Backyard Birding

Song Sparrow Adult Eastern Perched
Max
Brown-headed Cowbird Flock Calling
Song Sparrow Adult Eastern Perched
Dark-eyed Junco Adult Male Feeding
Song Sparrow Adult Eastern
My Grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary on April 12th 2008
Congratulations On Your Anniversary Grandma & Grandpa!
Common Peafowl Pair Roosting
American Crow Adult Flying

Evening Noises
These are the pictures for 2 blog posts ago.

Blog Problems

My blog is having problems so I can not do a proper blog. All I can write is we saw Wood Ducks.

Birding With New Species

Early this morning I woke up and showered. Then I got dressed appropriately to go outside and went out for Max's bathroom break. But it was more like a birding break. I saw adult female Red-winged Blackbirds, and I heard Wood Ducks, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Common Mergansers, American Crows, Blue Jays and frogs croaking. I went inside again and told my dad that Wood Ducks were in the cornfield. So we both went out with Max to a trail. At first a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds were calling kon-ka-reeeee! There was also two adult male robins territorial fighting. As we arrived at the trail we had made in our 40 acre property there was animal tracks and flowers. We started walking and a flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds were singing tseeeee - teeea, seeeeeetiti and kkkkkk. So went went home and got prepared for church. That was morning birding with my dad, Max and many new bird species for 08. Birdman

Brown-headed Cowbirds Have Arrived! (Video)

*Turn volume up very, very high to hear the cowbird whistle*

Birding With My Brother Jesse

American Robin Adult Male

Northern Cardinal Adult Male Eastern

Dark-eyed Junco Slate-colored Adult Male

House Sparrow Adult Male Breeding and Adult Female

Mourning Dove Adult

Black-capped Chickadee Worn-adult Eastern

Common Grackle Adult Male Interior (Bronzed)

American Robin Adult Male

Mourning Dove Adults

This morning I went outside and I heard House Finches singing. And a Black-capped Chickadee feeding on the hopper feeder. And after school I went outside with Jesse and we filled the feeders and birdbaths. Then we sat down and waited for birds. Soon enough many birds came including doves doing "you know what" again and a robin pair. But Jesse couldn't sit for long so we brought Max out and he started chasing all the birds away, so we went inside with him. Or we thought he came in. About ten minutes later we realized Max was still outside. I quickly went out there to find Max whining at the patio. A tarp was blocking the door so I moved it and toke him inside. And now I'm here typing this blog, so goodbye. That was my day birding with Jesse!

Birdman

Long Birding Day

Dark-eyed Junco Slate-colored Adult Male

American Robin Pale Adult Female
Mourning Dove Adult
House Sparrow Adult Male Breeding


Mourning Dove Adults
House Sparrow Adult Female
Common Gray Squirrel

Common Grackle Adult Male Interior (Bronzed)
Mourning Dove Adults
Mourning Dove Adult

Today after school I went birding in my backyard and stayed for 3 hours straight! Here's how it all started. I had just came home from school and I took my dog for a walk and I heard Blue Jays calling. Then when I came home I left Max inside and went in the backyard. I saw Mourning Doves eating out of the feeder and a Common Grackle singing. Then the Mourning Doves did a courtship display on the fence... and did what mon@rch calls "you know what". Uhhgg! I left that spot immediately so I didn't have to see it. They stopped doing "you know what" and went back to feeding again. Soon House Sparrows came to join the feeding frenzy and they all where having a good time until a squirrel came. As soon as came it did a "begging" stand as if it was a dog. Then it ate some seed and stared a the doves right against the cedar edge. After that a House Sparrow pair came to an abandoned American Robin nest in the open and started building to it. Then about a dozen House Sparrow pairs came and each of them prearranged the twigs there own way. Then the first pair came back and took some twigs from it and so did the other dozen pairs. But I soon turned my attention to the Song Sparrows and Northern Cardinals singing out in the distance. I tried to find them but they were in a dense coniferous tree so I couldn't spot them. Anyway, they were soon mimicked by a European Starling. But with various whistles. Then a American Robin came calling and singing loudly. It stayed on the tree for a while then it left. So all the other birds began feeding again and some juncos came to feed also. It was about 7 o'clock then so I went inside.
Birdman

Backyard Birding

House Sparrow Adult Male Breeding And Adult Female Drinking
House Sparrow Adult Female Drinking
House Sparrow Adult Female Drinking
House Sparrow Adult Male Breeding Perched
Two House Sparrow Male Breeding Adults Drinking House Sparrow Adult Female Drinking

Mourning Dove Adult Bathing
House Sparrow Adult Female And Adult Male Breeding Drinking
Song Sparrow Adult Eastern Perched

First as I went in the backyard there were Dark-eyed Juncos warbling and calling. Although they was frightened when they saw me and flew away. Then some House Sparrows came feeding on seeds but they were throwing seeds everywhere! They left a big mess and I have to clean it up. Why do birds throw seeds everywhere? But soon quarreling male sparrows came flying here and the rest of the sparrows joined the fight. After they left a Song Sparrow came for a moment to eat the seeds. Accept it wasn't a messy eater. So I was glad to see it. For a while after that sparrows were bathing and drinking in our bird bath and pond. And some doves did too. Anyway not much happened today accept this so I can't write a long blog.

Birdman

Birding In My Backyard

Mourning Dove Adults Roosting
Mourning Dove Adult Perched
American Robin Adult Male Perched

After school today I went birding in my backyard. There were already many birds including House Sparrows bathing and Mourning Doves preening their feathers and I got some photos of them but not many were clear and I only post three pictures per post unless it is an important post. But after the sparrows and doves left a dove soon returned to roost on the fence. Although there were not many birds a squirrel was trying to attack a robin. You would think it react by displaying but it was a female. After this I went inside to eat supper.

