canyon. A spectacular sight to be sure. I snapped lots of pictures, but unfortunately most weren't very good.
On our last day I was fortunate enough to find a condor resting on a ledge very close to the rim. The bird stayed there for about 10-15 minutes and I was able to get some good shots of it. Yippee.
One bird I spotted that was a great find was a Red-backed Dark-eyed Junco. According to the range map in Sibley's this is a specialized local bird, found in limited areas of Arizonia, New Mexico and a small area of Texas. I was able to get s few so-so shots. Unfortunately they all came out a little blurry. :(
While at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, AZ I thought I saw a Pink-sided Dark-eyed Junco in the residential area next to the hotel. Unfortuately I wasn't able to get close enough to confirm my sighting. Drats.
Overall I only added three new life birds. The California Condor, the Red-backed Dark-eyed Junco and a Pygmy Nuthatch. I was able to get photos of the Western Bluebirds (there were lots of them around), and one Violet-green Swallow. Both birds had been missing from my photo collection.
The list is all the birds spotted (or heard) over the course of our vacation...
House Sparrow, Great-tailed Grackle, Common Raven, Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Dove, Song Sparrow, California Condor, Western Scrub Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebirds, American Robin, Violet-green Swallow, Purple Finch (f), Eurasian Collared Dove, Mountian Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Flicker (heard), Red-shoulderd Hawk (heard), American Goldfinch, Hairy Woodpecker, Double-crested Cormorant, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Turkey Vulture
The last three birds listed were seen at the Hoover Dam.
Attached photo is of the California Condor.
The Red-backed Dark-eyed Junco will be in my gallery.
Attachment(s): CALIF CONDOR.jpg
Finally the birds are using the new feeders I put up.
They've been using the platform feeder for a little while.
They weren't so sure about the hopper feeder. They would sit on the end of the honeysuckle branches looking at it like they thought it was a trap.
A few brave House Finches gave it a try. Now, finally, I have several birds at one time on it.
Of course the squirrel has managed to find a way to get seeds out of the platform feeder. He stickes his nose as far as he can through the grate and then uses his tongue to get one seed at a time.
The hopper has done it's job so far. The squirrel hasn't found a way to get seed out of it. Yesterday a squirrel must have jumped on it. I looked out the window and saw my feeder hanging all catawampus on the pole. The squirrel had managed to knock it off it's attachment, pulled to screws right out of it. I put a few bigger, more industrial strengh screws it. Hopefully those will hold.
The Downey Woodpeckers are still around. In fact I saw a male on a telephone pole this morning. Took some pictures but they all suck. First time I've seen the male this year. Usually when I've seen one (this year) it's been the female. I think this is the longest they've ever stayed around.
Attached photo of birds finally using my feeder. LOL
The photo isn't that great, as it was taken through the window.
Attachment(s): Birds on feeder 2.JPG
Back out to the duck pond in hopes of getting a better picture of the Red Knot. Also wanted to try and find the elusive White-winged Scoter. Plus there were reports of terns resting on the beach, and Snowy Plovers on the sand.
In was another windy day at the beach. It wasn't to bad at the pond which is protected from the wind by a bunch of apartment buildings. Out on the jetties and the beach was a whole other thing.
I got lucky at the lagoon. The Red Knot was foraging much closer to the edge of the pond. I was able to get some good pictures of it. A few Black-bellied Plovers remain. Only one in near full breeding plumage, the others haven't molted yet. Two molting Dunlins were hanging out with the Red Knot.
No such luck on the White-winged Scoter. I guess I'm destined not to find this bird.
I did find a whole bunch of Elegant Terns hanging out on the sand with a bunch of gulls. As I approached they all took to the air. I got some really good flight shots of the terns.
Again no luck on the Snowy Plovers. All I got for me efforts were shoes covered in beach tar. YUCK! I think I was looking for the Snowy's in the wrong area of the beach.
The list...
American Coot, Willet, House Sparrow, Western Gull, Marbled Godwit, Snowy Egret, Red Knot, Black-bellied Plover, Western Sandpipers, Dunlins, European Starlings, Grey Lag Geese, Brown Pelicans, American Crow, Great Egret, Ring-billed Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull (juv), Surf Scoters, Western Grebe, Whimbel, Long-tailed Duck, Caspian Tern (heard), Elegant Terns, Sanderlings, Brewer's Blackbirds, Short-billed Dowitcher.
