Dinner's here!

My suet re-stock arrived today..a case of 16 wonderful suet cakes..dinner for the nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens, and more!  The birds were on it within 5 minutes of me loading up my suet feeder.

Doing a Junior Big Year?

Heck no!  I wondered if some of you (especially those of you that were familiar with my 2011 Junior Big Year) would wonder if I'm doing another Junior Big Year this year because I have a what seems to at least me like a good year list of 95 species this early in the year.  That's because I've been birding nearly every day here in Virginia so have been 'sweeping 'm up' but since I won't be doing much traveling (other than to Montana) my year list will come out with far fewer birds than a 'Junior Big Year' list.  In addition to the lack of 'big traveling', I'm also doing none or next-to-none local state chasing.  I will do a few 'chases' this year, but probably only in-state and for hard-to-get life birds only.

Also, there are a couple of kids out there that are doing Junior Big Years this year.  Please visit Skyler Bol's blog: www.2012juniorbigyear.blogspot.com and Omeganook's blog: www.catherton.blogspot.com   Good luck guys!

Time to CATCH UP!

I've been very busy lately and haven't found time to post until now.  

I'll review this past Saturday through today.  On Saturday I went on a bird walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area over in Charlottesville with the Monticello Bird Club.  We had some nice birds including some of my best-ever looks at Pileated Woodpecker but no too unusual birds.  On Sunday I guided James Fox from Front Royal around Augusta County.  We had a TERRIFIC day spotting Lark Sparrow, Red-headed Woodpecker, Rough-legged Hawk, 3 Bald Eagles, and my year and fairly out-of-season Brown Thrasher.  

Early week was rather uneventful but yesterday was a great day.  We went on a morning bird walk with the Rockingham Bird Club.  We saw lots of great birds, 23 species in all, with the sure highlight being my year Fox Sparrow which gave great looks!  After that we went out to our friend's property.  She has an amazing property chock full of great birds!  I was very pleased to find Rusty Blackbirds and my first-of-year Pine Siskins.

Today I did day one of a feeder watch count highlighted by goldfinches returning to my yard after a few weeks of absence.  Welcome back goldfinches!

With recent additions of Brown Thrasher, Fox Sparrow, and Pine Siskin my 2012 year list is 95 species.

Sometime in the near future I'll post some photos from recently.  

Cheers,

Gabriel

The colorful nuthatch

Got my year Red-breasted Nuthatch on a beautiful walk at the base of Shenandoah National Park this afternoon.

April in February

It's a beautiful sunny and warm day here in New Hope Virginia.  It's a balmy 50 degrees but with calm wind and full sun it feels much warmer.  It surely doesn't feel like Feb. 3rd!

Once in a while I see one of the resident kestrels dive-bomb a Red-tailed Hawk.  Today I was fortunate to see the resident adult male kestrel dive-bomb a  Red-tail right above our house!  Beautiful.  I'm never sure why the kestrels dive-bomb red-tails (if it was a Merlin, well, then I'd know!) but I figure it's because red-tails might eat kestrels so the kestrels want to get the red-tails "out!"

I did a feeder watch count yesterday-today, not much interesting but a pair of cowbirds was a bit of a surprise.

I'll make a post on Sunday evening, because I have a fun weekend coming up.  Will be going on a bird walk and meeting with fellow Monticello Bird Club board member tomorrow, and Sunday will be guiding someone from Front Royal around looking for new "Virginia birds" for him.

I have a photo of the kestrel-red-tail encounter but it's having trouble loading now.  I will post it later.


Gabriel

Merganser update

 The female merganser from today was a Common.  Thanks to the "expert" birders that ID'd it for me.

February off with a bang!

To start out February, my mom and I went birding in northwestern Augusta and Rockingham Counties today and we could not have asked for better weather or better birds!  

On Badger Road, a location familiar for being one of the few spots in the area where you can reliably find Red-headed Woodpeckers, we found them as well as a PEREGRINE FALCON!  Those were both new "year birds".  

We also found American Tree Sparrow, Canvasback, and either a Common or Red-breasted Merganser as new 2012 year birds for me.  My 2012 year total is now 91 species.  I will update when I get an ID on the merganser from some more expert birders.

Enjoy a few photos from today.

Gabriel