Birding with tadoflamb 2017

[tadoflamb]

Stopped at the intersection of Speedway and I-10 the Holy Spirit descended upon me in the bodily form of a (#148) Cliff Swallow.

 

[tadoflamb]

(#149) LUCY'S WARBLER in my backyard this morning.

Here's a photo I took of a Lucy's Warbler last summer in the same location.

 

[tadoflamb]

I'm #1! I'm #1!

I'm currently the top backyard birder on eBird for Pima county for both the year (35) and the month of March (24).

I'm #1! I'm #1!

 

[tadoflamb]

And in other birding news, I was only three hours away from being the first person in Pima county to see the above Lucy's Warbler. Some hot shot retired doctor who spends his entire life birding beat me to it.

 

[Genersis]

This thread is great.
Not sure what else I can add really.
Stay passionate.

 

[tadoflamb]

A little off my game for the past few weeks since watercolor classes are back in full swing and I had oral surgery two Saturday's ago, but I made it out to Sweetwater Wetlands for a three hour jaunt before mass Sunday. My first surprise were 4 (#150) VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS flitting their way north. A (#151) LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER had a bunch of us desert rats mystified as to it's identity. It was only the second one recorded in Pima county this year. And finally, I got a look the the (#152) female HOODED MERGANSER that had eluded me on my previous visits.

Not seeing a lot of migrants yet.

Here's a picture of a Common Gallinule I took. I think he's kind of cute.

 

[Genersis]

Wow, Common Gallinule look a lot like my local Moorhens. Cool.
Must be pretty closely related.

 

[tadoflamb]

Time to catch up before the week gets ahead of me.

About this time last week, while birding one of the local parks I came across a local specialty (#153) PYRRHULOXIA or what is colloquially known as the Mexican Cardinal (can't build a wall high enough to stop this one)

 

[tadoflamb]

I took a weekend walk with my wife to one of my favorite spots in the Catalina mountains, Rose Canyon Lake. There we found two local specialty warblers, the (#154) OLIVE WARBLER and (#155) PAINTED REDSTART. We also saw and heard summer residents (#156) BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD. On the highway back to town we stopped at a stake out parking pull out where we got the rare and visiting (#156) LEWIS'S WOODPECKER.

Here's a picture I took in Rose Canyon of the first American Robin I saw in Pima county.

And here's a nice pic of the canyon.

 

[tadoflamb]

Sunday before mass I took another trip to Sweetwater Wetlands. Migrants and summer breeders are starting to move in as I picked up singing (#158) YELLOW WARBLER and (#159) BELL'S VIREO as well as a female (#160) BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD.

Here's a picture of Sweetwater Wetlands.

And here's a picture I took of a Red-winged Blackbird.

 

[tadoflamb]

Wow, Common Gallinule look a lot like my local Moorhens. Cool.
Must be pretty closely related.

I think they may have been considered the same bird at one time. We used to call them Common Moorhens over here, but I suspect the name was changed when the species was split. They still hybridize, however.

 

[tadoflamb]

In backyard birding news I spied a Cedar Waxwing earlier this week and a Black-throated Gray Warbler came by my water feature this morning solidifying my lead for backyard birds for the month (30) and year (40).

I'm #1, I'm #1!

Here's a picture I took a couple years ago of the warbler. I wonder if he's the same bird, he seems to show up at the same time each year.

 

[Fish and Bread]

Hey. Just a question for Tad or anyone who might know. What type of gulls would one likely be seeing visiting coastal regions in the US Mid-Atlantic (i.e. Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, etc.)?

I always thought the answer was just "seagulls", but I tried to look it up and found that, technically, there is no such thing as a seagull. There are many different types of gulls, though, and since many are white birds found in ocean regions, they are naturally referred to as seagulls around the world- but they are actually different types of birds (Albeit related and similar looking). There is no one "seagull", what bird you're seeing varies by region- apparently. So says the Internet.

 

[tadoflamb]

Hey. Just a question for Tad or anyone who might know. What type of gulls would one likely be seeing visiting coastal regions in the US Mid-Atlantic (i.e. Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, etc.)?

I always thought the answer was just "seagulls", but I tried to look it up and found that, technically, there is no such thing as a seagull. There are many different types of gulls, though, and since many are white birds found in ocean regions, they are naturally referred to as seagulls around the world- but they are actually different types of birds (Albeit related and similar looking). There is no one "seagull", what bird you're seeing varies by region- apparently. So says the Internet.

