Chautauqua, NY Area

Mute swans (orange on bills) on Cassadaga Lake, NY:

Visiting the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY:

Lots of new summer birds

Lately I have been seeing a lot of new birds...some totally new to me, first time ever! Unfortunately I haven't been carrying my camera around. But yesterday I had it with me and was able to take these shots down by the south side river trail:

Brown Headed Cow bird (he was with a female as well, she was gray):

 Baby robin, still has a spotted breast, eating Juneberries:

Cedar waxwing, first in a sycamore tree, then in the Juneberry tree:

 

I am so happy to have seen a cedar waxwing! I've wanted to see one for a while, even dreamed about having seen one once, and now, finally, here it is. It was also my first time seeing the cowbird and the baby robin (with speckled breast.)

I've also been spotted and trying to differentiate swallows. I saw a gray headed catbird for the first time, a yellow warbler and a wood thrush (oh I wish I had my camera...it would have been a good picture, it didn't flit about like the yellow warbler!) I also saw a scarlet tanager. The thrush and tanager were in Cedar Creek, along the GAP bicycle trail (Great Allegheny Passage).

So many of these birds are along the river trail!

Kingfisher!

How did I not post this? I got an excellent video (and pictures) of a Belted Kingfisher by the Monongahela river in April. I'll see if I can pre-date this entry (it's really June 6, 2013 but I took these pics/videos on April 8, 2013).

I love the sound this cutie makes before diving into the water...it's like a war cry! And the big splash is awesome. :-)

There were also a couple of hawks (red tails?) in Frick park that I got pictures of today:

Grrrrrrackle!

I thought I saw them yesterday, but the beaks were yellow (Starlings.) But they showed up at my feeder today....grrrrrackles! (black beak = grackle.)

And then she (he?) showed up to mock me:

I'm glad we put the new bird seed in...but so is Foxy, our resident (fox) squirrel.

Red Winged Black Birds

I thought I saw a red winged blackbird on my neighborhood walk earlier. This time I was awakened from a nap by its unmistakable call...but where could they be? There are no bodies of water in my neighborhood, no cattail reeds for them to fly in and out of. They were at my feeder! I just put the new bird seed in (well, not in, but around) and guess who found it?

Walking Around the Neighborhood

Today I saw what looked like a red-winged black bird hanging out with a bunch of starlings:

The noisy starlings, which I first thought were grackles but then learned that if they have yellow beaks they are starlings:

This hilarious mocking bird did the best blue jay impression ever:

And here's another news story about our resident eagles.

Another day of birding in the 'Burgh.

Bald Eagles Move Into My Neighborhood...Within City Limits!

For the first time in what I imagine is a long time, a pair of bald eagles are nesting inside Pittsburgh city limits...in my neighborhood!!

On one of my favorite trails, near my home...past where the Steelers play, the eagles have landed.

I found out yesterday and this morning was up on my bike at sunrise, pedaling down the south side river trail in the hopes of seeing these amazing birds, and I did get lucky. I plan to go back and spend some time there, maybe I'll get to see it soar.

Bath Time!

This morning a cardinal used the bird bath I didn't realize we had...luckily he found it!

Then his lady friend thought she might go for a dip, but ultimately decided against it. Still too cold for her I guess.

Downy Woodpecker

I believe this is a downy woodpecker, based on its relatively small beak size. Here is a comparison between the hairy and downy woodpeckers.

Today I also got a good view of a Tufted Titmouse, though not a picture, so I can add that to my count.

I would love to participate in the Backyard Bird Count at Jennings this year, but we may have scheduling conflicts (musical theater.) Maybe I'll register and we can just leave a little early...I really think it would be worth it!

Some Birds During January Thaw

Red-tailed hawk flying over the south side slopes, Pittsburgh:

Lady cardinal:

Red-bellied woodpecker, hanging out on a tree (calling like a yapping toy dog, but not pecking), Frick Park:

Finches at the Feeder

Winter in Pittsburgh, and I'm pretty sure these are goldfinches:

Here is what I think is a house finch. Or maybe a purple finch. I'm calling it a house finch for now.

