Fairfield, Connecticut

Yesterday I had a meeting at the Birdcraft Museum and Audubon center in Fairfield, Connecticut. One of the first urban bird sanctuaries in the country, it was establised by the legendary early bird conservationist Mable Osgood Wright. After recent snow storms, there was over half a foot of snow on the ground, but still a fair amount of bird activity at the bird feeders. Between meetings I was able to see American Robin (3), Northern Cardinal (2), Black-capped Chickadee (3), White-throated Sparrow (1), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), and Downy Woodpecker (1).

Meanwhile, here in Pennsylvania, we have over a foot of snow on the ground, and dozens of White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are at the feeder at work. This morning, a Song Sparrow joined these birds at the feeder for the first time this month.

Last week I went to New York City, but missed the Boreal Owl from Central Park by a few days. Our only birds in the city were one House Sparrow and six Rock Pigeons. Makes me glad I'm not working in downtown Manhattan!

Short-eared Owls

There is a pair of Short-eared Owls spending the winter in a farm field a few miles from my house. On my way to work, sometimes I stop to watch them as they swoop low over the fields looking for mice. As its getting light, before the sun is even up, they come in to roost in tall grass, so you have to get their early in the morning to see them hunting. Lately, they've been calling to each other...wierd and wild sounds that many people never get to hear (listen to their calls here).

This morning, I thought I might be too late to see them, as Savannah Sparrows were already singing (birds don't just sing in spring time) and a Ring-necked Pheasant was standing in the road when I arrived. Fortunately, after a few minutes, the owls came in calling and after just a few last passes over the fields, landed and disappeared in the tall grass a few hundred yards away.

A very cool way to start the day. When I got to the office, several Purple Finches were joining other birds at the seed feeders. Having spent 10 years in Texas, its nice to live in Purple Finch country again.

Roadside Birding

After almost another week in Pennsylvania, I'm getting antsy to do more than watch the birds out my office window (though that is nice) or scoping out goose flocks on my way home in the evening (though I've turned up some nice sightings of Horned Larks, Brant, Cackling Goose, and Greater White-fronted Goose--all locally uncommon or rare). I'm itching for an all out bird chase.

There's a Barnacle Goose, which may be a wild bird, though most would assume its an aviary escapee, that has turned up just over an hour away down in Lancaster and Chester counties. If it is seen again, I'll try and plan a quick trip down there.

My birdlust isn't salved at all by the knowledge that this is the best winter for rare Mexican birds in south Texas in over a decade. Looks like I picked a poor time to move from Texas! Birders there are enjoying the first North American record of Social Flycatcher, several Crimson-collared Grosbeaks (which haven't been seen there in a decade), a couple White-throated Robins (ditto), a Golden-crowned Warbler (first on in a couple years), as well as several other rarities I've already seen including Green-breasted Mango, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, and Blue Bunting.

But no more whining! There are birds to find in my own neighborhood. Maybe even something rare or new. For sure something interesting and fun. Birding isn't all about chasing rare birds--though that can be a most delectable treat!

Settled in PA

Whew! What a wild month it has been. Our family recently moved so I could take a new position working on home and neighborhood bird conservation for the National Audubon Society in Pennsylvania. It has been a huge adjustment for our family, and I'm now adjusting to the different birdlife and birding opportunities.

So far I've started my Bucks County list and a 2005 Bucks County list. One afternoon I spotted a rare Brant goose in a flock of several hundred Canada Goose--the most common bird here, which flies around the area in enormous flocks.

This morning I enjoyed three Eastern Bluebirds and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, among other species, outside my office window. Every Thursday and Friday, our office participates in Project Feeder Watch, which Audubon partners with others to conduct. We count the highest number of each species we see at the feeders and in the office yard. Since the office is on 160 acres in rural Bucks County, there are some great birds here. Having lived in central Texas for 10 years, its fun to live where White-breasted Nuthatches are common again. So far this morning I've seen a dozen species at the feeders outside the office window. Beats a suburban office park, hands down. You can see a photo of my office here.

