Pine Siskins

Well, it is mid-November, and over a month since I last posted. This has been the doldrums. Between early migration starting in August with the Warblers, followed by Sparrows, and then the Accipiters and Buteos through October. Relatively little happens from the last of October and into early November. But, Mid November the Water fowl from the north start heading south for the winter months. i have seen alot of FOS (First of Season) birds but very few FOY (First of Year) birds. Without listing the few additions for the year, I will say that I am at number 148. I would like two more unique birds to reach my goal of 150 species in Howard County Maryland for the year.

Some highlights are a immature Snow Goose, six Cackling Geese mixed in with a large flock of Canadas.

Lastly, at our feeder this past weekend we have had several visits by Purple Finches and Pine Siskins. The Pine Siskins are pictured above along with one of our many regular backyard Goldfinches.

Garden Plots at Elkhorn Garden Plots

This is a great place to go Birding in the fall. Lots of migrants. The gardens provide lots of cover and a wide variety dining choices, seeds, insects, berries and old veggies left on the vines in many of the plots that have been left unattended in the fall. Additionally, very few gardeners are around to intimidate the little fellows. In fact the birders out number the gardeners this time of year

Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
White Crowned Sparrow
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler (western subspecies)

Robins, Cardinals, B Jays, Carolina Wrens, House Wrens, House Sp. Mocking birds, Song Sp. , House Finches, Goldfinches. Common Yellow Throat.

I am looking for a Tennessee Warbler but I am afraid that I have missed it.

Photo Credit to Jeff Culler.He also help me identify the Palm Warbler (western) as I really had no idea what I was looking at.

A Good day today

This morning I had a field trip with the local Bird Club. I always look forward to being with birders that have years in the field. You can not help but pick up tips on habitat & habits. Today was no exception. Many warblers have moved on but several are still present. One of those very experienced birder spotted one and then another Orange Crown Warbler (138 )the OCW stayed still long enough for everyone to get a good look. For many of us it was a life list bird. For almost all but the birders that have been at if for decades it was a county and state list bird.

Other first of the year birds were pair of Eastern Meadow Larks (139), a beautiful Indigo Bunting(140) and a Lincoln's Sparrow (141), this is also a lifer but fairly common for the experienced. Below is a complete list as compiled by our fearless leader. I did not see the entire list and sadly there are 2 sparrows in the list needed for the year.

Canada Goose:
Black Vulture: 2
Turkey Vulture: 1
Osprey: 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 3
Red-shouldered Hawk: 2
Red-tailed Hawk: 1
Mourning Dove: 1
Chimney Swift: 12
Red-bellied Woodpecker:
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 1
Northern Flicker:
Eastern Phoebe: 5
Blue Jay:
American Crow:
Carolina Chickadee:
Tufted Titmouse:
White-breasted Nuthatch:
Carolina Wren:
House Wren: 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 4
Eastern Bluebird:
American Robin:
Gray Catbird:
Northern Mockingbird:
Cedar Waxwing:
Orange-crowned Warbler: 1-2. First winter bird, virtually devoid of field marks, grayish aspect, with broken eye ring, and pale yellow vent area.
Magnolia Warbler: 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 2
Black-throated Green Warbler: 6
Palm Warbler: 9-12
Black-and-white Warbler: 2
American Redstart: 1
Common Yellowthroat: 12
Eastern Towhee: 3
Chipping Sparrow:
Field Sparrow: 1
Savannah Sparrow: 1
Lincoln's Sparrow:
Northern Cardinal:
Indigo Bunting:
Red-winged Blackbird:
Eastern Meadowlark: 2
House Finch:
American Goldfinch

Compilation of the last two weeks

I am listing only new birds for the year.

(128)Black Throated Green Warbler 09/20/08 am

(129)Winter Wren 09/20/08

(130)Eastern Wood Pewee 09/20/08

(131)Broad Winged Hawk 09/21/08

(132)Pileated Wood Pecker 09/21/08

(133)Canada Warbler 09/21/08

(134)Blue Winged Warbler 09/21/08

(135)Blackburnian Warbler 09/21/08

Common Yellow Throat 09/21/08

(136)Philadelphia Vireo 09/21/08 - this was quite a find. I didn't realize it but someone else saw it two days before in the same area.

(137)Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker 09/24/08

Sunday Morning

Sunday, our local bird club had a field trip to Rockburn park. It was the first trip of the fall season and almost all the exceptional birders in the local club were there. As i result I learned more in a couple of hours at the park with these people then I ever could on my own. It is trips like these that really help expand my knowledge of how to locate and identify birds I would normally walk by and miss. We started about 8 am , I called it quits at 9:45 am.



Here is my list.
Number 126 - Yellow Billed Cockoo (2) Picture above
Number 127 - Bank Swallow - flyover

Triadelphia Reservoir

Dana and I were up early today. She was meeting friends for breakfast, I had a men's study group at church. We decided it was a good day for a drive around Howard County's largest body of water, the Tridelphia Reservoir.

Today was more of a reconnoiter rather then an actual trip to bird, none the less I always end up making a list. Trip list is below.

Canada Goose - 36 (HOCO)

Double-crested Cormorant - 1 (MOCO)

Turkey Vulture - 1 (HOCO)

Bald Eagle - 1 (HOCO)
Least Sandpiper -8 (HOCO)

Caspian Tern - 1 (HOCO) (#125)

Belted Kingfisher - 2 (MOCO)

Red-bellied Woodpecker -heard (MOCO)

Northern Flicker - heard (Mont. Co)

Blue Jay heard (MOCO)

Vultures (sp)

Red-tailed hawk (HOCO)

Green Heron 2 (HOCO (MOCO)