BIRDS (and how to look at them)

[Lily Valley]

My boss saw a robin down here last week!   He says he barely recognized it  because there haven't been any in New Orleans for a really long time.  Baton Rouge was full of them.  I love the way they roadrunner along the ground like mockingbirds do.  I spotted one last Friday that was savaging an earthworm.  Not eating it, just playing with it.  I suddenly felt a lot less bad about the way housecats play with mice.  Turns out you get a-hole behavior all the way down the food chain.

I've also seen some crows chasing a hawk up the thermals around town.  Don't know what happened and can't IMAGINE what the crows thought they were going to do if they caught it.  I can say they were very, very loudly pissed off.  Neat.

[Xray the Enforcer]

The last two days of birding have been insane. 52 species in 3 hours the first day (while leading a group), and then I got 47 species today all by myself in less than 2 hours. Because it's spring migration, of course everybody (including myself) is losing their shit over warblers. These brightly hued smol bois mostly just pass on through on their way to their summer homes in Maine and Canada. Between yesterday and today I've seen: Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Black and White, Magnolia, Prairie, Hooded, Yellow-rumped, Blue-winged, Chestnut-sided, Cape May, Yellow, and Prothonotary Warblers. Also in the warbler family that I've seen: Ovenbird, American Redstart, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula. Other winners included Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings, and Summer and Scarlet Tanagers. I am torn if I'm going to go out again tomorrow, or if I'll take a break and then do some kind of insane 8-hour tear on Saturday. 

[Lily Valley]

5 minutes ago, Xray the Enforcer said:

The last two days of birding have been insane. 52 species in 3 hours the first day (while leading a group), and then I got 47 species today all by myself in less than 2 hours. Because it's spring migration, of course everybody (including myself) is losing their shit over warblers. These brightly hued smol bois mostly just pass on through on their way to their summer homes in Maine and Canada. Between yesterday and today I've seen: Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Black and White, Magnolia, Prairie, Hooded, Yellow-rumped, Blue-winged, Chestnut-sided, Cape May, Yellow, and Prothonotary Warblers. Also in the warbler family that I've seen: Ovenbird, American Redstart, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula. Other winners included Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings, and Summer and Scarlet Tanagers. I am torn if I'm going to go out again tomorrow, or if I'll take a break and then do some kind of insane 8-hour tear on Saturday. 

How in the world can you tell those waterthrushes apart or from sparrows or finches, btw.  Also, why is the Louisiana Waterthrush up there and why does it only migrate over Louisiana.  Happy Birding my friend!

[Xray the Enforcer]

1 minute ago, Lily Valley said:

How in the world can you tell those waterthrushes apart or from sparrows or finches, btw.  Also, why is the Louisiana Waterthrush up there and why does it only migrate over Louisiana.  Happy Birding my friend!

A number of factors. 1) size. these guys are slightly larger than sparrows, edging more into thrush territory. 2) location. these guys hang out along the water. 3) gait. they have much longer legs, so they move differently than sparrows. As for between the two types? It's really hard. It comes down to more-yellow/less-yellow, plus Louisiana has this weird way of moving its butt side-to-side while the Northern is strictly up-and-down. Here's the deep-dive into waterthrushes that you never knew you needed: http://belltowerbirding.blogspot.com/2007/05/separating-louisiana-and-northern_04.html

[Xray the Enforcer]

Made the mistake of checking Twitter this AM and now have serious FOMO. But I'm also having a quiet morning with the cat and that's just as good as running all over Central Park trying to get a Nashville Warbler. 

[Elder Sister]

On 5/2/2018 at 5:12 PM, Xray the Enforcer said:

Yellow-breasted Chat? Those are emphatically yellow.

actually, going through the new Audubon app -- set to your home state and doing the guided ID -- I'm wondering if you have a FEMALE Scarlet or Summer Tanager. Both are larger birds that are all-yellow -- the Scarlet Tanager especially so. 

I'm thinking it's a summer tanager that is molting...I keep looking for it again, but haven't seen him yet.

[Hereward]

I met a proper bird watcher on my usual walk today. In a 500 yard wander beside a stream that I do every day, he showed me 5 new species! I have much to learn. He also told me where I can see a Hobby. That’s Saturday sorted.

[Xray the Enforcer]

4 hours ago, Hereward said:

I met a proper bird watcher on my usual walk today. In a 500 yard wander beside a stream that I do every day, he showed me 5 new species! I have much to learn. He also told me where I can see a Hobby. That’s Saturday sorted.

   this makes me so happy!!!!!!

[Le Cygne]

On 5/1/2018 at 6:17 PM, Xray the Enforcer said:

I'm taking my coworkers out birding tomorrow. First time I've led the crew, although after my baptism by fire where I had to lead a birdwalk with Kenn freakin' Kaufman, I'm not feeling quite as freaked out with the pressure.  Gon' get me a Scarlet Tanager, both Orioles, and maybe a Blackburnian Warbler! (BTW, those in Europe who might be confused as to why we get warbler-mad here: Unlike yours, which are somewhat drab but are specialized singers, ours are not so talented with song but they are beautifully hued.)

