[texbirds] Yard birding, missing youngsters and early migrants

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:07:13 -0500
Just had a large female hummingbird looking for someone to put food in the
feeder. Had my reading glasses on but it seemed too large for a ruby-throat
and had the impression of an anna's. Hopefully it will come back.
Robins are starting their late summer migration going west to the rivers
and possibly the hill country for fruit. Long ago I tracked the flight as
far as the San Bernard at Attwater refuge and on to Eagle Lake. They will
be back before the yankee birds arrive.

I had begging tufted titmice around this morning but the begging seemed to
be more from habit as they were not fed and had to get their own food.

That got me thinking and I found that I have had 0 young red-bellied
woodpeckers from the 3 pairs that come for sunflowers and dog food.
Normally the begging of the young birds of either 2 or 3 birds is almost
constant now and the youngsters lack of respect for territory and
precedence leads to great fights and chasing.

Also, there have been no begging cardinals all summer. There are many adult
pairs and several unpaired males coming on a regular basis but not a single
squeaking youngster. No young cowbirds either and I have seen no adult
cowbirds. I did have a common grackle once about a month ago.

There are a couple of younger blue jays coming but not with the current 2
clans of blue jays. They never brought youngsters for food but come on a
regular basis. Each clan has several birds and the alarm jay still has not
found a clan to join but tries to join them. No sign of WNV yet among the
jay people and there are still no crow people since May.

Only 1 of the 3 fledged red-tailed hawks is still about but it spends its
time off a ways and I only hear it begging when it is up high waiting for a
parent. The parents are feeding north of the bayou this year so no stories
of squirrel catching by neighbors out for walks. Crested flycatchers
usually quiet now but they will wind up when the youngsters if any fledge
which should be soon.

Great hordes of new house sparrows and house finches. They have had super
production this summer. One Carolina wren brood fledged but even they are
quiet.

Very strange summer. There appears to be a food shortage in the
neighborhood. Both female possum people dumped their babies. Half the
raccoon females had young but set of youngsters never got out of the den
and the two remaining broods seem to have no other food than what is cadged
from me. The armadillo people had no young either and only 1 bunrabbit
about.

The box turtle is a great addition though but ignores my lettuce.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


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[texbirds] Yard birding, missing youngsters and early migrants

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