{BIRD NOTES} ~ July 14, 2012

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Red Feather Lakes, CO © Sandy Merritt

Bird Notes

 

 

Sora Rails (7/7)

This morning 1 adult SORA RAIL and 3 chicks were busy feeding around the edges of the Miller Farm Pond in Vernon. Nice surprise!
Also there were 2 Great Egrets in the West River behind the Marina Restaurant.

---Dave Johnston, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Little Egret in Quebec

Since I am in St. Albans for the summer, I went to see the Little Egret (adult nonbreeding) which was found on July 6 at the Recre-o-parc in St. Catherine, Quebec, on the south side of the St. Lawrence River near Montreal.  It is still there as of late morning today, 7/9/12, feeding actively along the shore.  It is the second record in Quebec, the first occurring in 1980.  

---Nori Howe, W. Brattleboro, VT   

 

 

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

My sister sent me this photo (See attachment) of the assemblage of Broad-tails that greets her each morning at about 5 a.m.  It is the common hummingbird at her home in northern Colorado.  Note in the picture the hummer with tail fanned directly in front of her, is living up to its name. They are fearless little creatures that attack the feeders before she can hang them on her deck. Frequently they land on her hands and arms if she is slow in hanging their food. She also writes that there are now 3 Rufous Hummingbirds that have joined the early morn fray. At the peak of the season she admits to going through 10 pounds of sugar a week.  Yipes!

---Chipmunk Crossing, West B.

 

 

Nature’s Insect Removers

Basically we still have the same group of avian creatures frequenting our little acre as we did last time. That is, all except one. A young Crow has taken up the chore of gleaning the insects that inhabit our grass. We watch with amusement as it walks back and forth and around the perimeter of the yard pecking in the grass. Sometimes raising its head to expose a large beetle in its beak or a smaller unidentifiable insect. It seems to be reward enough for its efforts because it continues this practice for hours on end. The only time the bird flies is when it arrives or leaves the area. This all takes place during the day shift.

          The night shift checks in at about 8:45 p.m. with the arrival of 3 Little Brown Bats that take over the flying insect eradication process. They flutter ‘round and ‘round overhead, black images against the waning light of the sky, vacuuming mosquitoes and other night flying pests. I found that they are roosting in a niche in the peak of our log home directly beneath the roof’s edge. Their droppings on the blacktop gave them away.

          Then too with the approaching of darkness, Fireflies start blinking in the garden like so many mini Christmas lights. When the month of June passed with no sign of them, we thought that possibly the lack of snow last winter froze them out. But, now in July they are showing up with numbers growing each evening. Somehow they managed to survive and are appearing a month behind schedule. For what reason, we don’t know, but it is a wonderful sight to see the trees and bushes twinkle again as soon as darkness falls.

 

 

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Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net

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http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com