August 1, 2012 Grand Vue

It was "raptor night" on this nice evening at Grand Vue. Ann and I went for a walk. My first bird was a Coopers Hawk sailing over the ridge behind the reception hall. All nest boxes are empty. I did hear a few bluebirds but numbers were not abundantly observed. Many Song, Chipping, and Field Sparrows as well as all the commoners. As we walked we saw or heard pileated, red bellied, and hairy woodpeckers as well as many flickers. Of note on this walk were the three Broadwinged Hawks. I heard them first in an area common for peewees and not until I saw one of these young buteos did I discover that I encountered something a bit out of the ordinary. They moved from tree to tree and seemed to be going in our same direction for a portion of our walk. I also saw and heard the acadian flycatcher again. Good walk on a beautiful evening and Ann enjoyed the scenery as well.

April 22, 2012 Grand Vue

Today's walk yielded many birds. First, blue bird boxes have one nest of 5 young birds and another box has 5 eggs. A coopers hawk flew through staying low to the ground as he came up over the hill toward the large area of mowed grass. Had I not been there I think he would have continued the path toward the area that holds 20 robins consistently. I remember posting last year about the pile of bluebird feathers. Anyway, todays birds: coopers and red tailed hawk, black throated green warbler, white throated sparrows, field, song, and chipping sparrows,cowbirds, white-eyed vereo, heard a turkey, blue birds, jays, crows, robins, cardinals (many nesting sites), towhees, red bellied, downy, and many flickers, maybe a sapsucker, and a bunch more.