Excitement on Arnold Lane

Around 8 p.m. on Monday, July 6th, Sarah, Dustin, and Helen of Add Drive alerted us to a large bird up high in an Arnold Lane tree. Upon initial inspection we thought it may be a bittern, but doubts circled as bitterns are a marshy bird and not usually found high in tree tops.
After a little research we concluded that the bird perched up on a snag over Arnold Lane was a juvenile Green Heron.

This time of year there are lots of young birds fully fledged from their nests and the Green Heron is no exception.

This youngster gave us quite a display in the meager setting sunlight through the rain clouds. He stretched his wing and neck, looked all around.

Beautiful stripes and pointy crest.

More wing stretching before flying off in the direction of Woodley Pool, where we suspect he may have a membership and was seeking a place to wade :)

Bird Spotting!

A couple of weeks ago, deep in the woods behind the homes on Add Dr. the wildlife folks from Fairfax County installed a camera to record a fox den. The mama fox and her kits gave them quite a show but an unexpected visitor cruised through and gave us reason to add yet another bird to the neighborhood checklist (updated versions now available on the Luria Park kiosks). Check out this camera ready Wild Turkey strolling past the fox den:

This a Wild Turkey hen. These birds, considered by many to be game birds, have excellent eye sight and hearing. They are smart and they are very wary of humans. We are so lucky to have them living near us! If you see one you are very fortunate indeed!

And two of our younger naturalists, Grace and Martha, of Add Drive were strolling around the pond at Fairview Park. They forwarded me these wonderful photos of a noble Great Blue Heron fishing by the edge of the pond:

 It is such a thrill to have our neighborhood school-age children so interested in our natural world! If you have any photos you would like to share please pass them along! I will do my best to get them posted. Happy Birding!

He's Back: the Yellow-crowned Night Heron

We saw the Yellow-crowned Night Heron today, Monday, May 11 this afternoon hunting crayfish in the brush-dammed stream between the bridge and Raymondale side of Luria Park.

This large-sized wader spend his winters on the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America. Our park is on the edge of their breeding range so this fine fellow may be migrating through.

 The bird stands very still while hunting so you should get a good look. The best times for viewing are early morning and late in the day when the  shadows are deep.

 An elegant bird, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron's main diet consists of crustaceans, like the crayfish found in our streams.

Be alert and you'll most likely see this wonderful bird!

The House Wren

In Luria Park by the far entrance where Executive Road comes into the park, there was a commotion. A couple of birds were singing loudly this morning (May 5th). They sat on the Blue bird house and flitted in and out of the brush. This small group of little birds with a big voice are the House Wrens living in our park.

The House Wren differs from our more common Carolina Wren in that they are smaller and do not have a distinctive eye stripe. These House Wrens in Luria Park have bred and the chicks are beginning to leave the nest as I observed a young one on the edge of the  brush.

So, look for these small active birds with a really big voice. The House Wren!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak At Our Feeder

On Wednesday, April 29th, we saw a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the sunflower seed feeder. This is the first time we've seen this bird at our feeders and it was quite exciting!

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak likes out forested neighborhood. It's song is like that of the American Robin but more melodious and exuberant.

This fine fellow dominated the sunflower seed feeder and chased away a male Northern Cardinal, preferring to feed on his own. Look at the size of his beak in relationship to the size of his head and you will know why he is called a grosbeak.

So if your offer the birds sunflowers seeds, look for the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. They breed in our area and this one might be sticking around!

It's Hummingbird Season!

Last Friday (April 24th) I saw our first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds of the season at our backyard feeders!

These tiny migrants travel from Mexico and points south to enjoy the sugar water in our feeders as well as breeding in our area. Hummingbird feeders are inexpensive and you can make your own sugar water by dissolving 1 part sugar to four parts water. Keep the extra sugar water in the fridge and please change the water in the feeders every 2-3 days depending on the weather, if it's sunny and hot change the water more frequently.

So, attract these cuties with a little effort for a lot of reward!

Palm Warblers in Luria Park

Today (24 April) we saw two Palm Warblers near the bridge in Luria Park. These yellow birds are early spring migrants and passing through to more northerly breeding grounds.

The Palm Warbler measures approx. 5 inches long, is mainly yellow with a distinctive rusty orange cap. It also has rusty stripes on its breast near the wings.

 So, if you spot these birds look quickly as they do not linger!

More Spring Birds: These Stay!

On April 18th in Luria Park we observed a pair of Blue-grey Gnatcatchers building a a nest high in an oak tree. The nest is a cup made mostly of lichen and spiderweb.

Above is the nest half-completed.

The next day, April 19th, we saw the nest had nearly doubled in size!

Theses birds breed here and eat a lot of bugs each day!

We also observed a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the woods near the basketball court. Some of these birds migrated from Central America and some may remain in our area over the winter but rarely. Here is one we saw April 19th in Luria Park all decked out in his breeding plumage:

We were also thrilled to see one looking for insects in our Bradford pear tree on April 18th:

Warblers are coming into our area. Some are passing through to breed further north and some stick around. So bring those binoculars to the park from now until late May and you never know what you may find! Also watch this blog for special announcements about a regular weekday evening birding walk in Luria Park during this busy migration season!

