Accounting Error

Finally I've begun keeping my life list in a more systematic way, rather than adding to the lists here and manually counting each bird to discern my total. I copied my list into a spreadsheet, which I eventually hope to expand from just an alphabetical listing to several variations, including family and species groupings. Nonetheless, looking at the list this way is enlightening.

One benefit, of course, is that it gives me an accurate total of the birds I've seen - I'm afraid my accounting has been off and I'm two birds lower than I'd previously totalled. The relieving part of this is that at least I've not duplicated any birds on the list, so I can move forward updating with assurance. With recent additions to my birds - which I'll detail soon - I'm now at 173 species, and hoping to grow as often as I can.

I highly recommend some uniform way to keep a life list. Whether you choose a birding journal with an integrated list, a checklist in your favorite field journal, a computer spreadsheet, or some other variation, as long as it works for you it can be a valuable and interesting tool for your birding. I've been petrified that this blog, which has been the only complete record of my sightings, would become disrupted, but now my life list is safe and free to expand. Let's get birding!

Tripping

It's been crazy for the past few weeks, both with work and with birds, and twice in just under three weeks I've traveled hundreds of miles to see fantastic birds. Much to my delight, on both trips I've discovered new lifers.

The first trip was to the St. George Winter Bird Festival in southern Utah, at the end of January. I've been to the festival before - last year - and came home with a wide range of new lifers. I wasn't so optimistic about adding new birds to my list this year, given that I've birded there previously, but to better my odds I chose field trips to unique habitats ranging from open waters to the edge of the Mojave Desert. I was not disappointed, and came home with eight new lifers.

The most memorable - though all will hold their special places in my birding lore - is the vermilion flycatcher. I'd hoped to see this bird last year but missed out, and this year I followed a tip not on a field trip, but to a small park a mile or two from my hotel. There the male vermilion flycatcher was a brilliant jewel just a few yards away, seemingly uninterested in the birders - and I wasn't the only one - who came to gawk. Again and again he flitted about for insects, showing off his spectacular plumage in the late afternoon sun. It's a sight I'll never forget, and a bird that is stunning in its beauty.

My other lifers were neither so colorful nor so close, but each one afforded me excellent views for identification:

• Ferruginous Hawk: We saw several of these roving through fields northeast of St. George, and one in particular gave spectacular views as it perched on a power pole, awaiting the opportunity for its next meal.
• Red-Naped Sapsucker: This was a challenge to identify, as the bird never stopped moving in and out of thick branches high above us. Still, the cheek patterns and coloration were strong clues that identified it.
• Rock Wren: This buffy, curious bird behaved true to its name as it foraged among rocks in a riparian area a few miles from the Tonaquint Nature Center.
• Western Bluebird: These were brilliant to see at Lytle Ranch as they visited a pond to drink, males and females both dipping to the edge for sips.
• Phainopepla: Another bird at Lytle Ranch, these glossy black flycatchers resemble nothing so much as a black northern cardinal. They're not related, but just as gorgeous.
• American Pipit: At first these unremarkable birds would seem to pass for sparrows, until closer observation shows marked differences in plumage, bill, and behavior. They were foraging in active, eager groups in the same field where the vermilion flycatcher was feeding.
• Black Phoebe: This was my last lifer of the trip, found at the Tonaquint Nature Center as I was idly visiting the pond for one last look. At first I wasn't going to add it to my checklist as I'd finished with all my field trips, but when I reviewed my life list and discovered that it wasn't yet accounted for, I was glad to have made the notation.

While these birds were all spectacular and are very welcome additions to my life list, they're by no means the only birds I was able to observe during the festival. Other notable birds on my different field trips include the loggerhead shrike, mountain bluebird, bald eagle, Abert's towhee, western meadowlark, wood duck, bufflehead, common merganser, great blue heron, and greater roadrunner. All told, I successfully spotted 49 different species in two days of birding. It may not be as great a total as some birders would wish for, but given that migration hasn't yet begun in full, it was a most enjoyable trip.

Little was I to know that two weeks later, I'd be adding even more lifers to my list with another trip, again to places I'd birded before. The lesson learned, then, is never assume you've seen all there is to see even at your most familiar places - birds have wings and they will use them, so you never know who may be flying by.

Never been to a birding festival? Learn what to expect if you go!

