Good Birding Today!

My backyard became a feast for no less than 20 - 30 Juncos, 3 Towhees, and 3 Varied Thrush this afternoon. It was a treat to watch the Junco's flit back and forth among themselves pecking at whatever they thought was good to eat on the ground about 2:30pm. Grey clouds were moving in by 3PM and it seemed so much later in the evening. I hope it doesn't snow, but it just might.

Yesterday evening there was a small flock of geese that flew over quite low and were heading East. I wonder where they were headed. I'll have to check my pond and lake maps for the nearest water body. I imagine a few have iced over in the past few days.

The Varied Thrush are uncommon visitors here and as soon as I attempted to snap a photo... I was spotted and they flew off!

[AND Thank you, C. Southwick for the wonderful idea. Wrapping a hummingbird feeder in Christmas lights just might be the trick to keeping the ice away! ]

Cross Posted to TWEETERS

Yelm's New Record in the Yard Bird Race

Yelm participated in the 6th annual Yard Bird Race.  Yard Bird Race put Yelm on the birding map this year for the first time ever and created a new record.  :)
 

"Hi, just wanted to thank you for YardBirdRacing this year.  (Check out the tweeters report of today that includes as highlights the new Yelm record, btw).

 

Hope you have a great holiday season and another great next year!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Ed Newbold"

Thanks, Mr. Newbold, for sponsoring the race ~ that was alot of fun. :)

Sunny Day Wednesday

Two very large flocks of geese flew East on Wednesday, December 23, 2009.  There were three "V" formations and one small line. Each "V" consisted of about 30 geese and they flew side by side in two V patterns, the smallest line flew in the middle.

Does this mean that these two flocks have different "leaders"?

The Merlin/Hawk was spotted today sitting atop an electric line, in an open area, 1/8 of mile from where he/she was spotted several weeks ago.  Still pale grey breast (fluffy today), flat tucked head, long thin tail, very small in stature.

Flying just two blocks North of where I live there were also two Bald Eagles circling less than 1/4 mile away from the Merlin/Hawk.

A robin visited my yard Wednesday, too along with the usual Junco's, Towhee's, Black capped chickadees, and Jays.

There was also a visit from a woodpecker, but he was too high into the trees for me to identify his profile/shadow.

It was great to see the Merlin/Hawk back, especially with the Bald Eagles flying within a very short distance from his perch. 

Burien, WA had an episode on the news last night where two Bald Eagles were fighting in someone's residential backyard.  I have never heard of Bald Eagles fighting before - so I found that interesting to say the least.  The poor homeowner heard the ruckus from inside his home and definitely said that that THUMP wasn't a squirrel!  The Bald Eagles were actually duking it out within 2 feet of the homeowners house in his backyard and may have rolled off of the roof fighting!

Silo Birds

Yesterday, in the late afternoon about 30 minutes before dark, I noticed 2 pigeons or doves flying into a Silo on Ordway. Grey with black wing markings.

Yelm Yard Bird Race winding down

December 31st will be here before I know it and with the end of the year comes the end of the first Thurston County Yelm Yard Bird Race. This year has certainly passed quickly for me.

Yard Bird Race Counties 2009


Whatcom
Thurston
San Juan
Snohomish
Skagit
Pierce
Mason
King
Jefferson
Island
Gray's Harbor
Clark

Sunning predators

Unidentified bird with a black head, clinging to a tree drumming for
sap or bugs, drumming pattern of 5 or 6 stopping momentarily looking
around, back to drumming with 5 or 6 beats, black wings with a solid
white bar down its wing edges, long pointy beak, black tail - wasn't
able to see underside tail area or breast. Very small bird, but not
as small as a brown tree creeper. The only drummer this week!

A black capped chickadee does frequent a side yard feeder, while the
Junco's prefer to ground feed and flit among the evergreen branches.
Some hover. The Towhee's enjoy the bath when the ice is replaced with
water and will feed at a plate placed in the bath of millet seed.
Once it appeared that the Towhee's AND the Junco's were at the bath
togather. These Towhee's have more brown across their breast than the
illustrations in Peterson's. Usually the Towhee's will come after the
Junco's. There is one small bird, smaller than a Warbler, that has
three yellow stripes across its crown sided by black stripes who is
friendly. He hopped right up to a branch within a foot or less of me
as I replaced the bath water. There were so many birds enjoying this
bath I couldn't count them all this week! Most were a flock of
Junco's.

