Outdoor Ontario

Discussion => General Discussions => Topic started by: Leslie Kinrys on February 14, 2010, 11:47:36 AM

Title: What are you seeing on the GBBC?
Post by: Leslie Kinrys on February 14, 2010, 11:47:36 AM

So far, I've been seeing the regulars: Goldfinches (#1 bird for the GBBC reports), Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Crow, and Starling. Has anyone seen anything unusual or in great numbers?

Title: GBBC
Post by: Napper on February 14, 2010, 05:41:19 PM

Hey Leslie


Still  really slow.. We had two Am Cardinals today around 4:45 pm..  Them there birds seem to be very wary/skittish.  Meaning they sit in the bushes next door for quite a while before they hit the feeder.

A couple of Goldfinches earlier today..

napper

Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on February 14, 2010, 08:40:24 PM

Hi Leslie.

So far ...

Day #1:

Sharp-shinned Hawk x 1 ... being mobbed by 4 Black-capped Chickadees!  I'm amazed these little sweeties took on an adult Sharpie!

Downy Woodpecker (f) x 1

American Crow x 38 ... one started cawing then all 38 let loose!  :lol:  Hilarious to see and hear.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (m) x 1
Northern Cardinal (m) x 1

House Sparrow x 60 - last week there were hundreds!

Day #2:

Cooper's Hawk x 1 ... had a showdown with a squirrel.  The squirrel won!  

Mourning Dove x 1

Blue Jay x 3 ... Blue Jay #1 sounded like a woman laughing and Blue Jay #2 sounded like a blender whirring.  

American Crow x 1
Black-capped Chickadees x 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch (m) x 1
Northern Mockingbird x 1
Northern Cardinal x 2 (1m, 1f)
House Finch x 3 (2m, 1f)
House Sparrow x 12

An oddly low number of sparrows, nuthatches and chickadees.

Jo-Anne

Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on February 15, 2010, 07:29:47 PM

Monday, February 15th:

Park #1:

Mourning Dove x 1
House Sparrow x 108

Park #2:

Mourning Dove x 11
American Crow x 4
Black-capped Chickadee x 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch (m) x 1
White-breasted Nuthatch x 1
Dark-eyed Junco x 1

Park #3:

Canada Goose x 13
Wood Duck (m) x 1 :D
American Black Duck x 4
Mallard x 176
Cooper's Hawk x 1
Mourning Dove x 4
Downy Woodpecker x 3 (1m, 2f)
Blue Jay x 2
Black-capped Chickadee x 22
Dark-eyed Junco x 2
Northern Cardinal x 10 (7m, 3f)
House Sparrow x 82

Title:
Post by: Leslie on February 19, 2010, 10:05:07 PM

I missed Friday altogether, but Saturday & Sunday were really quiet where I was (my actual backyard).  I was especially surprised to see no signs of the usual aliens (house sparrows, starlings, pigeons). More activity on Monday--first sighting this year of the northern mockingbird.  When it was my turn for the shower the delegates got the downy, the crows, AND a special visit from a red-tail.
The cardinal was particularly noisy--has anybody else got one singing?  Isn't it a little early?

Title:
Post by: thouc on February 20, 2010, 09:46:23 AM

I heard Cardinals singing this Thursday for the first time this year.

/Thomas

Title:
Post by: Bird Brain on February 20, 2010, 02:19:40 PM

Same here ... Thursday.  Male Cardinal singing up a storm!

Title:
Post by: Leslie on February 23, 2010, 11:15:15 AM

Now I wish I'd recorded the date I first heard the cardinal singing this year--before the GBBC weekend, maybe a week.  He started early in the morning too, when it was still too dark to see him.
On Friday (Feb 19) I saw 2 females in different neighbourhood bushes, both extremely vocal just like the males.  I thought it was the males who staked out the territory, so what are these solitary females doing chirping up a storm this early?  Seems to me it's too early for egg-laying, or are they driven by warm temperatures (instead of long days)?  Or did I see immature floater males "practising" to be just like Dad when they grow up?
In the afternoon I saw a red-tailed hawk getting mobbed by pigeons as it tried to choose one of two churches (St Cecelia's & the former United, Victoria Royce I think) on Annette St. between Aziel & Medland (close to High Park).  On the Sunday drive to McMaster the Passenger counted 4 hawks (& 3 coming home), probably red-tails, along the QEW (Oakville-Burlington, although I wasn't checking boundaries).  Is this normal hawk behaviour for this time of year, or is it due to our lovely warm weather?

Title:
Post by: mr.sharp-photo on February 25, 2010, 09:24:13 AM

my bird feeder's been dead for the past 2 months.
had some sparrows briefly feed from it 2 days ago for 2 minutes.
haven't refilled it in a few months (as opposed to every 5 days during the summer/fall)

Title:
Post by: Leslie on February 25, 2010, 02:15:08 PM

Hi Yogistewart, do you see many migrants in season in your part of the world (Don River, as I noted in your owl box question).  Particularly curious since Toronto's recent migratory birds study (http://www.toronto.ca/planning/environm ... _small.pdf (http://www.toronto.ca/planning/environment/pdf/migratory_birds_15aug09_small.pdf)) found very few migrants in the eastern part of the city, especially away from the lake.