A Two Cuckoo Day!

 Black-billed Cuckoo

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Going Cuckoo! Two days ago we had a two cuckoo day, first we had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo then a few hours later a Black-billed Cuckoo! This morning we heard a Black-billed Cuckoo calling. These are special, secretive birds that are more often heard than seen. Caterpillars are the favorite prey of both and both have had steep population declines, partly due to habitat loss on breeding and wintering grounds and increased use of pesticides impacting caterpillar availability. Get to know their song and calls.
Black-billed sounds,
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/gu…/Black-billed_Cuckoo/sounds
Yellow-billed sounds,
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/g…/Yellow-billed_Cuckoo/sounds
(Photos of Black-billed Cuckoo, adult, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, first year, from other times.)

Scarlet Tanager just flew by!!

This beautiful Scarlet Tanager was singing in an oak tree behind our house and just flew by me, what a gift.

Savannah Sparrow in our field!

Singing in our big Bobolink field, this beautiful Savannah Sparrow likes this habitat. Hope it gets a mate and successfully breeds!

Red-eyed Vireos and Warbler Migration 5/18/20

Red-eyed Vireo

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Northern Parula

Black-troated Green Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Yellow Warbler

Pine Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Cue the Red-eyed Vireos, they were EVERYWHERE yesterday! It also was a good warbler migration day for NH birders who have long been waiting for one. We saw or heard many wonderful species including Black-throated Blues, Northern Parulas, Black-throated Greens, Magnolia, Cape May, Northern Waterthrush, Yellow Warblers, Pine Warblers, Common Yellowthroats. (photos are from other times)

Savannah Sparrows have returned!!

Yesterday there were 2 Savannah Sparrows in our yard!! Such a pretty sparrow and we have their preferred habitat of open areas with low vegetation - our big Bobolink field! There are many subspecies and they breed across much of the upper half of North America. Hope they stay to breed. Not easy to photograph as they stayed low in grasses foraging and only occasionally looking up. (Canon SX 50 photos)

Bobolinks Have Returned!! Yeah!!

Yeah!! The Bobolinks have returned to "Bobolink Farm" our 23 acres NH property which we manage for nesting grassland species and may other birds as well. Had our first Bobolink this morning, singing a little, then resting and foraging. Probably tired from the long journey back (they winter in South America). We have had nesting bobolinks on our hayfield for almost 20 years. We make sure the farmer hays the field in later summer so as not to destroy the nests of the breeding Bobolinks. Many other migrants have been flooding in as well, more on that later. Right now, celebrate the Bobolinks!

Common Loon now on the pond! Wonderful!

There's a Common Loon out on the pond here in NH this morning in the rain (photo from another time). We don't see loons here from our property much, the water level is controlled by a dam and varies up and down so not a good place for a loon to breed. Loons, however, are at nearby lakes and ponds. Love their calls!

Birthday Birding in the Rain! Yellow-rumped Warbler

It's my birthday and raining so I am doing my favorite activity, birding, but from my front porch. Some of the best birds seen so far are Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Pine Warbler. Three days of rain ahead so maybe after that more migrants will arrive. (Photo of Yellowrump from another time).

Belted Kingfisher in Flight, Exciting!

Two Belted Kingfishers flew right by our deck this morning! Had one return from migration March 24th, but now there are two. Possibly one is chasing another off a breeding territory. They breed across almost all of North American and winter in the middle and southern parts of the country. They nest in a long excavated tunnel along a river bank so be on the lookout for them. (photo from another time)

Life With Corgis, Cute!!

#LifeWithCorgis  Here is Abby cleaning Andre, did someone say “cauliflower” and Andre’s chin rest.
We so enjoy living with our sweet Corgis.

Scarlet Tanager Happiness! Coming Soon!

Scarlet Tanagers bring cheeriness, which is much needed in New England right now. We have had March-like rainy, cold, windy, weather and not letting up for several weeks! Looking forward to seeing Tanagers in May.

Blue-headed Vireo, First of the Year yard bird! They are migrating now.

Blue-headed Vireo, FOY (first of year), check! Yesterday's new yard bird. Such a lovely vireo and one that we commonly get here in our NH yard.

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.