Bird Migration and Misc Birding Thread

[BoxsterCy]

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/

Agree on this for the "rare' bird but was hoping for someone in Iowa to weight in.

We in MN had a quite rare Anna's Hummingbird in a front yard feeder last winter south of the Twin Cities. The chances of it being here were not great. And in November. And in the yard of someone who still had a feeder out. And a person who would know what it was. And that person having a doctorate with an emphasis in ornithology. And a person welcoming birders to her property to see the little hummer.

 

[StClone]

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.

If you are in Ames contact Dr. Steve Dinsmore at Iowa State. https://www.nrem.iastate.edu/people/stephen-dinsmore

Steve can also direct you to someone in your area as well to get the hummer IDed.

 

[madguy30]

The pelican population must really be up. I've noticed more and more around the lakes in Madison over the last 5-6 years, and they're always around the Dubuque Highway 20 bridge.

Also some about an hour west of Dubuque Friday in the air. Really not sure where they'd be hanging around water-wise...the Maquoketa/ Lake Delhi? ?

 

[carvers4math]

So on the rare bird designation, I am not sure what they decide is rare. Merlin tells me a house finch is rare and hits on the sound all day until dusk. Visually, the males are super easy to identify with the red on head and upper chest.

They want a specific location so they must know that southern Iowa is a totally different thing. I guess it could be an Allen’s but the tail when it gets off the feeder looks more like rufous and Allen’s is apparently not likely either. It has kind of shiny green feathers on the back, sort of darker spots on the throat, and copper along the flanks and in the tail feathers, so when I look at pictures it looks like a female rufous. I wonder if I need multiple cameras since you can see more of it in flight.

Turns out ebird is the database used by Merlin the app, both associated with Cornell.

 

[StClone]

Agree on this for the "rare' bird but was hoping for someone in Iowa to weight in.

We in MN had a quite rare Anna's Hummingbird in a front yard feeder last winter south of the Twin Cities. The chances of it being here were not great. And in November. And in the yard of someone who still had a feeder out. And a person who would know what it was. And that person having a doctorate with an emphasis in ornithology. And a person welcoming birders to her property to see the little hummer.

To my knowledge, there are only two May records of Rufous Hummingbirds in Iowa. Though not easy to identify you don't need an expert to do it as it is one of the easier hummers to ID at least down to Rufous vs Allen's or Broad-tailed (don't think the latter two species have been recorded in Iowa).

 

[StClone]

So on the rare bird designation, I am not sure what they decide is rare. Merlin tells me a house finch is rare and hits on the sound all day until dusk. Visually, the males are super easy to identify with the red on head and upper chest.

They want a specific location so they must know that southern Iowa is a totally different thing. I guess it could be an Allen’s but the tail when it gets off the feeder looks more like rufous and Allen’s is apparently not likely either. It has kind of shiny green feathers on the back, sort of darker spots on the throat, and copper along the flanks and in the tail feathers, so when I look at pictures it looks like a female rufous. I wonder if I need multiple cameras since you can see more of it in flight.

Turns out ebird is the database used by Merlin the app, both associated with Cornell.

Yes, eBird/Merlin I didn't mean to indicate otherwise but they operate in different orbits.

House Finch is not rare so I don't know what records are being used there. The eBird site should not list it as rare as there is no way that is accurate. The best bet is to get good images or make an appeal to a local experienced birder.

 

[carvers4math]

Yes, eBird/Merlin I didn't mean to indicate otherwise but they operate in different orbits.

House Finch is not rare so I don't know what records are being used there. The eBird site should not list it as rare as there is no way that is accurate. The best bet is to get good images or make an appeal to a local experienced birder.

I assume that’s what the red dot that says rare by it means on Merlin. Husband spilled some seed on the front steps, one of these “rare” things was chomping away five feet from me.

 

[FallOf81]

Happy to report my first attempt at Bluebirding has resulted in 5 about to leave the box. Hopefully will have another batch this season.

 

[CascadeClone]

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 will have to double check with Merlin but I think that's what we have around the feeder. Smaller, reddish upper chest. See them all the time.

 

[nfrine]

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.

Mybirdbuddy.com for a feeder cam.

 

[cycloneG]

Just had a Goldfinch pair show up.

 

[intrepid27]

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.

We typically see a lot of them in the fall on both Lake MacBride and the Coralville Res. Really cool when they fly around the lake in formation. Like a giant game of Crack the Whip.

 

[StClone]

Happy to report my first attempt at Bluebirding has resulted in 5 about to leave the box. Hopefully will have another batch this season.
View attachment 129549

After you posted this a pair took up the house right out our kitchen window. It seems pretty quick but the female built a nest and seems to be incubating. This spot had the same male BB for four years until a House Sparrow pecked him to death in the box. That was traumatic for us as you can imagine we grew attached to the little guy.

 

[StClone]

Just had a Goldfinch pair show up.

View attachment 129636

Cute aren't they!? But beware, we can't grow beets because A. Goldfinch is as bad as baby rabbits. They feed on tender beet sprouts until nothing is left of the plant. Monsters, I put netting over the patch and they'd get caught in it and die. So I gave up growing one of favorite veggies.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Had 2 dz cedar wax wings make a pit stop here today. They were enjoying the tops of the mulberry trees. Wouldn’t think the berries are ripe yet but they were having a buffet.

 

[Lafaester54]

Saw a male Scarlet Tanager near St Donatus, Dubuque County. First I’d ever seen in Iowa. A striking bird…saw many Baltimore Orioles too on my 6 days in Iowa.

 

[Kinch]

Birds I used to see in Iowa, but don’t as much anymore:
Whipporwill
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Bobwhite

 

[jsb]

Saw a male Scarlet Tanager near St Donatus, Dubuque County. First I’d ever seen in Iowa. A striking bird…saw many Baltimore Orioles too on my 6 days in Iowa.

My mom had one stick around for a few weeks a couple of years ago (this year she only saw one for a couple of days). They are striking in their color. A real tropical red vs the red of a cardinal.

 

[BoxsterCy]

These are the first Trumpeter Swan cygnets at Wood Lake Nature Center (Richfield MN) in at least 28 years (best as the staff can determine) so I was not expecting them when I went walkabout there last evening. Need to stay close to mom, there were also two Bald Eagles perched nearby and an Osprey overhead so lots of danger from above.

 

[carvers4math]

Birds I used to see in Iowa, but don’t as much anymore:
Whipporwill
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Bobwhite

We have dickcessels in our yard.

Saw a bobwhite at the cemetery about a year ago but southern Iowa still has a few.

There was a beautiful summer tanager hopping around on my baby niece’s grave this week.