Friday, May 16, 2014

The Yard List Grows and other Notes

1. DOWO-kab Downy Woodpecker 5-5-14
It’s been a busy week and I have been birding all over the place with no time to 2. 5-9-14 Karen and kathie catch my breath! Last Friday I went birding with Karen from KaHolly and had such a great time! We saw so many birds, many of them new to my Maine Life List and one new Lifer when we saw a Northern Wheatear at Scarborough Marsh! I did take pics but none are very good as the birds was quite distant and the lighting was horrible with damp and cloudy skies! What a pleasure it was to spend the day with Karen and her sister and brother-in-law. As children of the woods I felt such a connection to them all. You can read Karen's Post and see the pictures in the link below and I do have some of my own to show you once I get them offloaded!
3. 5-9-14 karen and Hollis at Evergreen Cemetary

4. 5-15-14 Jan Pierson bird walk Jan Pierson showing a warbler to the birders 5-15-14
Yesterday I went birding at Crystal Springs Farm right here in Brunswick, ME. I met Jan Pierson, who led the bird walk, and discovered yet another wonderful and new place to bird so close to my new home. The best bird we saw were the Bobolinks! I have never had such great views of them before, having only seen them twice before in my life. Once in Wert Virginia back in 2009 when I went on the tour with the New River Nature and Birding Festival and once in Connecticut when I spotted a few in a vacant lot next to a dentist office! Bobolinks are a species of blackbird that make the most amazing sounds. I can’t wait to show them to my friend, Chris Rohrer, when he comes to visit me next month! Crystal spring is part of the Brunswick-Topsham land Trust and is open to the public for birding and hiking. along with the Bobolinks we saw numerous species of warblers, and Indigo bunting, and a Solitary Sandpiper! Crystal Springs Farm is an eBird Hotspot!
5. White-throated sparrow-kab White-throated Sparrow in yard 5-5-14
My yard list continues to grow on an almost daily basis. I have seen the sparrow population rise and fall only to be replaced by warblers! Yesterday morning I was up early for the bird walk and doing my morning shores when I stepped outside to spread a bit of seed on the ground. As I did I suddenly noticed a new warbler in my yard—a Black-throated Blue! I had only seen this species once before in West Virginia, so I went back inside and grabbed my camera to try to take pics. However, since it was a cloudy day and just after dawn, the lighting was terrible! I continued to watch birds though as more and more species filled the yard. There were so many warblers that I actually debated about whether I should go on the bird walk, but finally decided I need to learn about Crystal Springs Farm, and I KNEW I wanted to see bobolinks! I was so glad I went but was surprised when I finally returned home to find an Indigo Bunting on my own bird feeder! I had stopped at the grocery store on the way home but did not even unload the groceries. I quickly grabbed my camera and started snapping pics! The Black-throated Blue Warblers were still in my yard, along with Baltimore Orioles!
6. rose-breasted grosbeak-kabThen the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks came back! Oh my word! This is just hopeless. I will never get anything done because there are so many birds to see right in my own back yard! I have seen so many new yard birds since I wrote last week’s post that I copied the chart into this post and added the new species with the dates at the bottom of the Mere Point Cottage List. With the current count at 79 species, it looks like I could tie and even pass the Sycamore Canyon Yard List before spring is over! I am just floored by how amazing the birding in my own yard has been!
7. goldfinches-kab American Goldfinches at feeders
Here’s a look at a few more yard birds and the new feeders and squirrel baffles I have set up in my constant battle to feed birds and not squirrels! You will notice I have added a meal worm feeder. I must admit that I was a bit squeamish about this at first but I finally broke down and bought one. I manage to fill it without touching the meal worms, which are freeze-dried. I am not sure I could feed live worms. I hate the look of them and if they wiggled? Yuk! But, the birds do like them!
8. chickadee-kab Black-capped Chickadee and mealworm feeder 5-5-14
9. cooper's hawk-kab Cooper’s Hawk on ground shot through window with screen
10. tuti-kab Tufted Titmouse on peanut feeder with new squirrel baffle
11. sparrow and finch-kab House Finch and White-throated Sparrow 5-5-14
12. chsp-kab Chipping Sparrow 5-5-14
13. cardinal-kab Northern Cardinal (female) 5-5-14
14. gcki-kab Golden-crowned Kinglet
15. gckinlet-kab Golden-crowned Kinglet 5-6-14
16. ruby crowned kinglet-kab Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5-6-14
Kathie’s Yard Birds Lists Update!
(Species in italics were only seen in that yard where they are listed.)
Sycamore Canyon May 2007-August 2010 Andover, MA September 2010-August 2012 Tucson, AZ September 2012-January 2014 Mere Point Cottage  2014-present
1. Gambel’s Quail Canada Goose Gambel’s Quail Canada Goose
2. Turkey Vulture Mallard Great Egret Greater Scaup
3. Northern Harrier Wild Turkey Turkey Vulture Common Eider
4. Sharp-shinned Hawk Great Blue Heron Osprey Bufflehead
5. Cooper’s Hawk Black Vulture Sharp-shinned Hawk Common Goldeneye
6. Harris Hawk Turkey Vulture Cooper’s Hawk Red-breasted Merganser
7. Zone-tailed hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Harris Hawk Common Loon
