American Robin

The snow went as fast as it came on Monday.  It was nice to have a bit of winter while it lasted.  This American Robin was preening as the snow was melting off the thistle. 

First a stretch...

...then a scratch...

...fluffing the feathers back into shape...

...and finally good as new.

Posted in: American Robin

Cedar Grove Industrial Park

Cedar Grove Industrial Park is a interesting place to look for birds and other wildlife.  It is south of Shepherdsville at exit 116 off of I-65.  Part of the site is developed into an industrial park with huge warehouses, but just as much of the site is weedy, shrubby, and wooded.  I usually go out there on the weekends when there is less activity and truck traffic.

The birds were singing up a storm even though I was there around midday.  All the species you would expect in this type of habitat were represented in good numbers, birds like: Common Yellowthroat, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Field Sparrows.  There is a small creek that runs through the site and it was still swollen with water from all the rain we've been having.  The creek attracts other birds like Eastern Phoebe, Indigo Bunting, and Blue Grosbeak.  Below is a common bird and not-so-common bird.  I'm sure everyone knows the American Robin but I bet few of you have seen the Lark Sparrow below. 

Lark Sparrows are more of a western and great plains bird and their range barely extends into Kentucky.  They are sometimes seen in western Kentucky but are pretty rare up here.  I suspect the reason I found them at Cedar Grove is because of the type of habitat that is out there.  It is a real unique kind of field with small pine trees, large bushes, grasses, and exposed shale gravel.  This is perfect habitat for the Lark Sparrow and is not a habitat type that is seen too often around here.

One of my favorite things about Cedar Grove is the shale quarry.  There is a big hole dug out of the side of a hill where they are mining shale for construction.  The little nooks and crannies in the rocks create great nesting spots for Northern Rough-winged Swallows.  They can be seen flying all over, zooming past within feet of your head, and just as quickly be out of sight, nestled deep in the rock face.  They were flying so fast I failed to get a picture of them, but do yourself a favor and check out quarry and swallows. 

Look close in the picture below, there is a Rough-winged Swallow sitting on the rocks.  That was about the only time I could catch one sitting still.

Below is a video I made of some of the things I saw at Cedar Grove today.  Hope you enjoy.  :)

Posted in: American Robin,Cedar Grove Industrial Park,Lark Sparrow,Northern Rough-winged Swallow,video

Right at Home

Have you ever been stuck at home, and thought, “I can’t wait to get out of here to go birding”? Well, I’m going to go with the old adage, “Stop and smell the roses”! Sometimes, if we just slow down and take a look around our own yard we can see so many things!

For example, this week I have discovered this little Yellow Rumped Warbler foraging around in a tree in my backyard. I have never seen a Warbler in my yard before!

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler

I find House Finches great fun to watch! I have noticed that they will sit at the feeder and break the shells on the blackoil sunflower seed, somehow in their mouth, without ever having to hold it. I haven’t quite figured out how they do it, but it is amazing! I notice Gold Finches do this also.

House Finch

They have been pairing up lately! I thought these two were cute, because it looked like they were “playing coy”, not looking at each other! (They were probably just wishing I would mind my own business!)

House Finches

Here are a few other birds I have seen lately around my yard!

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Carolina Wren

Northern Cardinals

Tufted Titmouse

American Robin

Mourning Dove

Red Tailed Hawk

I also find Carolina Chickadees great fun to watch! They flit around constantly and do not make it easy for photographers! I have noticed they will hit the feeder, grab a seed, and dart away to break it open and eat it, usually on a branch!

Two weeks ago this little guy spent quite a bit of time going from car mirror to car mirror, checking himself out! Perhaps it makes him attractive to females if he is attracted to himself! I finally had to back my car into the driveway so the mirror was in my view, then I spent a lot of time sitting on the porch snapping away, believe me I had quite a few blurs!

Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadee

This week, I have also noticed a White Throated Sparrow hanging around. I think they should be gone by now, or migrating out pretty soon.

White Throated Sparrow

This one doesn’t have as bright of white on his/her head. I thought maybe it was a female, but my Sibley Guide to Birds says, that adults can range from a tan striped to bright white striped head, regardless of sex!

White Throated Sparrow

Squirrels are always so funny! They love to eat birdseed, suet, and well, just about anything a bird would eat! I constantly find them hanging upside down on the feeders, while eating sunflower seed as fast as they can!

Gray Squirrel

Of Course, it doesn’t always have to be about birds, I have caught sight of some other interesting things around my yard. This is one of the blooms on my Lilac bush.

Lilac Bush

This tree is in my backyard. I haven’t decided exactly what kind of tree it is, but I’m thinking a White Willow. It has pretty little white flowers on it in the spring, that the birds like to eat!

This fungus was growing on another tree. I’m not sure what it is, but thought it was pretty!

This guy was sitting on a planter! I again, don’t know what kind of bug he is but I thought he was interesting looking!

This little Rabbit has lived under a pile of brush for a few years now. I recognize him because of his right ear! I'm thinking he had an incident with a lawn mower!

Rabbit

Go out and take a look around your yard, you may be surprised at what you find!

Posted in: American Robin,Carolina Wren,Downy Woodpecker,Hairy Woodpecker,House Finch,Mourning Dove,Northern Cardinal,Red Tailed Hawk,thern Cardinal,Tufted Titmouse,Yellow Rumped Warbler

Anchorage Trail

My wife and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather we have been having and headed out to Anchorage Trail this past weekend.  Anchorage Trail is a relatively new park in Louisville and it is not to be missed.  The trail has a little bit of everything; open grassy fields, wooded paths, swamps and more.  We parked at the Anchorage Presbyterian Church and followed the path along Evergreen Road that takes you into the park.  Check out the map below.



Anchorage Trail is a great place to go birding, so why not start with the birds?  A lot of the common songbirds were singing and foraging for food.  The highlight was a Golden-crowned Kinglet that I took several photos of, none of which were usable.  You gotta give me a break on this one though, those guys are constantly on the move.  Nevertheless, here are the birds I was able to get pictures of:

Carolina Chickadee

American Robin

White-breasted Nuthatch

There are a couple farm fields that border the park and I noticed a group of Turkey and Black Vultures on the ground eating something.  So I took chase.  Well not really.  They pretty much let me get within 15 feet before they got tired of me and flew off.

You can see below the "something" they were eating were two dead raccoons.

Black Vulture 

There were bushes with little dark berries on them that I couldn't identify (I'm a bird guy).  They birds were gobbling them up so I made it a point to look them up when I got home.  The best identification I could come up with was Farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) a bush in the same genus as Wild Blueberry.

Perhaps my favorite part about the Anchorage Loop is the large grassy field.  The field is a mix of native grasses with several paths going through and around it.  I plan on coming back and finding summer wildflowers and birds.

As mentioned before, there is a swampy area adjacent to a pond.  There is a nice boardwalk that goes out onto the swamp and I'm sure this area will be a great place for wildflowers and swallows in the next few months.  I saw this gnawed tree, a sign of beavers.

Then we found this dam near the boardwalk.

The result: flooded swampy woods.

Posted in: American Robin,Anchorage Trail,Carolina Chickadee,White-breasted Nuthatch