Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

[Faith20879]

Being a Maryland resident for 48 years, I have never seen our state bird...the Baltimore Oriole. So this year I bought an Oriole feeder.
https://kmwoodworking.com/collections/o ... uit-feeder
I understand that they should be in the Maryland area in early April, and I will have oranges on the ready!. If any fellow Marylanders have any advice, I would appreciate it.

Depending on where you live they can show up in early April - early May.

You can see many of them at Susquehanna State Park if that is accessible to you.

Thank you both for this. I've never seen one either. Can't wait for April to come. Will scout out Susquehanna first.

[BrightEyes]

Just saw one of the Great Horned Owls that nest in a huge old pecan tree in my yard make three flights! Usually, I hear the owls a lot, but I guess I'm not out watching at the right crepuscular times to see them very often! This evening, I pulled into the drive around dusk, and paused as the owl flew to the pecan tree, then to another part of the tree, and then away, presumably to hunt for supper. That's more eyes-on time than I think I've gotten since I moved here over two years ago. It was awesome.

It's nice to have a place to share the sighting. Sorry, no pictures.

Bright Eyes

[jebmke]

Being a Maryland resident for 48 years, I have never seen our state bird...the Baltimore Oriole. So this year I bought an Oriole feeder.
https://kmwoodworking.com/collections/o ... uit-feeder
I understand that they should be in the Maryland area in early April, and I will have oranges on the ready!. If any fellow Marylanders have any advice, I would appreciate it.

Depending on where you live they can show up in early April - early May.

You can see many of them at Susquehanna State Park if that is accessible to you.

Thank you both for this. I've never seen one either. Can't wait for April to come. Will scout out Susquehanna first.

There is a path along the river that was an old RR track for towing barges. Access right here is a good spot to find them

39.608550862479866, -76.14293330512679

[Vtsax100]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/13x ... 9IKrd_voRi

Google says this is a red-bellied woodpecker. Mid-Atlantic, MD.

These frequent my feeder. They take a sunflower seed and fly over to a tall poplar tree and hide the seed under the bark. Ive watched them do it over and over. Also, in the spring, their babies follow them around and wait on the side of the tree. Three or four of them. They are similar but less colorful. And they chirp a lot. I really enjoy watching all the different birds and how they act. Does that mean Im getting old? I even enjoy the occasional squirrel that climbs up the feeder pole.

[JAZZISCOOL]

Just saw one of the Great Horned Owls that nest in a huge old pecan tree in my yard make three flights! Usually, I hear the owls a lot, but I guess I'm not out watching at the right crepuscular times to see them very often! This evening, I pulled into the drive around dusk, and paused as the owl flew to the pecan tree, then to another part of the tree, and then away, presumably to hunt for supper. That's more eyes-on time than I think I've gotten since I moved here over two years ago. It was awesome.

It's nice to have a place to share the sighting. Sorry, no pictures.

Bright Eyes

Cool! Sounds like you have a great tree that they love.

[RetiredAL]

I saw this big dude in the park a few days ago on my morning walk, only about 25ft off the walking path. For years there have been a nesting pair in the area, but seldomly do you see them so close.

Blue Heron

[JAZZISCOOL]

RetiredAL:

Great heron photo - so close! I usually see them in the air.

Thanks for posting.

[GG1273]

RetiredAL:

Great heron photo - so close! I usually see them in the air.

Thanks for posting.

We have a Blue Heron rookery near us - the really wild thing is to see them up in the trees where the nests are.

[JAZZISCOOL]

RetiredAL:

Great heron photo - so close! I usually see them in the air.

Thanks for posting.

We have a Blue Heron rookery near us - the really wild thing is to see them up in the trees where the nests are.

That would be so cool to see them up in trees. Once I saw a Canada Goose nesting in a tree (usually nest on ground.)

[lgb]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/13x ... 9IKrd_voRi

Google says this is a red-bellied woodpecker. Mid-Atlantic, MD.

These frequent my feeder. They take a sunflower seed and fly over to a tall poplar tree and hide the seed under the bark. Ive watched them do it over and over. Also, in the spring, their babies follow them around and wait on the side of the tree. Three or four of them. They are similar but less colorful. And they chirp a lot. I really enjoy watching all the different birds and how they act. Does that mean Im getting old? I even enjoy the occasional squirrel that climbs up the feeder pole.