8. Red-tailed Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Swainson’s Hawk Double-crested Cormorant
9. Killdeer Red-shouldered Hawk Zone-tailed Hawk Great Blue Heron
10. Rock Pigeon Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Turkey Vulture
11. White-winged Dove Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Osprey
12. Greater Roadrunner Herring Gull Band-tailed Pigeon Cooper’s Hawk
13. Greater Roadrunner Rock Pigeon White-winged Dove Bald Eagle
14. Great Horned Owl Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Red-tailed Hawk
15. Burrowing Owl Black-billed Cuckoo Greater Roadrunner American Woodcock
16. Lesser Nighthawk Eastern Screech Owl Great Horned Owl Herring Gull
17. Common Nighthawk Great Horned Owl Lesser Nighthawk Great Black-backed Gull
18. Magnificent Hummingbird Chimney Swift Vaux’s Swift Mourning Dove
19. Black-chinned Hummingbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Chimney Swift
20. Anna’s Hummingbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Anna’s Hummingbird Red-bellied Woodpecker
21. Costa’s Hummingbird Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Costa’s Hummingbird Downy Woodpecker
22. Broad-tailed Hummingbird Downy Woodpecker Broad-tailed Hummingbird Hairy Woodpecker
23. Rufous Hummingbird Hairy Woodpecker Rufous Hummingbird Northern Flicker
24. Calliope Hummingbird Northern Flicker Broad-billed Hummingbird Eastern Phoebe
25. Broad-billed Hummingbird Eastern Wood Pewee Gila Woodpecker Blue Jay
26. Gila Woodpecker Blue-headed Vireo Ladder-backed Woodpecker American Crow
27. Gilded Flicker Blue Jay American Kestrel Fish Crow
28. American Kestrel American Crow Merlin Common Raven
29. Peregrine Falcon Fish Crow Peregrine Falcon Tree Swallow
30. Say’s Phoebe Common Raven Black Phoebe Black-capped Chickadee
31. Ash-throated Flycatcher Black-capped Chickadee Say’s Phoebe Tufted Titmouse
32. Brown-crested Flycatcher Tufted Titmouse Vermillion Flycatcher Red-breasted Nuthatch
33. Western Kingbird Red-breasted Nuthatch Ash-throated Flycatcher White-breasted Nuthatch
34. Loggerhead Shrike White-breasted Nuthatch Warbling Vireo Brown Creeper
35. Bell’s Vireo Brown Creeper Common Raven Carolina Wren
36. Warbling Vireo House Wren Northern Rough-winged swallow Golden-crowned Kinglet
37. Chihuahuan Raven Carolina Wren Purple Martin Ruby-crowned Kinglet
38. Common Raven Golden-crowned Kinglet Verdin Hermit Thrush
39. Purple Martin Ruby-crowned Kinglet House Wren American Robin
40. Violet-green Swallow Veery Cactus Wren European Starling
41. Barn Swallow Wood Thrush Curve-billed Thrasher Cedar Waxwing
42. Verdin American Robin Northern Mockingbird Black and white Warbler
43. Rock Wren Gray Catbird European starling Northern Parula
44. House Wren Northern Mockingbird Phainopepla Yellow Warbler
45. Bewick’s Wren European Starling Tennessee Warbler Palm Warbler
46. Cactus Wren Cedar Waxwing Orange-crowned Warbler Pine Warbler
47. American Robin Northern Waterthrush Lucy’s Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler
48. Curve-billed Thrasher Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow Warbler Eastern Towhee
49. Northern Mockingbird Black-throated Green Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler American Tree Sparrow
50. European Starling Chipping Sparrow Wilson’s Warbler Chipping Sparrow
51. Yellow-rumped Warbler Field Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Savannah Sparrow
52. Black-throated Gray Warbler Song Sparrow Spotted Towhee Fox Sparrow
53. Green-tailed Towhee White-throated Sparrow Brewer’s Sparrow Song Sparrow
54. Rufous-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Lark Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow
55. Canyon Towhee Northern Cardinal Savannah Sparrow White-throated Sparrow
56. Rufous-winged Sparrow Red-breasted Grosbeak Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco
57. Chipping Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird White-crowned Sparrow Northern Cardinal
58. Brewer’s Sparrow Common Grackle Western Tanager Red-breasted Grosbeak
59. Black-chinned Sparrow Brown-headed Cowbird Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird
60. Lark Sparrow Baltimore Oriole Pyrrhuloxia Common Grackle
61. Black-throated Sparrow House Finch Black-headed Grosbeak Brown-headed Cowbird
62. Lark Bunting Purple Finch Great-tailed Grackle House Finch
63. Lincoln’s Sparrow Pine Siskin Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch
64. White-crowned Sparrow American Goldfinch Hooded Oriole American Goldfinch
65. Dark-eyed Junco House Sparrow Bullock’s Oriole Brown Thrasher 5-9-14
66. Western Tanager House Finch White-crowned Sparrow 5-9-14
67. Northern Cardinal Pine Siskin Mallard 5-10-14
68. Pyrrhuloxia Lesser Goldfinch Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5-10-14
69. Black-headed Grosbeak House Sparrow Gray Catbird 5-10-14
70. Blue Grosbeak Broad-winged Hawk 5-12-14
71. Brewer’s Blackbird Black-throated Green Warbler 5-12-14
72. Great-tailed Grackle Common Yellow-throat 5-12-14
73. Bronzed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole 5-12-14
74. Brown-headed Cowbird Red-shouldered Hawk 5-14-14
75. Hooded Oriole Great-crested Flycatcher 5-15-14
76. Bullock’s Oriole American Redstart 5-15-14
77. Scott’s Oriole Black-throated Blue Warbler 5-15-14
78. House Finch Indigo Bunting 5-15-14
79. Cassin’s Finch Chestnut-sided Warbler 5-16-14
80. Pine Siskin
81. Lesser Goldfinch
82. Lawrence’s Goldfinch
83. House Sparrow
Happy Spring!
17. tulips in yard-kab Tulips in yard 5-5-14

