2comments Finding Birds

I have found the best way for me to find birds to photograph is to find the food they love to eat. Out at the landfill that means different things at different times of the year. It seems many times out there it is a boom or bust kind of situation. There have been many times when I have seen hundreds of American Goldfinches feeding on unknown weeds or Common Sunflowers. Other times warblers and others descend in droves on the dogwood berries during fall migration. During the summer there was a lot of construction at the landfill, and subsequently, a lot of recently planted wheat. Wheat is often planted and covered with straw to prevent soil erosion, it grows quickly and can withstand cold better than most other ground covers. All that wheat on the ground has attracted more Mourning Doves than usual and a nice group of Horned Larks as well.

Mourning Dove

Right now it seems the birds are devouring the Japanese Honeysuckle berries as fast as they can. The stuff grows profusely along the woodland edges at the landfill. Japanese Honeysuckle is one of the most invasive species there is, nonetheless, the birds seem to enjoy the berries it produces. I have heard before that Japanese Honeysuckle berries are an "ecological trap", meaning that the berries are attractive to the birds but offer little in the way of actual nutrition. Even if this is true the birds do not seem to notice because they guard their patch of honeysuckle fervently, especially the Northern Mockingbirds. Here is a short list of birds I have found in the honeysuckle patch yesterday: Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, White-throated Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Golfinch, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Rusty Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler and of course American Robins. The berries are going quick so I may have to find a new spot to photograph birds soon.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Carolina Chickadee

American Goldfinch

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0comments Resident Songbirds

Today was a day for the most common of birds. Still some of my favorites.

Red-winged Blackbird

Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Wren

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0comments Nice Surprises

Seven new birds were added to the list today, including: House Wren, Red-eyed Vireo, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Wild Turkey, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Northern Waterthrush.

Each morning when I arrive I usually take the same route, hitting the same places at the same time, mostly because these are the spots where I've seen the most/best birds. Today I decided to switch it up and try out some of the spots I haven't spent a great deal of time pishing and squeaking and it worked out to my advantage. My first stop was at the compost. This is where all the yard waste is taken and mulched up to be sold or used as cover for the trash. It is bordered on three sides by wooded swampland with an abundance of vegetation and dead trees littered with woodpecker holes. I let forth my best pish possible and was greeted by a lone Lincoln's Sparrow. This is a lifer for me but I knew it right away. I reached for the camera, but once he saw that lens pointed at him he ducked into the brush, never to be seen again. Later in the day I was given another chance along a stream at a different spot on the landfill, but this bird gave me the slip as well. Hopefully one of the two will still be there tomorrow and hopefully I will be able to get a shot.

Most of the birds I see are by happenstance. Something will dart into the woods or sing loudly from a treetop, promopting me to stop and pay closer attention. Such wasn't the case today. Two of the birds I saw were by mere luck. Driving along a dirt road past a small strip of flooded woods I just happened to catch a glance at a bird sitting on a half submerged log. I lifted the binos up and to my surprise saw a Northern Waterthrush, another lifer. The White-crowned Sparrows were seen today by a similar stroke of luck. I had to put the truck in reverse and back up to look at what looked like a black and white striped crown. Sure enough there were two White-crowned Sparrows sitting on a pile of old dump truck tires.

Surprises come in all types, even the adorable. I got a good look at a Killdeer family: mom, dad, four chicks, and another bird (maybe an aunt or an uncle). The definition of cuteness. Take a look.

Killdeer chick

Perhaps the biggest surprise came in the form of a large bird that initially threw me for a loop. Driving up on it I suspected it was the injured Sandhill Crane from a week back...in the middle of a field. As I got closer I realized I was looking at a female Wild Turkey. This was extremely surprising to me. I know these birds are on a comeback but I never expected to see them at the landfill considering we are bordered by the airport, railyard, I-65, and neighborhoods. There is a small patch of woods on the landfill and across the interstate so I guess anything is possible. Nevertheless I was excited to add species number 113 for the year. Wild Turkey hen

I wonder what surprises tomorrow will bring. :)

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