65 Tree Swallows, 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Wow!

 65 Tree Swallows are on perch and all over ground

 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Wow, there are 65 Tree Swallows resting on the ground and on the perch we supplied plus a lone Northern Rough-winged Swallow hanging in a tree. It is cold and windy so they are resting and warming up and waiting for insects to fly. Provide perches, build it and they will come! Meanwhile Andre is doing his own warming up in sun. 

Stokes Pollinator Garden Plant A Pollinator Garden for Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, celebrate it! Here's a good Earth Day idea - plant a pollinator garden! About 75% of the vegetables and fruits we eat depend on pollinators but pollinators are facing big declines. While bees are the big pollinators, there are about 4,000 species of wild bees in the U.S., including bumblebees, mason bees, carpenter bees and sweat bees, there also are other pollinators as well. Here are some photos of my pollinator garden and a link where you can get seeds for pollinator friendly plants. Other tips are - don't use pesticides, go for diversity and single flowers (they provide more nectar) and also leave habitat for nesting of dry grasses, brush piles and dead wood.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1122869760759&ca=514a87ed-f64f-4c4f-893d-61926bb637c4&fbclid=IwAR1mnRc0E3r0lZ51Nb2Of1AL8k75AMlU5dX-xJdX2ydU4En40CULNbZ_OnE

Sapsuckers sound like the Psycho movie shower scene

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, female

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, male

Remember the music from the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psyco" movie? Well that is what we are reminded of when we hear the calls of the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers who nest here every year. We hear them more than we see them and they make other calls and drumming noises than the Psycho one, but that is the call that gets our attention every time! Go to this link and listen to the second call down, recorded in Maine,
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/…/Yellow-bellied_Sapsu…/sounds
(photo is of female, male has red throat)

Red-tailed Hawks Are Migrating, be on the lookout!

Yesterday here in NH we had 5 adult Red-tailed Hawks in a "kettle" (rising group) as the sun warmed the temps up in late morning and thermals rose, a good time to look for migrants. My impression was that some were migrants, but a few may have been breeders as I saw one bird drop its talons and descend towards another bird, possible a breeder that was reminding migrants of its territory. We also had an Osprey hunting the pond and several Bald Eagle sightings. A good raptor day! Photo is composite of my images of adult (top and right) and juvenile Red-tailed Hawks from our The Stokes Essential Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America.
https://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Essential-Pocket…/…/0316010510

Beautiful Palm Warbler Migrant Today, look for them!

Hey, hey, pretty FOY Palm Warbler migrant this morning. It was the eastern subspecies, the "Yellow Palm Warbler" Setophaga palmarum hypochrysea (breeds QC and east) which is more colorful than the "Western Palm Warbler" Setophaga palmarum palmarum (breeds Hudson Bay and to west). It was foraging on the ground, not in Palm Trees, ha-ha, here in NH. This warbler was actually named years ago by a naturalist, J.P Gmelin, after a specimen collected on a palm tree filled caribbean island (Hispanola). Palm Warblers breed in bogs and cut-over jack pine woods in Canada and the far upper areas of the eastern two-thirds of this country. They winter in the southeastern coastal states and the Caribbean. FOY means first of the year and is a fun thing to record of birds coming to your yard since you, and we, are in isolation during this crisis time. We keep a daily journal of birds seen in our yard. (photo taken another time)

Hermit Thrushes have returned!!

Yes, Hermit Thrushes are back in NH and New England we had one several days ago. What a beautiful song they have! They are one of the earliest arriving thrushes. Wood Thrushes have barely made it to NH so far. Listen to Hermit Thrush song here,

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/sounds

To learn more bird songs try Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs

https://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Field-Guide-Bird-Songs/dp/B00A47ALOE

American Redstart, The Warblers are Coming Soon!

The warblers are coming! Just keep telling yourself that on this bad weather, stormy day here in the Northeast. (American Redstart, male)

Happy Easter Bunny everyone!

I photographed this Eastern Cottontail rabbit on our property a few years ago. Rabbits are not common where we live. We have seen cottontails and also Snowshoe Hares, but only rarely.
Have a Happy Easter weekend.

Pied-billed Grebe, rare bird arrives plus more!

 Pied-billed Grebe

Wow, look what the storm brought in during the last few hours, Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Harrier, Osprey, Bald Eagle, imm. The Pied-billed Grebe is the rare one here for NH (state listed threatened). In addition we had FOY Hermit Thrush and Chipping Sparrow arrive. Low clouds, rain and coming storm which will bring snow north of us had birds on the move. (photos all from other times).

Pine Warblers Have Arrived, they come to bird feeders so be alert!

Pine Warbler just now in, of course, a pine tree by our bird feeder. Pine Warblers are one of the earliest warblers to arrive back here in NH. We always listen for their sweet musical trill song. Pine Warblers often come to bird feeders for suet, especially if the weather is cold, as this one did a few years ago, so keep your feeders supplied. Always exciting to welcome a newly arrived species.

Swainson's Warblers arriving!

Swainson's Warblers are now arriving in the South, have gotten as far as North Carolina. This skulky, rare warbler breeds in the Southeast in wooded lowland swamps, canebrake and also rhododendron thickets in southern Appalachians. Best place to see it is on migration hotspots. This was photographed on Sanibel Island, FL.

Migration is starting soon, herons and songbirds returning!

 

Migration is starting and soon migrants such as herons, warblers, hummingbirds and more will be flooding into the U.S. and Canada on their way to their breeding grounds. Watching birds will help take your mind of the virus crises we are in. I photographed this Black-crowned Night-Heron yesterday on Sanibel, FL. This is a bird that occurs year round in many coastal areas of the U.S. but breeds in much of the country. So look for them soon arriving on their breeding grounds this spring. They are active mainly at night and can be found in marshes, lakes and streams. For more information see the new The Stokes Field Guide to Birds, Eastern or Western Region.

