January 19, 2024 A tail-cocked wren the color of bark spirals along a branch in the bare, sapsucker-pocked apple tree. I hope for house wren, which would be new for the month, but when I see the bold white slash above its eye, I mentally check off the expected. Bewick’s wren.
Strange year here. No Pine Siskins in the past 6 weeks and just a few HOFIs. Am saving a fortune on thistle seed! My strangest flyovers besides the CaraCara have been Great Egret, Sandhill Crane and Osprey. Would love to get a Short-tailed Hawk.
With luck I can also get 30 species (mostly different than you see) if I spend most of the day getting nothing done save staring out a window or two. On 1/3 a Western Screech-Owl was seen peering out of one of the larger nest boxes and has been seen almost daily since. That will have to be my January highlight as only the "regulars" are here plus the "rare" pair of Rufous-winged Sparrows that have been here for months. Sorry to learn that so many of your family has been infected with Covid. Doug came down with it two weeks ago and by some miracle I didn't get it even though I was stuck in the house isolating with him for those weeks. Why aren't we hearing more about it? Seems a lot of people I know are getting it, more than in 2020!
I was visiting all the kids when they started getting sick, but I escaped it--maybe my immunity from my infection in October? Yes, lots of people I know getting sick...
I can get 30 species in two hours...or close to 30. My highlights are a rare green-tailed towhee and Montezuma quail. Haven't heard our regular Whiskered Screech-owl in months.
This is the first year we haven't had Green-tailed Towhee or Lincoln's Sparrows as regulars. Both showed up as early migrants and then disappeared. On an even sadder note we are inundated with HOSP! Early years here we never saw any. I've had a couple of Golden Eagle sightings lately but over the Dragoons and not our place but I count them since I see them from our patio.
It's a big year for House Finches and Pine Siskins here...and I do the same. I count any bird I can see from the yard including, once, a Short-tailed Hawk! I remember you once had a flyover Caracara...
I hardly have any HOFIs or LEGOs! Such a weird winter.
I've had one Chipping Sparrow for January--always the same one!
Strange year here. No Pine Siskins in the past 6 weeks and just a few HOFIs. Am saving a fortune on thistle seed! My strangest flyovers besides the CaraCara have been Great Egret, Sandhill Crane and Osprey. Would love to get a Short-tailed Hawk.
I'm missing the Cassin's Finches from last year...
With luck I can also get 30 species (mostly different than you see) if I spend most of the day getting nothing done save staring out a window or two. On 1/3 a Western Screech-Owl was seen peering out of one of the larger nest boxes and has been seen almost daily since. That will have to be my January highlight as only the "regulars" are here plus the "rare" pair of Rufous-winged Sparrows that have been here for months. Sorry to learn that so many of your family has been infected with Covid. Doug came down with it two weeks ago and by some miracle I didn't get it even though I was stuck in the house isolating with him for those weeks. Why aren't we hearing more about it? Seems a lot of people I know are getting it, more than in 2020!
I was visiting all the kids when they started getting sick, but I escaped it--maybe my immunity from my infection in October? Yes, lots of people I know getting sick...
I can get 30 species in two hours...or close to 30. My highlights are a rare green-tailed towhee and Montezuma quail. Haven't heard our regular Whiskered Screech-owl in months.
This is the first year we haven't had Green-tailed Towhee or Lincoln's Sparrows as regulars. Both showed up as early migrants and then disappeared. On an even sadder note we are inundated with HOSP! Early years here we never saw any. I've had a couple of Golden Eagle sightings lately but over the Dragoons and not our place but I count them since I see them from our patio.
It's a big year for House Finches and Pine Siskins here...and I do the same. I count any bird I can see from the yard including, once, a Short-tailed Hawk! I remember you once had a flyover Caracara...