Also seem to have one of these visiting our bird feeder. Ironically tried a Suet cake in the Summer that no birds would touch at all. Tried again here in the Winter and nobody touched it and then all the sudden I noticed some being picked away. I thought it was the same red breasted Woodpecker I have seen at the larger Bird Feeder. Then I finally spotted a smaller woodpecker that I assumed was a baby - no red head. Then later another smaller similar one that did have a red head. All along, I thought these were babies of the larger Red headed Woodpecker like in your picture. Turns out - the ones eating the Suet cake are actually Downy Woodpeckers. The larger red breasted woodpecker doesn't seem to like the Suet cake. The Downy woodpeckers come back at the same time every day and keeping eating the Suet cake. The larger red breasted we see less often at the larger bird feeder, and seems to like it once the Sparrows, who then get chased off by the Cardinals and Bluejays have had their fill and left the area and he will swoop in to get his share. Bluejays are by far more beautiful. Woodpeckers are far more interesting. Mocking Birds are my favorite to have around the entire area. We also have a chicken hawk that guards our area - which the Mocking birds, bluejays actually attack and peck at while it just sits there majestically ignoring them. You know when he's in the area, as the Bluejays and Mockingbirds really start chirping like there is something drastically wrong!

Would look forward to baby red breasted woodpeckers if those could come in the swing. I've not seen a female red breasted woodpecker however - yet!

[TxAg]

I have some Nikon HG 10x42's on the way. Looking forward to trying them out next weekend.

[TxAg]

We have about 50 Cedar Waxwings in the pecan trees behind our house right now. They're slick looking little birds.

[jebmke]

Put the suet back up today; had taken it down to discourage the redwings. Woodpeckers are back in business. Belted Kingfisher working the creek this morning before the wind came up.

[Dottie57]

Yep, those owl pics are outstanding: They have eyes, pop, and action. Simply superb! They have to be even more outstanding in their original resolution.

+1000

[jebmke]

Yep, those owl pics are outstanding: They have eyes, pop, and action. Simply superb! They have to be even more outstanding in their original resolution.

+1000

Check out the photos from Superb Owl IV

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/ ... iv/605854/

[Oreamnos]

Put the suet back up today; had taken it down to discourage the redwings. Woodpeckers are back in business. Belted Kingfisher working the creek this morning before the wind came up.

Love the Kingfishers. I think they're super-attractive, and fun to watch at work.

(not my pic)

[agbp]

Yep, those owl pics are outstanding: They have eyes, pop, and action. Simply superb! They have to be even more outstanding in their original resolution.

+1000

Check out the photos from Superb Owl IV

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/ ... iv/605854/

What great owl photos! Thanks.

[JAZZISCOOL]

We have about 50 Cedar Waxwings in the pecan trees behind our house right now. They're slick looking little birds.

Oh wow! I love those - very colorful. I have only seen 1-2 birds at a time. That's a huge flock.

[JAZZISCOOL]

Yep, those owl pics are outstanding: They have eyes, pop, and action. Simply superb! They have to be even more outstanding in their original resolution.

+1000

Check out the photos from Superb Owl IV

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/ ... iv/605854/

These are awesome owl photos!

[notBobToo]

Not a watcher, just have always enjoyed the birds both in my (former) backyard bordering open space in Colorado and more recently, along the shoreline and dock outside of my condo in Maryland. Have enjoyed the blue heron, egrets, bald eagles, osprey and all sorts of water fowl.

This past week, someone spotted and photographed a Great White Heron along the shoreline just south of my location (Calvert County). Apparently very rare north of Florida.

[Dottie57]

Yep, those owl pics are outstanding: They have eyes, pop, and action. Simply superb! They have to be even more outstanding in their original resolution.

+1000

Check out the photos from Superb Owl IV

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/ ... iv/605854/

Thank you .. superb pictures of many types of owls.

[Oreamnos]

Found Mr. Barred Owl snoozing the afternoon away during a walk through our nearby state park yesterday. Have been looking for these guys for a while, and ended up finding two yesterday.

[jebmke]

^ great shot. We find them in the area from time to time. More often heard but they can be spotted during the day. For some reason they seem more accessible than the Great-Horned which are more prevalent around here.

[JAZZISCOOL]

^ great shot. We find them in the area from time to time. More often heard but they can be spotted during the day. For some reason they seem more accessible than the Great-Horned which are more prevalent around here.

+1

Love the sleepy owl. They always look like they're on high alert when their eyes are open LOL.

[TxAg]

We have about 50 Cedar Waxwings in the pecan trees behind our house right now. They're slick looking little birds.

