100 Birds

Visit from a Cooper

2007-08-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

I saw a Cooper's Hawk today when I was running in the panhandle. This was the fourth time in the past couple of weeks that I've seen what I think is the same individual

79. Slate-colored Junco

2006-12-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

Slate-colored Junco
Photo by trisheroverton.

Similar to the Oregon Juncos we have at our feeder back in California, this variant is a common visitor to the McGuffey's feeder in Kentucky.

78. Downy Woodpecker

2006-12-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Also seen at the McGuffeys' feeder, these were significantly smaller than the Hairy Woodpeckers we saw earlier this year in Oregon.

78. Cooper's Hawk

2006-12-23T13:28:00.001-08:00

Although I wasn't last time around, this time, I'm sure. A Cooper's Hawk landed in the tree just above the McGuffey's feeder. As you can imagine, all the other birds immediately vanished. One oblivious squirrel seemed destined for doom. But as often happens, fortune smiled on the stupid.

77. Pileated Woodpecker

2006-12-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

I've spotted a few of these during the year, and not adding them has been an oversight. But this one was at the McGuffey's feeder in Bowling Green, KY.

76. Eastern Towhee

2006-12-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Seen at the feeder at the McGuffey's in Bowling Green Kentucky. This bird almost looks like an Oriole in terms of its coloring, though the body shape and size are entirely different.

75. Great-Horned Owl

2006-12-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is an auditory identification. There are two of these (or more) that live near my Dad's lake house on Lake Eufaula. He has, on several occasions, gotten a visual ID. I, however, had to rely on their calls. We heard them repeatedly during the Thanksgiving holiday, though we never actually saw them.

74. Common Loon

2006-12-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

Spotted on Lake Eufaula, Alabama, on Thanksgiving Day.

73. Northern Harrier

2006-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

We spotted two Northern Harriers yesterday at the Eufaula National Wildlife refuge. Didn't recognize them when we were watching, but upon looking in the bird book (and subsequently looking it up in other books) there was no mistaking it.

Both birds had the distinctive white rump patches with banded tails, and were flying very low to the ground over a field. They would swoop over the field, and drop down into the bush, to re-emerge again a moment or two later. I'd never seen raptors--or even birds for that matter--behaving similarly. Very cool flight pattern. Now, on to number 74.

72. White Pelican

2006-10-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

I'm getting very close. I've got a serious shot at making this pan out, and if I do, it's going to be one of the first resolutions--serious ones at least--that I've ever kept. (My other resolution for 2006? Competing in a triathlon? Not so much.)

Last week, just by Marin Honda, with a gorgeous view of San Quentin in the background, we saw several White Pelicans. I see Brown Pelicans pretty frequently, but these may have been the first Whites I've ever seen here in the Bay Area.

71. Wrentit

2006-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Also seen in Redwood, the Wrentit is an itty-bitty little bird, and it seems grumpy. Again, this was an easy I.D. thanks to park signage.

70. American Dipper

2006-10-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Dipper is a funny little bird. We saw several of them in Redwood National Park. It was a pretty easy I.D., as a large sign at the trailhead showing fauna found in the area had a picture of the same bird we would then repeatedly see over the next couple of miles along the trail.

69. Hairy Woodpecker

2006-10-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

This might have been a Downy, but I'm relatively sure due to the size that it was a Hairy. We saw several of these in the Rogue River area in Oregon.

68. Clark's Nutcracker

2006-10-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

Yet another Jay. These birds were also all over Crater Lake. Named for William Clark, they didn't make the racket that I'm used to hearing from Jays.

67. Gray Jay

2006-10-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Spotted repeatedly at Crater Lake. One came and sat just above us on a branch--not four feet away--spying on us while we flailed and flailed at getting our broken bear box open.

67. Stellar's Jay

2006-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

"Thief! Thief!"

We saw plenty of these in the mountains. They were everywhere.

66. Blue Grouse

2006-10-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

We spotted several of these on the trip up North. This particular bird was on Mt. Scott at Crater Lake. The first time I saw one, it completely freaked me out--it looked like Forest Chicken. An interesting bird, the ones we saw (in multiple locations) seemed nearly unafraid of humans. The three on Mt. Scott came walking down the hill to us, and marched around us on the trail, ignoring us, and off down the hill. They came within three feet or so of us and were completely unconcerned.

65. White-breasted Nuthatch

2006-09-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

Also seen just outside of Birmingham, AL

64. Goldfinch

2006-09-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

Seen just outside Birmingham, Al

56 - 63 The rest of my Eufaula birds

2006-07-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

I spotted so many birds on Lake Eufaula and around it that I haven't ever gotten around to entering them all, and I'm afraid if I don't list them now I won't ever do it individually. Hopefully I'll come back to this, but if not:

56. Eastern Kingbird
57. Barn Swallow
58. Fish Crow
59. Cattle Egret
60. Purple Martin
61. Brown Thrasher
62. Anhinga
63. Little Blue Heron

55. Carolina Wren

2006-07-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Spotted 06-22-06

When I first saw the Carolina Wren, it was hanging out upside down ona branch, waiting for me to go back inside. I'd scared it off the feeder when I went out, and it flew off all of five feet to the most convenient branch, where it lurked waiting for me to go. It was a little fuss-pot, and would chirp and chirp angrily at me the whole time I was on the porch, until I went back inside.

54. Common Grackle

2006-07-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

Spotted 06-22-06

I once confused the Common Grackle with Starlings. They are in fact quite different. The Grackles at my dad's place would drive me crazy, however, if they came to my feeder.

54. Purple Finch

2006-07-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Spotted 06-22-06

Though I see Purple Finches quite often, I realized that I had not added them to my list. An oversight. And now here they are. Another treat from Dad's feeder in Eufaula.

53. Cardinal

2006-07-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Spotted 06-22-06

Oh, Eufaula Cardinal. Why were you mad at me? Can't you see that I, too, would like to sit on the porch and eat? There is no need to fuss at me, with your little peep peep peep peep. I will be gone soon. And won't you miss me then?

52. Bluebird

2006-07-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

Spotted 06-22-06

I had never seen a Bluebird before. Never. I remember as Bluebird houses went up all over the country in the 80s and 90s. I'd been to Bluebird cafes and truck stops and bars. But never had I seen the bird itself. And then that morning in Eufaula, I watched one all morning, as by the shore of the lake a pair took turnd feeding (I presume) switching up as they flew from house, to branch, and off into the yonder, only to return and swap out again. Remarkable little birds, with the bluest coats and red breasts just like a Robin's.