BIRDS

[Ianab]

Local news.

They are releasing Kiwi birds from the fenced Rotokare reserve into the Northern part of the National Park. As a kid I can remember hearing them calling at night, but introduced predators eventually killed all the new hatched chicks, and they died out. An adult kiwi bird is pretty strong and fiesty, and able to fight off a ferret or feral cat, but new hatched chicks aren't, and 98% of them get killed. 

Once the introduced predators are controlled, the Kiwi can breed normally, and the Rotokare reserve now has too many for it's area. Hopefully the pest control in Kaitake ranges has been good enough, and can be kept up. 

Kiwi coming back to Taranaki's Kaitake Range | Stuff.co.nz

[HemlockKing]

Cats kill a lot of them and I suppose cold weather can kill a few. I found a pheobe last year after one of them late snow storms. He had been around under the porch because he started about 3 nests, or she did. Found it stone cold next morning after the storm was over.

Bobcats in particular, they are EVERYWHERE here, I seldom see them because they are sneaky but always see their tracks right after any snow. 

[woodroe]

A Loon was squawking this morning at the local pond, more sounds of spring. Ice is out on the pond.
Trees budding, birds mating, warm temps, hard to complain. 
Looking forward to the thrushes piping in ! 
 

[HemlockKing]

A Loon was squawking this morning at the local pond, more sounds of spring. Ice is out on the pond.
Trees budding, birds mating, warm temps, hard to complain.
Looking forward to the thrushes piping in !

I wish I lived on a lake. I love to hear loons calling Into dusk. I am greatful for my little pond full of peepers though  ;D

[KEC]

Regarding the bobcats, A relatively high bobcat population is probably nothing compared to the number of feral and free-roaming house cats there are per square mile in many places.

[woodroe]

I wish I lived on a lake. I love to hear loons calling Into dusk. I am greatful for my little pond full of peepers though  ;D

Peepers just getting going here and a Blue Heron flew over last night.
I Probably couldn't afford the taxes to live lakefront here, nearby is good though.
Did spend the winter at a lakefront camp way back when, froze my azz off, like living in a freezer
with 2-3' thick ice beside ya down in a basin to boot.

[Hilltop366]

Amongst other birds I seen this weekend (Eagles, Kingfisher, Downey or Harry woodpecker) I did manage to get a picture of what I think is a Northern Harrier and Swamp sparrow.

 

 

[KEC]

Hilltop, Nice pics. Adult male Northern Harrier. They cruise low over fields hunting and tend to maintain a certain distance from the ground following the terrain. They tend to hold wings tilted upward. These habits make them fairly easy to ID at distance.

[HemlockKing]

My woods have been plenty full
With birds lately, juncos, swainsons thrush, grackles(they make the weirdest calls), and finally some white breasted nut hatches which have decided to reside in one of the nest boxes I made. Seen my first chipmunk yesterday too, he seemed all dazed and confused, must have just woken up from hibernation  :D ;D

Been hearing lots of barred owl activity at night(they hoot at each other), I ended up
Seeing one in daytime but he was so camo my phone couldn’t really get a good picture

[Hilltop366]

Hilltop, Nice pics. Adult male Northern Harrier. They cruise low over fields hunting and tend to maintain a certain distance from the ground following the terrain. They tend to hold wings tilted upward. These habits make them fairly easy to ID at distance.

Thanks

Yes often see them flying over the grassy areas across the river, this guy took a detour part way across the river to check me out (second pic) then made a hard right turn back to continue hunting when I lifted up the camera. (first pic)

[Hilltop366]

My woods have been plenty full
With birds lately, juncos, swainsons thrush, grackles(they make the weirdest calls), and finally some white breasted nut hatches which have decided to reside in one of the nest boxes I made. Seen my first chipmunk yesterday too, he seemed all dazed and confused, must have just woken up from hibernation  :D ;D

Been hearing lots of barred owl activity at night(they hoot at each other), I ended up
Seeing one in daytime but he was so camo my phone couldn't really get a good picture

These pictures were taken on the Tusket river system in East Kemptville, so not too far from you as the crow flies, I did see one squirrel (usually see lots). The barred owls were "hooting" Saturday night as well as a sawit owl making that "whistle/hacksaw on sheet metal" sound.

[HemlockKing]

My woods have been plenty full
With birds lately, juncos, swainsons thrush, grackles(they make the weirdest calls), and finally some white breasted nut hatches which have decided to reside in one of the nest boxes I made. Seen my first chipmunk yesterday too, he seemed all dazed and confused, must have just woken up from hibernation  :D ;D

Been hearing lots of barred owl activity at night(they hoot at each other), I ended up
Seeing one in daytime but he was so camo my phone couldn't really get a good picture

These pictures were taken on the Tusket river system in East Kemptville, so not too far from you as the crow flies, I did see one squirrel (usually see lots). The barred owls were "hooting" Saturday night as well as a sawit owl making that "whistle/hacksaw on sheet metal" sound.

