Recent Bird Sightings at Fermilab
Seasonal List
: The list of birds recorded on site at this time of year.Friday, April 15, 2022
continued from April 14: There were 2
Sharp-shinned Hawks, a
Cooper's Hawk and a fourth in the distance (a possible falcon). The most
interesting sighting was watching a
Pied-billed Grebe trying to disable
and swallow a bullhead that was clearly too large for him.
Unfortunately, the grebe drifted into the reeds after about 5 minutes
before the story ended. Other highlight sightings included: a
Great Egret,
Turkey Vultures, a
Northern Harrier, a
Bald Eagle (in the center
of the Main Ring, then by the nest), an
American Kestrel, a
Brown Creeper, a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a
Brown Thrasher and an
Eastern Towhee.
Dave
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Despite the extremely windy conditions (20-30 mph with gusts in the mid
40s) some interesting sightings were made. First, all 3
Osprey nests
are now being brooded. Waterfowl season is rapidly winding down as
witnessed in both quality and quantity this morning. Waterfowl found
included:
Canada Geese,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
Mallard,
Green-winged Teal,
Ring-necked Duck and
Hooded Merganser. Several migrating hawks were spotted together in flight.
Monday, April 11, 2022
Denis reported some nice birds this morning including
Wilson's Snipe,
Horned Lark,
Vesper Sparrow and
Savannah Sparrow (new for year). The best was a flock of about 20
Bonaparte's Gulls flying over the Lab.
Dave
Friday, April 8, 2022
Even though the weather was poor (rain, sleet, snow and late morning
wind), the bird activity was quite good. Smaller numbers of waterfowl
did produce
Canada Geese,
Wood Ducks,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shovelers,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallards,
Green-winged Teal,
Redheads,
Ring-necked Ducks,
Lesser Scaup,
Bufflehead,
Common Merganser and
Ruddy Ducks. All 6
Osprey were accounted for, but there
were no signs of brooding (we must have been fooled last week).
Sparrows were at their best for the year so far but still with low
numbers. Those found were
American Tree Sparrows,
Vesper Sparrow,
Fox Sparrows,
Song Sparrows,
Swamp Sparrows and
Dark-eyed Juncos. Other highlights included:
Pied-billed Grebes,
American Coots,
Sandhill Cranes,
Double-crested Cormorants (about 50 on Lake Law), a
Northern Harrier, a
Bald Eagle (standing on the edge of the new nest, then flew
off), a
Barred Owl, a
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
American Kestrels,
Winter Wrens,
Golden-crowned Kinglets,
Hermit Thrushes,
Eastern Meadowlarks,
Rusty Blackbirds and a
Yellow-rumped Warbler (most likely
the first migrant warbler of the year). Dave
Sunday, April 3, 2022
We had some good birds to add to Friday's list for the first week of
April. We had not seen the
Bald Eagle on the nest for some time. At one time it had appeared to be brooding on the original nest. Today one
of the pair was on the newer nest. It flew off, returned with a large
branch, and worked for some time finding its proper position. At Osprey Nest 2, one of the birds was seen carrying a large bass. It flew to a
tree then started ripping it apart. Other bird highlights included
Great Egrets (first of year),
Turkey Vultures, a
Northern Harrier, a
Belted Kingfisher, a
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
American Kestrels,
Winter Wrens and
Fox Sparrows. Dave
Friday, April 1, 2022
We had some great birds this morning starting with the best, a
Cinnamon Teal, that Peter only had a brief look at through his scope.
