The Eastern Bluebird and Nest Boxes

Well we still have 3 to 4 feet of snow still on the ground here in Northeast Connecticut but the day time temps are finally starting to climb.  According to the calendar spring is just 2 weeks away but I think we might be battling snow and ice for a few weeks after that.  But there is hope, especially when I get new visitors to my backyard like the Eastern Bluebird.

Taken March 2015 at my feeder

The male Eastern Bluebird is easily identifiable by their brilliant royal blue color and rust colored throat and neck while females will be more gray on the back with blue in the wings.  Definitely colors that catch your eye when bird watching. Bluebirds will visit your feeders and enjoy fruit, mealworms, peanut hearts and even suet.  They are truly a treat when they visit.

Eastern Bluebirds will start their nesting in early March and it is important to get your Bluebird nesting boxes built and installed early in the nesting season if you want to keep them around.  Nestwatch.org has a downloadable set of Bluebird nesting box plans that makes this project a snap.

I hope you are lucky enough to have Bluebirds visit your backyard this year.

Sharing my Christmas Present with my Followers

I must have been a good boy last year because Santa left me a Peterson Guide to Birds of North America 2014 Daily Desktop calendar.  Every day I get to learn about a new bird and refresh myself on some I already know. 

Purchase on Amazon

Along with some very colorful images of the birds there is a description of the bird, details about the bird's size, the habitat it lives in and even the sounds it makes.  There is also a range map image in the lower right corner.

So in keeping with my Backyard Birds theme lately, I will be sharing the daily bird with you and all you have to do is follow along on our PassinthruOutdoors Facebook page or my @PTOutdoors Twitter feed.

If you want to learn more about a specific bird I suggest you stop by the Cornell - All about birds home page and use their Browse for a bird by name and shape ID section.

Enjoy!

Backyard Bird Identification Basics

It was just a normal morning with me eating breakfast and sipping coffee while enjoying the activity at my bird feeders when I noticed a new feathered visitor jump on the suet feeder.  I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a couple of pictures and then opened up the laptop and went about figuring our what it was. I knew it was a woodpecker and looked similar in size, shape and even some markings to a Downy woodpecker that visits often.  I was able to find what I thought it was by using an online bird guide, but I was still a little unsure.  The next morning it visited again and this time I could hear what resembled like a cat meow.   Using this information I went back to my online bird guide and verified that it was a yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Of course I still confirmed my sighting on a few Facebook pages.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker January 2014

It can be a real challenge when trying to identify a new visitor to my feeder and I am no expert.  Having a camera handy is very helpful but if you don't have one there are a few things to make note of quickly before your friend disapears.

White-breasted Nuthatch (left) - Red-bellied Woodpecker (middle) - Dark-eyed Junco (right)

Size and Shape

Many of our feathered friends can be very colorful and we can get caught up in those colors during their visit but the most important piece of information in making a good id is it's size and shape.  Also becoming familiar with bird silhouettes will help as well.  Gauging the size can be a challenge with nothing to make a real comparison to, like another bird, but practice this and make sure to pay particular attention to things like the bill, wings and tail, not just their shape but size relationship to the rest of the body.  Using the silhouette of the bird will help you narrow down your search in your field guide.

Color Pattern

It's easy to get caught up with the amazing colors of some birds, but for ID purposes concentrate on the overall colors, light and dark, instead of the exact details of each feather.  Also how bold or faint the color is.  Many birds can have very similar markings , but one bird might have bolder colors then the other.   When observing female birds that are not as colorful as the males, it becomes an even bigger challenge and takes practice.

Behavior

How a bird acts, sits, moves, flies can be very helpful in narrowing down a list of choices.  You must take your time and watch them.  I learn a lot about bird behavior when I am trying to take their pictures.  It is almost impossible to chase some birds around in your viewfinder as they almost never sit still long enough, but by watching them I learn what each one does before coming to my feeder and this allows me to setup a ambush spot to take their picture even if they only stop on a particular branch for a second or two.  Pay attention to a birds posture when sitting as there will be some keys here to help in your ID.  Also how a bird feeds is another clue. 

Habitat

Where a bird lives and at what times of the year it is present will really help you narrow down your ID when you have a couple of options.  Knowing what birds might be in your area is a good start.

Field Marks

Field marks are the details such as distinctive stripes, spots, colors and patterns that offer up additional clues.  You will also want to learn a little bit about the anatomy of a bird.  Field markings on the head, around the eye, on the wings, tail or belly are all good places to find clues.

Songs and Calls

I enjoy listening to the birds around my feeder, even during the warmer months when they start just below my bedroom window long before I am ready to get up.   If you can see a bird while it is singing that is great.  Sometimes you will hear them before you see them.  Some sounds can sound like words as well.

Online resources and Field Guides

Below are some links to some online resources, smartphone apps and field guides that can be useful in helping you with your bird ID.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology - By far my favorite birding resource.  Their site is full of information about birds from online bird guide where you can browse the database by name and shape or get great tips on how to attract birds to your backyard.  There is also plenty of links on ways to get involved and links to live bird cams.

eBird  - is a real time online checklist program that allows you to record your sightings, keep track of your checklist and share your sightings with other birders in the community and all this helps contribute to science and conservation.

Peterson Guides - Hard copy field guides as well as apps for your smartphone or tablet and their apps and database are connected with eBird to give you the latest information of sightings for your area.

Now you have some basic information to start your birding activities.  Good luck!

Backyard Birds Photos December 2013

Found some time to take some photos of my feathered friends that visited my bird feeders in December.  Enjoy them!

