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Backyard Bird Feeder Observation Log

Backyard Bird Feeder - information and helpful hints about this fun hobby.
Old Backyard Feeder Logs are kept here.
The longer Trip Reports now have their own page.
Here is my Life List, a list of bird species that I have identified.
Here is a collection of the latest postings to the Birdchat - East email list, for your perusal.
Here is the Hypermail version of the BIRDEAST Mailing List.
Check here for the latest Massachusetts Regional Rare Bird Alerts

Observations

So here's a log of my reports. I may not do this daily, but I will include the observations I do make. Only a couple of days are kept here. I have put them so the most recent is first. Keep reading for references to prior days' experiences.

April 22, 1997Went out jogging this morning. I always wind up doing more birding than jogging! Have to keep stopping to see what's going on.

Along the railroad cut from Rte 39 to Depot through Thompson's Field were found: Northern Flickers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Bobwhites, Pine Warblers, Rufous-sided Towhees, Eastern Meadowlarks, Black-capped Chickadees, (singing phoebe), and Tufted Tit-mice.

April 19, 1997A report from Saturday afternoon at First Encounter Beach, Eastham, during the storm. The winds were very strong, I would guess still sustained at 50mph. No real rain to speak of, just some scattered drops. Temperature was in the 40s. The tide was on the way back in, so the birds were not too far off.

So here's what we saw: Northern Gannets (about 50>, two Horned Larks, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, a Black-Bellied Plover (just one), a flock of Dunlins that swoop, land and take of as one, about 30 Brant, and the same number of Common Mergansers. After an hour and a half, it was too numbingly cold to stay out any longer. Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls

April 12, 1997 - Bell's Neck, West Harwich Conservation Area. Nasty rain, got very cold this evening! These were all seen in the West Reservoir. The tide was up, and nothing was to be seen in the East Reservoir.

Two Osprey, the two Mute Swans, one on the nest, four Black-crowned Night Herons, Bufflehead (about 25), Canvasback (~15), maybe 50 Double-crested Cormorants, 1 Palm Warbler, 1 Song Sparrow, over 200 Red-winged Blackbirds, the usual Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls, and 3 American Goldfinch. I was surprised to see the Bufflehead and the Canvasback together there. It is usual to see them in Swan Pond, in Dennis, in the winter, but I didn't know they ever showed up at Bell's Neck. I didn't see any teal, or Gadwall, which were the features of the week before.

I think I saw a Great Horned Owl over where the heron roost, in the top of one of the trees there on the promontory in the West Reservoir, but it was a little too misty to be sure. At least I know where to look when the weather is better. Wish I had a scope...

March 23, 1997 - Blackbirds rule the yard. This week we have had every sort of black bird trying to defeat the feeders, most of which have access that is too small, awkward or tricky for these hungry mobbers. This week there have been American Crows, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings. The Carolina Wren continues to be at home here, along with the troops of Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and White-breasted Nuthatches. The American Goldfinches are moving more into the yellow stage, with some having their full summer colors. They have been joined regularly by the House Finches, which are present every day. Mourning Doves, American Robins and Northern Bobwhites have been joined on the ground by more and more Song Sparrows. The first House Sparrows have made regular appearances and are aggressive with the large blackbirds at the feeders. The Northern Cardinals have begun to sing, and fill the morning with their vocalizations.

March 9, 1997 - Short trip in Dennis as well as - Common Grackles, European Starlings and Red-winged Blackbirds have populated the yard today, along with several American Robins. Our Carolina Wren seems unperturbed by all the activity and noise.

March 6, 1997 - We have a Carolina Wren in the yard now. I think it is the same as one that was here last year... It's been here two days now, and looks like it might stay awhile. Took a ride down to Red River Beach late this afternoon. Lots of birds about. Common Eiders and Brant bobbed in the water, very close to the shore, probably over 50 of each, while the Herring and Greater Black-backed Gulls hunkered down on the jetties. There were several Mallards as well.

March 2, 1997 - A warm, foggy morning, still sprinkling but not quite raining. My husband and I took a walk along the abandoned railroad bed nearby, which runs through Thompson's Field, a conservation area. Many Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice filled the air with their spring vocalizations. We were surprised by a gang of American Crows which seemed to be mobbing a bird for quite some time. On the return route, they were still at it, and what I believe to be a Short-eared Owl took off from one of the trees, flew right over our heads to the other side of the path and into the woods. The Crows followed one by one and continued their noisy harrassing. Poor Owl! We also saw a Glaucous Gull slide out of the fog like an apparition, circle overhead, then disappear again. Totally white, silent, huge. A beautiful bird. Almost back at the path to our street, we came upon a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos foraging on the path. As we approached, they kept skittering forward, until finally, the whole bunch took off into the underbrush. Pretty little guys. And that was it.

