Bird Migration and Misc Birding Thread

Ugh. I love birds, but I saw two dead ones on the sidewalk walking in Downtown DSM today. Part of me is super sad for the loss of the birds, but I am also glad that we are in an area that has birds in it. Wish the birds could fly through without running into obstacles.
I would be happy to ID the birds if you have a photo. In the early 80s, I helped collect thousands of tower kill specimens from the Alleman 2,000-foot TV towers. All salvageable, useful skins are mostly still in the Iowa State collection.
 
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I would be happy to ID the birds if you have a photo. In the early 80s, I helped collect thousands of tower kill specimens from the Alleman 2,000-foot TV towers. All salvageable, useful skins are mostly still in the Iowa State collection.
No photos, but one of them had a yellow breast, and the other one was blue and grey.
 
Put an orange half out yesterday, watching a Baltimore Oriole today. Really bad picture though. Didn’t want to move and scare him away.
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My mom has counted 9 male grosbeaks at once. That’s the most she's had. And she's counted 7 Baltimores and 2 Orchards. She thinks she has more than 7 pairs though since she's seen lots of females.
 
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Warbler migration, specifically in the Twin Cities area and south, has been brutal this year
 
Merlin hit on an oriole even though we don’t have jelly or fruit out. Wasn’t on the hummingbird feeder. Saw it perched on a peony bush.
 
Warbler migration, specifically in the Twin Cities area and south, has been brutal this year

I haven't seen a darn thing. Got spoiled a couple of springs ago when I stumbled into a warbler frenzy at Veterans Memorial Park in Richfield. And last year got to see and photograph a Swainson's Warbler at Bass Ponds and a Worm-eating Warbler in Edina. This year I have only a single pic of Palm Warbler.

And compounded by an impinged C-6 nerve that is making it painful to look up more than 15 degrees. Palm Warbler pic was one on the ground!
 
Saw a cardinal nest at Veterans Memorial Park in Richfield that already had little ones in it. At eye level but so effectively screened by branches and leaves that there isn't much observation or photo op. Still fun to see.
 
I haven't seen a darn thing. Got spoiled a couple of springs ago when I stumbled into a warbler frenzy at Veterans Memorial Park in Richfield. And last year got to see and photograph a Swainson's Warbler at Bass Ponds and a Worm-eating Warbler in Edina. This year I have only a single pic of Palm Warbler.

And compounded by an impinged C-6 nerve that is making it painful to look up more than 15 degrees. Palm Warbler pic was one on the ground!
Ha. You got the two mixed up. It was swainsons in Edina and worm eating at bass ponds. I saw both as well. By the way. My name is Brad Abendroth and you may have seen my eBird reports through the years
 
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Ha. You got the two mixed up. It was swainsons in Edina and worm eating at bass ponds. I saw both as well. By the way. My name is Brad Abendroth and you may have seen my eBird reports through the years

Yup, I had those reversed. Was totally by chance at Bass Ponds when a couple people waved me over in time to get a photo of the Worm-eating W. By the time I left the more connected birders were streaming down the road from the parking lot to try and get a glimpse.

Slow spring for me but I did get distracted by nesting Barred Owls in my hood, walking distance from my house.

mom owl for CF 800x600.jpg
 
Ha. You got the two mixed up. It was swainsons in Edina and worm eating at bass ponds. I saw both as well. By the way. My name is Brad Abendroth and you may have seen my eBird reports through the years
I've seen you on eBird! I saw your recent checklist just today. Greetings fellow bird nerd.
 
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SIAP

Anyone that enjoys birds, I highly recommend getting the Merlin App on your phone....it's free and It's the real deal and is supported by Cornell University aka Cornell Lab. It's awesome.
They have options on identifying birds and 1 option is by sound. Select it and it identifies birds in range. In just over 2 minutes of recording, mine picked up 12 types of birds.

You you'll be an ornithologist before you know it...lol. it's great to take camping too. New areas, New birds.

This has made my kids day. He loves birds. Has a hummingbird feeder and a feeder that holds birdseed. It’s in view of our dining room window so he just sits and and watches birds all meal times
 
Saw a cardinal nest at Veterans Memorial Park in Richfield that already had little ones in it. At eye level but so effectively screened by branches and leaves that there isn't much observation or photo op. Still fun to see.
Worm-eating Warblers nest in SE Iowa regularly. A Swainson's was in Ames in '21 with one near Maffitt Res., Des Moines in the first week of this May. It is a pretty special bird.
 
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SIAP

Anyone that enjoys birds, I highly recommend getting the Merlin App on your phone....it's free and It's the real deal and is supported by Cornell University aka Cornell Lab. It's awesome.
They have options on identifying birds and 1 option is by sound. Select it and it identifies birds in range. In just over 2 minutes of recording, mine picked up 12 types of birds.

You you'll be an ornithologist before you know it...lol. it's great to take camping too. New areas, New birds.
Fantastic recommendation. Thanks!

Bumping this for other interested birders. This app is amazing.
 
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