Do you guys get much pileated woodpeckers in your area? I have probably 8-10 in my woods lol. Tusket is beautiful love the Tusket islands!

[SwampDonkey]

We have some pretty harrier hawks around here to. I think one sex is more grey and the other more brown.

No blue birds or tree swallows here yet. But seen some tree swallows 30 minutes south of here along the river.

We've had 50 juncos here up around the front of the house. They like to pick in the clover and scratch like chickens. :D

Lots of turkey gobblers every morning making their presence known. I here a couple, one on each end of the farm.

[Hilltop366]

Do you guys get much pileated woodpeckers in your area? I have probably 8-10 in my woods . Tusket is beautiful love the Tusket islands!

I don't see pileated woodpeckers very often, I did see two fly across the river last summer. My camp is quite a ways inland from the coast just down river a bit from Trout point lodge or a few kms from the tin mine if you are familiar with the area.

The Tusket Islands are quite nice, my wife use to spend summers on Harris Island growing up, two of her siblings have camps out there and my sister's family ended up inheriting a small island there. I usually get out there once or twice a summer.

 

 

   

[Old saw fixer]

     I was delighted to hear Bobwhite calls again yesterday, and last night a whippoorwill was calling.  There is a Blue bird nest in the satellite dish pole, and a wren's nest in a flower pot on the porch window sill.  Also hawks, buzzards and wild turkeys around.  Very restful!

[SwampDonkey]

The big blue heron flew by the porch the other day, saw one tree swallow this week. Also heard the first white throated sparrows this week in the woods. We forget with this crazy weather, it's early.

[Texas Ranger]

The environment around the house changed when the woods behind the house were cleared.  We now have a wider variety of birds, finches, buntings, 4 species of dove, more bluejays then we ever had, and more.

[HemlockKing]

The environment around the house changed when the woods behind the house were cleared.  We now have a wider variety of birds, finches, buntings, 4 species of dove, more bluejays then we ever had, and more.

I bet, song birds, jays etc love forest edges, especially the jays. I opened up my yard a bit and stuck up some more feeders at one point had 4 different families of jays and probably 25 in total I’d say. It was getting out of hand :D I couldn’t keep up with refilling the feeders they were EVERYWHERE

[SwampDonkey]

They tell all their buddies. :D We have 4 crows that pretty much are fixtures around the yard and 2 others come in the morning. There is an old dead cherry they all sit on in the morning to discuss things. :D

Any time I fed the blue jays I had at least 30 and the potato field grew sunflowers the next summer. :D A 50 lb sack lasted 1-1/2 months maybe. :D

[HemlockKing]

They tell all their buddies. :D We have 4 crows that pretty much are fixtures around the yard and 2 others come in the morning. There is an old dead cherry they all sit on in the morning to discuss things. :D

Any time I fed the blue jays I had at least 30 and the potato field grew sunflowers the next summer. :D A 50 lb sack lasted 1-1/2 months maybe. :D

Seriously!!! Same
Here I put old compost out for them sometimes like old bell peppers etc. They sit on a old cherry tree and watch me every morning and "discuss" . The other day for giggles I decided to play crow sounds loud through my truck speakers, that sent them off the edge! All the sudden they were swooping down near me trying to get a look at who was on their turf  :D :D
To be honest I'm more a fan of ravens 

[SwampDonkey]

One of those crows has developed a habit of doing the window fly by when looking for a snack. He's out there tonight in the rain, he might get some lasagne. ;D

[HemlockKing]

Just witnessed wood ducks enter the pileated woodpeckers home! He certainly lives there too I see him daily! He is out looking for insects right now and these 2 ducks are thinking they just found the perfect roosting spot! Drama is about to happen when mr woodpecker returns.

[HemlockKing]

 

 As close as I wanted to get, here is one of my best boxes that 2 white breasted nut hatches have taken up, the last 2 weeks they have been working hard, I believe the female is incubating the egg now since it only seems the male leaves , Yesterday I seen activity from them I never before, they both came out side the box and stood on top of it bobbing and weaving their heads for about 5 minutes? I assumed they had just mated? Anyway was a first for me  :D

[HemlockKing]

I'll keep a close eye on that woodpecker home for the next while I'm curious to see how he reacts when he unexpectedly finds 2 ducks inside.

[KEC]

HemlocKing, Just off my driveway is a big hard maple with dead limbs, numerous woodpecker holes. So recently, a saw a Downy Woodpecker working on creating a hole, presumably to nest in. Saw that a couple times, then shortly after a Red-breasted Nuthatch was working on the same hole. I'm very curious as to how this will play out. Many birds, during courtship the female will beg food from the males with wings aflutter just like a baby bird. Yesterday the female Red-breasted Nuthatch was doing that near a feeding station.