Sunday, 6

Went to get the mail today and a male Red-Winged Blackbird was perching on the mailbox. A juvenile robin fed in the yard, while I watched several Cedar Waxwings chirp and fly around the yard. As usual, I saw cowbirds, goldfinches, house sparrows, etc. At about 2:30 pm, I came across a new species (for me). I think it is an American Pipit, and I recently left a post about the identification of this bird. Other birds viewed include: Horned Lark, Great Blue Heron, Barn Swallow & Common Grackle. Also, a Mourning Dove was inspecting a wooden Cardinal on our fence.

If it is indeed an American Pipit (which I think was a solitary female - the breast markings are fainter) then this can be added to my Year List (2008-2009):

 91. American Pipit        Anthus rubescens       2:34 PM     7/6     Woodstock, Illinois

Unfortunately, Raptor just informed me that American Pipits aren't presently migrating, which leaves my only possibly label as a juvenile Horned Lark.

July 4

Today, being Independence Day, I didn't get to do much birdwatching. During a parade in Wonder Lake, Illinois, I did see several gulls (Herring and Ring-Billed) as well as House Sparrows. Watched the fireworks later in the evening.

July 5

I went on another bike ride this morning. It seems like everywhere I go, I see tons of Cedar Waxwings. I saw at least 10 individuals or more today, as well as the usual dozen or so Red-Winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, Goldfinches, House Finches, Grackles, a single crow and female Baltimore Oriole.

Around 3:00 pm, we left to go to a friend's son's graduation party. Although I was supposed to be socializing, I found it more fun to watch the endless American Goldfinches fly overhead. Lots of robins and cardinals, too.

ZBirdNerd

My grandfather's seventh cousin from the Netherlands is visiting our family this week. He has not been here since 2001, and is now in his late 70's, so we went on a small paddleboat tour on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. Since I was birdwatching most of the time, I didn't really retain much of what I learned. Anyway, no new Year List birds, just a few dozen seagulls around the marina and a family of barn swallows whose nest was on the boat. This was neat; the swallows flew with the boat, occasionally swerving off-course to grab an insect or two. Otherwise, nothing new today.

Starting on the 6th, I will publish my journaling weekly, to be more economical with my compulsive posting disorder.

After my post, Photo Survey, which was active for 24 hours, I tallied up the votes for certain opinions. Here are the statistics:

28% - Agree it is OK to post other photos, only if you list a source or link, etc.

28% - Agree that it is not OK to post photos that aren't your own.

20% - Agree that it is OK to post photos that aren't yours, only to help identify in the forums.

12% - Agree that you should get permission before using other photos.

12% - Don't have a gallery OR think people shouldn't use other peoples' photos at all.

After this survey, more than 50% of the respondants who have galleries agreed that it is OK to have photos in your gallery that aren't yours, as long as they are properly sourced and linked and you don't claim those as yours.

Therefore, because I have been practicing these ideas already, I will begin to add more pictures into my gallery, on the basis of identification assistance.

Yours in birding,

ZBirdNerd

P.S. Later today, I will be adding the first day of ZBirdNerd's birding journal. Have a good Independence Day!

Everyone, yesterday was not the greatest day.

First off, to let everyone know, all the photos that were in my Gallery were deleted yesterday for a reason. A long-standing member of WhatBird wondered if any rules existed in posting copyrighted (not your own) photographs in Galleries. I told the birder that this is what I was doing, and that I have listed the source for all my photos on their description. However, they thought I was doing something wrong, or... I don't fully understand it... but they left WhatBird.

Yesterday, many people replied by stating what I had done was OK. Unfortunately, we were to late. I lost Birdseye.

I have been reassured that I can continue doing what I was previously, so I have just decided to re-open my gallery.

Also, the post bird Photos is the root of this problem. There is also going to be a post "Photo Survey" in the forums shortly about this problem.

Yours in birding,

ZBirdNerd

This is the Year List (2008-2009) of ZBirdNerd

(This list begins on 5/21/2008, I started a bit late this year!)

1. Brown-Headed Cowbird
2. House Finch
3. Red-Winged Blackbird
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. American Robin
6. Northern Cardinal
7. European Starling
8. Chipping Sparrow
9. White-Breasted Nuthatch
10. Canada Goose
11. Song Sparrow
12. Mallard
13. Great Blue Heron
14. American Crow
15. Lesser Scaup
16. House Sparrow
17. Red-Tailed Hawk
18. Common Grackle
19. Mourning Dove
20. Hairy Woodpecker
21. Red-Breasted Nuthatch
22. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
23. Gray Catbird
24. Scarlet Tanager
25. Northern Flicker
26. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
27. Great Egret
28. Rusty Blackbird
29. Baltimore Oriole
30. House Wren
31. Killdeer
32. Black-Capped Chickadee
33. American Goldfinch
34. Barn Swallow
35. Sedge Wren
36. Purple Martin
37. Eastern Phoebe
38. Cedar Waxwing
39. Rock Dove
40. Eastern Kingbird
41. Tufted Titmouse
42. Ring-Billed Gull
43. Common Nighthawk
44. Wild Turkey
45. Broad-Winged Hawk
46. Turkey Vulture
47. Orchard Oriole
48. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
49. Blue Jay
50. Herring Gull
51. Great Crested Flycatcher
52. Evening Grosbeak
53. Fork-Tailed Flycatcher
54. Tree Swallow
55. Bank Swallow
56. Chimney Swift
57. Sandhill Crane
58. Belted Kingfisher
59. Barred Owl
60. Eastern Wood-Pewee
61. Acadian Flycatcher
62. Cliff Swallow
63. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
64. Green Heron
65. American Kestrel
66. Northern Harrier
67. Least Flycatcher
68. Yellow-Throated Warbler
69. Horned Lark
70. Henslow's Sparrow
71. Black-and-White Warbler
72. Red-Headed Woodpecker
73. Blue-Winged Teal
74. White-Throated Sparrow
75. Merlin
76. Black-Throated Blue Warbler
77. Warbling Vireo
78. Wood Thrush
79. Gadwall
80. Double-Crested Cormorant
81. Black-Crowned Night-Heron
82. Hooded Merganser
83. Osprey
84. Mute Swan
85. Least Bittern
86. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
87. Snow Goose
88. Northern Mockingbird
89. Cockatiel
90. Eastern Meadowlark

The Bird Journal of ZBirdNerd

       Hello. My name is ZBirdNerd - Welcome to The Average Day of ZBirdNerd. This blog is set up in a journal form. June 3 will be the first day of blogging. The post of the day will be published the following day. In this blog, I will describe each day of birding, as well as the new species I encounter, interesting facts and other details.

Yours in birding,

ZBirdNerd