Any fellow birdwatchers out there?

[Ribh]

 

[tripletfeb]

Here in northern Ohio, we have lots of different birds. Cardinals and blue jays are here year round. Northern Lorain County has a breeding pair of bald eagles, they even have a camera set up and you can watch them on you tube! American Kestrels, red tailed hawks, and peregrine falcons fly around all the time. Love looking at them all! ETA, last winter, 2017-2018 winter, we even had snowy owls around!

 

[matt swenson]

Not a "birder"
I'm not a birder because those people are freaks. Sure I'll walk a mile in snow to see an owl, or sit for hours to see a duck that's rumored to be in the area, but I'm not a weirdo like those birders. Sure I can idenify every shorebird in flight, know a tree in New Hampshire that always seems to have borial chickadees in December, I can idenify owls by their calls, and been bitten by three types of heron but I'm no birder!,

 

[itspebbl]

Thanks for making this thread @Alexandra33
I don't have a ton of time to bird watch, but when I can, I love doing it. I've been fascinated with birds for years.
One of the things I remember most, involved with bird watching, is when a few years ago, our neighbor's pond almost full dried up. Most of the fish died, and so many birds came here to feast. A flock of wood storks flew in, which I had never seen in person before, so I was thrilled.
Anyway, this thread is a great idea!

 

[Alexandra33]

@Ribh My head is spinning! I'm surprised to find we share a few birds (unless it's the same scenario where a North American "robin" looks nothing like a European "robin." )! Had to look up some of the listed species, and....wow. Our most brightly adorned birds are nothing compared to yours. The pitta stole my heart. Was it decently calm?

@A_Fowl_Guy Talk about living the dream! If observing birds could be a part of my work schedule, I'd die with happiness. Sandhill Cranes, eh? Love those guys and their gangly build. What types of owls do you see?

It appears your local birds line up with ours (not surprising, since we're neighbors)! Nice. Fingers crossed for that duck! I adore Woodies, although I have yet to see my first of the year.

Ah, there just so happens to be a Peterson's guide on my shelf. Sibley's is another favorite.

@Willowspirit Males are stunning. I'm envious of your Scrub Jay!

@Kessel23 You don't have to don a pair of binoculars in order to be considered a birder. Lovely pictures! Do I spy a Wood Duck?

You certainly have a wonderful selection of birds to report! Yet again, I'm envious of the Whooping Cranes....it takes very little to make me jealous. I take it Bald Eagles aren't terribly common in your area? Swallows and their playful aerodynamics never get old.

@OhZark Biddies Sounds as though you have years of experience under your belt! Even better you've been able to experience birds on an international level. I can only begin to imagine. What's the best thing you saw during your travels? Great app, by the way.

@Eggscaping What a lovely setup, and sure to attract goodies (including a wonderfully personable squirrel)! What type of doves do you have? It's a shame hawks prey on small songbirds, but yet....everything needs to eat.

Nice plan! I gave up on keeping wild birds away from my flock years ago....it's impossible when you free-range.

Thanks for admitting to addiction with me. Now I feel less alone.

@tripletfeb Hello, fellow Buckeye! I get lots of use out of the Merlin app, as well. I must agree, the region surrounding Lake Erie is loaded. There was talk of a Varied Thrush up there, but I never had the pleasure of seeing it. The Snowy Owl in Maumee State Park passed away day before making a trip. Other than that, my very best birding success has been your direction!

@Better Than Rubies Totally agree. Both wild AND domesticated birds hold an incredible amount of fascination....else why are we all here?

Such a delightful variety you describe! Who wouldn't adore everything from friendly Chickadees to visually appealing Orioles/Goldfinches? Gulls are a hoot. Do you have a favorite bird?

@matt swenson No....you're most certainly not a birder. Far from it, actually! I'd say you have no business socializing here.

Truly, though, I admire that marked persistence! ESPECIALLY the battle scars obtained from herons. Well done. Perhaps one day, I'll be on your level.

@ECSandCCFS You're more than welcome! I figured I needed a place to share my (and anyone else who cared to join) obsession. Oh my, Wood Storks! I'd say that's a memory of a lifetime! Have you spotted any since? Last time I saw them was several years ago, in Florida.

Thanks for sharing!

~Alex

 

[Alexandra33]

Speaking of waterfowl....this has been a great year, hasn't it? I've seen thus far: Redhead, Canvasback, Widgeon, Black Duck, Bufflehead, Goldeneye, Pintail, Gadwall, Common/Hooded Merganser (can't wait for the Red-breasted, who are my favorites with funky hair ), Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Trumpeter/Tundra/Mute swan, and Greater White-fronted Geese. Pictures to follow.

