I have a new therapist thought it would be beneficial start up this blog again but the main problem is that I haven't been seen any birds lately I will have a couple of feeders up but all have been chickadees. I now live in Adrian Michigan by the way and probably the most interesting thing i have seen are Mockingbirds a couple of times once right in front of my window

Why this Blog Died

Basically what happened was in Southern Illinois, I lost my job. I was thrown into emotional turmoil (literally, I take medicine for a mood disorder) and I didn't feel like updating this blog anymore.

One big change is that I have moved in location to the middle of Adrian, MI. That means maybe I should walk to a nearby park to try to find stuff for the blog, or go on small trips.

I did find a winter Wood Duck not long ago.

Anyway, I'm getting a new camera soon and hopefully I will get to be able to take better pictures of stuff.

Science Pipes Winner!

Here is the winner's page for Science Pipes!

Guess who won the Community Choice Award!!!

Anyway, if you are wondering, I'm doing fine. I'll post a few pictures soon.

Southern Illinois!

Yeah, I'm finally in Southern Illinois! It's pretty cool out here! Anyway, just walked ALOT in the woods today, I'm in a rural area next to fields and bottomlands. I'm not going to eBird however, because someone living here already does it. Anyway, all the birds I saw/heard today (no order):

Henslow's Sparrow (this is actually a new lifer for me!!!)
Northern Parula
Bobwhite
Brown-headed Cowbird
Northern Cardinal
Field Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
American Crow
Fish Crow
Mourning Dove
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Bluebird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Canada Goose
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Blue Jay
Wild Turkey
Prothonotary Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Red-shouldered Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse

Science Pipes Again, Bird Video

First of all, yay! My Science Pipes are doing well, three of mine made it to the final eight!

Vote!

Second, here is a video. You can't see any field marks on the bird, but can you tell what it is by voice and behavior?

First Songbird Nests of the Year

Woohoo! I haven't gone to my job yet, but I'm already looking for nests to warm up. A few days ago I found an active Blue Jay nest, but it seems to have been abandoned.

Today, I found a couple more active nests though! I know it's frowned upon to take pictures of nests, but I just had too...

Morning Dove Nest, female incubating:


Northern Cardinal Nest, I flushed the female from a brushpile while walking down the road:

In the Yard Today, First Butterflies

I saw two butterflies out and about today! A Cabbage White and a Mourning Cloak!


I did two bird counts today, one at 11:00am and one at 5:50pm, to compare and contrast:

11:00am:
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Tufted Titmouse
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Eastern Bluebird
2 American Robin
1 Song Sparrow
1 White-throated Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 American Goldfinch
2 House Sparrow


5:50pm:
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Mourning Dove
2 Blue Jay
1 American Crow
4 swallow sp.
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 American Robin
1 Song Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Northern Cardinal
3 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Common Grackle
2 American Goldfinch

I had to report swallow sp. because they were really high, I wasn't able to focus on them well. They were calling, but I couldn't match it, they for sure were not chimney swifts, I know what those sound like. I got the gizz of Tree Swallow, but I wasn't sure enough to report them as such.