Well, on my farm in eastern Spencer County, I'm seeing a red headed woodpecker
in mid summer for the first time. I have many murdered ash trees and I wonder
if they have provided a new form of woodpecker habitat.
Last summer, I saw a summer tanager on the farm for the first time. This year,
I'm seeing summer tanagers in at least two locations. My brother and I bought
the farm in 1989 a couple years after the loggers had removed the large oaks.
Today, after 32 years, the small oaks that were passed over by the loggers are
not so small. Maybe the high canopy, like the dead ash trees, is providing new
habitat.
Spring calving, hay cutting, and keeping the electric fencing clear have
delayed the mowing of the lateral line field. As a consequence, I'm seeing blue
grosbeak and indigo buntings in my backyard.
Mike Tobbe
Little Mount
On Saturday, June 27, 2020, 07:00:22 PM CDT, <brainard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I've been buried on the family farm for most of the past couple of weeks.
Haven't had much time to actually bird, but I have noticed a number of nice
things while working.
My family of American Kestrels fledged a couple of weeks ago. I've counted four
of them several times. It is so funny to see mom get mobbed by the four when
she comes in from afar with food. First one, then two, then eventually all four
will start pursuing her, with a bit of sibling rivalry thrown into the
behavioral mix, until she drops the prey item and one of them catches it in
mid-air. Mostly the youngsters are also terrorizing the other local birds in
the immediate vicinity of the nest. They seem particularly fond of chasing the
poor Killdeers, which are all flying now but just seem to be an easy target for
the young to harass.
I haven't seen a Mississippi Kite in more than a week, but I've seen one to two
four different times while riding the tractors over the past month or so.
I may have as many as six pairs of bluebirds nesting this year. There seems to
be a pair on just about every part of the farm. One pair has taken up nesting
in a box that Tree Swallows used earlier; interestingly, the Tree Swallow pair
or another has taken up residence in an adjacent box that the bluebirds used
for their last nesting!
On several occasions I've had four species of swallows following me as I mow
and rake hay. The local Barns and Trees have been joined as usual by a single
or pair of Northern Rough-wingeds; today there were sometimes four of them
following me as I mowed grass in the yard. The young ones were following the
adult(s) and being fed on the wing every few minutes. The surprise this year
has been a single Cliff Swallow that appears for short periods and then
disappears for much longer intervals. My only guess is that it is coming from
the colony on the East End Bridge; about ten days ago, it would be gone for
25-30 minutes before reappearing long enough to get enough insects to make a
return trip to the nest. Today, it was even foraging in close quarters of my
yard as I mowed the grass!
Other odds and ends have included a Yellow-breasted Chat singing in the worst
ash kill area that is now mostly shrubs and brambles. I know many of you out in
the country probably have Summer Tanagers as a yard bird, but this year I
actually have a pair on territory right in my own back yard. It's really nice
to hear them "pick-a-tucking" and the male singing all day long. I believe
there are two other males on territory that I hear on other parts of the farm.
I found an Eastern Kingbird nest a few days ago, but the young have now
fledged. Today I found an Orchard Oriole nest with young; such a pretty nest. I
think it is low enough that I will be able to collect it when they are done.
This is one of two pairs nesting this year within earshot of our barns.
Flighted Brown-headed Cowbird juveniles are now starting to show up all over
the place. It's funny how quickly they become independent once their host
parents quit feeding them.
Finally, I've been chasing the poor Eastern Meadowlarks around for over a
month, discouraging them from nesting in the hayfields, but a couple of days
ago I saw five take off from one field, including some juvies, so they have had
success somewhere ... :-)
bpb, Louisville
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