Attached photo of Elegant Tern in flight.
The good Red Knot photo will be in my gallery.
Attachment(s): Elegant-Tern-flight-PDR-Mar.jpg
Headed out to the lagoon and channel in hopes of seeing a breeding plumage Common Loon that had been reported the morning before. Also a Red Knot was reported at the lagoon the previous day.
On my way I stopped to look for the Burrowing Owl again. Came up empty again. I guess it's moved on. Oh well...
As I was pulling up to park at the lagoon, I ran into a fellow birder just as she was leaving. She told me the loon wasn't found again this morning, but the Red Knot was currently out on the mud flat. She also told me the female White-winged Scoter was out in the surf not to far from shore. Hummm, maybe I could tick off two life birds.
Bummer on the loon. Of course I've seen a Common Loon before but only in winter plumage. I would have dearly loved to have seen one in breeding plumage.
Well no luck on the White-winged Scoter. I'm beginning to think this one is never going to happen.
I did find the Red Knot. Yippee!
The Three Amigos were at the lagoon today. The Three Amigos are a Canada Goose, a Greater White-fronted Goose and a Cackling Goose who travel in company. They've been hanging out in the Ballona area since January. They are always seen together.
The list....
American Coot, Snowy Egret, Song Sparrow, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, Black-bellied Plover (in breeding plumage), Canada Goose, Cackling Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Mallards, Ring-billed Gull, Grey Lag Geese, Great Egret, Red-breasted Merganser, American Crow, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, European Starling, Western Sandpiper, Red Knot, House Sparrow, House Finch, White-crowned Sparrow, Allen's Hummingbird, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Oystercatcher, Caspian Tern (heard), Surf Scoters, Western Grebe, Western Gull, Horned Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Brown Pelican, Least Sandpiper, Sanderlings, Surfbirds, Eared Grebe, Ruddy Turnstone, Northern Mockingbird, Forsters Tern.
Attached photo of the Red Knot. Not the greatest photo. The bird was some distance away out in the center of the mudflat.
Attachment(s): Red Knot Del Rey Lagoon March 2008.jpg
Back out to the Lagoon.
Stopped by the spot where the Burrowing Owl had been. I wanted to get some photos with my new camera, but the owl was nowhere to be seen.
I was hoping to find the female White-winged Scoter that's been reported in and around the channel. No luck. The darn female scoters all look the same to me. The field marks on the female white-wing can be hard to see especially when they are on the water.
Much better day for birding then my last outing. No wind today.
Again no life birds.
The list...American Coot, American Crow, Marbled Godwit, Mallards, Grey Lag Geese, Willet, Black-bellied Plover, Northern Mockingbird, Bushtits (heard), Snowy Egret, House Sparrow, Surfbirds (lots), Least Sandpipers, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Turnstone, Sanderlings (lots of them), Black Oystercatcher, Common Loon, Long-tailed Duck, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Caspian Tern (heard), Surf Scoter, Rock Dove, European Starlings, House Finch, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Killdeer, Cassin's Kingbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Mouring Dove (heard).
This was the first time I've seen a Cassin's Kingbird's at the lagoon. The Brewer's Blackbird's are always present, however, they tend to hang around the children's playground/restroom area, and I usually don't head over there when I'm at the lagoon. I went over there hoping to get some pictures of the Brewer's Blackbirds. I got some photos but nothing I'm really happy with. The blackbirds weren't very helpful, most of my shots are of them walking away from me.
I did see some type of bird of prey cruise out over the lagoon. Looked a bit like a Cooper's Hawk, but I couldn't be sure.
Near the boathouse was a dead partially eaten (yuck) Western Grebe. Funny how small it was, they look bigger when they're out on the water.
OK I had typed out 3-4 paragraphs and my PC took a dump on me. All of it was lost. GRRRR! First note to self: Save as you go!!
I had Good Friday off, so I decided to spend the morning bird watching.
I headed out to the South Coast Botanic Gardens in Palos Verdes, CA. I don't go there too often, it's a bit out of the way for me. Plus I don't seem to have much luck going to the gardens. One year I got hit with a lovely little migraine that cut my day short. Last year I was trying out new binoculars. In a word they sucked and the day was generally a wasted effort, and it started to rain.