You are correct. There is no such thing as a 'seagull'. That's why I insist on calling them that.

The first thing you want to do when discerning adult gulls in breeding plumage is to look at the head. In your part of the country, if the bird has a black head and is on the coast it's probably a Laughing Gull. If it's a very large gray backed gull on the coast and sometimes inland it's probably a Herring Gull. If it is large and has a black back it's probably a Greater Black-backed Gull. Smaller grey backed gull with ringed-bills that are found more inland along lakes, fields and parking lots are probably Ring-billed Gulls.

Here's a photo I took of a gull you won't see out East, a Western Gull.

 

[tadoflamb]

Just got back from a week of birding with my dad. He lives near Paris, on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee.

I racked up 88 species during that time with 47 of them being new for the year.

He's got quite the piece of property. It's about an acre of lake front property, and unlike his neighbors, maintains a natural landscape. I identified 56 species of birds there, testimony to the resilience of nature and how just a little bit of habitat can create a lot of bio diversity.

At any rate, my first new bird of the year came while taxing into the Denver airport, a (#161) Western Meadowlark. See? It pays to pay attention.

 

[tadoflamb]

Here's a photo I took of a Chipping Sparrow at the golf course at Paris Landing State Park. Since my dad was a volunteer there and it was a slow day, they let us take a golf cart out on the course for some exceptional birding. The course is a National Audubon Society Bird Sanctuary.

Cute little feller ins't he?

 

[tadoflamb]

Day one in Tennessee, while they would have a constant presence during my visit, the first new bird out of the airport was (and @Colin would be very interested to know this) was the (#162) AMERICAN CROW.

Getting close to Kentucky Lake a (#163) BROAD-WINGED HAWK popped up on a power pole next to the road.

Upon arriving at my father's house the familiar whistle of the (#164) TUFTED TITMOUSE told me that I was now in the eastern woods. Subsequent surveys of the premises produced the expected residents, (#165) DOWNY WOODPECKER, (#166) RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, (#167) CAROLINA CHICKADEE, (#168) CAROLINA WREN and, (#169) RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. The find of the evening was a (#170) PINE WARBLER, doing what else, but winding it's way through the pines.

 

[tadoflamb]

Day 2 near Paris, on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee.

I love my dad's house. Morning coffee and birding produced (#171) BLUE JAY, (#172) OSPREY, (#173) COMMON LOON, (#174) BROWN THRASHER and (#175) EASTERN TOWHEE who said 'Drink-your-teeeeeea!'

 

[tadoflamb]

That afternoon the whole family came along with me on a wonderful birding expedition to Pace Point on the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. Along the way we found a flock of 5 (#176) WILD TURKEY's and a (#177) LESSER YELLOWLEG.

From the point we first found (and what @Colin would be very interested in knowing), the (#178) AMERICAN-WHITE PELICAN, (#179) HERRING GULL, (#180) RING-BILLED GULL, (#181) BONAPARTE'S GULL, (#182) FORESTER'S TERN, (#183) CASPIAN TERN and (#184) BUFFLEHEAD. Several walks into the woods revealed a (#185) YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, (#186) ACADIAN FLYCATCHER (lifer, but heard only) and tough looks at a singing (#187) NORTHERN PARULA.

Later that night, while enjoying cocktails and ignoring my Lenten practices, a (#188) BARRED OWL asked us, 'Who cooks for you?'

 

[tadoflamb]

Day 3 near Paris, on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee.

While our wives went to Kentucky to find some culture, my father and I sought out something much less rare, birds I hadn't seen in Tennessee. An excellent morning at the local state park produced little new besides a lot of very common (#189) COMMON GRACKLES and pair of rare (or early) (#191) EASTERN WOOD PEWEE'S.

Undeterred we headed off for another trip to the Tennessee NWR. At the Visitor's Center we found (#192) TREE SWALLOW and a (#193) EASTERN MEADOWLARK. Advised by my dad's Fish and Wildlife friend we then went south to the Duck River Unit where we found, (#194) WILSON'S SNIPE and a (@Colin would be very interested to hear this) a (#195) BALD EAGLE.

On the way home, by the sheer grace of God, we happened upon an early and unexpected (#196) WOOD THRUSH while taking a side trip down a dirt road.

Gotta love birding with my dad.

Here's a pic of the Tennessee NWR Duck River Unit. Beautiful place.