{BIRD NOTES ~ March 16, 2015}

Bird Notes

Flocks of redpolls, flocks of goldfinches, and tufted titmice hammer at sunflower seeds on the shelf. Chickadees and occasional nuthatches grab sunflower seeds to carry away to more protected perches. Both hairy and downy woodpeckers regularly hammer at the frozen suet. Nuthatches too occasionally.

---Malcolm Moore, Marlboro, VT

 

Wilmington feeder: nice mixed flock of over 40 Redpolls, a dozen Goldfinches, a couple  Pine Siskins, six Mourning Doves, a few Juncos, many Chickadees, pairs of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers,

Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, goodly amount of Bluejays. Have not heard or seen the Barred Owl for awhile, also no fox tracks in the heavy snow.

---Barbara Cole 2/21, Wilmington, VT

 

At around 3:15 this afternoon (3/5) there were 74 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS gorging on cherries in the center of Marlboro on South Road.
---Pieter van Loon

 

We had a chipmunk pop out of the snow for a few minutes and climb up an oak tree yesterday.  And last night a raccoon left prints in the snow under our feeder.  When will the bears decide too that they are hungry enough to walk out of the woods?  Going to pull up all of the ground and deck mounted feeders tomorrow. 

---Tom Prunier

 

Flock of  25 Bohemian. Waxwings in Marlboro yesterday, 3/11.  They were trying to talk themselves into some tired crabapple fruit that everyone else has ignored.

---Bob Engel

 

The following poem by John Swales was submitted by Lance Tanino who is now offering, among other things, birding tours in Hawaii.      

Letter from a Tufted Titmouse

by John M. Swales

 

Between you and me, 

I’m not exactly enamoured 

Of the name you know me by. 

This ‘tufted’ moniker invokes, 

I fear, a possible lack of grooming, 

While the noun only brings to mind 

Some silent furry denizen 

Of the dark and dreary underworld. 

So when, on my branch, you see me 

All dressed up in orange, white and gray, 

Returning your look with my Black penetrating eye, 

And when, in the distance, you hear me 

Petering away with my pure whistles 

Cascading through the winterscape, 

And when, somewhat closer, you note 

My rich underscore of sibilants and nasals, 

You may understand that I 

Would prefer to be known as 

The Orange-flanked Crested Whistler.

So, when you next revise 

The bird names on the official list, 

Please remember this. 

Thank you for your support.

---Lance Tanino, M.S.  Manu Conservation

Birding and Nature Tours / Environmental Consulting

Kamuela, Hawaii Island, Hawai'

 

Richard Foye reports that he has a small flock of Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls visiting his feeder each day. The Siskins have been singing a song that he had never heard them sing before. He says it would remind you of a Purple Finch.

 

 

Bohemian Waxwing  ©  Hilke Breder

 

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us so we can all enjoy reading about your birds and birding experiences.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Al Merritt  chpmnkx@sover.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

 

 

i