Robins!

[wesw]

is that a woodcock ray?

[wesw]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... yBz8tgQ8FA

it seems that my anecdotal observations were correct guin. if you go to the above link you will find the info quickly. it seems that while most robins go south, many winter in place.

my observations are: there are no robins around town during winter here.
there are robins here in winter if you go into certain wooded areas.
when I used to hunt, I would often see robins in the winter.

this partial migratory pattern seems to be true in the north east and even Canada, according to the website I linked to, which seems very credible to me

[Guinevere]

wes - your own site lists late February and early March as the first time robins are regularly seen in coastal Maine and Massachusetts. Plus, the Cornell site collects specific bird by bird data and indicates that robins in the Portland area are rarely seen in the winter. Data collected by people who are actually there, not people living in the Delmarva and applying their observations to a completely different location

My Swede is outside skiing (including lots and lots of Nordic skiing) all winter. I'm outside walking all winter (admittedly less this year because there are very few safe places to walk at the moment) --- the robin he saw the other week was the first either of us have seen all winter.

[wesw]

you really have a hard time admitting that someone else may know something that you don t, don t you?

try reading the text. charts are for rubes.....

[Guinevere]

I didn't challenge what you had to say about where you live. Why do you need to constantly tell me about what its like where I live (or spend time)? In other words -- why are your anecdotal observations more valid than mine?

[wesw]

I was just trying to expand your knowledge of robin behavior. don t change the subject you clever little lawyer ....

[wesw]

anyway, bigsky had it pegged as to the bird I saw. it was an eastern bluebird. turns out that what I had thought was a bluebird, for years, is actually a purple martin.

[MajGenl.Meade]

The north wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will the robin do then,
poor thing?
He’ll sit in a barn,
And keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing,
poor thing!

[BoSoxGal]

wesw, you might like this resource from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx? ... 1424902682

Birds are my 'thing'; my grandmother fed them and as a child she taught me to love feeding them, watching them, etc. If you are interested, explore that Cornell Lab guide - they even have recordings of bird song for identification purposes.

Since you saw a bluebird, there is happiness on your way!

[wesw]

I actually saw a pair of them!!!!

thanks big sky, you made me smile. I m kind of a wildlife and nature buff in general.

I used to watch birds in my great grandmothers yard when I was about 5 . I remember liking the bluejays because they would let the sparrows feed with them and chase away the blackbirds. the black birds would not tolerate the sparrows when the bluejays weren t around.

later, when I was in high school, I would watch birds through my binoculars at my grandmothers house. very interesting.

there is one little place, right in the middle of Salisbury , md , in the most dangerous part of town, where the shad and herring congregate during their spring run. during that week or two every bird of prey that you can imagine can be found, right in the middle of town, in a secluded little glen, surrounded by drugs and prostitution. eagles ospreys, herons great white egrets, owls hawks and crows are all up in the trees together

[BoSoxGal]

Sounds lovely! One of my best birding experiences was in your neck of the woods, when I visited the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the Assateague Island National Seashore in March of 2013, after a child abuse prosecution conference in Washington, D.C.

I'd always wanted to see the ponies since reading Misty as a child, but the birds were a huge bonus!

eta: After I checked into my B&B in Chincoteague (Miss Molly's), I went to the local convenience store down the street for a couple of items for the room, and the parking lot was full of ducks! The clerk said it was a usual thing, they walk through town like they own it.

[wesw]

yeah, if I can keep my jeep running I m gonna get an assateague sticker this year. or maybe a Delaware beach sticker. I can t really walk with a bunch of gear anymore and I hate crowds of people when I m fishing. I usually fish the Chesapeake bay and its tributaries, the Nanticoke river at roaring pt , to be specific, but its quite a hike too.

my son bought a 14 ft sea-doo, so maybe he and I will get to do some fishing and crabbing this year if he ever gets an hr or two off work.

the ponies are kinda rude, but there are some deer there that you can almost feed by hand.

[RayThom]

Here is an alive Red Knot.


And here is a wood cock:


Even an novice twitcher can tell the difference. You're welcome.

[Gob]

Lots of people love the birds in their garden, but it's rare for that affection to be reciprocated. One young girl in Seattle is luckier than most. She feeds the crows in her garden - and they bring her gifts in return.



Eight-year-old Gabi Mann sets a bead storage container on the dining room table, and clicks the lid open. This is her most precious collection.

"You may take a few close looks," she says, "but don't touch." It's a warning she's most likely practised on her younger brother. She laughs after saying it though. She is happy for the audience.

Inside the box are rows of small objects in clear plastic bags. One label reads: "Black table by feeder. 2:30 p.m. 09 Nov 2014." Inside is a broken light bulb. Another bag contains small pieces of brown glass worn smooth by the sea. "Beer coloured glass," as Gabi describes it.


Each item is individually wrapped and categorised. Gabi pulls a black zip out of a labelled bag and holds it up. "We keep it in as good condition as we can," she says, before explaining this object is one of her favourites.

There's a miniature silver ball, a black button, a blue paper clip, a yellow bead, a faded black piece of foam, a blue Lego piece, and the list goes on. Many of them are scuffed and dirty. It is an odd assortment of objects for a little girl to treasure, but to Gabi these things are more valuable than gold.

More here....

[Lord Jim]

Those aren't peanuts, they're cashews...

They're feeding cashews to crows?

Wow, I want to get on their Christmas list...

[wesw]

wow. crows are extremely bright, they can even count to a point. I remember when I was about 13 and first got my hunting license, my friend and I would try to hunt them, as there was an open season on crows year round. we never came close to succeeding.

not something I would consider now, just killing a bird for sport, but, in a good way, it was kinda humbling to learn that a bird couyld out smart us....