Spring migration 2016
Apr 25, 2016 15:30:27 GMT -5
Post by hazelrunmama on Apr 25, 2016 15:30:27 GMT -5
Migration has been really slow here--but the birds that have been showing up, are showing up a little early. The Rose-breasted grosbeaks started trickling in today, about 5 days ahead of schedule. I saw 2 males and I think they'd been here before--both were sitting in the sumac along the old feeder line, looking a little confused at the lack of feeders...
I saw some fairly credible reports of Ruby-throated hummingbirds in Minneapolis (about the same latitude as us) last week, so I panicked, made some nectar, cleaned a couple feeders and set up the nectar station. Haven't seen any hummers, though.
Other than that, I've seen kinglets, Red-winged blackbirds, robins, bluebirds, Red fox sparrows, White-throated sparrows, Eastern phoebes, one Brown creeper and one Brown thrasher in the yard. The hawks put on a good show this spring--lots of them flying around the country side...and hunting in the yard (more's the pity!) Also Canada geese, Sandhill cranes, Turkey vultures, and even an errant flock of Greater white-fronted geese!
Notable absences: any and all warblers--haven't even seen any butterbutts!--and no 'exotic' sparrows (like Lincoln's, Harris's, or even White-crowned).
On the other hand, the Pine siskins look like they're going to be breeding here again this year.
Not sure why the numbers have been so low--I wonder if some of it has to do with the change in the feeder arrangements--certainly the feeder birds are having a little trouble figuring out where the food is when they first arrive!
I saw some fairly credible reports of Ruby-throated hummingbirds in Minneapolis (about the same latitude as us) last week, so I panicked, made some nectar, cleaned a couple feeders and set up the nectar station. Haven't seen any hummers, though.
Other than that, I've seen kinglets, Red-winged blackbirds, robins, bluebirds, Red fox sparrows, White-throated sparrows, Eastern phoebes, one Brown creeper and one Brown thrasher in the yard. The hawks put on a good show this spring--lots of them flying around the country side...and hunting in the yard (more's the pity!) Also Canada geese, Sandhill cranes, Turkey vultures, and even an errant flock of Greater white-fronted geese!
Notable absences: any and all warblers--haven't even seen any butterbutts!--and no 'exotic' sparrows (like Lincoln's, Harris's, or even White-crowned).
On the other hand, the Pine siskins look like they're going to be breeding here again this year.
Not sure why the numbers have been so low--I wonder if some of it has to do with the change in the feeder arrangements--certainly the feeder birds are having a little trouble figuring out where the food is when they first arrive!
Still only the two male grosbeaks--not sure if the rest of them have passed us over, or if these two were just so eager to get here and claim prime territory that they overflew the rest of the flock! And one other oddity--despite our not-so-prime Red-winged blackbird habitat, we had 9 males under the feeders yesterday! Awesome!!
