Wow! Amazing yard list, Tina.
This fall has been quite exciting for birds, I feel. There have been a plethora
of Philadelphia vireos around my place (12+ over the last couple weeks).
Numerous flocks of songbirds have passed through. I've had 11 different
warblers over my first month here. It also looks like the Accipiters are on the
move. The last couple days I've seen both sharpies and Cooper's around town.
It's October, and that means sparrows! I'd love to coordinate a sparrow blitz
week. How about the week of the 11th? Let's try as a group to canvas some of
the best sparrow spots in (and around) town for the week. Maybe between all of
us we can see how many different sparrow species we can find. Then we can cap
the week off at the scheduled walk at Spindletop on the 17th. I'd say the best
spots I know of (in addition to Spindletop) are the grassy fields of Griffith
Woods, Camp Nelson, Shaker Village, Hisle Park, some of the weedy areas of
Veteran's Park/Masterson Station. Am I missing any? But really, any
grassy/weedy spot may turn up something interesting. I have an overgrown spot
that may be 10ft square that had a swamp sparrow yesterday. If we count the DE
junco and towhee then 10 sparrows are quite doable, maybe more! So get out
there, and report on the list serve your species.
As nany of you may know, this is a big week for Kentucky (and particularly
Lexington) birders. Our partners over at Central Kentucky Audubon Society
(CKAS) have helped bring in a world renown muralist who will be painting a bird
mural (species to be determined!) downtown, across the street from Rupp Arena!
Come by and watch him work between the 9th and 12th. Then listen to him give a
talk on the 13th about the "collision of art and science" at the UK Ecological
Research and Education Center at 7pm.
Also, don't forget about the second week of the October Seed Sale this Saturday
at Southern States. Tell your friends. Buy seed. Fraternize.
Walk slow,
Mark
From: tinanauman@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2015 21:37:10 -0400
Subject: [birdky] Big Bird Days in Lexington
To: ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I had a fall-out of Warblers and more (54 species) on Sept 30 and October 1 at
my house. My house is built on stilts and looks right into the trees where
they were finding bugs and I could take photos from my covered deck while it
rained. I could then edit photos at my computer with a cup of hot chocolate at
hand, look out the window and run out to the deck every time another wave of
birds arrived.
The biggest highlight was a Blackpoll Warbler (4 photos). I'm surprised that I
have Cardinals and Goldfinch both feeding young.
I struggle with these Warblers so please make corrections as needed. The
Summer Tanager appears to have a Tanager beak but the coloring is certainly
odd.
Photos here:
http://tinanauman.zenfolio.com/p781191211
Tina Nauman
Lexington, KY
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Mourning Dove
Eastern Screech-Owl
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the rain with drop of water on beak
American Robin
Swainson's Thrush
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (4 photos)
Palm Warbler
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal Parents feeding 1 or 2 young
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting sitting next to a Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch Parents feeding 2 young
Summer Tanager with odd coloring