Mr. and Mrs Norther Cardinal

 

 

Mr and Mrs. Downy Woodpecker

Mr. and Mrs. House Finch

Red-bellied Woodpecker & White-breasted Nuthatch

Great Backyard Bird Count 2013 Feb 15 - 18

It's that time of the year to get outdoors and count the birds as the Great Backyard Bird Count takes place this weekend for 4 days starting Friday Feb 15th and ending on Monday Feb. 18th.

What is the GBBC?

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual 4-day event that engages bird watchers from all over the world and of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are.

Everyone is welcome--from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.
Participants tally the number of individual birds of each species they see during their count period. They enter these numbers on the GBBC website.

Why count birds?

Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document and understand the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

Scientists use the GBBC information, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to get the “big picture” about what is happening to bird populations. The longer these data are collected, the more meaningful they become in helping scientists investigate far-reaching questions

How to Participate?

Visit the GBBC website to learn more about the GBBC and how you can participate in this years Backyard Bird Count.

The GBBC offers up an opportunity to get the family together enjoy mother nature, even if you still ahve 2 feet of snow like we do in Connecticut. Count birds while sitting by your window watching the feeders or get outside and explore your local forest and parks. There are also photo contests, local events and plenty to learn by particpating.

You can read about our results from the 2012 count here: http://passinthruoutdoors.blogspot.com/2012/02/backyard-bird-count-results.html

 

My Weekend Outdoors - 3/11/12

It was a pretty nice weekend here in the Northeast with warmer temps and clear skies, you know the kid of day you must take advantage of and spend as much time as possible outdoors and I did.  I did some backyard birding and photography, made a little maple syrup and even got into some trout with the fly rod and before I get yelled at, I even did some house work.

With the night time temps warming up the sugaring season may be coming to an end and I can't say I am sorry to see it end.  As tasty as pure maple syrup is, it is truly a labor of love and Monday started week 5 of the season which includes many late nights during the week and longer weekends.  On Saturday Bubba and I bottled up another 6 gallons which helped us get closer to the 60 gallon yearly average, down some from last years 101 gallons though.  When you poor this stuff over your pancakes you quickly forget about those late nights and long weekends. 

Where the Magic happens - 30 gallons of sap per hour

 

Finished Product

Makes the time all worth while

The activity at my bird feeders has really picked up over the past couple weeks with new visitors showing up which is a good sign spring is on the way as the birds start migrating back North.  The newest visitors around my house were Red-winged blackbirds, American Goldfinches, Common Crackles, Mourning Doves and finally a couple of Robins.  At one point I had 10 American Goldfinches enjoying my offerings at the same time.  I think that is a record for me.  The highlight though was a hawk that thought he would get an easy meal at my feeder.  He didn't but came close twice.  I'm not sure if it is a Coppers Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk as they are very similar and hard to differentiate.  I do hope to see the Baltimore Orioles come back this spring.

Coopers or Sharp-shinned Hawk?

Mourning Dove

Red-winged Blackbird

Sunday afternoon found me fishing the Willimantic River TMA which is a fly fishing only section open year round for catch and release fishing.  I took a quick lunch run up there last week and was skunked but today was definitely more productive as bent rods and tight lines produce some nice trout to hand.  All released to provide someone else with the enjoyment they gave me.  I broke out the Greys Streamflex 10' 4wt and rigged up to Euro Nymph using a coiled sighter.  I picked up fish on brown rubber legged stonefly, a Frenchie style pheasant tail and a walt's worm.  I did miss a few as well.  The two best fish was a 14"  hefty rainbow and a 13" tiger trout.

This hefty 14"+ Rainbow took a size 18 Frenchie PT w/Orange Bead

This Rainbow trout took the size 18 Frenchie

Tiger Trout took the Rubber Legged Stone

A little video from the release of the bigger rainbow.  Looks like I need to work on my one handed video release technique though.  This was taken using my Olympus TG-310.

My daughter and I even got a little archery practice in and man were we rusty.  Not bad for a weekend outdoors.  So what did you do this past weekend?

GBBC - 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count

My Backyard Friend

This  past Saturday I woke up to the third snowstorm of the week and with nowhere to go I took my usual weekend morning place in the bay window of my kitchen where I sat watching the birds around my feeder and enjoying a nice warm cup of Joe.  I enjoyed the usual visit from our resident Cardinal Family, the black capped chickadees and of course the juncos.  One of the Juncos that visits regularly has a white head and I have affectionately named her whitey.  I know, not very creative and I'm not even sure it is a she, but I gave her the same name we gave to a white faced Doe that we used to encounter during our bowhunts back in the 80s along the Delaware Water Gap in NJ.  This is the second winter that Whitey has visited my back yard and I am always excited to see her.  I have yet to get a good picture of her but I will continue to try.  My family doesn't miss an opportunity to tease me about taking better care of my birds then I do them, which isn't true, but without my back yards birds winter would be a real downer for sure.  Their beautiful colors and sweet sounds make the short days and long dark nights that much more tolerable.

So What is the GBBC?

According to the GBBC website:

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. 

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

So why should we count birds?

Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

Scientists use the counts, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to give us an immense picture of our winter birds. Each year that these data are collected makes them more meaningful and allows scientists to investigate far-reaching questions.

 

How can you particpate?

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you're likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number of each species you see on this checklist.

3. When you're finished, enter your results through our web page. You'll see a button marked "Enter Your Checklists!" on the website home page beginning on the first day of the count. It will remain active until the deadline for data submission. (We'll let you know when that is for 2012.)

So you now have a reason to do some bird watching on February 17 - 20, as if you needed a reason.

For more information visit the GBBC website:  http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/