February 23, 1997 - Spring is in the air! This week we have had quite a range of temperatures and weather. Seven inches of snow on Monday, 60 degrees and balmy yesterday, beautiful blue sky today, but colder. Yesterday, there were two male American Goldfinches in their breeding colors. Quite early for that I think. We have had American Robins dropping in, and then disappearing again. With the snow, there were Dark-eyed Juncos who always look best when poking in the white stuff. Today, by contrast, we have a mixed flock of Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, and European Starlings. The Red-winged Blackbirds are a sure harbinger of spring here on the Cape. House Finches have been at the thistle feeders with the Goldfinches, too. There were several Downy Woodpeckers and one Hairy Woodpecker enjoying the suet. In general, there are a lot more vocalizations among the birds. The Black-capped Chickadees have been using their phoebe calls, and the Northern Cardinal pairs have been very vocal. I think we may have three families nesting this year. Time to start thinking about getting the birdhouses ready for the new season.

December 25, 1996 - Christmas Day provided a nice quiet day at home to keep an eye on the activity outside my windows. Illness and work have prevented me from getting out into the field, but the yard is always filled with activity. The Dark-eyed Juncos have returned from the north and can be seen scratching below the feeders in the border with the Carolina Wrens, of which I believe there are two. A pair of Pine Siskins were seen with the American Goldfinches at the thistle feeder midday. The regulars are the Cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, blue jays, sparrows, house and song, Mourning Doves, and the bobwhites. Both Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are frequent visitors to the suet feeders, and seem to love one oak tree in particular. I hope to be able to get back out to some of my favorite haunts soon. Happy Holidays until then.

November 10, 1996 - The yard has been filled with birds recently. The Goldfinches are back in their grayish winter suits, gorging themselves on the thistle feeder. We have several very scrappy Song Sparrows that are willing to go to battle with the large Blue Jays that scavenge below the feeders. This morning I saw a Carolina Wren under the Bay Laurel. I hope it will be a long visitor, like the one we had last year. Downy Woodpeckers seem ready for the suet feeders, which I'm just about to put out. Our first red squirrel joined the two gray squirrels and careened around the trees. Without most of the leaves, it is quite entertaining to watch the squirrels' aerial acrobatics. In spite of all their efforts, they do not seem to crowd out any of the birds, or destroy the feeders in any way. Just lucky I guess. The Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees are regulars, as is one White-breasted Nuthatch. I'm hoping the Red-breasted one will return for the winter again this year. The Cardinals seem very happy with their accommodations, and I expect that at least two or three of the pairs will winter with us. We have a covey of Northern Bobwhites that I plan to build a shelter for. They spend a lot of time in our front yard, which has no good vantage point from inside the house, but I can hear them quite often, and when I go out to look, there are at least six or seven little heads bobbing about the brush. Neat!

Late this afternoon, I went to Chatham, to Ryder's Cove, for a quick look-see. There were about fifteen Buffleheads, six or so American Black Ducks, the usual scatter of Herring and Greater Black-backed Gulls. I was surprised to see one shore bird, that took me a while to identify, since I hadn't seen one before. It was very cooperative while I checked on its leg color, the beak color, whether it was down-turned or straight, and its general size of about 15 inches. It was grayish on top, much lighter below. The Willet even obligingly flew off over the cove so I could get a good glimpse of its markings in flight, which are quite dramatic. Then it returned to the little muddy bank to resume its long-legged fishing until the sun had actually set and it was quite dark. Off it went back across the cove. Great way to end the day.

October 15, 1996 - Still haven't been able to get out as often as I like, or write as often as I should... The yard is busy with fall guests. Migrating Red-winged Blackbirds spend the morning gorging themselves. Males, females and juveniles arrive in a swarm, feed, and then disappear as quickly. The many Blue Jays that regaularly appear are all decked out in their beautiful new plumage. A special visitor is a bird that is really quite common for three seasons, but is very secretive. You can hear its call along the woodland walks, but it is difficult to always spot. The Rufous-sided Towhees will be migrating south for the winter, but they briefly make an appearance out in the open in my yard, while scratching under the pole feeders, where much seed has been spilled by the enthusiastic Red-winged Blackbirds. The males are very bright rufous, while the females are duller but still spectacular. I love the way they fluff their feathers in the dust, and then scurry off into hiding under the ivy. Their distinctive call is always a signal that they are about, and a quick glance to the yard will usually reveal one or two brave enough to venture out of the underbrush.

