Birders

**Dave (in MA)** · 12-13-2017

I kept hearing a bird call in the wooded part of my back yard last summer but I could never spot what it was, and by a process of elimination listening to online clips I concluded that it was a northern flicker, but I also ran across red-bellied and pileated calls that I'm positive I've heard plenty of times as well.

**Progbear** · 12-13-2017

Pileated woodpeckers seem to be shy. You’ll see them rarely, but if you’re in the right woods, you’ll hear them all the time. The largest North American woodpecker since the ivory-billed woodpecker went extinct.

**Nearfest2** · 12-18-2017

Pileated Woodpeckers are very skittish. That's what makes them tough to photograph sometimes. The rising/laughing call is very discernible though and that counts as an observation per eBird.

I'm holding out hope that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker still exists somewhere, whether in the deep south or in Cuba.

**Duncan Glenday** · 12-18-2017

Originally Posted by Nearfest2

...
I'm holding out hope that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker still exists somewhere, whether in the deep south or in Cuba.

I haven't researched this lately - but remember seeing unconfirmed reports of sightings in the deep south. Musta been 15 years ago.

**Nearfest2** · 12-18-2017

Whoa...

"In January 2017, a scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory published a report of ten sightings of ivory-billed woodpeckers, including nine in the Pearl River along the Louisiana-Mississippi border and one in the Choctawhatchee River.[6] Three of the sightings are supported by video footage of birds with flights, behaviors, field marks, and other characteristics that do not seem to be consistent with any species of the region other than the ivory-billed woodpecker. Nobody has managed to obtain indisputable photographic evidence for the persistence of the ivory-billed woodpecker, but the paper contains an analysis based on factors related to behavior and habitat suggesting that such evidence is unlikely to be obtained in time to make a difference in the conservation of this species."

**Duncan Glenday** · 12-18-2017

Wow!

If they're really still out there - what can people do to save them, other than preserving their habitat?

It would be great to see them make a comeback, but I don't think capturing a few and forcing them to breed would be the right way to go.

**markwoll** · 02-26-2018

Pretty cool sighting story.
A one in a million Yellow Cardinal spotted in Alabama.
https://boingboing.net/2018/02/26/on...yellow-ca.html

**Duncan Glenday** · 02-26-2018

Originally Posted by markwoll

Pretty cool sighting story.
A one in a million Yellow Cardinal spotted in Alabama.
https://boingboing.net/2018/02/26/on...yellow-ca.html

Wow! Is that an actual species, or just an aberration? Perhaps a recessive gene..?

**Duncan Glenday** · 02-26-2018

Originally Posted by Duncan Glenday

Wow! Is that an actual species, or just an aberration? Perhaps a recessive gene..?

... the bird probably had a genetic mutation that renders the pigments it draws from foods yellow rather than red. The condition he cited, xanthochroism, has been seen in other cardinals, along with eastern House Finches and maybe Evening Grosbeaks.

http://www.audubon.org/news/why-nort...ardinal-yellow

**Nearfest2** · 02-26-2018

Cool article. I had about 6 different people post it to my Facebook page this past weekend.

We stood on a road in eastern NJ on Saturday waiting for the oft-seen Gyrfalcon to show up. Of course, the one day we are there, it didn't. There has also been a Golden Eagle and Lapland Longspurs there. We got none of them. We did see 50,000 Snow Geese at Nazareth Reservoir in PA. That was amazing, especially when a Bald Eagle came by and they all picked up from the water.

**ForeverAutumn** · 02-26-2018

Originally Posted by markwoll

Pretty cool sighting story.
A one in a million Yellow Cardinal spotted in Alabama.
https://boingboing.net/2018/02/26/on...yellow-ca.html

HA! I just came here to post the same story from a different website.

**ronmac** · 03-02-2018

Yeah, that yellow cardinal is pretty cool.

So, anyone in the US remember how, back in the day, seeing the first robin was a sign of Spring? Seems like, these days, it's just a sign of mid-February.

**Nearfest2** · 03-02-2018

Yes, but the funny thing is, American Robins are here all year 'round.

These days I wait to hear an Indigo Bunting or see some warblers. The Pine and Palm Warblers should be here soon.

**markwoll** · 03-02-2018

I walk our dogs in the AM just before dawn. I know it is spring when the birds start calling at that time.
In the last couple of weeks the robins and cardinals ( the loudest ) have been setting up their territory.

**Jerjo** · 03-02-2018

The only things we have year round are sparrows, chickadees, mourning doves, pigeons, ring-necked pheasants, and crows. Everything else headed south.

**proggy_jazzer** · 03-02-2018

Heard an interesting thing the other morning. There are always a ton of chickadees around, and I've become very familiar with the usual "fee-bee" descending major 2nd call. On this occasion, I heard two birds calling back and forth; the first was singing the typical notes, but the bird this guy was conversing with was singing a clear three-note version perfectly creating "3 blind mice". I've never heard that before! I stood and listened for a minute to make sure I was hearing the exchange correctly.

**markwoll** · 03-02-2018

Originally Posted by proggy_jazzer

Heard an interesting thing the other morning. There are always a ton of chickadees around, and I've become very familiar with the usual "fee-bee" descending major 2nd call. On this occasion, I heard two birds calling back and forth; the first was singing the typical notes, but the bird this guy was conversing with was singing a clear three-note version perfectly creating "3 blind mice". I've never heard that before! I stood and listened for a minute to make sure I was hearing the exchange correctly.

The Carolina wren clans in our neighborhood have at least 4 distinct calls plus their raspy calls.
Over 20 some years a new call will come up and an established one will fade away.

**ronmac** · 03-02-2018

I dont recall seeing robins year-round in Pennsylvania. Maybe I haven't been paying attention. Not sure where they find their food with everything frozen.

**Duncan Glenday** · 03-02-2018

The robins disappeared here in Maryland - and II haven't seen any yet, this year.

American robins aren't robins - they're thrushes!

Early European settlers called them robins because they were a vague reminder of the actual robins they had in their "old country".

**Buddhabreath** · 03-02-2018

^^^

I'm in MD as well and I clearly remember when I was a kid plenty of times seeing a dozen or more of robins just in our little back yard. Now it seems a big deal to spot one.

**markwoll** · 03-02-2018

Originally Posted by Buddhabreath

^^^

I'm in MD as well and I clearly remember when I was a kid plenty of times seeing a dozen or more of robins just in our little back yard. Now it seems a bid deal to spot one.

They just moved to the other side of the Potomac. They were just recently outnumbered by Starlings that seem to be migrating through.

**WHORG** · 03-03-2018

Pileated woodpeckers are quite common here in Chapel Hill - - - we got an upside down suet feeder and they hit that almost daily (hot pepper flavored suet to discourage squirrels).

**ForeverAutumn** · 03-03-2018

I don't usually see Robins in the winter here in southern Ontario, although they apparently do winter here. We've been having a warm spell (for this time of year) and I spotted a Red Winged Blackbird at our feeder this morning...it's early to see them.