We counted 47 species, here, this weekend. That’s five short of last year’s
best ever. That February 2021 weekend will always be hard to beat; it seemed
that every bird in Logan County was at our feeders on that bitter-cold and
snow-covered weekend.
I took Friday off, since the first day of the GBBC has become an excuse for a
birding day. We counted 42 species on Friday, 44 yesterday and 36 today. The
wind dampened activity today, but Friday and Saturday were perfect for birding.
We finally counted our first-of-year Chickadee, yesterday, which seems bizarre.
I was hoping it brought its Titmouse friend, but that didn’t happen. We
continue to miss a Titmouse in 2022.
Highlights were the Great Horned Owlets, which were finally very visible
through the the middle of yesterday and today. They stand at the opening and
stare out like grumpy little men. I linked to today’s eBird list, below, which
includes a photo of just mom, then one and finally two owlets, as the morning
progressed.
Other highlights were the Short-eared Owls that continue to disburse this way
from the Trimble Road roost. Patient scoping from the driveway, about 15
minutes past sunset, consistently produces at least one SEOW each evening.
Debby counted five at the Trimble Road roost, last evening, and we counted four
at the Rodger’s Road roost, this evening. We went out there, this evening,
thinking that the wind might make the Harriers more active, which turned out to
be true. We counted 51 at one point. A Merlin buzzed us while we counted
Harriers.
Ricky Shive found the leucistic Red-tail’s nest yesterday and we discovered,
this morning, that we can see it from here at the house! I spotted a second
Red-tail nest, to the south, this morning. That pair appears to be taking
turns on the nest already.
There are suddenly Red-winged Blackbirds literally everywhere, apparently
staking out territory and singing their hearts out. The Robins are also
fighting and acting territorial and a pair of Bluebirds has been hanging around
our boxes, trying to decide which is best.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103289111
Stephen (Steve) Tyson, Schochoh, Logan Co., KY
Species Name:
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Short-eared Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee (FOY)
Horned Lark
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal
