Summer birds returning?

**jlxian** · 04-19-2005, 12:03 PM

I wasn't sure where to post this, so chose this spot. If it needs tobe moved, that's okay.

What summer birds are returning to your area? I really miss our summer birds in the winter, and look forward to their return almost as much as waiting for a favorite guest! My special favorites are the barn swallows and the scissor-tailed flycatchers. The scissor-tails have returned just in the last few days, and the barn swallows have been back a couple of weeks. I haven't seen any hummingbirds yet.

I know not everyone has the same birds in their area -- what's coming back where you live? And for those of you in the southern hemisphere, what changes in the bird population do you see this time of year?

**jlxian** · 04-19-2005, 12:05 PM

Originally posted by jlxian
I wasn't sure where to post this, so chose this spot. If it needs tobe moved, that's okay.

What summer birds are returning to your area? I really miss our summer birds in the winter, and look forward to their return almost as much as waiting for a favorite guest! My special favorites are the barn swallows and the scissor-tailed flycatchers. The scissor-tails have returned just in the last few days, and the barn swallows have been back a couple of weeks. I haven't seen any hummingbirds yet.

I know not everyone has the same birds in their area -- what's coming back where you live? And for those of you in the southern hemisphere, what changes in the bird population if any do you see this time of year?

Sorry --- I guess I'm computer illiterate today. I meant to EDIT this post and pushed QUOTE instead. Now I can't figure out how to delete this message. If anyone can do that, please go ahead. THANKS!

**Chea** · 04-19-2005, 12:27 PM

Well I know we have ALOT of robins around right now. Haven't gotten to do much bird watching latelly but these guys LOVE my sprinkler! It makes the worms come right up to them.

**Darlene** · 04-19-2005, 01:37 PM

This is the perfect place to post this.

Our phebies have returned and are nesting on top of our porch light again. Seen red winged blackbirds too.
Haven't seen orioles or hummers yet but they should be here soon! Here's a link to help track where they(hummingbirds) are, don't forget to post on that site when you see them.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

**jlxian** · 04-19-2005, 03:09 PM

Darlene, that's funny the phoebes at your place nest on your porch light. Our phoebes like to TRY to put a nest over our backdoor. My husband always knocks it down, so I'm not sure where they end up building (poor birds!). But our backporch looks tempting to them each year.

Thanks for the link about the hummers -- I'll be sue to check it out!

And Heather, robins are fun to watch listening for the worms, aren't they?! I like to try to imagine the squishy sounds the worms might be making that the robins hear. LOL!

**forestdale** · 04-19-2005, 03:37 PM

We have a big pond at the back of our property which migrating birds use as a resting post during their migrations. There were some strange looking geese on the pond yesterday.

Our local birds are teaching their young ones to gather food. The magpies have their babies out walking along the ground turning over mulch and leaves. We have a family of kookaburras living close by. They are kingfishers that live in a family of 11 with the old year's brothers allowed to stay until they find a mate. I think it was one of the brothers had one of the babies in the tree above me while I was gardening on the weekend. They dropped a half eaten snake next to me

I think the willywag tails have gone for the season and yesterday while I hung the clothes on the line, I heard the distinctive squawk of the black cockatoo. Then saw a pair flying over so I could see their scarlet tails.

I'm hearing a lot of whipbirds in the rain forest behind us and flocks of rainbow lorikeets are flying over in the afternoons.

On the domestic bird front, my Sussex Light chook is moulting and has lost her tail and the man down the road is letting his pigeons out every aftenoon to fly around in circles for a few minutes before returning to their roosts.

There's always lots to see if you sit in our backyard.

**jlxian** · 04-20-2005, 09:55 AM

Rhonda, I LOVE your bird descriptions! How I wish we had kookaburras here! The family group of them must be very entertaining and gladdening (???) to watch. I can't think of any birds in our area that live in a family group from year to year -- except maybe geese or ducks.

Do you have any photos of the birds from your yard?

Speaking of the half eaten snake -- the other day on one of my walks, a partially eaten snake, and headless, was stuck on the barbed wire fence along the road. Shrikes will impale their prey/food on thorns and on the barbed wire fence, but I don't think we have shrikes in this area. Sometimes the local farmers will kill snakes and hang them on the fence, but I don't think that was the case this time. I'm wondering if a hawk or other bird of prey had killed it and then dropped it on the fence in mid-flight. It was not under a roosting area.

The Canada geese that live on the grounds of the corporate complex where I work have begun pairing up and no doubt are nesting. Soon we will have little parades of parents and goslings crossing our parking lots as they walk between the ponds and grassy areas. Too cute! If I can, I'll get a picture and post it.