It has been a busy month at the sunflower
seed and chopped peanut feeders outside of our kitchen window. A small flock,
upwards of eight birds, of titmouse have regularly inhabited the bushes beneath
the feeders. Chickadees and Wrens have been plentiful as well. Meanwhile, the
abundance of blue jays continued their presence along the tree line in the
back, as well as a murder of crows (eight), until all the leaves had fallen
from the trees. Early in the month, pair of northern flickers were digging for
food in the back. Although I had seen a couple of on the CVRT this month, I did
not see a mockingbird in the backyard until late in the month, in fact the day
after we put out mealworms to attract bluebirds for December.
While walking the neighborhood,
a Cooper’s hawk has been hanging around the last few months in the vicinity of
Chestnut Drive and Hickory Lane. I spotted it on a low branch of a maple tree
mid-month, but it quickly flew away as I approached. The real surprise was on a
bleak, dreary, and overcast Sunday (22 November), I was walking near Pin Oak
and Partridge Trail and saw a rather large bird flying overhead. As it got
closer, nearly flying directly overhead, I could barely make out the white head
of a bald eagle as it flew toward South Mountain.
European Starling on the CVRT
Backyard
- Cardinal, Northern
- Chickadee, Carolina
- Crow, American
- Flicker, Northern
- House Finch
- Jay, Blue
- Junco, Dark-eyed
- Mockingbird, Northern
- Nuthatch, White-breasted
- Robin, American
- Sparrow, House
- Sparrow, White-throated
- Titmouse, Tufted
- Woodpecker, Downy
- Woodpecker, Red Bellied
- Wren, Carolina
- Dove, Mourning
- Eagle, Bald
- Hawk, Cooper’s
- Starling, European
Cumberland Valley Rail Trail
- Bluebird, Eastern
- Hawk, Red-tailed
- Sparrow, White-crowned
- Vulture, Turkey
- Woodpecker, Hairy
- Cormorants, Double Crested [C&O Canal]
- Heron, Great Blue [Newburg and C&O canal]
- Kingfisher [C&O Canal]
- Vulture, Black [C&O Canal]
In all, 16 species in the backyard and 23 species
overall.