Taking a Tip

Birding may be a solitary hobby, but collaborating with other birders often leads to great rewards - tips on birding hotspots, new bird sightings, more accurate identifications, testing new equipment, and more. I'm always happy to share my tips with others, but I'm afraid I'm not quite so connected into receiving tips myself, though I don't hesitate to ask for help when I need it. I have recently, however, begun watching the Utah Birds Hotline List from Birdingonthe.Net, and the sightings are enough to inspire and excite any birder after long weeks of little to see but the backyard flock. Mind you, I do love my backyard birds (I wouldn't have spent more than an hour cleaning feeders and refilling them in a snowstorm if I didn't), but a birder's heart flies through many skies and yearns to share them with many birds.

This morning, my husband and I headed out toward Utah Lake, turning along the west side of the Provo Airport dike toward the control tower. On a tip from the list, we knew a long-eared owl has been seen regularly in the area for the past couple of weeks, and I've been itching to add a new lifer to my list. We parked somewhat north of the tower, walking along the dirt road (none too easily in the mud and slush from the recent snowfall) until we came near to the tower. Just south of it we met up with a trio of birders and exchanged greetings, learning that the owl was still nearby. Indeed it was, and beautifully so! Finding owls can be a challenge as they're superbly camouflaged and not prone to either noise or movement that might make them more visible to birders, but if you know what to look for and watch for disturbed patterns in winter-bare branches, you just might add another to your life list, as I did today.

While the birding along the dike was not as prolific as one might hope, we did spot several species...

• Canada Goose - Several flocks flying overhead.
• American Coot - Happily swimming in small areas of open water.
• Great Blue Heron - Looking cold and forlorn in the field.
• Northern Harrier - Hunting beautifully over the field.
• Red Tailed Hawk - Both perched and hunting, as well as harassing the harriers.
• White Crowned Sparrows - Feeding along the road and flitting among the brush.

Even on a cold winter's morning when the lake is mostly frozen and the weeds are snow covered, there are birds to be had. I encourage everyone to take advantage of whatever birding resources you may have to learn where the birds are in your area, and head out to new locations to discover what you may. Whether you get a new lifer or not, the walk and the fresh air brings new life to the joys of birding.

Check out these winter birding tips for finding the best birds in the bitter cold!

Just When You Thought...

It's all well and good to enjoy birds in one's neighborhood, but it's not quite the same as having them visit your yard, your feeders, your birdbath. Just when I'd been lamenting the loss of the pine siskins and the emptiness of my backyard, the very next day I could hardly tear myself away from my binoculars with all the bird action. A generous flock of American robins descended on the property line trees to feast on the fruit, and they took turns sipping from my birdbath.

A closer look revealed other guests; several cedar waxwings were part of the flock, just as eagerly enjoying the feast, and a northern flicker stopped by to investigate one of the trees for a brief moment. It's a never ending lesson; you never know what may visit your yard, but you have to be looking to appreciate the guests. If I'd stayed in my office at that time, I'd never have known the brief burst of popularity my yard enjoyed.

There have also been a great number of European starlings romping through the neighborhood, flitting from one yard to the next en masse. While many birders don't enjoy European starlings because of their propensity to empty feeders and intimidate other backyard birds, I have to admire a bird with such lovely iridescent plumage and one with such a successful attitude and physiology to adapt to so many habitats and conditions with equal aplomb. They do love our neighbors' apple tree and its residual fruit, as do the American robins, but occasionally I'm fortunate enough to see the flock roost in the tree across the street, affording me a spectacular view from my office. When the ground thaws a bit in early spring they'll likely visit even closer, but they only seem to do so once or twice before the large flock disappears for the season.

I urge all birders never to take their birds for granted. They bring such joy and ask so little, what's not to love and enjoy?

Missing the Siskins

Looking out at my feeders and seeing how empty they are day after day can be disheartening in these coldest, grayest days of winter. Last winter I was inundated with tremendous number of pine siskins in the midst of their biennial irruption, but this year not a single siskin has graced my feeders. While they’re not particularly colorful birds, nor do they have pleasing personalities, their sharp territoriality and flashes of yellow were welcome and now are missed.

Too often we take for granted the birds at our feeders, assuming they will always be there to brighten our days. Just because they’ve vanished does not mean we’re doing anything wrong or that our yards are unattractive, but it can be a lonely lesson to remember that even the most common of backyard birds are still wild. If you just look, however, you may discover more birds around you than you think.

While the siskins may be absent, I’m still enjoying the rambunctious company of house sparrows and house finches whose ranks are regularly scattered by Spook and Dart, our ever watchful sharp shinned and Cooper’s hawks. The Eurasian collared doves drop by almost daily to visit my hopper feeders, and the dark eyed juncos are occasionally mingling with my backyard flock. American goldfinches and lesser goldfinches are rare but lovely splashes of yellow at the nyger feeders, and I’ve spotted American robins feeding in our neighborhood’s trees and poking around my bushes now and then. And just yesterday, I had to hastily find my peanut dish where it had been stored away and replenish it for a pair of hungry western scrub jays that quickly emptied it.