Check this fabulous motherfucker out

Fabulous! I wonder sometimes if birds know how fabulous they are and how much joy they bring us. I hope so!

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

I think I have identified the little blackbirds in the neighborhood.  I knew they were too small to be crows. I think they are Common Grackles (wish my picture was better).

Also, one of the crazy robins' has made its nest in a little bush next to the deck. Problem is, we haven't see the parents in a while. I'm hoping the nest hasn't been abandoned.

Still haven't identified the little bugger who kept nesting in the fireplace vent. It was small, brown with some white, but moving too fast for me to get a good look, and no picture.  Looking it up, it might be a sparrow, but I thought it looked a lot fatter than the sparrows.  I'll eventually either see it with my glasses on or catch a picture of it.

 

[Hereward]

I saw four Red-Crested Pochards today. It was strange enough to see them in the winter, but it’s May and in the 70s!

[Xray the Enforcer]

4 hours ago, Lany Freelove Cassandra said:

I think I have identified the little blackbirds in the neighborhood.  I knew they were too small to be crows. I think they are Common Grackles (wish my picture was better).

 

Yep, that looks like a Common Grackle

[Xray the Enforcer]

Epic day birding. We got 86 species of whose IDs I am confident. There were at least 5 or 6 types of birds -- mostly horribly backlit ducks with their heads down, with two types of shorebird and one mystery warbler in there for good measure. It took us 8.5 hours and I'm dead tired now, but it was worth it.

[Xray the Enforcer]

3 hours ago, Hereward said:

I saw four Red-Crested Pochards today. It was strange enough to see them in the winter, but it’s May and in the 70s!

Nice one!

[Hereward]

6 hours ago, Xray the Enforcer said:

Epic day birding. We got 86 species of whose IDs I am confident. There were at least 5 or 6 types of birds -- mostly horribly backlit ducks with their heads down, with two types of shorebird and one mystery warbler in there for good measure. It took us 8.5 hours and I'm dead tired now, but it was worth it.

That is epic! I’ve not seen many more than that in the last 6 months!

6 hours ago, Xray the Enforcer said:

Nice one!

No Hobby though. 

[Xray the Enforcer]

Oh man, I was so tired yesterday I wasn't even speaking in complete sentences. My post should have included that there were at least 5 or 6 types of birds THAT WE COULDN'T IDENTIFY. Point being: Mr. X and I were very, very close to getting a Century all by ourselves, which is pretty nuts. I am willing to bet that if we had one or two more experienced birders with us, we'd definitely have topped 100 species. 

Thinking back, birds that eluded ID were: various waterfowl that were backlit, 1 mystery warbler, at least two sparrow species. Missing species (that I would have expected to see if I had enough eyes/ears): Black and White Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Blue-headed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Purple Finch, Clapper Rail, American Coot, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Hermit Thrush, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Common Tern.

Highlights from yesterday were: Blue Grosbeak, Chuck-will's-widow (<-- super hard to find), Field Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Brown Thrasher, White-eyed Vireo, Black-bellied Plover, Great Crested Flycatcher.

[PyroclasticFlow]

Question for @Xray the Enforcer : Does the common grackle usually return to a nesting spot? Last year these little fuckers nested in my neighbors' evergreen hedge and when cleaning out their nests of baby bird poo, decided to deposit it on my back patio. Seeing it in action was pretty cool but cleaning off the deck was even cooler! Are there any preventive actions one can take to make sure this doesn't happen again or am I sol?

[Xray the Enforcer]

Birds are generally creatures of habit, so chances are high that the grackles will nest in or near the same spot again this year. As for what to do? You're pretty much SOL. Just hose it off or put up an umbrella that will discourage the birds from getting close to your deck. 

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

I just saw the Grackle going into my grill! Now I know who the culprit is.  I had just cleaned and used the damn think on Friday.

I saw a male and female house finch at my feeder and one I'm not positive of, but I think might be a Hoary Redpoll?

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

3 hours ago, Xray the Enforcer said:

Oh man, I was so tired yesterday I wasn't even speaking in complete sentences. My post should have included that there were at least 5 or 6 types of birds THAT WE COULDN'T IDENTIFY. Point being: Mr. X and I were very, very close to getting a Century all by ourselves, which is pretty nuts. I am willing to bet that if we had one or two more experienced birders with us, we'd definitely have topped 100 species. 

Thinking back, birds that eluded ID were: various waterfowl that were backlit, 1 mystery warbler, at least two sparrow species. Missing species (that I would have expected to see if I had enough eyes/ears): Black and White Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Blue-headed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Purple Finch, Clapper Rail, American Coot, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Hermit Thrush, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Common Tern.

Highlights from yesterday were: Blue Grosbeak, Chuck-will's-widow (<-- super hard to find), Field Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Brown Thrasher, White-eyed Vireo, Black-bellied Plover, Great Crested Flycatcher.

That is just amazing! I can't wait to see more