A robin nested near one of our feeders and watched her feeding her babies this afternoon. Every time I picked up my phone to take a picture she flew off. Coincidence? Or sensing the danger of an old lady with an iPhone?
Bird Migration and Misc Birding Thread
- Thread starter Kinch
- Start date
I have installed and reinstalled Merlin several times. If I let the recording go for over 25 minutes it will not load for listening or reviewing. Now I do 15 minute maximum. I have 34 birds in a 25 minutes recording yesterday, would love to review it. Any ideas or solutions?
In the past week a golden eagle has been soaring around my backyard. First time I've ever seen one. Didn't even know there was such a species. Looks like a very dark grey bald eagle.
Those are tricky...could easily be a juvenile bald eagle:
Is That Golden Eagle Actually a Bald Eagle?
In its youth, our national symbol sports brown feathers on its head—making it easily confused with its rarer, golden cousin.
Chatted today with the guy in charge of the local watershed (Shellrock) district and he informed me that there is a nesting pair of golden eagles on Albert Lea Lake, which is around 4 miles away from my place. Pretty good chance the bird I've been seeing is of that pair. Same size as an adult bald eagle. But, there is an active bald eagle nest a few hundred yards away, so you never know.Those are tricky...could easily be a juvenile bald eagle:
Is That Golden Eagle Actually a Bald Eagle?
In its youth, our national symbol sports brown feathers on its head—making it easily confused with its rarer, golden cousin.www.audubon.org
My kids and I saw a couple of what appeared to be 2 American white pelicans flying over Boone today.
Things I didn’t think I’d see in Iowa.
Things I didn’t think I’d see in Iowa.
Squirrels found my oranges , they love them. Will buy a feeder.
Yesterday I put out a small plastic container (like dip comes in) by a nail to the top of a fence post and then half full of jelly. Have done this often in the past because it stays put. Last night it rained. Today it holds grape soup.
American White Pelican is a fairly common migrant along major rivers. It does not nest in Iowa though nests along the Mississippi in Illinois, locales in WI, and MN.
Pelicans Are Migrating Through Iowa Now. Here's How to See Them
Soon, Iowa will be hosting thousands of American white pelicans on their way from Canada and the northern Midwest to Mexico, the southern US and Central America.
iowastartingline.com
Last edited:
Golden Eagles are very wary birds and nest only in rugged mountainous terrain. It is not associated often with lakes or rivers unless they are attracted to geese or other concentrated prey. Fish is not a major food item. I would be dubious of any May sighting of Midwest Golden Eagle, of nesting, or along waterways.
Last edited:
Is anybody else seeing a lot of house finches? Merlin says they are rare but if I turn on sound ID it is usually the first bird I get hits for. When it’s the female, I have a hard time visually telling it from a lot of other birds, but I see at least one male every day, that is easy to visually identify. There were three males on one feeder at the same time.
I also have a hard time visually telling the mourning doves from Eurasian collared-doves, but Merlin hits on both for sound and I can now distinguish them by their call. If they are just pecking around under the feeder on the ground, I don’t have a clue which is which.
I also have a hard time visually telling the mourning doves from Eurasian collared-doves, but Merlin hits on both for sound and I can now distinguish them by their call. If they are just pecking around under the feeder on the ground, I don’t have a clue which is which.
Comparison linky:
Mourning Dove Similar Species to, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Similar looking birds to Mourning Dove: Eurasian Collared-Dove Adult/immature, White-winged Dove Adult, Rock Pigeon Adult, Band-tailed Pigeon Adult, White-tipped Dove Adult (White tipped) , Common Ground Dove Adult/immature, Inca Dove Adult/immature
Thanks! We have rock pigeons too but those are easy to tell, my Dad kept pigeons.Comparison linky:
Mourning Dove Similar Species to, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Similar looking birds to Mourning Dove: Eurasian Collared-Dove Adult/immature, White-winged Dove Adult, Rock Pigeon Adult, Band-tailed Pigeon Adult, White-tipped Dove Adult (White tipped) , Common Ground Dove Adult/immature, Inca Dove Adult/immaturewww.allaboutbirds.org
Boring gloomy day here so here's random bird ID quiz! From three ago in park near me.
I have a Merlin question.
Every morning I am seeing a hummingbird who appears to be a rufous hummingbird. It is not a ruby throated, we have both male and female of those too. I wanted to put it on my life list but the only hummingbird that comes up is ruby-throated. Is there a way to add something that they don’t seem to have in the app for me?
Every morning I am seeing a hummingbird who appears to be a rufous hummingbird. It is not a ruby throated, we have both male and female of those too. I wanted to put it on my life list but the only hummingbird that comes up is ruby-throated. Is there a way to add something that they don’t seem to have in the app for me?
Sorry, I never have used Merlin. But here are free suggestions:
If you have a rare Rufous, get images, call a local birder connected with the IOU (Iowa Ornithologists' Union) to get confirmed and into Iowa bird official records. https://iowabirds.org/
An option for Merlin is eBird for a life list, Iowa list, etc. The eBird list includes the Rufous Hummingbird on the Iowa list (rare). You may want to transfer your list(s) to eBird. It is a fantastic platform out of the preeminent Ornithology department in the USA, if not the world, Cornell. https://ebird.org/home https://ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile/
ON EDIT: Merlin is by Cornell also, and your list may automatically be on eBird, but not sure.
Last edited:
Thanks for the suggestions! Will have to look into ebird. I can never get close enough to these for a picture. The ruby throated will come up to our hanging basket just a few feet away like I’m not even there, but if I move to get a shot of the rufous at the feeder, it’s gone. I should look into a feeder cam too.
