April 2020

South Hill Birds

We have a flock of about 12 White Crowned Sparrows starting about 4.22.20. I have never seen them at our feeder/ trees before. They are quite aggressive, taking over the feeder from the usual House and Goldfinches. The Black Capped chickadees flit around the trees. 

We also have our usual Red Breasted Nuthatches, Quail, and Robins. There were a pair of Great Horned Owls,” who who” ing at night for awhile.. The Oregon Juncos have come and gone. 

Thankfully,  the birds are not under home quarantine. Enjoy the display.

Cindy Cilyo 

Deer Park Birds

My Deer Park yard isn’t super birdy, but I have had a few interesting sightings.

On Sunday, 4/26, there was a pair of Cassin’s Finches at my feeder along with American Goldfinches and House Finches. Six Violet-green Swallows swooped over my house, which is quite unusual considering that it is basically Ponderosa Pine forest. I’ve had a few Calliope Hummingbirds at my feeders but no Rufous or Black-chinned yet. Red-breasted Nuthatches are busy making nests in multiple snags, and American Robins are also nesting. There is a pair of Great-horned Owls that must be nesting nearby as I was able to hear them hooting back and forth and then see them both. And it’s nice to be able to see three or four Mourning Doves on a regular basis (and no Eurasian Collared-Doves).

Jenny Michaels

Calliope Hummingbird (male)

Calliope Hummingbird (male)

Cheney Sightings

In the past few days I have seen these "regulars" in my yard west of Cheney: mountain chickadee, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, pygmy nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, Northern flicker, American goldfinch, American robin, house finch, red-winged blackbird, western bluebird, tree swallow, spotted towhee, Say's phoebe, black-billed magpie, song sparrow, and European starling. Recent arrivals include white-crowned sparrow and ruby-crowned kinglet. A short walk from my house (.25 mi) I saw Wilson's snipe, mallard, Canada goose, cinnamon teal, and one of the yellowlegs. I am waiting for the yellow-headed blackbirds and soras.

Lisa Langelier

April 2020 South Hill Backyard Birds

Canada Geese - Flyovers

Violet-Green Swallow – occasionally flying over our house (3-5 individuals)

Calliope Hummingbird – Just showed up for the first time this Spring a couple of days ago

Common Raven – several hanging out at the tops of our ponderosa pines or soaring above

American Crow – occasional large flocks that work their way through the neighborhood

American Robin – 8-10 mostly males hunting for worms and perching in our beauty bushes

Sandhill Crane – 8 flew over our house around the 5th of April

Turkey Vulture – one flying high over our house – likely orbiting out from the bluff

Cooper's Hawk – perched on our front power line about two weeks ago, then flew back through our back yard and disappeared

Merlin – likes to perch atop a ponderosa across the street from our house

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet – 4-6 mixed male female. Beautiful breeding colors on the males

House Sparrow – one or two have shown up at our feeders in the last week. Grr….

White-Crowned Sparrow – Last year we had a very large flock of them – this year we’ve only seen one as of about a week ago

Song Sparrow – 6 that have been with us for a couple of years

Mountain Chickadee – four or more visit the feeders multiple times per day. Two pairs have started to nest in our birdhouses

Black-Capped Chickadee – small flock shows up several times a day at our feeders.

American Goldfinch – we were wondering where they were for the first half of April and suddenly they showed up en masse. We’ve got anywhere from 10 to 15 that have been mobbing the feeders and singing their beautiful songs

House Finch – Every day visitors. Males and females. Ranging from 4 to as many as 12 or 15 at a time

Cassin’s Finch – Just showed up a couple of days ago. Only female so far, but have been hearing about a male in the neighborhood.

Downy Woodpecker – pretty rare thus far in April, but we do see a male and occasionally a Female

Northern Flicker – Also rare these days, but we definitely get them every few days. Usually heard more than seen.

California Quail – breeding pair seems to be nesting along our back yard fence.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch – Visits our feeders nearly daily

Pygmy Nuthatch – heard high up in the ponderosas – occasionally visits our feeders

White Breasted Nuthatch – Very seldom visitor, but we do occasionally find one scaling the bases of the ponderosa pines

Dark-Eyed Junco – 10 to 15 individuals that roam through the neighborhood. Usually seen on the ground below our feeders or perched in some of the thicker beauty bushes.

Varied Thrush – This was a fun visitor we had up until a couple of weeks ago. Spent a good month with us in our back yard. Lovely sound to wake up to!

Spotted Towhee – Was in our backyard for about a week or so at the beginning of April.

Ring-Billed Gull - Flyovers

Thanks!

