Tag Archives: Washington County

Brown Creeper for the County Big Year List

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As I noted in a blog post in October, I love Brown Creepers.  However, I haven’t seen any since that day in October and while I know they are in our woods, I’ve dipped on them.

They were one of the 35 species on my County target list for January.  They’re tough to spot, being really small and blending in with the tree trunks.  We’ve had a lot of very cold temperatures with wind so their calls may have been masked by the woods noises.   They remained the only bird I hope to see in our woods until today.  It’s been tough birding, temperature aside, with the snowy trail very rough from the times I walked it when the snow was warmer — now it demands attention to the trail, not the trees.  So I know I’ve probably walked right by Brown Creepers.

This afternoon, it was sunny but windy with a wind chill down around zero.  I took the dog out and noted that there were many Chickadees active in the pines — more so than usual.  Then, just several hundred yards from the house, I saw movement on a big white pine tree trunk and Bingo, there’s the little creeper.  I wanted to get a photo (I’m trying to record each of my County birds) so I dropped my mittens, hauled my camera out of the parka, and in doing so lost the bird.  They are tough to see.  Then, I heard it call from another tree and then it flew to the next.  I followed it down into the woods, trying to get it in the camera.  They blend so well and are constantly moving — and my bare hands, already aching from the cold, fumbled with the camera controls.  But I got a couple of shots for the record — and got back to my mittens and their “hotties.”

A Brown Creeper working up the trunk of one of our White Pines. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 1/100ƒ/5.6ISO 64059.4 mm

A Brown Creeper working up the trunk of one of our White Pines. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 1/100ƒ/5.6ISO 64059.4 mm

It then took the rest of the walk to thaw out my fingers.  I heard a woodpecker working away and just ahead, this male Hairy was going after an afternoon snack.

A male Hairy Woodpecker Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 1/160ƒ/6.5ISO 250215 mm

A male Hairy Woodpecker Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 1/160ƒ/6.5ISO 250215 mm

Now, the task is to find a Golden Crown Kinglet. Again, I know we have them and that I’ll see them later in the year but it would be great to spot on before January ends.  They’re small, flitty, and their call is even higher pitched than the Brown Creeper.  So, that’s tomorrow’s target bird.

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County Big Year – Good First Day

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We awoke to more new snow and a stiff Northwest wind, and a forecast for even colder temperatures.  It stays dark until about 7:00 AM but sure enough, at 7:05 the first Black-capped Chickadee visited with window feeder.  Right after that, a Common Redpoll came to the thistle seed feeder and then the parade of hungry birds started.

Our first bird of 2013 was a Black-capped Chickadee. photo by Mac Mansfield.

Our first bird of 2013 was a Black-capped Chickadee. photo by Mac Mansfield.

Shortly afterwards, I took our Vizsla out on a cold birding snowshoe outing but most of the birds still around were back at the house chowing down.  We then went out and birded for an hour at North Branch Nature Center and got a lot of exercise but few birds.

I had figured that there were about 15 species here in the County this month.  When I returned home, the feeders were alive with redpolls and after studying them for some time, I spotted a Hoary Redpoll right next to a Common Redpoll.  By noontime, I had logged the following birds:

American Crow
Hairy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco

It was a good first day. Tomorrow’s temperature is supposed to be even colder. Is is OK if I crank up the wood fire and hope for a Downy Woodpecker and a Brown Creeper at the feeders?

County Big Year – Goal Setting

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As I plan for a Big Year for the county, I’ve been looking over the data on eBird for Washington County for counts of birds for the last few years.  This year’s reports have new records — 196 for the county and 167 by the top individual, the team Fred & Chris Pratt.  They are gone three months of the year which makes the feat even more impressive.

The Hairy that hits our suet daily should be an easy New Year's Day county tick.

The Hairy that hits our suet daily should be an easy New Year’s Day county tick.

We had finch irruptions this year but few if any rare species like the Northern Hawk Owl or Varied Thrush of former years so based on about 200 species for the county, I’m going to to set a personal target of 170 species in Washington County for 2013.  (I have only logged 132 species for this year although we were gone from the state quite a bit.)  So, off we start next week.

I'm hoping that the Common Redpolls that are overrunning our feeders will stay for another week -- or longer.

I’m hoping that the Common Redpolls that are overrunning our feeders will stay for another week — or longer.

I decided to set some monthly goals as well based on past arrivals of species on eBird.  I took a look at January bird records and set a target of 35 species for the month.  Many of them will be easy (crow, chickadee, blue jay, nuthatches,etc) but I’m hoping to see Bohemian Waxwings, which I’ve missed this year, a Northern Shrike, which is a nemesis bird for me, and a return of Pine Siskins and Pine Grosbeaks.  The waterways have pretty much frozen up so the Mallard and mergansers I have on the list may have to wait until later.  I also need the Common Redpolls to hang around for another week.

White-breasted Nuthatches, like this one visiting today, are here all winter (along with their red-breasted cousins.

White-breasted Nuthatches, like this one visiting today, are here all winter (along with their red-breasted cousins.

The next step in my planning will be to spend more time with maps of the county, putting together a list of hot spots and areas that have potential that I’ve never visited.

Given the new two feet of powder, I have a feeling that much of my January birding will be on snowshoes or XC skis.  Oh Darn!