[bcbirdclub] Birds of the spring thaw - I hope
- From: "Roger Mayhorn" <rmayhorn@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "BCBC Listserve" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2010 05:22:55 -0500
Yesterday, the sun was shining and the snow was melting so I decided to take a
walk around the immediate area to see what was about. It was in the afternoon
so I didn't expect to see much. As I stepped outside I heard a male House Finch
singing from the top of an apple tree. The first bird I saw was a Northern
Flicker probing in the grass where the snow had retreated. Next was a
Yellow-rumped Warbler in a maple tree, the first Yellow-rump here since back in
the fall. They don't seem to like this elevation (2400 ft) during winter. They
must be on the move northward.
Shortly after I was surprised to hear a Barred Owl calling in the distance. I
stopped to listen to see if it might be a turkey hunter using an owl call while
doing some early scouting and trying to get a turkey to anwer him, but the call
seemed genuine. Moments later a Turkey Vulture flew over, not far above the
treetops. A flock of 14 male Red-winged Blackbirds came wheeling out of the
treetops at the edge of the woods to drop down to feed under our feeders.
As I walked around the edge of the woods a small, active bird caught my eye. It
was a Golden-crowned Kinglet, a bird I don't see with regularity unless I go
deeper into the woods. The cardinals, titmice, chickadees and White-throated
and Song Sparrrows were all busy in the areas where the snow had gone. One of
the pair of resident Red-shouldered Hawks circled up out of the woods and came
directly overhead. It was silent, which has not been the norm lately. It was a
nice day to be outside.
Following is the complete list for the day.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
20 species
American Crow 2
American Goldfinch 1
Barred Owl 1
Carolina Chickadee 3
Dark-eyed Junco 2
European Starling 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
House Finch 3 (1 singing)
Mourning Dove 6
Northern Cardinal 9 (5m, 4f)
Northern Flicker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-winged Blackbird 14m
Song Sparrow 1
Tufted Titmouse 3
Turkey Vulture 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-throated Sparrow 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 (1st one since fall of 2009)
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- » [bcbirdclub] Birds of the spring thaw - I hope - Roger Mayhorn
