note from dee:

Happy Groundhogs Day

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:08:09 -0500

CHIRPING WITH DEE:
Happy Groundhogs Day!

Here it is, February 2nd, the day when innocently sleeping Groundhogs around the country are pulled from their comfy beds, hoisted into daylight, and made asked if they can see their shadows. Well, Holtsville Hal has predicted an early Spring. As he was put back into his comfy little Groundhog bed, I heard him mumble something to the effect of:

"People could easily get up on February 2nd, step outside, and see if they see their OWN shadows or not. Why do they have to bother me every year when I'm sleeping?"
He makes a valid point, doesn't he?

He also made another valid point. He continued to mumble, "what if I don't LOOK to see if I can see my shadow or not? If I don't look, but everyone else sees it…." and he shook his furry little head and laid back down. I heard him snoring within seconds, chuckling to himself as he fell asleep.

This week certainly has been warm. Wednesday's high was 63 degrees! Last night, at 9:30, I checked the weather on my weather app and it was 60 degrees. For fun, I decided to check the weather for Los Angeles, California. It was also 60 degrees. I note this because, they are 3 hours behind us timewise. It was night time here and early evening there and we both had the same temperature. It isn't supposed to be 60 degrees in February in New York.

Now, onto the birds! Well, I'm happy to report that there were 4 Blue Jays this week, in fact, those 4 Blue Jays were seen together, in the backyard. They ate peanuts and were also on high alert, sounding their alarm calls. There were a few House Sparrows flying in and out of the bushes to the feeders, and a few Mourning Doves. Everyone was a bit skittish. Later, I found a clump of feathers. The alarm calls were valid.

Other than the Juncos, White Throated Sparrows, some Song Sparrows, Downy Woodpeckers and a Red Bellied Woodpecker, with assorted and scattered sightings of a pair of Mockingbirds, Cardinals and Carolina Wrens, it has been a pretty quiet week in the backyard. I have to wonder if it is partly due to the mild weather, and the large amount of Asian Tiger Mosquitoes that seem to be readily available. Yes, those mosquitoes are here and they aren't bothered by the cold. I think this week, the birds found plenty to dine on in Nature.

Just now, as I typed this, I heard the "rusty hinge" sound that the Blue Jays make. I looked outside and 2 of them were perched on the telephone wire. I guess they want me to bring them peanuts, they saw me when I looked out the window at them.

Being that it will be an early Spring as per Holtsville Hal, I think it's only fitting to put up this photo of a female Cardinal feeding in my yard last Spring:)

Happy Groundhog Day- and weekend!

Where Are My Blue Jays

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:13:43 -0500

CHIRPING WITH DEE:
Where are my Blue Jays?

For the last few months, my Blue Jays have slowly went AWOL. I really do not know where they are. I used to always see them at the peanut feeder, as well as in the yard, at the seed feeders.
It's not like I had one Blue Jay, either. There have always been at least 8 or more Blue Jays on any given day. All I had to do was walk outside towards the shop (where the peanuts are!) and suddenly, within minutes, Blue Jays would land on the roof, the feeders, in the trees. They would loudly announce their presence to me, making sure that I was aware of them, and when I would come out of the shop, they would fly closer and closer, waiting for me to toss the peanuts all around for them.

I miss my Blue Jays. I saw one last week, and one the week before.

Thursday was a good day. I saw two Blue Jays, and they kept coming back for more peanuts. I wonder if they will continue to visit? I hope that the rest of them start to show up, as well.

The Starlings showed up in large numbers during the rain and snow that we had. I noticed a pattern with the Starlings. When there is a lot of rain or storms near, I will get large numbers of them. Otherwise, I will see one or two. In the summertime, I see a lot of juvenile Starlings following their parents around.

The Rock Doves and Mourning Doves have been a constant lately. For a while, I wasn't seeing many of either species, but that seems to have changed lately and I'm glad. I like having them around. The Rock Doves are interesting to me because of their varied colors, and the way they make eye contact with me. The thing that really makes me smile when I see them is the way they enter my yard. They will all circle the yard, over and over in the sky, together, in tandem. If you've ever seen the way Homing Pigeons all fly together, then you will know what I mean. They will circle left, then right, and if someone changes direction, they all change direction. Then, they begin to fly lower and slower and the first one will hover over the feeder and then land, and one by one, the rest of them will land, too.