He also had a
Barred Owl when entering the Lab. Another really good
bird was a
Common Loon on Lake Law. Good news on the
Osprey front as
all three pair are at their respective nests. In addition, it appears
the Nest 3 female has already started brooding. Note: this was the
first pair to return to the Lab (last week). There were a number of
misses in the waterfowl sightings. Those found were
Canada Geese,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
Mallard,
Redhead,
Ring-necked Duck,
Lesser Scaup,
Bufflehead,
Hooded Merganser,
Common Merganser and
Red-breasted Merganser. Other highlights for the
morning were:
Pied-billed Grebe,
Horned Grebe (probably the same bird
as last week),
American Coot,
Sandhill Cranes (several calling and
flying), a
Turkey Vulture, a
Belted Kingfisher,
American Kestrel,
Eastern Phoebes,
Tree Swallows,
Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Fox Sparrows and a
Swamp Sparrow. Dave
Friday, March 25, 2022
There were not a large number of waterfowl around the Lab today, but
diversity remains good. Found in various lakes and ponds around the
lab were
Canada Geese,
Mute Swans (pair on M.Ring Lake),
Wood Ducks,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shovelers,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallards,
Redheads (most plentiful species today),
Ring-necked Ducks,
Lesser Scaup, a
Hooded Merganser,
Common Mergansers and a
Red-breasted Merganser (again in Casey's Pond). The two best birds of the morning
were a
Horned Grebe (Main Ring Lake) and a
Winter Wren (Big Woods)
both firsts of the year. A
Red-tailed Hawk was sitting on a nest in
the Buffalo
Savannah. All three Osprey's nests are know accounted
for, at least partially. Nest 1 had one
Osprey on the nest, Nest 2
also had one
Osprey on the nest, while Nest 3 had both
Ospreys present. Reconstruction was being conducted on all three nests.
Other highlights were
American Coots, a
Pied-billed Grebe,
Sandhill Cranes (Main Ring), a
Turkey Vulture, a
Barred Owl, an
American Kestrel,
Eastern Phoebes and
Golden-crowned Kinglets. As a last note,
all the expected woodpeckers were extremely active in all woodlots
visited this morning. Wally also added the first swallow of the year,
a
Tree Swallow, as well as a
Red-breasted Nuthatch and a
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dave
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
My first day back in the lab in over a year was a great kick-off to a
return to monitoring. Lake Logo had a large float of
American Coot and
a beaver. The north end of Main Ring Lake was covered in ducks with
hundreds of
Ring-necked Duck joined by
Redhead,
Canvasback,
American Wigeon,
Gadwall,
Common Merganser,
Pied-billed Grebe,
Greater White-fronted Goose,
Lesser Scaup and a single
Greater Scaup. A pair
of
Mute Swans have stuck around for a few days. A pair of
Sandhill Crane stood in the cattails on the west shoreline. A
Ruddy Duck was
found on Lake Law,
Northern Shovelers were found on AE Sea, and a pair
of
Red-breasted Merganser continue on Casey's Pond. Besides the
waterfowl, other great finds were an adult and an immature
Bald Eagle flying overhead, A woodcock was found in the sparrow hedge, as were
Purple Finch,
Fox Sparrow, and
White-throated Sparrow. A
Northern Shrike was found in the center of the Main Ring, and a
Horned Lark was
found on Inner-ring Road. I located the previously reported adult
Osprey, on the pole adjacent to nest 1. One last neat note; two
Kestrel nests were observed, the one on in the nest box on North Eola and one in a natural tree cavity near the security office. Glenn -
Donna added
Double-crested Cormorant (Casey's Pond) and
Northern Harrier (Eola) also during the third week. Dave
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Weather was not great but bearable for some birding in the light rain
for Denis and me. The biggest news of the morning was the return of
the first
Osprey for the year. This tied the previous earliest record
for the return of an
Osprey to the Lab. It is most likely a Nest 1
bird since it was very close to Nest 1 when we spotted it. Waterfowl continue to be the most prevalent family of birds in the Lab with:
Canada Geese,
Mute Swans (pr),
Wood Ducks,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallards,
Northern Shovelers,
Redheads (small number),
Ring-necked Ducks (most numerous species again),
Bufflehead, a
Hooded Merganser and
Common Mergansers. Other highlights included
American Coot,
Sandhill Cranes, a
Great Blue Heron, a
Northern Harrier,
Eastern Bluebirds and
Eastern Meadowlarks. Dave
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
The bird of the morning was a late
Northern Shrike found in the Garden Club. A close runner-up for the bird of the day was a triplet of
Red-breasted Mergansers (2 males and 1 female). Other waterfowl
included
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallard,
Green-winged Teal,
Canvasback,
Redhead,
Ring-necked Duck,
Lesser Scaup,
Bufflehead,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. A
Red-tailed Hawk appeared to be down in the grass on some prey, when a
resident pair of red tails spotted the intruder and quickly chased it
off. Additional highlights included:
American Coots,
Sandhill Cranes,
Turkey Vulture,
Bald Eagle,
Barred Owl,
Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Eastern Bluebird,
Fox Sparrows and
Eastern Meadowlarks. Denis, in the
Lab for other business, added a
Northern Harrier and
Horned Larks.