If you haven't checked out Project Feeder Watch, its a great way to keep track of the birds in your yard. And would be fun to do with kids. It also provides important info on wintering bird populations. This kind of research, conducted by normal people, is called "Citizen Science".

Be a Citizen Scientist. Participate in Project Feeder Watch!

Bald Eagle Watching

A pair of Bald Eagles are making the news 80 miles NW of Austin near LLano, where they are nesting just off the highway. Folks are gathering there every morning and evening to watch the birds, and this afternoon I drove my kids out there to enjoy the show. We arrived at 4:30pm to an empty nest and one other car, but a few minutes later one eagle arrived and landed near the nest. It was immediately dive-bombed by an American Kestrel, which then flew off and landed 100 yards away. I got out my scope and got some good views. In the next half hour, six other cars showed up. Many were locals, and most had visited these birds before.

Everybody likes eagles, and it was great to see them. When it comes to our national bird, everyone's a bird lover.

Looking for Gulls

With one more species to go to make 200 for the year in Travis County, I headed out east of Austin to the municipal landfill to look for gulls. Unfortunately, the dump itself has been off limits to birders for several years, but often they are visible from roads north of the dump or loafing in neighboring fields. Unfortunately, today the landfill operation was on the west side, with no good visibility, and I was unable to find a Herring Gull. I did see several hundred Ring-billed Gulls and five Franklin's Gulls loafing on the parking lot of the Austin Country Flea Market on US HWY 290. Franklin's Gulls have become regular in Austin during the winter, with a few birds usually found here at the landfill while most of their species is wintering off the Pacific coast of South America.

While driving around the landfill one last time, I found three Brewer's Blackbirds (#200) in a horse pasture on Blue Goose Rd. These birds often hang around livestock pens in winter, and though a bit ignoble, I willingly took them as the milestone birds for this year. Hopefully I'll have time for a few more Travis County birds before moving to PA next week. But there are other birds I'd like to before heading north. I'm really itching to chase the Crimson-collared Grosbeaks that have been hanging out in the Rio Grande Valley this past month!

Pace Bend Park

Since I haven't spent much time in the western half of Travis County this year, I headed out for a couple hours of birding at Pace Bend park--one of only two known locations in the county for Cactus Wren, and good for several other western species. While I didn't find the Pyrrhuloxias reported there earlier this week, I did manage to find the Cactus Wren (#196), Spotted Towhee (#197), Canyon Towhee (#198), and the best bird of the day, a locally very rare Green-tailed Towhee (#199).

Very nice to be out in the mesquite and prickly pear. Lots of sparrows around, including hundreds of Field Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow, and dozens of Lark Sparrow. This park is a good place to look for Verdin, but didn't hear or see any today.

Quest For 200

A couple years ago, I started a contest to see how many people could find 200 species in any of the counties around Austin, Texas each year. In 2002, I set a new record, finding 305 species in Travis County. Last year, I didn't do as much birding, but managed over 200 pretty easily by summer. This year, with a new baby and being busy at school, I find myself at the end of the year a few birds shy of 200 for Travis County. And in just over a week, I will be moving to take a job with the National Audubon Society in Pennsylvania. So, the race is on. As of this morning, my 2004 Travis County list was at 192. Eight more birds to get to the magic number.

This afternoon, I took all three of my kids out to Webberville Park in far eastern Travis County. Picked up a couple nice year birds--a dozen Pine Warbler (#193), a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (#194), and the locally-rare-but-occasionally-found-here White-breasted Nuthatch (#195). I looked for but did not find the Winter Wren that Brush Freeman heard here earlier this morning, and didn't hear any Pileated Woodpeckers--my all-time-most-wanted-bird for Travis County, and one that has been reported off-and-on this park in the past two years. I did get a tantalizing glimpse of what very well could have been the woodpecker--but poorly seen through the trees across the river.

