I Have Finally Returned!!

I could spend all day making lame excuses for not birding in the last month and a half, but the ultimate reasons are I am just a tad lazy and have had a lack of gas money.

I have been lucky enough to run into new yearbirds in my everyday events like work and school, even with out birding, I have seen maybe 20+ yearbirds!!

APRIL: In the first week of April I saw: Tree Swallow, Turkey Vulture, Pine Siskin, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and American Three-toed Woodpecker.

MAY: From about the last week of April to now, I have been seeing more and more birds!
Yearbirds include: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, American Dipper, Osprey, Cooper's Hawk, Winter Wren, Belted Kingfisher, American Pipit, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, Rufous Hummingbird, Vaux's Swift, and Violet-green Swallow.

I saw the avocets, curlew, and Orange-crowned in Hungry Horse, about 10 minutes away, up in the "canyon" towards Glacier Park. Eurasian Collared Doves have now infiltrated Columbia Falls, and even Hungry Horse!!

I hope to take pictures and do more birding soon!!!

Back into Birding

I apologize for disappearing for quite some time, busy me had no time to do much. Here is a quick rundown of what I have seen and then a description of my latest and only birding outing in the past month or so.

Glacier NP/ late Sept. - Winter Wren, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Red-naped Sapsucker.

Eastern Lincoln County MT/ Early to mid Oct. - Ruffed Grouse, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden Eagle, and I heared a BOREAL OWL! crazy cool, but couldn't get a look at it. bummer.......

This is the weedy fence in my neighbors yard that held one of two White-crowned Sparrows today. Sad only two, this yard use to be hoping with all kinds of birds, but I guess its just getting late in the season. I will keep checking in on it.

Birding today (Tuesday) for the first time in a while, I only had about 45 minutes in between school and my job. I checked my neighbors yard, and the ONLY birds there were 2 White-crowned Sparrows.

Next I checked a great area along a road into town, and there were several American Robins, Black-capped Chickadees, and Cedar Waxwings. Also one Song Sparrow and one Pileated Woodpecker. I know, not much, but its just fine for 45 minutes and only 6 miles of driving after school. Check in this weekend, I hope to make up for lost time, and bird the whole valley for a day.

White-crowned Sparrows back in motion

This morning, I check the migration in progress at my neighbors vegetable garden. It was a little slow on variety, only one warbler (Orange-crowned) but the first flock of White-crowned Sparrows has arrived. About a half-dozen birds, mostly adults of the "Gambel's" race, the taiga subspecies that just passes through here, on their way north or south.

It's quite interesting to look at all the different subspecies of various birds in the area. With the amazing Pine Grosbeak invasion we had last winter, I had the chance to get well accustom to the bird, and even look at which subspecies we had. Also, take a look at the subspecies of American Robins. There is about 7 or so distinct subspecies, and they, like all birds, stray from home every now and then. I have found a few Pacific robins here this spring.

Birding the local Patch - the passerine migration begins

Last year, from now until November, I birded my neighbors vegetable garden. There yard is the BEST magnet for migrating songbirds I have EVER seen! 9 species of warblers and 11 species of sparrows in one season in one place, and all three Zonotrichria sparrows (white-crowned, white-throated, Harris's) in one binocular view! The migration has just started and only a few migrants are trickling through.

Only Savannah, and Chipping Sparrows were here, but I did have the first large sparrow of the season. Either Song, Fox, or a zonotrichia sparrow. I know that is a wide range of suspects, but all I saw was a flash of a large, dark sparrow drop into the acre of corn, and one chip note.

4 warblers today, MacGillivray's, Wislon's, Orange-crowned, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Also a family of Lazuli Buntings, and Blue Jays were about. A few odd, or uncommons today; Red-naped Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker and Cooper's Hawk. Nice finds.

I snapped a few pictures, but I know that later in the season when the birds pick up, I will get some more, and better shots.

Pine Siskin in the corn
Really cool clouds today

Savannah Sparrow in the corn

More on Red Crossbills

While being sick and at home from school, I get bored. I found out that my feeders where very attractive to the local Red Crossbills. This morning I had about 30 birds!! I was about to get cabin fever, when I grabbed my camera, and sat near my feeders, photographing the crossbills. Today, they came much closer, and I managed to get some great shots. Also, I got PINE SISKIN as a new year bird!!! It was up in the trees as the 30 Crossbills fed. Number 81 for 2009!

Enjoy!

This was an interesting bird. Note the buffy wingbars. Not even "regualr" juvenile Red Crossbills have wingbars.

(above) This is the second record I have for House Sparrow for my feeders!!! Quite exciting if you ask me! They are very uncommon in my yard, hence the second ever record!!

(above) This is an interesting bird. All red with a light cheeks.

Red Crossbills

Sunday, I had the morning to photography the many Red Crossbills that come to my feeders. They are fairly skittish, but a bit tame too. I would have gotten close, thus better pictures, if my blind had not fallen and broke in a nasty winter storm we had a month ago. I hope you like the photos I obtained!!

(below) this little gal did a total shakedown, then sat with a headache! What cute birds!

(below) This is my favorite bird at my feeders. This juvenile Crossbill has the streaking of its first year, but also it's beginning to molt new, first winter feathers, which are the yellowish colored patches. What a gorgeous bird.

Valentine's Day Weekend

I apologize for the delay in posting, somehow the world of school and work gets in the way sometimes.

FRIDAY:

Well, I stayed home from school Friday (the 13th!! Spooky!), and I got to walk around the yard, and my neighbors yard. The sun decided to be out in the open, well... I should say the clouds decided to leave, becuase the sun does the same thing everyday, but it is whether there is clouds in the way. I got to take a few pictures of birds, even though there was a limited amout of birds at my expence.

I got to photograph this beautiful female American Robin despite the most annoying dog on the FACE OF THE PLANET!!! This dog runs up and down the fence barking and yelling and freaking out, even though I was not on his territory. I was at my neighbors with the magic yard, and the dog next door was FREAKING OUT! It scared off the Pine Grosbeaks, and Dark-eyed Juncos that I could have photographed that were hanging out in the trees along the fence.

This is the face of annoyment.... this little bark-infested dog barks at me with the most annoying pitch that no other dog can reach. Sometimes, I hope it gets hit by a car. Its owners even neglect it.

This is the coolest snag I have seen, and it is even in my front yard!! So many birds have nested in it, and I even put up a blind at an eye-level Pygmy Nuthatch nest for David and Andrew, but somehow the young died, and the parents left.


SATURDAY:

Saturday, I went to rollorskate, eat an amazing dinner, and watch a couple movies with my amazing girlfriend, but before I left I walked around the yard, and checked a few areas in Columbia Falls.

I am really lazy right now, and I don't want to type much else about Saturday, so please enjoy the photos.