I was about half way to the gardens when I realized I'd forgotten my digital voice recorder. UGH. I use my voice recorder to keep my list of birds seen. It's so much easier to speak into the recorder VS writing everything down. I stopped at an Office Depot in hopes of buying another voice recorder. They wanted way more $$$ then I was willing to spend. Instead I left with a spiral note pad and a pen. Second note to self: ALWAYS make sure I have the digital voice recorder before leaving the house.
As sonn as I entered the gardens I heard a woodpecker in a stand of trees. Of course I had no luck in spotting the bird. However, on my way out a few hours later, the bird was still knocking away. This time I did spot the little sucker. It was a male Downey.
I spent a few hours wandering around the gardens. It's a lovely place and it was an absolutely beautiful Southern California day.
No life birds were seen.
The list...
Downey Woodpecker, Common Ravens, Allen's Hummingbird, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Hermit Thrush, American Crow, Western Scrub Jay, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Mockingbird, Mallards, Mourning Dove, Ruby-crownd Kinglet, Orange-crownd Kinglet, Black Phoebe, Song Sparrow, Common Yellow Throat, Bushtits, Brown Creeper, Rufous-sided Towhee, California Towhee, Red Shouldered Hawk, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, American Goldfinch.
I thought I heard a Hooded Oriole but never was able to spot the bird.
I did manage to get a half way decent photo of a male Common Yellow Throat. He was more intested in singing his little heart out, then he was in me. Still not the best photo, but better then the ones I got last year.
Attached photo of the above mentioned Common Yellow Throat.
Attachment(s): Common Yellow Throat March 2008.jpg
Went out to the marsh for a little birding. Still very windy in Southern California, but the wind wasn't so bad at the marsh. At least not as bad as it was the day before at the lagoon.
No life birds spotted. I did see a Red-shafted Flicker at the marsh. First time I've seen one at this locale. Unfortunately I saw it as it flushed and was flying away from me. Drat! I would have loved to been able to get it's picture.
The swallows have returned to the marsh. First time I've seen them this year.
The list...
Northern Rough-winged Swallows, White-crowned Sparow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Coot, Great Egret, Red-winged Blackbirds, Allen's Hummingbird, Common Yellow Throat (heard), Ruddy Duck, Song Sparrow, European Starlings, Great-tailed Grackle, Pied-billed Grebe, Gadwall, Mallards, Common Moorhen, House Finch, Red-tailed Hawk (over head), Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Northern Shovelers, Black-necked Stilt, Cinnamon Teals, American Crow, Green-winged Teal, Canada Geese, American Goldfinch, Red-shafted Flicker, Black Phoebe,
OMG it was SO windy. Gale force winds. Okay maybe I exaggerate a little, but the wind nearly blew me over, and I'm no flyweight.
The extreme wind made it not so great for birding, but I was bored and restless at home so I headed out anyway.
The list...
Willet, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, European Starlings, American Coot, Marbled Godwit, Grey Lag Geese, Ring-billed Gull, Buffleheads, American Crow, Surf Scoters, Whimbrel, Double-crested Cormorant, Eared Grebe, Rock Dove, House Finch, House Sparrow, Mallards, White-crowned Sparrow, Western Grebe, Black Oystercatchers, Pelagic Cormorant, Ruddy Turnstone, Western Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover.
I was setting up some new feeders I bought yesterday. I finally gave up and bought two squirrel proof feeders. I'm tired of looking out my window only to see a darn squirrel eating it's fill of my seeds.
While I was out in the front yard I heard the whinny call of a Downey Woodpecker. I ran in the house and grabbed my bins.
A female Downey was in my neighbors Sweet Gum tree. There were lots of birds in that tree yesterday morning. Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, a Black Phoebe.
While I was admiring the woodpecker a Bullock's Oriole flew over.
Last year I had a Bullock's Oriole show up in my yard. I was very excited to see the return of the oriole yesterday.
So this morning I'm looking out my window and lo and behold the Bullock's Oriole is sitting in my honeysuckle. I ran to grab my camera, but the oriole had flown off by the time I returned to the window. Darn!!
I went outside and sat on my porch for a while hoping the oriole would return. No such luck. But while I was out there a Wilson's Warbler stopped by to check out the honeysuckle.
The birds aren't sure about the new feeders. They sit in the honeysuckle and look at the feeders like they are afraid it's some kind of trap. A few brave White-crowned Sparrows did check out the new platform feeder but only for a split second. As of yet I haven't seen any bird try out the new hopper feeder. :(