Birdman

Birding At Home/Florell Park

House Sparrow Adult Female, Adult Male Breeding Foraging
Song Sparrow Adult Eastern Perched
American Robin Adult Male Displaying

This afternoon after church I went birding in my back yard. I sat down and waited for about 10 minutes. Then a House Sparrow came calling chep chep chep. Soon more came but they were all hiding in a dense Cedar Tree. But soon enough they came to the feeders and I got some shots of them throwing seed and displaying. Later a Song Sparrow came looking for seed, I got a fantastic shot of it perched on a log. Then another one came but Jesse came screaming in the back yard. I can't blame him if he wants to have a little fun though. I just wish he would have screamed after the Song Sparrows left, oh well. Then my dad came telling us we were going to the park soon. So I got ready and packed my camera. After we arrived at the park I took my dog for a run and played with Jesse. After about 30 minutes of playing we went birding at a forest edge nearby. As we walked in I watched two very aggressive squirrels fight, then they each retreated to their nest cavity. After that I saw a Northern Cardinal fly up to its nest and was silent. After walking for a bit I heard a Ruffed Grouse "drumming" and what could be a Hairy Woodpecker "drilling" a cavity in a tree. Then we went back to the park and played soccer. But soon it was 4:00 p.m. so we left and I went back to birding in the back yard. I saw a adult male robin displaying which scared all the birds. Accept its mate which soon came and the male left. Then it followed, and I heard whit-tew, whit-tew. So I searched for a cardinal and I soon found it. It was in the neighbours yard. I got some shots of it and went inside to have super.

Upcoming Events: May 16-19; Point Pelee National Park Trip

June 20th; Moving to Kitchener, Ontario

Birdman

Hydroelectic Marsh/Thickson Woods

Adult Eastern Song Sparrow
Adult Male American Robins
Typical Adult Male Red-winged Blackbird
Bird Nest
Adult Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Adult Female Golden-crowned Kinglet

Today my dad and I went birding at Hydro Marsh and Thickson Woods. First we drove to Hydro Marsh. Before we even parked we could hear lots of birds. First we walked in and there were many signs about spirits and other myths. Then we went to a tall canopy forest. First there were some blackbirds, grackles and ducks. Then some geese came along the river by the canopy. But after that we were amazed, there was a group of Buffleheads! I took many pictures of them. Then we kept walking until my dad thought he saw a red Mallard. It was just a regular one though. Then we turned back and there were more grackles and blackbirds. After that a chickadee came to see if we had any food for him. So we went out of the canopy and went into a marsh trail. There we saw a cardinal singing and some icterids displaying. Then on the path ahead of us was a flock of Rufus-sided and Eastern Towhees feeding on seed. We again were amazed. We kept walking and mergansers came in the marsh! Three new birds in one day, wow! So we went off the marsh trail and went over to a trail that was alongside Ontario Lake. There was a Terbine. I didn't realise they were that big until you get up close to one. And further along that trail were robins, blackbirds and people walking their dogs. So we walked back to the truck and we saw our first goldfinches this year. As we were in the truck we heard our first House Finches also. Then as we arrived at Thickson Woods we heard many kinglets. So we parked, got out and started birding. There was another new bird, oh that looks familiar. We saw it at Hydro Marsh and didn't realise to now. Guess what it is.......Its a Song Sparrow! Another new bird. How many new species can a birder see in one day. I mean this is awesome! Oh, and there were some Buffleheads and nuthatches. So we kept on walking and there were Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. The golden-crowns were gleaning insects hovering upside down while the ruby-crowns were gleaning right-side-up. So that is......six new species. Who thinks there is even more new birds later on? Well, I assure you there is even more new species after this. So after that we went from the main trail to the forest one. As we walked in tons of birds were singing, I didn't know which one to try to identify first. And then we heard a cardinal, followed the sound and found it high it a Pine Tree. Oh ya I forgot to tell you this is a mixed forest were walking in, so any bird that loves forests could be here. There was also a birder watching something. But we didn't get to see it. After walking for a bit we heard pew pew pew, anyone know what it is. I think its a Canada Warbler. Then we heard a grackle but it was soon interrupted by a loud buzzing, I think it is some type of corvid or icterid. Anyway after that we went to a mixed habitat, if you know what I mean. I mean it was part meadow, part forest and part marsh. Weird, eh? Ya and we thought the swallows would be here by now. But all we saw there were robins and sparrows. Oh, but there was a cardinal displaying. It was so weird to watch. It was bobbing and tilting its head side to side. Sorry, the video I took of it, well I didn't post it because it wouldn't load. Sorry, but It was so cool and maybe a little weird to watch. After that we left. We saw so many new species today! Thank you dad for taking me. And spending time and money for me!
Birdman

Backyard Birding

American Robin Nest
Adult Female Northern Cardinal
Adult Male Breeding House Sparrow

Adventures In My Back Yard

Pale Adult Female American Robin
Adult Breeding European Starling
Common Grackles
Ring-billed Gull

After school I went birding in my back yard. First I saw American Robin mates chasing each other. Then the male flew in search of food and the female stayed feeding for worms. Then it sung plurrri, kliwi, plurrri, kliwi repeatedly. Then two European Starlings came, they perched on a tree for ten minutes then flew. After that grackles and gulls came flying and I got some shots of them.

Birdman