bird watch

I am going to continue to post bird observations under my more encompassing keep a nature journal goal.

Watched a few in the shrubs right below Sunset Hill Park. One of the most beautiful birds I have seen – the deep blue and that long black head crest. I was impressed by their call and read an interesting fact in my field guide, that they frequently mimic the calls of red-tailed hawk or golden eagle.

Image by Walter Ammann

Over a week with both the seed and hummingbird feeder up and only one black-capped chickadee. I don’t get it. I used wild Audubon bird seed specific to the area. I looked it up and hummingbirds can be found in Seattle year-round. I thought this would be a real hot spot being right across the street from the park.

I think at some time in our lives, we realize they arn’t just things making noise out there…. They have names, and a particular part in life.

I started to watch them, after I started to go camping, instead of paying motel/hotel prices. Also, after going crazy from the day in and day out of working. No stress in Bird Watching.

I just found that you can go to www.ebird.com get an ID and password all for free and you can LOG everytime you see a bird and where. It is so easy! The site keeps your life list, and also helps the scientists know where the birds are found. Your Life List starts with one bird… Start…learn, enjoy…

While walking the dog today I herd low swacks in the tree above our heads. I looked up and stopped to catch the wild Red Crowned Amazon Parrot’s in their afternoon grooming. I usually only notice them as they blaze through the sky as noisy as fire engines and it felt intimate to catch them at such a peaceful moment. They were spread out in the canopy sitting in couples, speaking quietly to each other as if sharing a candle light dinner.

In reading more about them, I am shocked to learn that while they are endangered in their native northeast Mexico, with a decreasing population of 3,000 or less, there is an increasing population of an estimated 1,200 individuals here in the San Gabriel Valley. Species have been identified here since 1963. Although most parrots are tropical or subtropical in distribution, they survive in California’s dry and (in winter) relatively cool climate because the food resources they need are available year round. Also, they are free from the intense predation pressures (e.g. from nest predation by snakes) that they experience in their native habitats.

The California Parrot Project is a wonderful resource which has a great identification guide and a place to report sightings. Here is a good photo from their website.

Starting with my own yard. Inspired by yesterday I am going to keep a journal of my observations.

Its harder than it seems. I am still deliberating about the humming birds. I just saw a male that clearly has red on both the throat and the top of his head – Anna’s hummingbird for sure.

I watched another with red just on the throat, a darker gray front and a dull green back. This could either be a female Anna or a male Allen. I need to get a better look – gemale Annas have white tips on their tails.

One had a very dark throat and may be a black-chinned which is also found in So-Cal.

We have tons of bird feeders in the window to the left
of this computer… I see them ALL the time. :-)

Mostly Chickadees and American GoldFinches, Robins and BlueJays.

:)

i love to bird watch. my parents love to birdwatch. my grandparents loved to bird watch. guess it’s in my genes.

i bought my very first feeder, and i hung it up on the porch 2 days ago. i waited impatiently for the birdies to find it, but they didn’t. they were shy. last night, when i came home, the feeder had fallen down from its hook and crashed into pieces on the freezing ground below. the wild bird seed was scattered everywhere. uneaten.

bummer.

today, i bought a bird feeder! WOO HOO!

if it’s nice tomorrow, i will make a trip outside to hang it. stay tuned! pictures of birdes to come! :)