Dave
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
This morning was a typical March waterfowl search. Those found
included
Canada Goose,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallard,
Redhead,
Ring-necked Duck,
Lesser Scaup,
Bufflehead,
Common Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. The bird(s) of the day were a pair of
Barred Owls. Another interesting observation was watching an
American Kestrel, apparently defending his nest box area, repeatedly dive
bombing a
Red-tailed Hawk until the hawk left the area. Other highlight birds found during the morning were:
American Coots, a pair
of
Sandhill Cranes in the Village (the male was practicing its
breeding dance), an adult
Bald Eagle (perched in the Main Ring), a
Great Horned Owl, a
Hairy Woodpecker,
Horned Larks,
Song Sparrows, a
Fox Sparrow and
Common Grackles. Dave
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Wally tallied a nice list of waterfowl for the first week of March.
Included on his list were
Greater White-fronted,
Canada Goose,
Mute Swan,
Wood Duck,
Northern Shoveler,
Mallard,
Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal,
Ring-necked Duck,
Lesser Scaup,
Common Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. Other highlights in a week where
Wally,
admittedly, didn't get out much, included
American Kestrel,
Horned Lark,
Eastern Bluebird and the first
Common Grackles of the year. Dave
Friday, March 4, 2022
My first trip to the Lab in quite some time was quite interesting.
Waterfowl were quite diverse, but I missed the variety of geese found
last week by Wally and Donna. Waterfowl found included:
Mute Swan,
Canada Goose,
Northern Shoveler,
Mallard,
Redhead,
Ring-necked Duck,
Common Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. My favorite
birds of the morning were a
Sharp-shinned Hawk and a, first of the year
and right on schedule,
Eastern Meadowlark. Other birds of mention were
an
American Coot,
Bald Eagles (1-adult and 1-immature), a pair of
Great Horned Owls, an
American Kestrel and
Eastern Bluebirds. Donna also
added some first-of-the-year
Wood Ducks. Dave
Monday, February 28, 2022
Wally stated that the waterfowl numbers and variety picked up quite a
bit over the past week or so. "I saw 5 snow geese today and who knows
how many
Greater White-fronted Geese." Other waterfowl included:
Cackling Goose,
Canada Goose,
Northern Shoveler,
Mallard,
Redhead,
Lesser Scaup,
Bufflehead,
Common Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. The first
Sandhill Cranes of the year, a pair, were
found in A.E. Sea. The remaining highlights for the week were
Northern Harrier (a hunting male),
Red-tailed Hawk,
American Kestrel,
Brown Creeper and
Eastern Bluebird. He had a final comment about
another new bird for the year, "I noticed several pigeons (
Rock Pigeon) congregating around Wilson Hall today; I believe a pretty sure
sign that the
Peregrine Falcons have not been roosting in the vicinity
for some time." Donna also commented on finding the
Greater White-fronted Geese, a
Northern Harrier and a
Bald Eagle (by Casey's Pond).
Dave
Monday, February 21, 2022
Wally reported that the waterfowl didn't appear to be migrating with
much variety this week. Those found were
Canada Goose,
Mallard,
Redhead,
Common Goldeneye and
Common Merganser. Raptors for the week
included
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk and
American Kestrel. This is the
sixth week in a row a
Red-breasted Nuthatch was found in the Lab. While his bird of the week was the first
Yellow-rumped Warbler of the year in
the Lab. Dave
Monday, February 14, 2022
Wally reported: "As the snow has been melting, waterfowl has been
showing up in slightly higher numbers." Still the diversity remains low
with
Canada Goose,
Mallard,
Redheads (firsts of the year found in the
Main Injector Moats),
Common Goldeneye and
Common Merganser found. His best sighting of the week was a
Barred Owl in the Big Woods. He also
added a
Great Horned Owl. Additional finds included
Belted Kingfisher,
Hairy Woodpecker,
Red-breasted Nuthatch,
Brown Creeper,
Eastern Bluebird,
American Tree Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco and
White-throated Sparrow. Dave
Monday, February 7, 2022
As Wally stated, "A few new species of waterfowl have appeared and
also on warm days I am hearing more bird songs, so spring is just
around the corner". The week's list included:
Canada Goose,
Mallard,
Ring-necked Duck,
Bufflehead,
Common Goldeneye and
Common Merganser.
