[texbirds] Yard/patch birding, babies and migrants

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 1 May 2013 17:30:51 -0500
Lots of baby birds arriving at the feeders now including my first ever pine
warbler brood which showed up around noon. The mother has brought more to
the bay tree every 30 minutes or so. Have not seen a male for over a month.
The second chickadee brood also arrived Monday.
There are 2 pairs of great crested flycatchers that argue over possession
of the tree next to my balcony with a 3rd pair that joins in when they
meet. Barred owls do not bang on the window much but appear to have young
out and a good bit of calling. Female wants food during the day.
Chuck-wills-widows call a few nights and the toads are calling for rain
again.

The cooper's hawks started adding to an old squirrel nest down the street
and right over the sidewalk where it would have been great for watching but
one the march windstorms took it apart. They moved west but are going out
to the collared dove nesting area on Voss for large squabs which they take
home. The red-tailed hawks have moved much further west.

At least 2 male (calling) red-headed woodpeckers arrived across the bayou
but have not been close. The pileated woodpeckers are doing well on drought
and ike killed trees.

Many of the eastern goldfinches left on Saturday and Sunday night even in
the rain but there are still hungry bright yellow birds here but they are
not singing as much as when in large flocks. Its easier to hear mimicry
though. Not very good mimics though compared to arkansas birds and siskins.

The local great-tailed grackles became extinct sometime during the winter.
I have seen one in the yard since 1981 but could go up to the stop sign at
the corner and see several any day. They have been gone for several months.
Common grackles have vanished too. Perhaps they roosted in the wrong
ornamental trees.

Had hopes for crows early in the winter but they vanished at the end of
February.

Blue jay numbers went down to a single bird which was the west family's
alarm jay. It was doing an odd call which I thought might be a mostly
forgotten cooper's hawk but it was actually a crow call. During the winter
a clan of jays came sometimes from the southwest but did not really know
what jay food is (Little Bits) or bread. They did learn and now come much.
The alarm jay wants to join and can be with them but not of them and is
often left behind when they go back to the nesting area. A clan from the
north visited a bit but not recently. It will take a month or more to try
and hand-feed this clan this summer if they keep coming. Maybe the
youngsters can be lured.

My yard patch includes my walking loop and has 203 birds since 1981. To get
on the list a bird has to be actually seen from in the house or one of the
balconies. After that calls work as do birds seen on the walking loop. Best
bird missed by rules was buff-bellied hummingbird which was terrorized over
3 days by ruby-throats and never came out of the tree. Best birds on list
but not really reported was a pair of ringed kingfishers that flew down the
bayou one summer evening when birds were seen between here and Austin. Most
missed bird tricolored heron. Latest bird added black-bellied whistling
duck last month.

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


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[texbirds] Yard/patch birding, babies and migrants

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