~Alex

 

[Ribh]

@Ribh My head is spinning! I'm surprised to find we share a few birds (unless it's the same scenario where a North American "robin" looks nothing like a European "robin." )! Had to look up some of the listed species, and....wow. Our most brightly adorned birds are nothing compared to yours. The pitta stole my heart. Was it decently calm?

From past experience I expect our robins are different to yours, just as they are different to the English ones. At times I can count over 200 species without leaving my verandah ~ it's a bit of a wild life corridor here.

The pittas seem to be a very calm bird. They're a ground dweller so the cats tend to round them up but they don't kill them, just nab them & bring them to me. lol A lot of the water birds I can't id & the raptors can be hard to id in molt. Because we are part of a cluster of small islands we sometimes see several species of raptor riding the thermals for fun & I've seen as many as 30 @ one time, just having fun.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

@Ribh My head is spinning! I'm surprised to find we share a few birds (unless it's the same scenario where a North American "robin" looks nothing like a European "robin." )! Had to look up some of the listed species, and....wow. Our most brightly adorned birds are nothing compared to yours. The pitta stole my heart. Was it decently calm?

@A_Fowl_Guy Talk about living the dream! If observing birds could be a part of my work schedule, I'd die with happiness. Sandhill Cranes, eh? Love those guys and their gangly build. What types of owls do you see?

It appears your local birds line up with ours (not surprising, since we're neighbors)! Nice. Fingers crossed for that duck! I adore Woodies, although I have yet to see my first of the year.

Ah, there just so happens to be a Peterson's guide on my shelf. Sibley's is another favorite.

@Willowspirit Males are stunning. I'm envious of your Scrub Jay!

@Kessel23 You don't have to don a pair of binoculars in order to be considered a birder. Lovely pictures! Do I spy a Wood Duck?

You certainly have a wonderful selection of birds to report! Yet again, I'm envious of the Whooping Cranes....it takes very little to make me jealous. I take it Bald Eagles aren't terribly common in your area? Swallows and their playful aerodynamics never get old.

@OhZark Biddies Sounds as though you have years of experience under your belt! Even better you've been able to experience birds on an international level. I can only begin to imagine. What's the best thing you saw during your travels? Great app, by the way.

@Eggscaping What a lovely setup, and sure to attract goodies (including a wonderfully personable squirrel)! What type of doves do you have? It's a shame hawks prey on small songbirds, but yet....everything needs to eat.

Nice plan! I gave up on keeping wild birds away from my flock years ago....it's impossible when you free-range.

Thanks for admitting to addiction with me. Now I feel less alone.

@tripletfeb Hello, fellow Buckeye! I get lots of use out of the Merlin app, as well. I must agree, the region surrounding Lake Erie is loaded. There was talk of a Varied Thrush up there, but I never had the pleasure of seeing it. The Snowy Owl in Maumee State Park passed away day before making a trip. Other than that, my very best birding success has been your direction!

@Better Than Rubies Totally agree. Both wild AND domesticated birds hold an incredible amount of fascination....else why are we all here?

Such a delightful variety you describe! Who wouldn't adore everything from friendly Chickadees to visually appealing Orioles/Goldfinches? Gulls are a hoot. Do you have a favorite bird?

@matt swenson No....you're most certainly not a birder. Far from it, actually! I'd say you have no business socializing here.

Truly, though, I admire that marked persistence! ESPECIALLY the battle scars obtained from herons. Well done. Perhaps one day, I'll be on your level.

@ECSandCCFS You're more than welcome! I figured I needed a place to share my (and anyone else who cared to join) obsession. Oh my, Wood Storks! I'd say that's a memory of a lifetime! Have you spotted any since? Last time I saw them was several years ago, in Florida.

Thanks for sharing!

~Alex

We have loads of owls around. Eastern Screech Owls are the most prolific. The is the great horned owl. The rare ones are barn and snowy owls!

 

[Ribh]

We have loads of owls around. Eastern Screech Owls are the most prolific. The is the great horned owl. The rare ones are barn and snowy owls!

You would like ours: Frogmouth [mopoke]:not a true owl, but no~one here makes that distinction.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

You would like ours: Frogmouth [mopoke]:not a true owl, but no~one here makes that distinction.
View attachment 1717799

Mopokes are actually a true owl species wise and different than s frogmouth.