22 comments:

  1. Kathie, what a great list. It is nice you have been adding to it this Spring..I love the Grosbeak, one of my favorite migrating birds. Happy Birding..

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  3. I am reposting my comment after deleating because auto correct made a hilarious error. Wow what a great yard list. You had great yard birds in the Southwest but you are equally building a great list in Maine! Love the Cooper's right on the ground. I too want to see Bobolinks. I have seen them in the fall but I want to see them in their spring colors and get-up. I missed out last year because we were too late. But I will go to Ct next weekend to see my mom and sister. My sister knows a field nearby where they were breeding last year. Hopefully they will be again this year.

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    1. Cindy, I hope you get to see the Bobolinks! They are such wonderful birds! It sure is nice to see you (virtually) again! Have fun in CT!

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  4. Wow! I think you have found a birding hotspot! Your own backyard!

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    1. Kathryn, you are so right! How I wish you were here!

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  5. Kathie, with such a varied bird larder I'll take a side bet that you reach 100 for the yard list before the year is out.

    Great to hear you had a splendid time birding with Karen. Pity about the distant views of Mrs. Wheatear but if you would like some images of one I saw last Spring then let me know.

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    1. Thanks Frank! I may take you up on that! I did get a few pics but they are pretty crummy as the light was bad and the wind was gusting and the birds was far across the marsh in reeds the same color as it was! Still, I am so glad I saw it!

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  6. Great list Kathy, I am glad you are enjoying the new digs. Sounds like you will be busy for quite a while!

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    1. Vincent, I am having fun and I am NEVER bored!

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  7. Happy Spring, indeed! Love that photo of you and I!! Your yard list is just amazing. Hard to know whether to go or stay!! If more people payed attention to what is going on in their own backyards, they'd be so amazed, wouldn't they??

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    1. KaHolly, I loved that picture as well! As for out backyards, you are so right! There is a world of wonder out there!

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  8. What an amazing backyard! I saw a Black-throated Blue Warbler in my yard this week, totally unexpected and no camera available.

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    1. Ruth, I was shocked to see one! It was my first time finding one all by myself and they stayed around all day and the next but I have not seen one since.

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  9. HI Katie... So glad your having a wonderful time here in your new home with your birding!! It is a great spring I can't believe all the lifers I have added too!!
    I can see my back deck and the cute little Indigo Bunting on his third day visit right now!! I have had two males, and a female and probably over a hundred photo's LOL!!
    Isn't this fun not having to leave to get great counts!! : ) !!

    Lousy rain this morning huh!! Yuck!!

    Grace

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    1. Grace, it love being able to step out my backdoor and see so many birds! We've had some crazy rain here with near hurricane conditions on Saturday when it came down in sheets!

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  10. I'm really liking these yard birds. Feeder birds, field birds, ocean birds and woodland birds......can it get any more epic? This June we are going to turn it up in Maine! I cannot wait for this week to be over at my school.....maybe former school? .......I will be able to focus on my studies of Maine and begin generating reports around your area. Would you also please let the Timberdoodles and Purple Finches to stop by and visit?:)

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    1. Chris, Purple finches are almost daily yard birds but I thought the timeberdoodles had gone until I saw one tonight at the boat launch!

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  11. PS. I have nearly completed all of my Arizona birds here. The Gray Vireo was really the last one. Yellow-billed, Lucifer, Plain-capped, White-eared and Bluegrosbeak are a few. But I'll be focusing my energy on the Montezuma Quail in June and later the Cassin's Sparrows.

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    1. Time to leave the state and see more birds if you want to stay in the top 100! ;-)

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Welcome to my nest! I hope you will enjoy spending time here with me and the birds. Thank you for your comments. I will try to get back to you as soon as I get back from counting more birds.