The Dark Eyed Juncos and White Throated Sparrows really love the area behind the long, wild grass we have in the yard. One day this week, it was in the 50s and I decided to go outside with my iPad. I have a bird app on it and when I was outside, there were no birds around. I sat in my chair and opened up the bird app. I listened to the Junco song. It really isn't that loud. As I listened to it, it seemed to be getting louder and louder and then I noticed a lot of movement in the brush in the next yard. Then I realized that the song didn't get louder, but there were about 11 Juncos, all making the same noise that the Junco song was making. Of course, you know what I did next. I turned on the Blue Jay app. No, no Blue Jays showed up but I had to try!!

A few days later, I was watching all the birds and squirrels from the bedroom window, when suddenly, the birds all took off in different directions. There was one lone squirrel, atop the platform feeder. He flattened himself out and froze. I stayed by the window, watching. It was quiet, not a bird in sight. Only that one squirrel, frozen, and as flat as he could make himself.

Suddenly from the West, a medium sized Cooper's Hawk flew by, and landed in a big tree 2 backyards from mine. The squirrel did not move. The birds did not come back. I watched and waited. I couldn't see the Hawk anymore but the birds stayed away. After about 10 minutes, the squirrel very slowly lowered himself from the feeder, climbed through the fence and disappeared into the thick bushes next door.

Funny thing I noticed this week about the Starlings, they really seem to enjoy the Euonymus bushes that I have. When it was snowing, they were diving in and out of them, like it was some kind of fun house! They made a lot of noise, too and really seemed to be having a lot of fun!!

Enjoy this sunny weekend and keep your eyes on those birds!

Full Moon Report

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:16:59 -0500

CHIRPING WITH DEE:
Full Moon Report!

This week, I saw a few more birds than last week but these were scattered sitings, probably due in part to the Hawk that paid a visit this week and successfully dined in my
yard. It was a large Cooper's Hawk, probably a female, who came flying in from the south to perch amongst the dense branches of a big Oak Tree of a house on the street behind mine. She must have waited there until she saw her opportunity. The next few days, there was virtually no activity to speak of here…even the squirrels were laying low.

Slowly but surely, the Rock Doves started to come around, but only 4 of them. A few Mourning Doves soon joined them. My woodpeckers (Downy, Red Bellied and Northern Flicker) seemed to feel safe eating at the peanut feeder on the side of the house, and a few House Sparrows could be seen on the ground, under another side feeder.

Then I heard it: A constant chitter chatter that sounded like someone speaking a different language with every sentence. I heard a Northern Cardinal, followed by a Blue Jay! Were they nearby? Then I heard a Catbird, with that distinct MEW MEW MEW that she makes! I was getting excited. I haven't heard or seen these birds much lately!

I walked around the yard, trying to "follow" the sounds of my feathered buddies. Then I heard a mixed garble of Catbird speak, the kind of sounds the Catbird makes when she's mimicking other birds. This was getting good! I heard the Cardinal again, too! While listening, a few House Sparrows flew in and started to eat at the main feeder, and some Juncos were taking turns at the heated birdbath! In the distance, I heard the unmistakable Black Capped Chickadee!

I sat for about an hour, listening and watching. It was almost 4 pm and the Rock Doves flew off. Just before 4:30, the Mourning Doves decided to fly off, too. The House Sparrows stayed until after sunset, into civil twilight.

The sound of the Cardinal was close. I heard some rustling in the brush along the fenceline and decided to walk, slowly, over there to get a better listen.
There was no noise as I inched along the fenceline - no noise except for the rustling that I heard in the brush. I heard movement, a bird. Flittering from branch to branch. It was getting harder to see but easier to hear. Suddenly, something landed on the fence in front of me, flapping it's wings and talking up a storm.

I'd been made a fool! It was my friend the Mockingbird! All along, he'd been mimicking the Catbird and Cardinal. He even mixed in a few Blue Jay sounds. Now, before, me, he spoke in his native Mockingbird Tongue, flapping and flashing his wings, as if to say, " I fooled you again! " I took a few shelled peanuts out of my pocket and crushed them up small and tossed them on the ground. He flew right to them, eating a piece and then flashing his wings!

Later that same evening, I heard a bird singing at 3 a.m. I laughed to myself as I listened, knowing it was the Mockingbird. That particular night it was the full moon. Mockingbirds are notorious for talking later into the night, but during the full moon, they really sing and talk. If you ever hear a bird that late at night, dont' be fooled. You'll be certain you're hearing a Catbird, Cardinal or Blue Jay. But trust me: It will be the Mockingbird every time. He truly lives up to his name.

So to honor the Mockingbird who was clearly laughing at me, I'm posting this photo of a Laughing Gull!