Owls

Over this weekend, I had some fantastic luck with owls in Lakeshore. Yesterday, I finally got a look at that BDOW I posted about last month, and also heard a duet of GHOW there! Today, I spotted the GHOW that typically hangs out behind the Nat in the silver maple (one of its favorite perches). I watched it for about an hour, but fearing it was "on to me," I moved to get a different viewing angle. When I did, I lost sight of it and didn't see where it flew off to. The owl won this time!

Early Migrants!

Today was my first real day of migration! A walk around Lakeshore with a friend produced killdeer, red-winged blackbird, and common grackle. On my walk home, I heard my first sandhill crane. When I got home, I spotted an even bigger surprise from my window: a small flock of American white pelican! Bring on spring!

Second point woods

Now that spring is springing, I'm back to wandering outside! This weekend, I found a flock of pine siskins in lakeshore preserve on campus, and a number of singing tufted titmice. Also, a flock of mourning doves corrected this "late miss."

from close to one of the "big oaks"

Lakeshore

Today, I birded with a friend, and we heard my BIGBY barred owl around 3pm! I was a little surprised, since it was broad daylight, but we were happy with the sound. (Now, please comment if you were somewhere near picnic point entrance hooting...)

RUBL Spring Blitz

Do you eBird your BIGBY sightings? (Hint: you should!) Once you get on board with submitting your records electronically, it's just as easy to contribute to the RUBL Blitz! Again, a green effort to count these birds helps double: not only does it give much-needed migration data, but we're also making a minimal impact by not using fossil fuel to find them. So, if you can search for rusty blackbirds on your BIGBY, this vulnerable species will thank you!

RUBL Blitz

It's time again to start thinking about the rusty blackbird blitz, which you can easily (and even preferably) do "green!" Last year was the first migration blitz year, so this year will have an additional goal. Now that we have identified hot spots, are they really hot spots? What I mean is: will rusties return to those places this year? Please revisit the places you found RUBL last spring and see if they come back!

My List So Far

Winter has brought me...

• Canada goose
• mallard
• bald eagle
• Cooper's hawk
• red-tailed hawk
• herring gull
• rock pigeon
• great horned owl
• red-bellied woodpecker
• downy woodpecker
• hairy woodpecker
• American crow
• black-capped chickadee
• white-breasted nuthatch
• brown creeper
• American robin
• European starling
• cedar waxwing
• American tree sparrow
• song sparrow
• dark-eyed junco
• northern cardinal
• house finch
• American goldfinch
• house sparrow