We saw a huge flock come through our yard today. We got video this year, but I haven't been able to view it yet to determine whether they were grackles or starlings or something else. It is raining and they were flying fast, not stopping long.
I looked over my notes from last year and saw that they flew through this same week, perhaps even on this very day. I wrote on December 7th that "this week we had a large flock come through". Today is December 4th. I also wrote last year that "they came through at this time last year, as well". Unfortunately, I didn't know the importance at that time of recording exact dates, but as near as I can pinpoint it, it seems as if they fly through the first week in December every year, and possibly even on December 4th each year. We'll have to wait until next year to know for sure!! I'll try to upload the video from this year and the photos from last year soon.
Showing posts with label winter birding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter birding. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Blessed Birdwatching
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
K. and I are birdwatchers. I recently contacted the man who does our local Christmas Bird Count to see if we could join him. If I had known who he was, I never would have dared to ask!
This kind man agreed to allow us to come along, as a training opportunity for young K. Little did I know that he had 60 years birding experience, and that he was featured in the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine in 1975 for finding a Ross's Gull in the continental United States, a finding that came to be known as "The Birding Event of the Century".
This kind and humble man spent an entire day alone with us, traipsing through the cold and rain, showing us how to use a scope, answering silly questions that he must have heard a million times by now, and dropping seeds of birding wisdom here and there along the path. It was our great privilege to spot several new species in this learned man's company, and we will always remember that we were with him the first time we saw the Horned Grebe, the Common Loon, the Bufflehead, the Bonaparte's Gull and the Forster's Tern.
We will also remember that our loving Father arranged this gift for us. Why would a busy birding veteran leave his home on Christmas Day and travel through the night to spend a day birdwatching with a homeschool mom and her little boy? I believe it is because we serve a High and Mighty God, who turns the hearts of men in order to bless His children.
I confidently approached this important man because I didn't know who he was. And yet, we can approach the Throne of Grace with just as much boldness. The Bible tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, and that should give us even more confidence to approach His throne in our time of need.
K. and I are birdwatchers. I recently contacted the man who does our local Christmas Bird Count to see if we could join him. If I had known who he was, I never would have dared to ask!
This kind man agreed to allow us to come along, as a training opportunity for young K. Little did I know that he had 60 years birding experience, and that he was featured in the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine in 1975 for finding a Ross's Gull in the continental United States, a finding that came to be known as "The Birding Event of the Century".
This kind and humble man spent an entire day alone with us, traipsing through the cold and rain, showing us how to use a scope, answering silly questions that he must have heard a million times by now, and dropping seeds of birding wisdom here and there along the path. It was our great privilege to spot several new species in this learned man's company, and we will always remember that we were with him the first time we saw the Horned Grebe, the Common Loon, the Bufflehead, the Bonaparte's Gull and the Forster's Tern.
We will also remember that our loving Father arranged this gift for us. Why would a busy birding veteran leave his home on Christmas Day and travel through the night to spend a day birdwatching with a homeschool mom and her little boy? I believe it is because we serve a High and Mighty God, who turns the hearts of men in order to bless His children.
I confidently approached this important man because I didn't know who he was. And yet, we can approach the Throne of Grace with just as much boldness. The Bible tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, and that should give us even more confidence to approach His throne in our time of need.