Still his bird of the week was one of our winter species, a
Common Redpoll. The expected woodpeckers were found including:
Red-bellied Woodpecker,
Downy Woodpecker,
Hairy Woodpecker and
Northern Flicker.
Unfortunately, the
Pileated Woodpecker was not relocated. Another great bird for the week and, in this case a first for the year, was a
Northern Shrike in the Sparrow Hedge. Additional highlights for the
first week of February were:
Bald Eagle,
Belted Kingfisher,
American Kestrel,
Red-breasted Nuthatch,
Eastern Bluebird,
Cedar Waxwing and
White-throated Sparrow. Dave
Monday, January 31, 2022
Wally located a
Pileated Woodpecker in the Big Woods this week. This was the first sighting of this species in the Lab. The same highlight
waterfowl,
Common Goldeneye and
Common Merganser, were still present in
some open water areas. Birds of prey sightings were again impressive
with
Northern Harrier,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk and
Rough-legged Hawk being found. It is noteworthy that this last species,
Rough-legged Hawk, has been seen each week of the new year. Other birds of note were
Northern Flicker,
Red-breasted Nuthatch,
White-breasted Nuthatch and
White-throated Sparrow. Dave
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Wally reported another week with Raptors being his main highlights,
although with a smaller variety this time. The pair of
Bald Eagles were
found near their nest. Also, he had a
Rough-legged Hawk for a third
straight week, an
American Kestrel and the expected
Red-tailed Hawks.
The expected winter divers,
Common Goldeneye and
Common Merganser, were
still found in the Lab. The remaining birds of note included
Northern Flicker,
Red-breasted Nuthatch,
White-breasted Nuthatch,
Eastern Bluebird, and
White-throated Sparrow. Dave
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Wally's week was highlighted with a fantastic list of Birds of Prey.
The list included
Northern Harrier,
Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Cooper's Hawk,
Red-tailed Hawk,
Rough-legged Hawks (a dark morph, most likely the same
bird found last week, and a light morph),
Great Horned Owl and
American Kestrel (he added several Kestrels were observed throughout the week).
Donna also reported seeing a
Northern Harrier early in the week. Other notable birds on Wally's list were
Common Goldeneye,
Common Merganser,
Belted Kingfisher,
Red-breasted Nuthatch,
White-breasted Nuthatch,
Brown Creeper,
Eastern Bluebird and
Cedar Waxwing. Dave
Friday, January 7, 2022
Waterfowl for the first week of the year were easy to find, Wally reported, as they were now concentrated in the small areas of open
water. Those found were
Canada Goose,
Mallard,
Common Goldeneye and
Common Merganser, the expected winter waterfowl species. His birds of
the week were a dark morph
Rough-legged Hawk (found on 2 separate days)
and a female
Purple Finch at the Roads and Grounds Feeders. Other highlights for the week included
Horned Lark,
Eastern Bluebird and
White-throated Sparrow. Dave
Friday, December 31, 2021
Wally said he had no real exciting highlight birds for this last week of
the year. His best were a
Swamp Sparrow and an
Eastern Bluebird.
Interestingly, he noticed many
American Tree Sparrows in some locations.
He stated they were mainly sitting along the edges of the Kirk Road prairies and seemed to be feeding on Indian grass seeds. Other interesting birds for the week were
Common Goldeneye,
Common Merganser,
Northern Harrier and
American Kestrel. Dave
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Since the Lab is still closed down to all but employees and selected
workers, the only birders allowed to conduct this year's Christmas Bird Count were Wally and Donna, both employees of the Lab. With only
two birders covering the entire Lab, numbers were understandably below
recent averages. The species count was 38 but included some very nice
birds. Highlight water birds included
Common Goldeneye (9),
Hooded Merganser (7),
Common Merganser (84),
Sandhill Crane (140) and
Great Blue Heron (1). Raptors were well represented by
Northern Harrier (3),
Bald Eagle (2),
Red-tailed Hawk (10),
Great Horned Owl (3),
Short-eared Owl (1) and
American Kestrel (2). Sparrows found were
American Tree Sparrow (20),
Dark-eyed Junco (89),
White-throated Sparrow (4) and
Swamp Sparrow (1). Other interesting highlights of
the day included
Belted Kingfisher (1),
Hairy Woodpecker (1),
Northern Flicker (9),
Brown Creeper (1),
Eastern Bluebird (5),
Cedar Waxwing (1) and
Yellow-rumped Warbler (4). Also found during the week but
outside the count period was a
Cooper's Hawk. Dave
Friday, November 19, 2021
Wally's highlight birds of the week were 3
Tundra Swans in Lake Law.