All the streaking on the belly of this bird makes me wonder if it is a pine siskin?? I didn't get a great picture so I'll have to investigate further. (or song sparrow? They have streaked bellies, too...)

January 8, Adding Two More Birds

We saw a very sinister looking turkey vulture by the river (Monongahela) today. My bird app says it shouldn't be here now, yet its year round range is just a bit south of here (West Virginia), so perhaps the weather has been warm enough for it to stick around. I don't know what other bird it could be!

Here is a mourning dove, which is very common but the first time I spotted it this year. Once we get more bird seed in our feeders, I expect to see a lot more of these. This one was on the wire a couple houses down from us.

And finally...a Black capped chickadee? We are on the zone of overlap for Black-capped and Carolina chickadees. A checklist of birds in Frick park (made by the Three Rivers Birding Club) seems to think Carolina chickadees are more common around here, but I don't know. This one's head does look proportionately large...(I think...)

Pileated Woodpeckers!

The sounds! Like a monkey. The drilling against the tree in deep rich tones. This was none other than the pileated woodpecker!

The woods at Boyce Park, off the road on the way to the ski slopes, FULL of pileated woodpeckers! I also saw a Hairy Woodpecker (it's beak was longer than the Downy's.) I heard a Tufted Titmouse but didn't add it yet...I'm sure I'll see one once we get some more birdseed for our feeders. We also saw chickadees, juncos and sparrows flitting around the deer beds, unfortunately I wasn't able to identify which kind of sparrow (or is it a wren-the white eye stripe?)

And though I never watched this as a kid, I think it may be only appropriate to include a video of woody woodpecker in this post (though it turns out, Woody may in fact have been based on the acorn, rather than pileated, woodpecker, according to this article on NPR):

Shakespeare and American Birding

Though the picture leaves much to be desired, I have added European Starling to my Bird Count today, bringing my total up to 15 (16 with the hawk, which I am on the verge of counting as a Coopers.) The Starling has an interesting history in this country. It was introduced in 1890 when a group called the American Acclimatization Society decided to bring to America every bird that was mentioned in Shakespeare. Many people don't like Starlings, but I do love watching flocks of these birds flying around, called murmurations.



Wow, how's that for incorporating Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll in one post!

Duck Duck Goose!

Today we walked down by the Monongahela river on the south side river trail. I added these birds to the list:

1. Northern Mockingbird
2. Mallard (Plus a domestic but escaped white Pekin Duck)
3. Ring-billed Gull
4. Rock Pigeon (saw this one from the car on the way down to the river.)

I had to get some good pictures of the mockingbird and then zoom in just to make sure the eye was brown...it looked all black from where I stood.

 Ring-billed Gull:

I believe the white duck is considered to be a domestic-but-escaped Pekin duck, which was bred in China from mallards, which it is seen hanging around with here:

Duck, Duck, (Canada) Goose!

First Day

After spotting this large hawk which unfortunately I am unable to positively identify (Coopers, perhaps?) I went on to start 2013, my (not so big) year, with 10 birds, including one new to me bird, the Brown Creeper (bottom).

 The hawk, perhaps a Coopers. It had a darker head, with a lighter neck (brownish/red), a light front (but its back was to me), and dark back. No red tail feathers.

Carolina wren in Schenley Park:

Brown Creeper in Schenley Park:

My first ten birds of the year are:

1. Northern Cardinal
2.  Brown Creeper
3. American Crow
4. Blue Jay
5. Canada Geese
6. Dark Eyed Junco
7. Black Capped Chickadee* (I'm still looking into positive identification for the black capped versus Carolina chickadee. Pittsburgh seems to be right on the "zone of overlap.")
8. Downy Woodpecker
9. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
10. Carolina Wren