There were several predatory birds flying around yesterday afternoon
in the sun at an altitude of 1,500 ft. and 500 ft. and less. One Bald
Eagle flying with two other Bald Eagles. They circled for several
minutes high over the tree tops. There was a commotion of Crows that
distracted my viewing and harrassing what appeared to be the light
grey Merlin who frequented two or three weeks ago. The Merlin appears
to be in the same general location as he was the first time I spotted
him. He must be nesting nearby. It's flight pattern, much different
from that of a hawk and its wings taking a more angular shape. The
crow was able to get within two feet or less of the Merlin and was
flying in a straight line towards him when the Merlin changed
direction. It (The Merlin) darted sharply up and swiftly turned as
the Crow attempted to chase the Merlin away just above the tree tops.
After this commotion the juvenille Bald Eagle flew North just above
the tree tops and one Bald Eagle flew East. The Bald Eagles appear to
be circling over the nearby man-made lake. Looking hungry perhaps and
sunning. There were no clouds yesterday afternoon.

Repost TWET

Yelm TWEETS near and far

In an attempt to find other Yelm birders or  posts from TWEETERS that relate to the Yelm area, I  searched the TWEETERS Archive from 1999 to 2009.  There were  55 posts or articles on six pages. The recent posts from Yelm (yours truely).

[Tweeters] At the feeders on a cool afternoon


[Tweeters] Female Northern red shafted Flicker


[Tweeters] Cool morning made feeder a hit with added water


[Tweeters] Are there variations in Pileated woodpecker?


[Tweeters] A pair of unknown woodpeckers taking a drink


[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?


[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?


[Tweeters] Crows, windows, and puppy chow Thurston County


[Tweeters] Oregon Junco Thurston County


[Tweeters] Six Stellar Jay's 19June Thurston County


[Tweeters] Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of geese heard, Oct. 22, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] A Mourning Dove Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] 25 Geese, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Townsend's Warbler, Dark Eyed Junco, and Chickadees, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Bald Eagle, Nisqually River, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of 20 geese, Thurston County, Yelm, October 18

[Tweeters] Identified and unidentified birds and bills or beaks?

[Tweeters] Thursday, September 24th 5PM - Large flock in a straight line heads south of Yelm

[Tweeters] Help with bird ID please

The majority made references to areas near Yelm and NOT the specific location of Yelm.  Here are the links in no particular order.

[Tweeters] Whidbey birding?

[Tweeters] RACING NEWS: will any records fall?

[Tweeters] Cooper's Hawks in Olympia

[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?

[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?

[Tweeters] Thurston County, Yelm Backyard , 7/9/09

[Tweeters] Crows, windows, and puppy chow Thurston County

[Tweeters] Pileated photo op

[Tweeters] Reprise: Pileated photo op (hopefully not ooops)

[Tweeters] RE: hybrid? - Robin feeding mother or baby or ?

[Tweeters] Re: Hummers gone

[Tweeters] RACING NEWS, cougar shot

[Tweeters] Hummingbird and shrike, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Lightpole birdnest tangle

[Tweeters] Bald Eagle Thurston County Yelm

[Tweeters] Bohemian Waxwing Thurston County Yelm

[Tweeters] Can you identify this Thurston County bird?

[Tweeters] Notes from Roy -- 3-12-2008 -- Shrike, Bluebirds, RTHA early incubation, and more

[Tweeters] My lost Peregrine

[Tweeters] "red" Fox Sparrow returns to Tenino 12/1

[Tweeters] Re: Mountain Bluebird records in Thurston Co.

[Tweeters] hooded mergansers

[Tweeters] grtr white fronted geese/eagles tri-cities

[Tweeters] update on Tenino redpoll

[Tweeters] Dec 4: Redpoll in Tenino

Yellow-br Chat makes for 9-warbler morning

Townsend's Solitaire, Olympia

RFI: Northern Bobwhite and White-tailed Kite

July 2003 turkey vulture report

Cascadia Hummingbird Report - 04/07/2003

Spring is here...or so it seems

Birding by bicycle

Collared Cackler, White Fronts, Mtn Blubrd

October 2001 turkey vulture report

Fishin' Crows

Mandarin/Wood Duck differentiation

South Sound Signs of Spring

Wood Ducks, swans, shrike

N. shrike & S. goose

Scrub Jay in SE Lacey

Washington Birdbox June 18 to June 26, 1999

Washington Birdbox June 18 to June 26, 1999

Fw: LACEY CLEAR--CUT direction:

LACEY CLEAR-CUT DIRECTION:

A few grassland birds, pied robin

Tweeters] Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of geese heard, Oct. 22, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] A Mourning Dove Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] 25 Geese, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Townsend's Warbler, Dark Eyed Junco, and Chickadees, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Bald Eagle, Nisqually River, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of 20 geese, Thurston County, Yelm, October 18

[Tweeters] Identified and unidentified birds and bills or beaks?

[Tweeters] Thursday, September 24th 5PM - Large flock in a straight line heads south of Yelm

[Tweeters] 2 Marbled Murrelets