Other waterfowl for the week included:
Canada Goose,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
Mallard,
Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal,
Common Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. Other birds found during the
week included:
Pied-billed Grebe,
Sandhill Crane,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk,
American Kestrel and
Cedar Waxwing. Dave
Friday, November 12, 2021
Wally reported that the water levels at A.E. Sea are approaching
normal
levels. This is probably why his list of waterfowl this week was
quite
impressive. His list consisted of:
Greater White-fronted Goose,
Canada Goose,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallard,
Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal,
Hooded Merganser and
Common Merganser. No
American Coots were found. Wally mentioned that it appeared their numbers were
down this year. His bird of the week may have been
Winter Wrens, one
of
my favorites. Other birds found were
Killdeer,
Double-crested Cormorant,
Great Blue Heron,
Bald Eagle and
American Kestrel. Dave
Friday, November 5, 2021
Another nice, late-fall list was provided by Wally. The highlight of
the week was a
Short-eared Owl flushed in the Main Ring. This was the
earliest fall sighting at the Lab in over 20 years. The go-to family
again this week was waterfowl, topped by 4 species of geese. The list
of waterfowl included:
Snow Goose,
Greater White-fronted Goose,
Cackling Goose,
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
Mallard,
Green-winged Teal,
Ring-necked Duck,
Hooded Merganser and
Ruddy Duck. Wally commented on another interesting sighting. "My 'feel bad' moment of the week was that I saw a lone
Tree Swallow at
Sea of Evanescence on Friday. I don't feel that it had much to feed
on. Hopefully it migrates soon!" Also, this was the latest
Tree Swallow sighting in the Lab. Other interesting birds for the week
were:
Pied-billed Grebe,
American Coot,
Sandhill Crane,
Killdeer,
Double-crested Cormorant,
Great Blue Heron,
Northern Harrier,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk,
Barred Owl,
American Kestrel,
Horned Lark,
Eastern Bluebird,
Cedar Waxwing,
American Tree Sparrow,
Fox Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco,
White-throated Sparrow,
Common Grackle and
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dave
Friday, October 29, 2021
Wally provided a very nice list of waterfowl for the last week of
October but, as he stated, "Water levels are still very low, so
waterfowl are getting more diverse but in low numbers". His waterfowls list included:
Cackling Goose,
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallard,
American Black Duck,
Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal and
Hooded Merganser. Although the trend at this time of year is leaning
toward waterfowl highlights, the bird of the week was an early
Snow Bunting found on a gravel road inside the Main Ring. Still highlights
from other families are still being found around the Lab. Wally's other finds for the last week of October were:
Pied-billed Grebe,
American Coot,
Sandhill Crane,
Lesser Yellowlegs,
Northern Harrier,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Eastern Bluebird,
Cedar Waxwing,
Fox Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco,
White-throated Sparrow,
Song Sparrow,
Eastern Meadowlark,
Red-winged Blackbird,
Brown-headed Cowbird,
Common Grackle and
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dave
Friday, October 22, 2021
Even though Wally's best represented family of birds during the third
week of October was sparrows, most other families produced some
striking highlights. The impressive list of sparrows included
Field Sparrow,
Fox Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco,
White-crowned Sparrow,
White-throated Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow,
Song Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow and
Swamp Sparrow.
Cackling Goose highlighted the waterfowl list followed
by
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Mallard and
Ruddy Duck. Both
Pied-billed Grebes and
Horned Grebes (3)
were found on Lake Law. The Blackbird family was represented by
Eastern Meadowlark,
Red-winged Blackbird,
Common Grackle and, best of
all, a flock of
Rusty Blackbirds (in the A.E. Sea area). As far as
Waders go,
Great Blue Herons and
Great Egrets were found as expected,
but the highlight of the week was finding
Cattle Egrets (3) following
the bison. Other interesting birds included
American Coot,
Sandhill Crane,
Double-crested Cormorant,
Turkey Vulture,
Northern Harrier,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk,
American Kestrel,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Winter Wren (another high-quality bird),
Eastern Bluebird,
Palm Warbler and
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dave
Friday, October 15, 2021
Wally's list this week included some birds sighted on the "eBird Big Day" Oct. 9th, with the help of Donna. Waterfowl still dominate the
list with
Greater White-fronted Goose as the highlight of the list.