Tree Swallows are Back!

They're back! Happiness is seeing four Tree Swallows flying around our bird houses and landing on them. We have a large Tree Swallow colony here at Bobolink Farm our 23 acre NH property, with about twenty nesting pairs each year on the houses in our large field near the water. These are not the first Tree Swallows we have seen, one passed by here on March 14th but it flew on. These four look like they have been here before and right away are settling on some of the houses which they will have to defend as other swallows arrive. Bluebirds have to compete with the swallows and sometimes we put three houses together to help with the competition. Love the swallows they bring joy.

World Sparrow Day Appreciation!

American Tree Sparrow 

Something to take your mind off virus anxiety - today is World Sparrow Day, a day to appreciate biodiversity and these wonderful birds. Here is an American Tree Sparrow I photographed in fall, eating goldenrod seeds. We always used to have a little flock of Tree Sparrows arrive at our NH home and stay the winter and enjoyed their musical twittering calls. Their breeding grounds are in the far northern areas of North America. Take time to watch and appreciate birds, it's stress reducing!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Tree_Sparrow/sounds

American Woodcocks Have Arrived!

The males make a nasal "peent" sound then launch into an aerial display where they make twittering and chirping sounds. Then they land and again "peent." The displays attract females and the males mate with them then the females go off and nest in the woods.

Canada Geese arriving!

Canada Geese flying overhead this morning on their way to the newly opened water. Spring is coming.

Corgis watching

The Corgis watching from the snow cleared deck. Abby, Andre in middle, Phoebe right. Always keeping track. Pileated Woodpecker is drumming in distance.

Happy Valentine's Day Eagles

Happy Valentine's Day! Celebrate with the ones you love!

Gary Cole, Goodbye.

Gary and Don waiting at Blind Pass for the green flash.

 Diane and Gary

Blind Pass sunset, Goodbye Gary.

Gary Cole, our good friend, passed away Monday, Feb. 3rd at his home in Illinois. Gary was generous and funny and passionate about bird photography, native plants, prairie restoration, conservation and of course, his grandkids! He was my photography buddy on Sanibel and we had many wonderful times with he and his wife, Diane Elizabeth Bell Cole there. Gary led many plant walks on Sanibel for the Weeds and Seeds group. Here are some of his bird photographs he last posted on his facebook page. He was sometimes shy about showing his photos, but I don't think he would mind me posting these. Gary was one of the good guys. We will miss him very much. In my photo of he and Don and the sunset they are waiting at Blind Pass for the Green Flash. My heart goes out to Diane and her family. Love you Gary, goodbye.

Bluebird Happiness!

Bluebird time! Yesterday our pair of Eastern Bluebirds were checking out their nesting box, going in and out, thinking about the upcoming breeding season. Happiness is bluebirds!

Happy Groundhog Day! Early Spring Predicted!

Happy Groundhog Day! It's official, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous predicting groundhog, did not see his shadow so we will have an early spring. Where I am in eastern MA it is overcast so any groundhog who emerged would not see it's shadow, however all groundhogs here are still hibernating in their burrows despite the spring-like weather here (no snow on ground, mild temps). What's the weather where you are?
https://weather.com/…/2020-01-30-groundhog-day-punxsutawney…

Great White Pelican, Here We Go Again!

Great White Pelican, Sanibel, FL 2016, ©Lillian Stokes

Great White Pelican, Sanibel, FL 2016 ©Lillian Stokes

Great White Pelican, Merritt Island, FL 2020 ©Kristina Fisher

Here we go again! A Great White Pelican (a species found in Africa, Asia and Europe) showed up Thursday at Merritt Island, FL. Experts are trying to determine if this is the same Great White Pelican that showed up at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel FL in Feb. 2016, 2017 and 2019. The Sanibel sightings were rejected by the Florida Ornithological Society as a first North American record even though there was no evidence that this was a bird escaped from captivity in the U.S. Experts keep track of that plus this bird had no bands. Will this open the case again? Amazingly this new sighting, as with previous sightings, had the Great White Pelican showing up the same month, February, in the company of American White Pelicans. The photo on top I took at Ding Darling in Feb. 2016, the photo on bottom was taken by Kristina Fisher Thursday at Merritt Island. Stay tuned. To see my blog post on the Sanibel bird go,

https://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/search…

 

Short-eared Owl, Wonderful Winter Owl!

Thinking about winter owls. Here's a Short-eared Owl I saw several years ago in Salisbury Beach, MA on Christmas day. What a gift! This wonderful owls breeds across all of Canada and AK and the uppermost part of the West, but winters across most of the U.S. in grasslands and open areas where they hunt voles and mice.

Happy National Bird Day!

Happy National Bird Day! Celebrate birds, protect birds, go birding, feed birds and most of all enjoy birds! I chose to show this Hairy Woodpecker at a feeder because that is the way the majority of Americans interact with birds.

Purple Sandpiper, winters in New England

Sweet Purple Sandpipers are a wintering sandpiper here in New England. They breed in the tundra and winter on the rocky Atlantic Coast. Some may migrate through Greenland and winter in Europe. Not very purple but beautiful to see against the ocean landscape.

Carolina Wren First Bird of 2020, What's Yours?

Carolina Wren was my first bird of 2020. Sign of the times and the warming climate as this species has been moving its range northward, also helped by bird feeders. What was your first bird of 2020?