Tally from Christmas Bird Count 2007
Birds seen: West Point Lake CBC,GA./AL - 27 Dec2007
5 Common Loons
7 Pied-billed Grebes
21 Horned Grebes
32 Double-crested Cormorants
6 Great Blue Herons
3 Black Vultures
2 Turkey Vultures
1 Gadwall
3 Mallards
2 Northern Shovelers
4 Ring-necked Ducks
6 Buffleheads
2 Hooded Mergansers
1 Bald Eagles
1 Cooper's Hawk
3 Red-tailed Hawks
3 American Coots
1 Killdeer
1 Wilson's Snipe
5 Bonaparte's Gulls
200Ring-billed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
6 Forster's Terns
32 Rock Pigeons
14 Mourning Doves
2 Great Horned Owls
2 Belted Kingfishers
7 Red-bellied Woodpeckers
4 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Hairy Woodpeckers
7 Northern Flickers
2 Pileated Woodpeckers
2 Eastern Phoebes
6 Blue Jays
12 American Crows
3 Carolina Chickadees
8 Tufted Titmice
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
4 Brown-headed Nuthatches
2 Carolina Wrens
3 House Wrens
6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
21 Eastern Bluebirds
1 Hermit Thrush
80 American Robins
2 Northern Mockingbirds
1 Brown Thrasher
4 European Starlings
7 American Pipits
21 Cedar Waxwings
13 Yellow-rumped Warblers
9 Pine Warblers
1 Common Yellowthroat
2 Eastern Towhees
31 Chipping Sparows
2 Field Sparrows
3 Song Sparrows
9 White-throated Sparrows
18 Dark-eyed Juncos
7 Northern Cardinals
210Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Eastern Meadowlarks
4 Common Grackles
2 Pine Siskins
41 American Goldfinches
6 House Sparrows
Mil;es by Car: 45+
Miles by Foot 1+
Rain in morning, light but covering all with droplets, making identification difficult.
Rain ending by 10 AM
Additional Species seen at Dusk of previous day (Count Period) at Dam
1 Northern Pintail
2 Green-winged Teal
1 Canvasback
31 Ring-necked Ducks
41 Common Goldeneyes (indicating greater numbers that on count)
65 Hooded Mergansers (Indicating greater Numbers)
94 Red-breasted Mergansers (not recorded-perhaps only stopover)(high count)
Paul Miliotis: Compiler
5 Common Loons
7 Pied-billed Grebes
21 Horned Grebes
32 Double-crested Cormorants
6 Great Blue Herons
3 Black Vultures
2 Turkey Vultures
1 Gadwall
3 Mallards
2 Northern Shovelers
4 Ring-necked Ducks
6 Buffleheads
2 Hooded Mergansers
1 Bald Eagles
1 Cooper's Hawk
3 Red-tailed Hawks
3 American Coots
1 Killdeer
1 Wilson's Snipe
5 Bonaparte's Gulls
200Ring-billed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
6 Forster's Terns
32 Rock Pigeons
14 Mourning Doves
2 Great Horned Owls
2 Belted Kingfishers
7 Red-bellied Woodpeckers
4 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Hairy Woodpeckers
7 Northern Flickers
2 Pileated Woodpeckers
2 Eastern Phoebes
6 Blue Jays
12 American Crows
3 Carolina Chickadees
8 Tufted Titmice
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
4 Brown-headed Nuthatches
2 Carolina Wrens
3 House Wrens
6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
21 Eastern Bluebirds
1 Hermit Thrush
80 American Robins
2 Northern Mockingbirds
1 Brown Thrasher
4 European Starlings
7 American Pipits
21 Cedar Waxwings
13 Yellow-rumped Warblers
9 Pine Warblers
1 Common Yellowthroat
2 Eastern Towhees
31 Chipping Sparows
2 Field Sparrows
3 Song Sparrows
9 White-throated Sparrows
18 Dark-eyed Juncos
7 Northern Cardinals
210Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Eastern Meadowlarks
4 Common Grackles
2 Pine Siskins
41 American Goldfinches
6 House Sparrows
Mil;es by Car: 45+
Miles by Foot 1+
Rain in morning, light but covering all with droplets, making identification difficult.
Rain ending by 10 AM
Additional Species seen at Dusk of previous day (Count Period) at Dam
1 Northern Pintail
2 Green-winged Teal
1 Canvasback
31 Ring-necked Ducks
41 Common Goldeneyes (indicating greater numbers that on count)
65 Hooded Mergansers (Indicating greater Numbers)
94 Red-breasted Mergansers (not recorded-perhaps only stopover)(high count)
Paul Miliotis: Compiler
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