{BIRD NOTES} October 25, 2011

Bird Notes

 

 

Herricks Cove (10/21)

A small flock of mostly song sparrows, yielded a clay-colored sparrow this morning at Herrick's Cove in Rockingham. Also a imm. white-crowned and a few juncos.
Picture of the clay-colored sparrow on Flickr VT eBird.
---JoAnne Russo, Saxtons River, VT

 

 

Herricks Cove and Spring Tree Road (10/22)

The Clay-colored Sparrow that JoAnne Russo found yesterday at Herricks Cove was there again this morning. It was feeding with about a dozen Song Sparrows and two  White- throated Sparrows in the short grass on the right hand side of the road, going out to the point in the picnic area, in the area between the gate and the big willow tree.

The West River behind the Marina Restaurant in Brattleboro had ~400 Canada
Geese and 1 Cackling Goose early this afternoon.

---Dave Johnston, West Brattleboro, VT

 

 

A Lucky Day

Last Saturday (10/15), about 4:30 in the afternoon, I was standing below the Marina looking over toward route 30.  The sun was in my eyes, to my right and bright. Just then about 100 Canada Geese flew over my head toward route 30. Right into the sun.  Every wing was aglow and like a light show across every wing, and the very tips of all the wings were afire.  How lucky can you get to be there at just that time?  I can’t imagine getting time, place and birds in just that place again.   

---Lynn Martin, Brattleboro, VT 

 

 

Top Ten Reasons There Are No Birds at Your Feeders

1. There was an abundance of rain this growing season in many parts of the country, producing bumper crops of wild foods.

2. There are lots of wild seeds of composite flowers available, such as Rudbeckias (Coneflowers), Coreopsis, Sunflowers, Asters and others.

3. There are tons of tasty weed seeds available, such as smartweeds, pigweeds, goldenrod, etc. Sparrows love all these seeds.

4. It is a bumper year for berries — Holly, Chokeberry, Dogwood, Pokeberry, raspberries, etc.

5. Crabapple trees are heavy with fruits.

6. The cone and seed crop on many trees has done well. Here, in NH, we have many Hemlock cones, acorns, birch seeds, Spruce cones, etc.

7. The weather has been warm and birds do not need to eat as much as they do when the weather is colder and they need to keep warm.

8. Because of warm weather some insects are still available and have not gone into dormancy.

9. Fall is migration time for many raptors, some of them hunt birds at your feeders. This morning we had a Cooper's Hawk, juv., sitting in a tree in our yard. The wise feeder birds had sought cover and were nowhere to been seen. In general, these hawks move on.

10. It is a self-fulfilling prophesy of "there are no birds at my feeders so I do not have to fill the feeders." An empty feeder will not attract birds, especially any of the ones that are still around.

Birds like chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, are permanent residents in an area and, even though they are not at your feeders now, come colder weather they will return, but not if the feeder is empty. So Keep those feeders full !

--- Lillian and Don Stokes

 

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Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

What have you seen while on a trip?

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

Check out our website:   http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com/

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A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.