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Bird Migration and Misc Birding Thread

BoxsterCy said:
Yes, I've been stopping over. Wow, didn't realize I was walking into "Turtle Fest" yesterday. Yikes, so many people. Did get to see the adult loons switch places around 3:20 pm so got a look at the two eggs. Than watched the adult that was relieved of nest duty swim the channel back out to the lake. Hoping to see loon babies this week.

He's an image of the two eggs. So much cottonwood seeds blowing around, just cover the lagoon and sort of makes for a messy photo.

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Yeah, Turtle Fest was a zoo - no pun intended.

Glad the adults switched. We saw the nest around midday and the adult on the nest looked so hot. We hiked around a bit and it legitimately looked like we were getting snow flurries with all of the cottonwood seeds. Did see a couple of hairy woodpeckers, a baltimore oriole, and a flash of a common yellowthroat at French as well. Daughter heard a pileated WP but we couldn't find it.

Daughter took this cellphone pic of the loon on the nest through a spotting scope.

French Park Loon 2.jpg
 
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OK, what I’m sharing here is definitely not high quality photography. However, in this case it’s fine because the idea is to sit on your nest and not be seen.
This is just outside the main entrance to the Sukup feed mill building south of Ames. Was there to take photos of an international group there, and a few of them got too close for mama’s liking so she shrieked at them and spread her wings. Explained what the kildeer was doing after I finally saw it.
First photo shows the rocked area and the bird. Bird/nest is circled in the second.
 

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I've noticed this spring and summer that the redheaded woodpecker counts are way up. I can remember years of not seeing them at all and this year I see one or two or even 3 one day on a hike or bike ride. I don't recall seeing them so often or at all while spending time outdoors over the last 10 to 15 years...maybe longer.
 
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Yaz said:
I've noticed this spring and summer that the redheaded woodpecker counts are way up. I can remember years of not seeing them at all and this year I see one or two or even 3 one day on a hike or bike ride. I don't recall seeing them so often or at all while spending time outdoors over the last 10 to 15 years...maybe longer.
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My Bluejay count is non-existent this summer. I had up to 4 pairs visiting daily last summer.
 
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Yaz said:
I've noticed this spring and summer that the redheaded woodpecker counts are way up. I can remember years of not seeing them at all and this year I see one or two or even 3 one day on a hike or bike ride. I don't recall seeing them so often or at all while spending time outdoors over the last 10 to 15 years...maybe longer.
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I don't get redheaded in my area, Twin Cities metro, but have been see a LOT of photos of them from MN and Iowa Facebook birding/photography pages.

If I want to see one I have to drive to spot outside the cities here.
 
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The Mrs. and I walked around River's Edge Park in Columbia Falls this morning. I turned on my Merlin while standing under a large group of trees. The birds were singing and the following is a list of birds that were "potentially" in the trees. I could not visually confirm each different type of birds. A Northern Waterthrush. "Not my image"
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Red-eye Vireo. Not my image
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Cedar Wax Wing. Not my image
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Black Headed Grosbeck. Not my image
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And the last bird in the recording was a Warbling Vireo. Not my image.
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The following bird was hanging out by the Trout Pond in the Park. Great Blue Heron. My crappy cell phone image- sorry.
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Yaz said:
I've noticed this spring and summer that the redheaded woodpecker counts are way up. I can remember years of not seeing them at all and this year I see one or two or even 3 one day on a hike or bike ride. I don't recall seeing them so often or at all while spending time outdoors over the last 10 to 15 years...maybe longer.
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I admittedly just recently started paying attention but I have seen way more red headed woodpeckers than I ever have. It seems like for most of my life seeing one was a big deal. I've had three in my back yard at once pretty regularly this year and the golf course I play at has to have a bunch. It's hard to tell if the same one is following me around the course or how many are unique but seems like several.

The ones in my yard have been a little more scarce lately. I believe they were nesting in a nearby tree and guessing out of the nest now, but they still visit the feeder occasionally.

Between those and a couple red-bellies, a few downies and an occasional flicker my back yard seems to be wood pecker heaven. Merlin has heard a Hairy in my backyard but I didn't see it. No pileated in my yard yet but saw one not too far away this year.
 
GrindingAway said:
I admittedly just recently started paying attention but I have seen way more red headed woodpeckers than I ever have. It seems like for most of my life seeing one was a big deal. I've had three in my back yard at once pretty regularly this year and the golf course I play at has to have a bunch. It's hard to tell if the same one is following me around the course or how many are unique but seems like several.

The ones in my yard have been a little more scarce lately. I believe they were nesting in a nearby tree and guessing out of the nest now, but they still visit the feeder occasionally.

Between those and a couple red-bellies, a few downies and an occasional flicker my back yard seems to be wood pecker heaven. Merlin has heard a Hairy in my backyard but I didn't see it. No pileated in my yard yet but saw one not too far away this year.
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I’ve also noticed more red heads. I wonder if part of that is all the ash trees that were killed by the ash borer.
 
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Anyone know what kind of bird this is that showed up at my parents feeder? Can't find anything about it.Screenshot_20250609_164618_Messages.jpg
 
Yaz said:
I've noticed this spring and summer that the redheaded woodpecker counts are way up. I can remember years of not seeing them at all and this year I see one or two or even 3 one day on a hike or bike ride. I don't recall seeing them so often or at all while spending time outdoors over the last 10 to 15 years...maybe longer.
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Ash Borer= Dead trees? Just a guess don't know is you have them around or not.
 
isucyfan said:
Scarlet tanager, mid-molt, I'd say.
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The bird id app i installed saiid a summer tanager. The bird was there early spring so not when the internet says the scarlette tanager molts. The tan spot on the back of the head made my parents think it wasn't a tanager
 
Isualum13 said:
The bird id app i installed saiid a summer tanager. The bird was there early spring so not when the internet says the scarlette tanager molts. The tan spot on the back of the head made my parents think it wasn't a tanager
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I vote summer tanager to.
 
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