Backyard Birding March 2013

Pine Warbler songbird, Setophaga pinus, eating bird seed from a backyard garden feeder in Athens, Georgia. Birding photography.

​Saturday, 9:02 to 10:02 AM - With the first signs of spring finally arriving, the morning temperature was a nice 51 degrees. There was a cool breeze, but the rays of sun were nice. Hearing a good bit of chirping and singing, and seeing little creatures flitting about the wood line, I decided to camp out at the feeders to see what I could see. It was obvious the birds were back as I spotted 15 different species in my backyard in just an hour.

• 9:06 AM – (1) a flock of Canada geese flew overhead 
• 9:12 AM – (2) a Tufted Titmouse visited the recently filled feeder. Several were flying through the bushes, scolding each other and any other birds that came near the feeders. 
• 9:14 AM – (3) a White-breasted Nuthatch came to the feeder. I saw him several times throughout the morning clinging every which way on the trees and feeders.
• 9:16 AM – (4) Black Vultures circling in the winds overhead
• 9:18 AM – (5) some very acrobatic Carolina Chickadees visiting both feeders.
• 9:23 AM – (6) a Brown Thrasher perched high in the Sweetgum tree to sing a melody. I listened to him at length to try and differentiate his singing with that of the Mockingbird. His songs were much like the Mockers, but didn’t seem as loud and boisterous. 
• 9:30 AM – (7) a pair of House Finches began raiding the feeder. They are a regular site in the yard throughout the spring and summer. 
• 9:38 AM – (8) a Chipping Sparrow braved the bold and scolding Titmice to eat from the feeder. Normally these Chippers stay on the ground to eat the seeds dumped from the feeder by the squirrels. 
• 9:42 AM – (9) a Northern Mockingbird took nearly the same limb from which the Brown Thrasher had just sung. My first thoughts were then confirmed: the Mocker does seem to have a much stronger voice and desire to be heard.
• 9:47 AM – (10) a little yellowish bird came to the feeder. Not being too familiar with all the myriads of sparrows and warblers, I captured several shots from different angles and took note of his “trill”. I later identified him as a Pine Warbler, differentiating him from the Yellow-throated Vireo by his trill.  
• 9:51 AM –  a Chipping Sparrow posed for an excellent Life-List shot. 
• 9:54 AM – (11) several American Crows seen out in the meadow.
• 9:55 AM – (12) an American Robin came worm hunting not far from my chair.
• 10:01 AM – (13) an Eastern Towhee stopped in to scrape through the seeds fallen from the overhead feeder.
• 10:02 AM – (14) a pair of Carolina Wrens looking about under the grill. 
• 10:02 AM – (15) one of the many Northern Cardinals seen around the house took a bath. 

On Sunday, I sat out for about another hour-and-a-half and, in addition to many of the species seen the day before, spotted 5 more different species. 

• 3:14 PM - (16) a Red-bellied Woodpecker came to bang on the big Loblolly for a bit.
• 3:43 PM - (17) Two Cedar Waxwings briefly perched in the Sweetgum tree before flying off. 
• 3:47 PM -(18) another little bird with yellow on it (remember, I’m not too good with sparrows and warblers) later identified as Golden Crowned Kinglet (another for the life-list). 
•  4:16 PM - (19) a Downy Woodpecker visited the hanging spherical feeder to grab some nuts then fly to a nearby pine for a photo or two.
• 4:21 PM - a female Eastern Towhee showed up and briefly confused me with her more chocolaty color than the male. 
• 4:28 PM - (20) an Eastern Bluebird perched in the Black Cherry Tree. They were much more frequently spotted throughout the winter and have perhaps moved on looking for nesting boxes.  
• 4:38 PM – (21) Turkey Vulture soaring overhead.

​Twenty-one species in just a few hours! That may pale in comparison to the 264 bird species spotted in one day by Team Sapsucker in April 2012, but still a thrilling couple of hours for an amateur birder and his daughter! (Okay, maybe she wasn’t as thrilled as I.)