BIRD NOTES ~ February 4, 2009

Sharpie © John Lowery  and  Bohemian Waxwing © Hilke Breder

Bird Notes

 

 

Sharpie Strikes Again

John Lowery reports that it was another incredible day in the Lowery backyard. The resident Sharp-shinned Hawk has made 4 strikes in the last two weeks. (See attachment for the latest.)

---J.A. Lowery III

 

 

Keene Bohemians

This morning I saw 4 or 5, Bohemian Waxwings intermingled in a flock of about 40 Cedar Waxwings in 2 crabapple trees on Cornwell Dr. in front of the UPS building off Krif Rd. in Keene. I hadn't realized how much chunkier they are - making their tails look stubby - compared to the Cedars.(See Attachment) Coordinates in Google Maps: 42.91931000,-72.28751833

---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Guilford Kingfisher

I was surprised to see a Kingfisher on a telephone wire over a small brook near us yesterday, right spot, and wrong time of year.  Is that unusual?  Otherwise in our neighborhood we are having the predictable winter birds, with a large number of Pine Siskins daily. 

---Carol Schnabel, Guilford, VT

 

 

SE Texas Birds

The birds in Texas were really amazing, and included such rarities as Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Rose-throated Becard, Blue Bunting, and Masked Duck.  We took the boat trip out from Fulton, TX to Aransas NWR to see the Whooping Cranes, and spent a wonderful night in a little RV on a ranch listening to owls, coyotes, and a guard dog on the ranch!  In the morning we found a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl perched in a tree about thirty feet from the camper!

 

While I was away, Turkeys moved into the backyard.  At times there have been as many as 15!

---Nori Howe, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Waxwings, Redpolls & Crossbills

Birding about Brattleboro today there was a flock of ~ 80 Cedar Waxwings at Academy school in W. Brattleboro, 2 White-winged Crossbills in a spruce tree on Upper Dummerston RD., and 4 Common Redpolls in the birches against C&S Warehouse on Putney Rd.

---Dave Johnston, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Birds North of the Border

In Canada skiing for a week, only saw a few crows, blue jays, and chickadees, but on the way home, again just 1 mile north of the border, saw a beautiful flock of Snow Buntings banking in the sun.   I'm finding the US Canada border at Lake Champlain is quite a place for birding!!-- That’s where I saw the snow geese migration in November.

---Burt Tepfer, Putney, VT  

 

 

Putney Birds

On several occasions in the past week, I've been seeing a lone robin that is hanging out around the open inlet to a small pond.  It is feeding in the soft mud and debris and kicking mud up onto the snow.  Today it was feeding on frozen apples in the yard.  The usual dozen plus Blue Jays, Chickadees, Juncos, Titmice, Pine Siskins, White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, a female Red-bellied Woodpecker; and a pair of Cardinals keep the bird feeders busy.  A small flock of Cedar Waxwings dropped in to challenge the blue jays that were feeding on well-preserved apples, and then took off.

---Pat Jaquith, Putney, VT

 

 

West B. Waxwings and Robins

About ¼ mile up Greenleaf Street on the left is a crabapple tree loaded with fruit. Yesterday about two dozen Cedar Waxwings and 8-10 Robins were gorging themselves on the juicy red fruit.  Today the Robins had it all to themselves.

 

 

Eagle Surveys

New Hampshire Audubon does an annual eagle survey. The following is the Connecticut River portion of that survey:

“A total of 13 Bald Eagles seen, including 8 individuals (7 adults, 1 immature) seen on survey day, plus 5 additional eagles (2 adults, 3 immatures) confirmed during the two-week count period that runs from December 31 to January 14.”

---Chris Martin, New Hampshire Audubon

 

Out of New York State comes a report of an unofficial eagle count taken by the E. A. Mearns Bird Club during a scheduled field trip that covers a 20 mile section of the Hudson River just north of NYC:

“We had 144 BALD EAGLE sightings between the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Croton Reservoir!”

---Gerhard Patsch, Highland Falls, NY

 

 

Please keep us abreast of what birds you are seeing, whether at home or on a trip in or out of the Windham County area.

Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

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