November Birds

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

 Neighborhood

• 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

 Further afield

• 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.