Don and Theo Goodwin


Greenbluff Observations

Here's what I'm seeing the last few days (4/15-19) up here on Greenbluff:

-One lone male black-chinned hummingbird using recently placed nectar feeders

-At least a dozen tree swallows fighting over rights to a nestbox hung in a tree near garden

-A western bluebird pair taking up housekeeping in a nestbox placed on pasture fence post (and a couple of other pairs on neighbors' property where we placed nestboxes for them last year)

- Pygmy, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches finishing off the last of suet cakes in cage feeders

- American goldfinches finishing off the last of thistle feed in feeders

- Spotted towhees scratching up the ground below where sunflower seed feeders were set up until recently (end of season when we feed)

-Red-tailed hawk soaring and hunting overhead (for what we suspect might be either mate and/or hatchlings in nest near top of Ponderosa pine 

- Killdeer on ag fields along our road

- Pair of western kingbirds hunting insects in ag fields along our road

-Pair of mergansers, mallards and Canada geese on small pond along our road

 -- Madonna Luers

Bird Observations from South Spokane County

Bird Observations for April 2020 (in order seen)
Alan McCoy, South Spokane County, Open Ponderosa Pine habitat

4/1:
American Robin plentiful and noisy
Northern Flicker tapping and calling constantly
European Starling eating suet until I chased them off
Western Bluebird a couple pairs investigating my bluebird boxes – nest building but no eggs as of 4/21
House Finch singing constantly and gorging on sunflower seed
Dark-eyed Junco mostly Oregon race, eating at my ground feeder, and trilling while sitting in pines
Red-breasted Nuthatch calling every day though not visiting my feeders as much now
California Quail visiting feeders and hiding in my wildlife piles and in my Caragana hedge
Western Meadowlark  a wonderful spring voice and early nester in nearby fields
American Goldfinch abundant, developing full breeding color, loves niger and sunflower seed
Mountain Chickadee summer breeder singing every day (but the Black-capped has left my yard for the summer)
Eurasian Collared-Dove every day visitor to my ground feeder
Pygmy Nuthatch year round friend now busy excavating a nearby snag, same snag as last year
Mourning Dove not as constant the first week, now every day at my ground feeder
Hairy Woodpecker visiting my suet doesn’t hang around as much as Downy but may breed here

4/2:
Downy Woodpecker daily visitor to my suet
Red-tailed hawk – seen most days hovering and today resting on a snag not far from my shop
Common Raven – heard and seen most every day, clicking and squawking and calling

4/3:
House Sparrow comes to my ground feeder, tries to nest in one of my bluebird boxes but I chase them away until they leave for good
Brewer’s Blackbird – a short flyover on this day and often seen on wires across the road
Red-winged Blackbird sometimes come to my ground feeder, male and female

4/4:
Canada Goose flyover not daily as last month but still common

4/6:
Killdeer nesting in fields all around

4/10:
Gull species – 4 heard at first and then finally found them flying and soaring very high overhead. The voice sounded much closer than they actually were. Also a Red-tail soaring close to them.
Hummingbird feeder - I put out one feeder but as of 4/22 I haven’t had any hummers visit

4/17:
Tree Swallow I hope they will nest in one of the bluebird boxes like they did last year
Cassin’s Finch – brilliant male munching black-oil sunflower seeds sharing space with goldfinches and house finches

4/18:
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon) male in breeding plumage, heard them first and then finally located one high in a pine
Ruby-crowned Kinglet a pair finding bugs to eat in our Forsythia. Male with brilliant ruby crown and singing its lovely song

4/19:
Say’s Phoebe finally heard its plaintiff call (had heard it in mid-March on my morning walks, but not at home)

4/20:
Cooper’s Hawk – male flying and soaring not far above my head,

 

Nesting Osprey

After a busy day's work on April 17th I drove out to nearby Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge to clear my mind and look for some interesting birds to photograph. I started down the Columbia Plateau Trail that crosses the Refuge and noticed a nearby Osprey.  I got some nice photographs as she few off the nest - agitated when a Bald Eagle flew close by - and then returned.

Her nearby mate had joined in the Bald Eagle chase but came back with a fish that he proceeded to eat while perched on a telephone pole. The female was calling out to him for nearly the entire time. 

Did you know that an Osprey is also called Sea Hawk, River Hawk, or Fish Hawk as it eats only fish? This raptor can dive as deep as three feet into the water for fish, but prefers to hunt in even shallower areas. It takes both birds 14 to 21 days to complete a new nest. They weigh 3 pounds and they often mate for life. Their typical lifespan is 7 to 10 years.

Carlene Hardt

2a mate flying by_3_1_1.jpg