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.