Oh wow! I love those - very colorful. I have only seen 1-2 birds at a time. That's a huge flock.

They're back today, and they brought friends. There are at least 200 today. They're enjoying the berries from the neighbor's Chinese Privet.

[JAZZISCOOL]

We have about 50 Cedar Waxwings in the pecan trees behind our house right now. They're slick looking little birds.

Oh wow! I love those - very colorful. I have only seen 1-2 birds at a time. That's a huge flock.

They're back today, and they brought friends. There are at least 200 today. They're enjoying the berries from the neighbor's Chinese Privet.

Very cool! Yes, they love the berries.

[Mitchell777]

I saw something a few days ago I see every 2 or 3 years. Robins are not normally in my area during the winter. Too cold. Last week hundreds of them were here. They were flying around aimlessly. Bumping into each other. Other years I've seen them flying into the windows. Then they disappear after a day or two to return in Spring.

[jebmke]

I saw something a few days ago I see every 2 or 3 years. Robins are not normally in my area during the winter. Too cold. Last week hundreds of them were here. They were flying around aimlessly. Bumping into each other. Other years I've seen them flying into the windows. Then they disappear after a day or two to return in Spring.

If you have trees around with small berries that freeze and thaw, they might be drunk. This happens with our wild pear trees; the fruit freezes, thaws and then ferments.

A lot of Robins don't actually "disappear" but head for the woods. We have a place a couple of miles from us that is a wooded area where they hide out in the winter. One of the local birders took us there one morning early to watch them come out of the woods. We estimated 60,000.

[jebmke]

^ great shot. We find them in the area from time to time. More often heard but they can be spotted during the day. For some reason they seem more accessible than the Great-Horned which are more prevalent around here.

+1

Love the sleepy owl. They always look like they're on high alert when their eyes are open LOL.

This is the only owl shot i've gotten up close; was a winter day a couple of years ago in Havre de Grace. Not sure if she was trying to keep the sun out of her eyes or winking at me.

[livesoft]

Speaking of owls, did I post this photo I took of an owl that was blind in one eye?

[JAZZISCOOL]

jebmke:
[/quote]
This is the only owl shot i've gotten up close; was a winter day a couple of years ago in Havre de Grace. Not sure if she was trying to keep the sun out of her eyes or winking at me.

[/quote]

Cool photo! Looks like a Snowy Owl coming out of a nap. If so, Cornell shows those don't migrate to my state. Territory looks much farther north (blend with the snow).

Edited to add: looks like it might be an immature female per Cornell's site:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sno ... w/66046411

[jebmke]

Cool photo! Looks like a Snowy Owl coming out of a nap. If so, Cornell shows those don't migrate to my state. Territory looks much farther north (blend with the snow).

Edited to add: looks like it might be an immature female per Cornell's site:

They don't normally get down our way often either; typically it happens when they have food issues farther north.

[JAZZISCOOL]

Cool photo! Looks like a Snowy Owl coming out of a nap. If so, Cornell shows those don't migrate to my state. Territory looks much farther north (blend with the snow).

Edited to add: looks like it might be an immature female per Cornell's site:

They don't normally get down our way often either; typically it happens when they have food issues farther north.

You were lucky then! Very beautiful bird.

[Miriam2]

Speaking of owls, did I post this photo I took of an owl that was blind in one eye?

Great picture! I had a feeling you talked to owls

[TxAg]

A new one for me this morning.... A female American Goldfinch at the feeder.

[ray.james]

A lot of snow egrets around the yards of the complex.

[One Ping]

We've been having fun watching our winter 'charm' of Anna's hummingbirds. We have about 5 or 6 that over-winter in our backyard. We live in an area into which, over the last several decades, they have expanded their over-wintering range. It's an interesting sight to see hummingbirds sitting on snow-covered evergreen branches. We've also built feeder heaters to ensure their food stays liquid and available to them for their all-important first feeding in the morning after spending the previous below-freezing night in torpor.

Interesting post about your over-wintering hummingbirds. I did not know there were hummingbird feeder heaters. We are in NC and our ruby-throated hummers left some time ago. We do have a heated birdbath even though most days it's not needed.

I didn't know that either about hummers sticking around with snow. They left here around September. They are so cheerful to watch.

Sorry this is so delayed. Here are some pictures of our set up.


