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There are three major habitat types around here that contribute to our bird diversity. The first is woodlands. Much of our neighborhood is old and established, so the trees are abundant, mature, and mostly native. Some common birds that use them are Blue Jays, Carolina Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, Bewick's and Carolina Wrens, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Common Grackles, and White-winged Doves. In the winter these birds are joined by mixed foraging flocks of Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Pine Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Harder to see but present year-round in our trees are Red-shouldered Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, and Eastern Screech Owls.
The second habitat type is around the creek running through our neighborhood. I have never seen our creek run completely dry, and many species of birds make their living around it. Some of the year-round birds on the creek are Killdeer, Great Blue Herons, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Snowy Egrets, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Belted Kingfishers. Along the banks where the trees and bushes grow unchecked are White-eyed Vireos, Eastern Phoebes, and during the winter, Song Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows. Also during the winter I've seen eight species of wild ducks on the creek. And almost all year long there are different species of sandpipers and shorebirds stopping on our creek during their north or south migration. Some of them spend the winter here too.
The third habitat is a combination of open fields and forest edge around the Town and Country Optimist Club playing fields. All year long Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks can be found perched on the lights. During the summer there are Painted Buntings, Western Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Common Nighthawks, Chimney Swifts, Purple Martins, and Barn Swallows. In the winter an American Kestrel is usually easy to find.
These are only a few of the birds we share our neighborhood with. Since the beginning of 2006 I've recorded over 150 species, and I know there are many more to be seen. In this column I'd like to write about various aspects of our bird life, including common species, rarities, tips for identification, attracting and creating safe habitat.
Please let me know what you think. If you would like the column to have a certain focus, or have a request for a specific subject, tell me. If you're already a birder, send me a note!
Mikael Behrens
birdingonbroadmeade@gmail.com |
Bird Walk Lists
The following are lists of birds spotted on our bird walks around the neighborhood.
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