September 2, 1996 - Well, Gabe and I went out this afternoon in Hurricane Edouard to Rock Harbor, a small harbor in Orleans on the Cape Cod Bay side. This afternoon the wind was very strong, I would guess it was steady at 50mph. It was difficult to stand still; the wind created a vibration effect that made holding binoculars all but futile. The only birds that didn't seem to mind the weather here were three Common Terns, which fished in the entryway to the dock. The level of the bay was the highest I had ever seen it. We stayed quite a while; the force of the downgraded hurricane was still enormously thrilling.

September 1, 1996 - I went down to Red River Beach to see what was happening in the Atlantic forward of Hurricane Edouard. Tomorrow is supposed to be the worst weather from the downgraded storm. We are expecting rain and high winds, but not too bad. Chatham is of course, watching closely, and some of the lowlying areas are being evacuated. At Red River, there were about six Common Eiders, hunkered down on one of the jetties. Several different kinds of sandpipers scurried about the piled-up seaweed on the beach. The surf was definitely angry, and white caps were as far out as you could see. A few Double-crested Cormorants flew by sideways, and rested on a far off jetty.

I noticed a new bird among the pipers. Turned out to be Ruddy Turnstones. They are very distinctive because of the rusty coloring. As I walked along the long beach, I found that there were actually many of them, darting in and out of the seaweed, keeping ahead of the foamy surf. I was also able to identify a small group of Semi-palmated Plovers, with their distinctive dark collar. I believe the other pipers were Least Sandpipers. I was actually surprised to see any birds at all, since the wind was fierce and the sand stung. Made it kind of difficult to stay outside of the car.

July 25, 1996 - Well, it has been awhile since I've been able to record my sightings. Random medical problems and guests coming and going have kept me from writing, but not from watching. The yard is full of sparrows, mostly House Sparrows, but also a fair number of Song Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows. The Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice are all day regulars. House Finches and American Goldfinches are also nesting nearby and taking advantage of our hospitality, preferring the thistle to everything else offered. We have a nest on the front porch in a hanging geranium, which yesterday hatched five baby House Finches. Three wooden birdhouses, tree-mounted, are home to House Sparrow families. A pair of Bluejays have successfully started a family in the arborvitae, as did a pair of Northern Cardinals. Northern Orioles continue to make visits, and have been seen fairly frequently elsewhere. I've observed them in Orleans and Dennis. At least five Catbirds call the yard home, and fill the morning and evening with their varied and continuous calls. Northern Bobwhites also have made themselves at home here, and parade through the yard just about every afternoon. No family groups though. Just individuals. Just this week a number of juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds have been crowding out the sparrows at the larger feeders. And there seem to be more Grackles this week then have been around all summer. American Robins are always early morning visitors, but they don't stick around. A pair of Rufous-sided Towhees can pierce the quiet of an afternoon, and the soft ank-ank of a White-breasted Nuthatch is a daily occurrence.

Just across the street there is an old railroad bed that is used as a jogging and horseback riding trail. I jog there three or four days a week. A regular resident that appears at the same place to sing is a Common Yellowthroat. Yesterday, there was a flock (15-20) of Savannah Sparrows, twittering and flitting around. There are usually a fair number of robins, goldfinches, chickadees, and White-breasted Nuthatches, who keep me company on my run. Two Red-tailed Hawks also seem to call this area home, and are seen regularly. The quail, or bobwhites, are a fixture too, and if you go there in the evening, they will call and answer when you call back. Pine Warblers can be found fairly easily, but mostly in the morning.

I stop over at Bell's Neck fairly frequently too, just for quick look-sees. Yesterday's visit yielded four Canadian Geese, an Eastern Kingbird, an Osprey, two immature Bald Eagles, a Red-tailed Hawk, two Double-crested Cormorants,, about 15 Marsh Wrens, many American Goldfinches, probably 10 Tree Swallows, and the usual Herring Gulls.

A trip to Red River Beach the previous evening was less fruitful than usual. But we were able to spot a Bonaparte's Gull, two Least Sandpipers, five Green-backed Herons, four Common Eiders, numerous Herring Gulls, and five Tree Swallows.