Did I say that I found all these birds while bouncing my six-month-old daughter on my hip while chasing my other two kids around the park? Not the easiest way to bird, but fun to play with the kids on the playground and get a few more year birds.

Earlier in the afternoon I stopped by Decker Lake, perhaps the most worthless lake in Travis County, hoping for a Bonaparte's Gull or Forster's Tern. No dice. Besides several dozen coots, a cormorant was the only other bird on the lake. A large American Pipit flock was along the road in the park, and several Eastern Bluebirds were nice to show the kids.

Denise is flying to Pennsylvania tomorrow, leaving me with the kids for the week. My goal--get to 200 species and pack up the house while she's gone. My quest for 200 begins in earnest tomorrow!

Long-tailed Duck

After my owl workshop, I took my kids up to the ponds at Hornsby Bend to look for a possible Greater Scaup that had been reported there. I wasn’t convinced the scaup wasn’t the more common Lesser Scaup, but was able to see the Long-tailed Duck again—this rare arctic duck has been hanging out at the ponds for two weeks. There were other birders there, and I was able to find it for them from across the pond. Lots of more common ducks there—Ruddy Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Buffleheads, and one locally uncommon stunning male Cinnamon Teal. Hornsby Bend is a great place for wintering waterfowl, and it was a joy to spend an hour just watching the various ducks.

Owls Again

This weekend I taught an owl workshop for the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory. Thirty participants joined me to learn about the ecology of the six species of owls normally found in the Austin area. I led two field trips last night…the first one I was able to call up a Barred Owl, but it was too far away to see. The second trip, we were actually able to see the Barred Owl perched about 30 yards away for over five minutes before flying off. I was pretty happy, as there are no guarantees that owls will cooperate when you try to show them to people, let alone large groups. A great evening.

Visitors

Yesterday as I went to get the mail, an adult female Cooper’s Hawk, a locally uncommon bird, flew up into a large sycamore in my yard—the same tree that hosted a Red-tailed Hawk the day before. I was able to point the bird out to my neighbor, who looked at it through my binoculars, before it flew off towards the river. Earlier this morning, two Pine Siskin flew past with some American Goldfinches—the first time I’ve had siskins here in my seven years of living here. With the flock were half a dozen Lesser Goldfinches, which was surprising, because though they are fairly common a few miles west of here, this was only the second time I’ve ever seen these birds in my yard. Fun to live in Austin, Texas, where I can easily find 30 bird species anytime within a mile of my house.

Owl Prowl

This evening I headed out to Hornsby Bend with my two oldest kids. Wanted to scout out Platt Lane for some owls in advance of tomorrow's owl workshop. Unfortunately, the county sheriff's office was conducting training on the road, so we had to go off road. I did manage to see a Harris's Sparrow along a brushy fenceline...a bird I hadn't seen yet this winter. Down along the Colorado River, I was able to call up two Barred Owls. They called back, but stayed out of sight. Later, after spotlighting nine skunks around the CER building at Hornsby Bend, I managed to catch a Great Horned Owl on a powerline. It flew as I tried to move the car to where the kids could see the bird, and disappeared into the pecan trees.

Thanksgiving Wild Turkey Chase

Yesterday I decided to take my seven-year old and three-year old out to look for Wild Turkeys on Thanksgiving. We headed out to my favorite turkey location on Cow Creek Rd on the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Austin, but due to recent rains, the main road was closed. Undeterred, we tried a backup spot on Nameless Rd near Lago Vista. We drove seven miles up the road without luck, though we spotted at least a dozen white-tailed deer. On the way back down the road, I managed to spot a dozen Wild Turkeys foraging under some pecan trees near the road.

We jumped out of the car so the kids could get a better look, and the turkeys began to run. I thought they would run across an open field, but when they got to the edge of the field they took flight, flying past us over the road. The kids were excited and we spent the next few minutes looking for pecans and having a good time before heading back to town.

The perfect bird chase for a Thanksgiving morning.