Birds, Birds, Everywhere...: October 2012

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Bird of the Week

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Sometimes I see a lot of one bird, or learn something new about a bird and want to find out more. Right now, the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is my favorite bird. I love how cartoon-y it is, with it's big looking eyes and quick, comical movements. And the way it is very round and kind of chubby looking, yet it's one of the smallest birds - even smaller than Warblers! And, not to mention, it just has such a cool name. :)

Fun Facts:

They often hawk or hover to take food
Flick their wings nervously when foraging, possibly to startle insects
Eats mainly insects, insect's eggs and larvae
Drinks tree sap from drill holes made by Sapsuckers
They like to hang out in coniferous and mixed conifer-deciduous forests about 15-30' from the ground
Sometimes they are in mixed foraging flocks with Creepers, Nuthatches, Titmice(not here in the NW), Warblers and Golden-Crowned Kinglets
You'll see them solitary or in pairs

Ruby-Crowned Kinglets look very similar to Hutton's Vireo (The ruby crown is rarely seen).

Here's what to look for:

Flight pattern - wing flicks, quick movements, hovering
Smaller, slimmer bill
Dark area below lower wing bar
Secondaries and tertials (wings) lack yellow edging
Hutton's Vireo is stockier with a larger head with the white eye ring broken above eyes

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Smith and Bybee

Somehow, this is only the 3rd time I've been here. It's a great place though. The recent botulism outbreak is still having an effect on the birds though. There were gun shots in the distance every once in awhile, to scare off the birds and we saw a dead Dowitcher and a few dead Mallards.

Despite the botulism outbreak, parts of S&B are looking clearer than ever.

Layers of Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons and way in the back; American White Pelicans.

The best part of the day was on the way back to the parking lot, this Pileated Woodpecker (male) was so close!

With out a doubt, the best look I've ever gotten of a Pileated Woodpecker!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Finley Wildlife Refuge

This is my second trip to Finley, I love this place, it has everything. Bodies of water, fields, lots of different kinds of trees, interpretive center (only open on weekends though), driving loops, walking loops AND a barn with an owl in it! Of course, I didn't see it. You have to be an owl person to see owls very often and I'm just not an owl person. I don't even know what it is that makes an owl person.