The Dish network

The converted satellite dish continues to be a backyard hit. The sparrows and finches are particularly fond of this feeder. I have even seen a couple of mourning doves scratching around in the dish, although usually they are content to eat the scraps that land on the ground below.

Camo Bird

My family is always surprised that I am able to spot birds so easily, but your eye gets trained to spotting movement. For example, I was excited to spot this guy and add him to my bird list. This is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) and as you can see, he blends in very nicely with the silver maple he is climbing. These fellows will drill parallel rows of small holes in live trees and return later to feed on the sap.

Bunch of Coots

The American Coot (Fulica americana) is common in freshwater lakes and DeGray is no exception. A few years ago many were looking very closely at these birds due to their connection with Bald Eagle deaths. Whatever was killing the Bald Eagles seemed to be moving up the food chain into coots that became sick and were eaten by the Bald Eagles. Thankfully, whatever was to blame for the deaths, has disappeared or become dormant.

Pigeons over the Ouachita

Belonging to the same family as our morning doves, these rock doves or pigeons (Columba livia) are not native to America. They were introduced by Europeans during the 1600s and have been extremely successful. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics suggest these birds were first domesticated over 5,000 years ago. We found this flock sunning themselves over the Ouachita River.

Saving for a Rainy Day

I have already posted pics of the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) at my backyard feeder. However, here is one that collected his own food and is saving it for later. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are known to store their food in cracks and crevasses; this one is certainly good at it.

Roosting Time

I finally caught a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) roosting. I have plenty of distant shots of these birds, but not a good up close pic; even these pics are not as clear as I would have liked. We have two species of vultures year round here in Arkansas-- the Turkey vulture and its smaller, more social cousin, the Black Vulture. Note the naked or featherless head on these birds, which is great when sticking it into dead carcasses. Note also the big nostrils on these guys; they are excellent at smelling the stench of death. The part of the brain used to process odors is very large in vultures.

Just Passing Through

Finally we are beginning to see a few new birds. Here are a few yellow-bellied flycatchers (Empidonax flaviventris) on their way South to Central America. Coffee plantations are known to have lots of flycatchers during the winter months.

House hunting

I was pleasantly surprised by the almost immediate appearance of up to 8 bluebirds checking out the new birdhouse I put up today. The weather was marvelous here today and I took the opportunity to do some backyard chores. Among other things, I put up this birdhouse that has been sitting around in my storage building for years and did not realize that these beautiful bluebirds would be immediately attracted. I guess they are staking out a place to nest next spring.

Seagulls in Arkansas?

A friend of mine, Carl, recently returned with his family from a vacation on the gulf coast. Like me, he too enjoys nature and we often talk about birds. He was telling me about the gulls on the coast and how unflinching these birds were when it came to human contact. His story reminded me of this flock of ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) I photographed last winter on nearby Lake DeGray. There were at least a dozen of these gulls taking turns diving into the lake. I had remembered seeing a gull or two during the winter months before, but never this many at one time. It was quite a show. Apparently ring-billed gulls spend most of their time in and around bodies of freshwater as well as landfills, golf courses, farm fields, and parking lots. They guys are quite good at scavenging. According to the records ringed-billed gulls are not that uncommon in Arkansas, especially during the winter. Nevertheless, I always associate gulls with the ocean and it will always be a strange sight for me when I see a flock of these guys visiting our local lake.

another hawk

I had just been complaining about the lack of new birds for me to photograph when I looked up in this willow oak to see this red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) before it took flight. What had initially caught my attention was the mockingbirds and bluejays who were attaching this hawk. I can't wait for fall so we can catch some new species of birds flying through on their way south.

Woodpecker or Hummingbird?

It would appear that New England Downy Woodpeckers have a sweet tooth. My good friend (and mother of my son-in-law), Suzanne, sent me these great pics from Rhode Island. I have to admit I had never seen this before in my backyard. I have caught woodpeckers eating my sunflower seeds and even pecking away at a slice of watermelon I left out for the butterflies, but never slurping from our hummingbird feeders. Interesting pics, indeed. Thanks Suzanne and keep the pics coming.

Global Warming Welcomed

Here is a bird taking advantage of global warming. The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is extremely sensitive to cold weather, but with warmer winters has been extending its range farther north since the early 1900's. This guy was singing his heart out just before I took these pics; pound per pound these birds are one of the loudest signing birds.

A Pair of Pileateds

I apologize for the quality of the pics, but these Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) have been hard for me to find within camera range and even harder to get a clear shot. I spotted this pair at the DeGray Lake marina and this was the best I could get out of the dozens of pictures I took. Pine tree branches just kept coming between me and the birds. Since these guys are year round residents and usually will stake out and defend their territory, maybe I will get some better shots of this pair at a later date.

With the exception of the ivory-billed, these woodpeckers are the largest North American woodpeckers. The pileated woodpecker almost disappeared with the clearing of the eastern forests, but is slowly and steadily increasing in all their native states with the exception of Arkansas according to the experts. This I can believe because I can always remember these birds being quite common when I was growing up, but they can be rather hard to find now.

Old Faithful

Day after day and week after week, the tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor) is the most faithful visitor to my backyard feeders. I get a kick out of this bird's eating habits; they quickly grab one sunflower seed then fly to the nearest tree branch and hold the seed with its foot in order to peck it open --a process that continues all day. These guys seem like the nervous type. Even their flight seems a bit fluttery and erratic. Titmice are found year round throughout the great eastern deciduous forests of North America. They nest in tree cavities (either naturally occurring or abandoned by woodpeckers) where they line the inner portion of the nest with hair. Scientists have identified the hairs as comming from various sources: raccoon, possum, dogs, cats, and even human.

camouflage - Potoo bird

Could not resist sharing this short video. I know we have many camo birds in our area as well, but none that blend in so well as this Potoo bird.


Bird tree camouflage - Potoo bird - BestofYouTube.com

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Welcomed House Guest

Every year Northern Rough-winged Swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) raise their young in our chimney. From early morning into the late hours of the night you can hear the constant chirping of the fledglings. And as you can see in these pics, the occasional adult (and later on the occasional fledgling) will squeeze between our fireplace insert and brick fireplace and escape into the house. They are not too hard to catch and I enjoy the up close pics before releasing them back outdoors.

Another Egret

The yellow feet and curly tail are dead give aways. Yes, this is a snowy egret (Egretta thula) and one of the medium sized members of the Egret family. These birds spend their lives in South America and come into our area during summer breeding season. I took these pictures on Lake Millwood during March. This bird was sharing the small bay with a Great Egret and an alligator.