May 18, 1996 - Another quick trip to Bell's Neck.

May 17, 1996 - The yard has been full of bird sounds all week. I happened to glance out the window to see two Northern Orioles checking out the surroundings. There was a male and a female. What a beautiful display of color! While I was keeping an eye on that pair, in flew a Great Crested Flycathcer, immediately followed by another. They seemed to enjoy the suet, and took a long look at the large nest box we have high up in the oak tree. I was able to see the male spread its tail as it inspected the entrance to the box. Pine Warblers are still regular visitors to the suet feeders, and fill the morning and evening with their songs. The Gray Catbirds are obviously nesting somewhere nearby, and come to tear strips of grape vine fibers off the arbor, and then fly with them off into the brush. Two male Indigo Buntings have also made an appearance and perhaps will stay. They are such an exquisite blue that it's hard to believe there is no blue pigment in their feathers. It seems the feathers refract the light so what we see is blue, yet in shadow the birds appear black. Pretty interesting. A set of House Sparrows are nesting in one of the nest boxes in the front yard. I'm glad someone made a home in one of them.

May 12, 1996 - I was so disappointed that the weather and birding was so poor yesterday, that I went out again this afternoon. It was extremely windy, gusts over 40mph, and cold, but the sun was out. I went back to Bell's Neck for about three hours and had a wonderful time.

The yard has been pretty active too. We have a pair of Blue Jays nesting in the arbor vitae. One morning as I was looking down from an upstairs window, I watched one of the Blue Jays eject a gray squirrel from the evergreen. I didn't think jays could do this, but it actually grabbed the squirrel in its beak and flung it out onto the grass. When I inspected later, I found the nest. That will bear watching. There are quite a number of daily visitors, including the Rufous Towhees who are now regulars, several Gray Catbirds that entertain us with their mewling, a fickle Northern Mockingbird, who comes when it pleases, many Chipping Sparrows, the scrappy Pine Siskins, and the two kinds of nuthatches. Of course, the chickadees, house finches, and goldfinches fill in everywhere with their vocalizations, along with two pairs of cardinals, who may be nesting nearby. The only warbler that seems to be a regular are the Pine Warblers, who always choose the suet feeders, nothing else.

May 11, 1996 - Today is the North American Migration Count. Nasty weather, thick fog this morning, very cold, in the low 40s. I can only count for a few hours, so around 10am Frederick (my husband) and I went for a walk around Bell's Neck. The rest is on the trip report page.

At the feeders, in one hour, I counted 11 Black-capped Chickadees, 5 House Finches, 2 Mourning Doves, 5 Pine Siskins, 11 American Goldfinches, 3 Red-winged Blackbirds, 2 Song Sparrows, 2 Chipping Sparrows, 6 Blue Jays, 2 Northern Cardinals, 2 Rufous-sided Towhees, 4 Pine Warblers, 2 American Robin, 4 White-breasted Nuthatches, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 American Crow, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, and 1 Carolina Wren.

In the afternoon, I went out for another hour to Paw Wah Pond and Mill Pond, both in Orleans. (See the trip report.)

May 5, 1996 - There are Pine Warblers regularly visiting the suet feeders in the yard now. Several make an appearance every day. The Chipping Sparrows are regular too. We have a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker eyeing one of the odd birdhouses I put up in the fall. And several of the Black-capped Chickadees are also testing some of the smaller houses. The House Finches seem set on nesting on top of the garage door openers in the garage, and if we leave the doors open even for a few minutes, the garage is atwitter with their chattering. Red-breasted Nuthatches and White-breasted Nuthatches come every morning, at least two or three or each, sometimes more. And the Carolina Wren that wintered over shows up every other day or so. A pair of Rufous-sided Towhees have also claimed a stake in the leafy underlayer around the bushes beneath the feeders.

May 4, 1996 - There was a Cape Cod Spring Ring, a bell-ringer's festival, today, at Chatham High School. We started at 9 and finished with an hour-long concert at 3. The best way for me to relax afterwards was to spend some time birding. For a two-hour quickie I went over to Bell's Neck, hoping to see some warblers. The fog was thick and the afternoon was getting colder by the minute. I looked around at the wooden bridge and saw the usual Canada Geese, two Mallards, a male and female, several Snowy Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, and three American Crows. Next, I walked the path to the small island overlooking the east reservoir. In the tall trees, there were at least a dozen Downy Woodpeckers, flitting about and generally fooling around. Not much else, except my friends, the chickadees. I walked to the other side hoping to hear some of the more elusive birds, but all was quiet. I noticed an otter in the water and trained the binocs on it to watch for a while. Then it was too cold and damp to sit anymore, so I headed back to the car. On the way, one tree seemed to fill up with Pine Warblers, who picked off the buds just sprouting on the branches and ate them. I didn't know that's what warblers did. Then it was too foggy and dark to see anymore.

