[texbirds] Birding at home, migration and pictures, reddest belly

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2014 10:33:48 -0600
Back on March 19th, I had the first out-migration at the house. Almost all
the robins, 1 group of waxwings, male yellow-rumped warblers and the
white-throated sparrows left overnight. On Friday night, the rest of the
robins left and all pine warblers went too. The goldfinches left in two
parts and on Friday around mid-day, there were goldfinches going north up
high but they did not stop and I have seen none since.
This is the first time that all pine warblers left this early and I have
had no goldfinches now for 2 weeks but there were a few going north very
early this morning. Normally migration is in steps, one group leaves and
another drifts in.

Waxwings were odd. One roosting flock from perhaps the southwest detention
pond left entirely but the birds that come from the direction of memorial
park still are about or at least until the ice etc.

Tufted titmice and chickadees are nesting and should have youngsters soon.
Of course I have not looked for the nest but they act the same each year.
The titmice are noisy when they come by
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628143

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154379694

This titmouse was frozen when a cooper's hawk snuck in and the bird was in
the open and did not move for 20 minutes
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546389

The chickadees are noisy too
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628130

I usually try to see how much red the red-bellied woodpeckers have on the
belly. This bird will probably top the list for a long time since the red
runs all the way up to the chin and cheeks
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546396

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546395

Waxwings can have wax
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154379683

Or not
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154379684

They originally went through eating privet and then returned with laurel
cherry berries
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154379685

Blue jays are still not normal. The alarm jay comes early in the morning
and hollers and looks for hawks and owls. Later both clans come and eat me
out of house and home. They do not appear to have anything else to eat
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154379682

The yellow-rumped warblers are showing off their rumps
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154379941

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546394

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628144

Each year they start molting and then as they reach a half way point, they
move on to be replaced by plainer birds. This is about as full plumaged
birds that I get
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628149

Back and shoulder feathers turn blue before the breast markings and face
feathers come in
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628147

But they can make good mystery birds
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628146

Pine warblers were the commonest they have ever been this winter as in
other parts of the state
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628135

The unmarked back makes the main field mark
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154628133

Female pine warblers can be mis-identified as yellow-throated vireos. This
bird is my best imitation vireo to date. With shadows, it is even more
vireo like with its large bill
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546380

Even house sparrows are in breeding plumage
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546376

And the migrant robins are more marked than many of our breeding birds
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/154546371

All the yard pictures can be browsed in
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/0_older_new_pictures

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


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[texbirds] Birding at home, migration and pictures, reddest belly

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