We have 6 heaters set up, three in back and three in front. They fight to establish territory over them when it gets really cold. Have only needed them on a couple of nights so far this year. There are 3 bulbs in each pot. You can screw in/out to get the right number to be lit to provide the right level of heating. We had temps in the mid-teens last year and the three bulb set up provided sugar water temps in the mid-40s for the larger feeders. The small ones (see above) only needed two bulbs to stay around 40 degrees.

[JAZZISCOOL]

We've been having fun watching our winter 'charm' of Anna's hummingbirds. We have about 5 or 6 that over-winter in our backyard. We live in an area into which, over the last several decades, they have expanded their over-wintering range. It's an interesting sight to see hummingbirds sitting on snow-covered evergreen branches. We've also built feeder heaters to ensure their food stays liquid and available to them for their all-important first feeding in the morning after spending the previous below-freezing night in torpor.

Interesting post about your over-wintering hummingbirds. I did not know there were hummingbird feeder heaters. We are in NC and our ruby-throated hummers left some time ago. We do have a heated birdbath even though most days it's not needed.

I didn't know that either about hummers sticking around with snow. They left here around September. They are so cheerful to watch.

Sorry this is so delayed. Here are some pictures of our set up.


We have 6 heaters set up, three in back and three in front. They fight to establish territory over them when it gets really cold. Have only needed them on a couple of nights so far this year. There are 3 bulbs in each pot. You can screw in/out to get the right number to be lit to provide the right level of heating. We had temps in the mid-teens last year and the three bulb set up provided sugar water temps in the mid-40s for the larger feeders. The small ones (see above) only needed two bulbs to stay around 40 degrees.

Very cool setup!

[One Ping]

Sorry this is so delayed. Here are some pictures of our set up.


We have 6 heaters set up, three in back and three in front. They fight to establish territory over them when it gets really cold. Have only needed them on a couple of nights so far this year. There are 3 bulbs in each pot. You can screw in/out to get the right number to be lit to provide the right level of heating. We had temps in the mid-teens last year and the three bulb set up provided sugar water temps in the mid-40s for the larger feeders. The small ones (see above) only needed two bulbs to stay around 40 degrees.

Very cool setup!

They seem to like it!!

[JAZZISCOOL]

For the hummingbird lovers out there, here is a very busy hummingbird cam in the southern California area that is fun to check out especially for those in colder climates. The woman who keeps these feeders filled seems to be an expert in hummingbirds per the Youtube site:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXe8MpU7uzk

[f35phixer]

i'm going to add this for your bird watching lovers.

Topic author you can delete if you want.

started this last year
https://www.early-retirement.org/forums ... 01632.html

The eaglets have been removed for eye issues... should be back soon.
https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html#

JUST AN AWESOME CAMERA VIEW!!!!!!! pip-age soon.....
https://nefleaglecam.org/

a tragic start of the year, first Peace died then h\Hope... Think it was rat poison... awaiting necropsy...
they MIGHT have second brood like!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMtdZ2JFByQ

[JAZZISCOOL]

^f35phixer:

Thanks for posting those cams! I watched the Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest cam several weeks ago for a bit but Ravens got the eagle eggs, I believe. Sad.

[JAZZISCOOL]

^f35phixer:

Thanks for posting those cams! I watched the Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest cam several weeks ago for a bit but Ravens got the eagle eggs, I believe. Sad.

Update - just saw an Eagle land on the snowy nest today!

[fishandgolf]

Ringneck pheasants. They like to hangout by the birdfeeder.....usually see 8-10......mostly male.

[JAZZISCOOL]

^fishandgolf:

Thanks for posting the Ring-necked Pheasant photo! Very handsome birds.

[Dottie57]

For the hummingbird lovers out there, here is a very busy hummingbird cam in the southern California area that is fun to check out especially for those in colder climates. The woman who keeps these feeders filled seems to be an expert in hummingbirds per the Youtube site:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXe8MpU7uzk

Thank you for the link. I will use it quite often.

[f35phixer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xNU4W ... e=youtu.be

eaglets seem to be doing very good !!!!!!!!

[f35phixer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xNU4W ... e=youtu.be

eaglets seem to be doing very good !!!!!!!!

MOM DOESNT EVEN CLEAN THEIR FACES bwahahha

[Dead Man Walking]

I observed juncos, chickadees, cardinals, and nuthatches perched in a sweetgum tree watch 4 deer eating from the feeder.

DMW

[JAZZISCOOL]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xNU4W ... e=youtu.be

eaglets seem to be doing very good !!!!!!!!

Wow! I've never seen eaglets in captivity (being fed mouse bites no less ). I assume they will release them to the wild (?).