Just look around you, and you’ll be surprised at what birds are visiting your yard, even if some species are more conspicuous by their absence.

Resolving

While the past few months have been hectic and work-filled, I've still managed to make some time for the birds, though closer to home. One of my most successful efforts has been leaving our patio table out this winter rather than storing it in the garage. I've put my platform feeder on the cross supports beneath the table, effectively shielding it from snowfall, wind, and other inclement weather. The ground below also gets less snow thanks to the table's cover, giving ground feeding birds more of a chance to enjoy the seed.

While it took a day or two for the birds to really discover the feeder's undercover location, it's been more successful than I'd ever hoped, and daily there are hungry, feisty flocks of house finches and house sparrows taking advantage of the shelter and seed. Occasionally the dark-eyed juncos will join them, though the American and lesser goldfinches prefer the nyger feeders and the Eurasian collared doves prefer the more open hopper and platform feeder out in the yard.

It just goes to show that even if you can't make it out into the field, you can certainly enjoy the birds close to home. Too often we forget the fun behavior and colorful personalities of our most common birds, but they can be just as entertaining and amazing as any new lifer or rare vagrant.

Enjoying the backyard birds more is just one of the birding-related resolutions I've made for 2010. I do also want to travel more, acquire more lifers, and continue renovating my landscaping for a better bird habitat. Of course, more frequent blog posts will be a part of all this! Whatever your New Year's bird-related resolutions may be, I wish you very happy birding!

Do you need New Year's resolutions for birders? These ideas can help!

Return of the Jays

Western scrub jays are one of my favorite birds, and I put whole peanuts out for them frequently in the summer. For the past few weeks, however, the peanuts have sat forgotten in their small dish on the patio table, only occasionally being disturbed or vanishing, though each time I've missed the perpetrator. Walking outside to finish putting up Christmas lights earlier this week, however, I saw one lone jay hunkered in our neighbor's apple tree, just surveying the neighborhood. I immediately replenished the peanut supply, and within just a few minutes that jay and one of his friends were eagerly picking over the nuts and caching them wherever they could.

Too often, birders remove feeders long before they should, leaving birds one more food source short as winter approaches. I urge you to keep your feeders filled and fresh, even if you don't see the birds as often or if your favorite species seem to have vanished. They are around, even if they visit less or are more unseen, and different foods in a ready supply will be very welcome. Once they realize they can continue to count on you for a tasty meal, they may return even more frequently, as noted by the jays that have visited much more often in the last day or two - always picking clean the peanut dish I'm keeping filled.

Granted, many birds migrate and you won't see them again until spring, but in the meantime, why not share your backyard buffet with their winter cousins? Keep those feeders filled!

Sparrow Spa Day

Winter is slowly descending upon northern Utah, and despite warmer temperatures for the past few weeks the nights are positively chilly and I’ve had my birdbath heater in position for several weeks. After all, there’s nothing more pathetic than watching a house finch peck at a frozen birdbath and look at it as if puzzling why they can’t drink the ice, but fortunately my backyard flock of sparrows and finches has a ready supply of water.

Of course, they haven’t treated that water quite as I anticipated. Within days of putting out the heater, my birdbath became quite the spa getaway and the surrounding patio is frequently splashed from flocks of bathing birds - and splashed more because they are so skittish that no bath lasts longer than a few seconds. Now, it’s important to note that while the temperatures have been decidedly warmer than normal for late fall, the birdbath is in the shade on a north facing patio. The resulting 40 degree or lower temperatures there aren’t what I’d call perfect for a cooling dip at any time, but the birds, especially the sparrows, can’t seem to get enough. It’s hilarious to watch them juggle positions in the basin and along the rim of the birdbath, and I’ve seen as many as a dozen birds at once crowded around what becomes an increasingly shallow puddle.

Of course, this does mean that you’ll see me several times a week shivering on the patio as I refill the birdbath with a bowl from the kitchen – the outdoor spigots having been sealed for the winter some time ago. Cleaning the birdbath is also an ongoing necessity, what with the leaves, dirt, and other debris getting into it from so many eager bathers. Nonetheless, it’s a thrill to watch the birds enjoy their makeshift spa, and I can’t recommend enough that you get your own birdbath heater or fully heated model so you can invite your backyard flock for a fun spa day.

Not sure what type of birdbath to get? Learn how to choose the right birdbath for your backyard flock!