Cooper's Hawk

On Friday morning we were doing our last Cornell Feeder Watch count for the season, when all of the song birds in our backyard scattered and disappeared.  We didn't see any raptors...not immediately.  After a minute or two we looked down on the lawn and there was a Cooper's Hawk greedily plucking and eating a hapless Dark-eyed Junco.

The Cooper's Hawk clearly thought the term "bird feeder" applied to him.

These small hawks will seize the opportunity to catch prey at bird feeders. In addition to songbirds they do catch rodents. Not a too pleasant prospect at the bird feeders, but a raptor has got to eat too.

Eastern Phoebe: Early Spring Migrant

On April first we saw an Eastern Phoebe in Luria Park and managed to get a photo of this sparrow-sized bird. He was perched on a branch near the creek (where the bluebird house is located). This early spring migrant is a flycatcher. He perches on a conspicuous branch and then swoops out to catch a tasty insect flying by. The Eastern Phoebe often returns to the same branch or very close by branch to await for another insect to happen by.

From Cornell's website: In 1804, the Eastern Phoebe became the first banded bird in North America. John James Audubon attached silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe's leg to track its return in successive years.

 Eastern Phoebes breed in wooded areas (particularly near water sources) that provide nesting sites—typically human-built structures such as eaves of buildings, overhanging decks, bridges, and culverts. Before these sites were common, phoebes nested on bare rock outcrops and still do occasionally. They seem to choose nest sites with woody understory vegetation nearby, possibly to make the nest site less visible or to provide perches near the nest for the adult. On migration they use wooded habitats and show somewhat less of an association with water. During winter, Eastern Phoebes occur in deciduous woods, more often near woodland edges and openings than in unbroken forests.

Wood Ducks In Luria Park

On March 15th a pair of Wood Ducks were spotted in the creek in Luria Park to the north of the bridge.

Here is a photo of this colorful pair of waterfowl:

These ducks will nest in low holes in trees usually made by the Northern Flicker. Some parks, like Huntley Meadows in Alexandria, will put in Wood Duck boxes which look like giant bird houses on fairly short posts at the water's edge. This is breeding season for Wood Ducks, so having a resident pair of the "parrot-like" birds in our park is very special indeed!

Bluebirds and Pileated Woodpeckers

I was in Luria Park on Saturday, March 14th, between the rain showers and was pleased to spot a pair of Eastern Bluebirds perched near the bridge.

The female is in the top photo and the male is in the bottom. This pair was among other birds pairing up for spring. I also observed Brown-headed Cowbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds in Luria Park, both species early spring migrants to our area.

A few days ago, I heard a Pileated Woodpecker on Brad Street. I saw a male in the backyard of a neighboring home and rushed to get a photo as I have yet to adequately capture a decent image of a male Pileated. The male and female look very much alike, but the male has a red "mustache." This make was stripping the bark from a half-dead oak tree looking for insects. The female was nearby tapping her strong beak into a dead limb.

A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks have been seen in two different nests behind homes on Add Drive as well as flying around Raymondale being mobbed by American Crows. Here is one of the hawks on an oak in our backyard seen the morning of March 1st.

Happy Birding!!!!

JOIN IN! Great Backyard Bird Count

On February 13-16, 2015 the Audubon Society joins the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in hosting the Great Backyard Bird Count. Everyone is invited to tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of count, and you are asked to submit your observations online through the GBBC website: www.birdcount.org.

This is an easy and fun to do activity with your family, especially your children. Not certain as to what bird you are seeing? Any on-line guides can help you such as Cornell's www.allabout birds.org site.

Some of the more common birds you will see in Raymondale backyards this time of year are:

 American Goldfinch

 Carolina Wren

 Dark-eyed Junco

 Downy Woodpecker

 House Finch

 House Sparrow

 Northern Cardinal

 Pileated Woodpecker

 Red-bellied Woodpecker

 White-breasted Nuthatch

White-throated Sparrow

All photos taken in Raymondale in January-February 2015 (by Beth Fedorko). Good luck and Happy Birding!!!

It's All Fun and Games Until...

...the Cooper's Hawk shows up.

On this snowy day our feeders were hopping with a nice variety of songbirds enjoying the thistle and safflower seeds, and suet, and heated birdbath.

This male Downy Woodpecker and pair of House Sparrows were sharing the suet feeder as well as the myriad other birds at our other feeders. But as typical on snowy days when birds are very visible at the feeders, a raptor had to break into the fun and scare everyone away.  This time it was the Cooper's Hawk.

This raptor measures about 15 inches long and has yellow on its beak as opposed to the Sharp-shinned Hawk which can also be found hunting at bird feeders. The Cooper's is more the size of a Crow and the Sharp-shinned is more Mourning Dove sized. This day this Cooper's left our yard without a meal. When you suddenly see that NO songbirds are at your feeders, look around for a raptor in the vicinity.