May 1, 1996 - Chuck came down from Fitchburg for a day of migration birding. He's got the whole week off just to bird! Pretty stinky weather, though. This spring is really taking its time. We started off in the yard, of course. Chuck arrived about 7:30AM, and we didn't dawdle too long. The Pine Siskins made an appearance, so Chuck got his lifer before we started out. For the rest of our day see the trip Report P'town Beech Forest, Pilgrim Spring - Truro, and Wellfleet Wildlife Sanctuary.

April 20, 1996 - Well, I did it. I got out. Big doings for me. Made an all-day trip to Pilgrim Heights Area in Truro.

April 9, 1996 - Yesterday we had about 4 inches of snow! My crocuses are up and don't seem to mind, but it's rather discouraging to get up to a winter landscape this late in the season. I think I've had enough of snow, though it may not have had enough of us, since it looks like we're due for some more beginning tonight. Ah well.....

The birds don't seem to be deterred by the unseasonable weather. They are moved by broader forces than a single snowstorm, like the lengthening of the days and biological cues that we still don't understand fully. Spring is heralded here on the Cape with the return of the Red-winged Blackbirds, who have been with us for a good three weeks now. They have an amazing array of sounds, from whistles and songs to clicks and shrieks. Accompanying them in loose flocks now are the Common Grackles, with their green and purple iridescent feathers flashing in the sunlight. Their loud chucking sounds fill the yard as they try to fit themselves onto and into the birdfeeders, which are certainly not designed for such large birds. Spilling the seed was very helpful yesterday for the Cardinals, the Song Sparrows, the Carolina Wren and the Juncos, who are happier foraging on the ground than eating from the feeders. With the snow cover, they were out of luck until the grackles showed up. The small birds like the Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice were not intimidated and just used the other feeders when the noisy flock was around. Several times I spotted some Brown-headed Cowbirds mixed in among the blackbirds, as well as the more ungainly American Robins.

The House Finches are ready to find nesting places. If we leave the garage door open for too long, there will be a pair mucking about looking for an appropriate place to raise a family. I have three birdhouses up that should satisfy their nesting requirements, and it remains to be seen if any of the pairs will choose one.

Not too much else is new in the yard. We've gained a few more nuthatches of both kinds, the Pine Siskins still visit every day along with many more American Goldfinches, who are now in varying plumage. House Sparrows still seem rather sparse, with only a few visiting per day. I wonder if they did not do well this winter. I really have to spend more time outdoors, now that spring is upon us. The weather this weekend (after the snowstorm) is supposed to be much more seasonal and should provide some good opportunities.

March 21, 1996 - Different Spots in Dennis

March 18, 1996 - Two Hours in Dennis

March 16, 1996 - Another visit from Chuck and Patty. All of us have been extremely busy with work, and today was going to be our day to just get out and look at the sky and the sea, and hopefully some birds. They arrived around 10am and we watched the birds in the yard for awhile. The Carolina Wren put in an appearance, as well as the White-breasted Nuthatches and one Red-breasted Nuthatch. A flock of American Goldfinches came to the thistle feeder, some more yellow than others. One is in its summer clothes completely. We were hoping that the influx of goldfinches would bring the Pine Siskins, which have been regular visitors. But Chuck was not to get his Lifer. The usual number of Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows, House Finches, Titmice, Crows and Blue Jays kept us entertained for a while. Then we loaded the stuff in the car and off we went.

The rest of the day is on the Trip Report page here. March 16, 1996 - All around the Lower Cape.

Backyard Bird Feeder - information and helpful hints about this fun hobby.

Old Backyard Feeder Logs are kept here.

The longer Trip Reports now have their own page.

Here is my Life List, a list of bird species that I have identified.

Here is a collection of the latest postings to the Birdchat - East email list, for your perusal.

Here is the Hypermail version of the BIRDEAST Mailing List.

Check here for the latest Massachusetts Regional Rare Bird Alerts

Back to the Cape Cod Connection!

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