Others found were:
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallard,
Northern Pintail,
Green-
winged Teal and
Ruddy Duck. All 5 of the Fermi woodpeckers were found
including:
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
Red-bellied Woodpecker,
Downy Woodpecker,
Hairy Woodpecker and
Northern Flicker. Raptors, again,
were well represented with:
Turkey Vulture,
Northern Harrier,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk and
American Kestrel. Other sightings from a very impressive middle of October list were: Pied-
billed Grebe,
American Coot,
Sandhill Crane,
Killdeer,
Wilson's Snipe,
Greater Yellowlegs,
Lesser Yellowlegs,
Eastern Phoebe,
Tree Swallow,
House Wren,
Winter Wren,
Marsh Wren,
Eastern Bluebird,
Cedar Waxwing,
Field Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow,
Song Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow,
Eastern Towhee,
Eastern Meadowlark,
Brown-headed Cowbird,
Common Grackle,
Tennessee Warbler (a stunned bird in the
road, apparently struck by a car),
Nashville Warbler, and
Palm Warbler. Dave
Friday, October 8, 2021
It's that time of year when waterfowl become the dominate family of
birds sighted. However, other families are usually represented but
more sparingly. Wally's waterfowl list for the first week of October included:
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Mallard,
Green-winged Teal and
Ruddy Duck. Raptors, also later migrants, were also well represented
with:
Turkey Vulture,
Northern Harrier,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk and
American Kestrel. Other notable birds found
included:
Pied-billed Grebe,
American Coot,
Killdeer,
Lesser Yellowlegs,
House Wren,
Marsh Wren,
Gray Catbird,
Eastern Bluebird,
Song Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow and
Palm Warbler. Dave
Friday, October 1, 2021
From Wally's report for the last week of Sept. and into Oct., there
appears to be a transition from the early migrants into the later
migrants. This is evident from the reduction of shorebirds and
warblers to an increase in sparrows and waterfowl. Even though there
has been a degradation in the shorebird habitat at A.E. Sea, Wally came up with
Killdeer,
Pectoral Sandpiper,
Solitary Sandpiper,
Greater Yellowlegs and
Lesser Yellowlegs. Warblers found around the Lab included
Orange-crowned Warbler,
Nashville Warbler,
Common Yellowthroat,
Palm Warbler and
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Wally didn't
mention waterfowl numbers but I'm assuming their numbers are on the
increase. Waterfowl found were
Canada Goose,
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Northern Shoveler,
Mallard and
Green-winged Teal. Sparrow species increased and included
Dark-eyed Junco,
Song Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow and
Eastern Towhee (not a sparrow but
close). Note - this was the first and only
Dark-eyed Junco of the
season, thus far. Other interesting birds found during this period
were
Pied-billed Grebe,
Black-crowned Night-Heron,
Turkey Vulture,
Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk,
American Kestrel,
Eastern Wood-Pewee,
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,
Marsh Wren,
Eastern Bluebird,
Cedar Waxwing and
Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Dave
Friday, September 24, 2021
Wally reported that this week's birding was mostly about shorebirds.
With great shorebird habitat at A.E. Sea, the best numbers of these
birds in many years are being found. This week's list included
Killdeer,
Baird's Sandpiper,
Least Sandpiper,
Pectoral Sandpiper,
Wilson's Snipe,
Spotted Sandpiper,
Solitary Sandpiper,
Greater Yellowlegs and
Lesser Yellowlegs. According to Wally most species had
multiple individuals. No other family dominated the week's list,
still many good birds were found. The list included:
Wood Duck,
Blue-winged Teal,
Green-winged Teal,
Pied-billed Grebe,
Chimney Swift,
Sora,
Sandhill Crane,
Great Blue Heron,
Great Egret,
Green Heron,
Black-crowned Night-Heron,
Turkey Vulture,
Osprey,
Cooper's Hawk,
Bald Eagle (perched below nest),
Red-tailed Hawk,
Belted Kingfisher,
American Kestrel,
Tree Swallow,
Barn Swallow,
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,
Marsh Wren,
Eastern Bluebird,
Cedar Waxwing,
Song Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow,
Eastern Meadowlark,
American Redstart,
Palm Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler and
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Dave