Birmingham Audubon Society

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) (1)
- Reported Dec 02, 2012 14:30 by Kenneth Wills
- Greater Sunbelt Sod Farm Area, Shelby, Alabama
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=33.2771576,-86.4445496&ll=33.2771576,-86.4445496
- Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12210667
- Comments: "Bird was finely streaked along the top of its breast and sides with a nonstreaked lower belly. No central spot. Grayish face and very contrastingly stripped crown."

Wood Ducks still at Railroad Park
November 24, 2012

Several male Wood Ducks have been seen over the past few weeks at the Railroad Park as well as several Mallards.  Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. 

November 24, 2012 
Orange-crowned Warbler seen at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve

Where seen:  Park at the Ruffner Road entrance on the "back side" of the mountain opposite the car recycling lot and walk to the wetland from there. Be sure you don't block the gate if you pay a visit there.

Reported by Greg Harber 

November 23, 2012
Oak Mountain State Park Visit                

Horse stables and the fields to the left - The usual common forest birds were seen and heard here, but a passing Sharp-shinned Hawk was a nice treat for me. I have not seen one in a while and watching this bird as it swiped at a soaring Red-tailed Hawk was a pleasant surprise. There are lots of Red-headed Woodpeckers here.

Roadside Picnic Area #1 - Continue down the main park road, Findley Drive, for about a mile pass Terrace Drive to the Roadside Picnic Area #1. This is one of the usual birding places at the conclusion of the Audubon Teaches Nature seminars. The dirt road parallels a small creek and offers a pleasant walk through the woods past a vernal pool. No water today, but once winter rains arrive the salamanders will come to lay their eggs in the pool.  Birds observed and heard included several species of interest: Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, both kinglet species (Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned) and a Blue-headed Vireo.

Alabama Wildlife Center feeders in the front observation room – mostly House Finches and one Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

Reported by Greg Harber and Suzanne Elder 

November 20, 2012 
Vesper Sparrows seen near Birmingham Airport

I checked the mowed grass and tree lands (old house sites) owned by the Airport Authority and hedges along their old fences and found a nice mix of birds including a Flicker, Bluebirds, Song Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows and Vesper Sparrows. The Vesper Sparrows were on the same lot where I found them a couple of years ago. They were hanging around a patch of grass with some bare ground and using an ornamental pear as a sometimes perch. If you want to try your hand at them go to junction of 6th Ave. N and 54th street and look west through the lots that slope uphill to an old airport authority fence.

Reported by Ken Wills 

8 September through 28 September, 2012

Greg Harber has been monitoring a Chimney Swift site for several years. The location is at an abandoned automobile dealership on Birmingham Southside located at 24th St. and 7th Avenue.  This year he arranged a “Dinner and Show” swift night out. On 8 September about fifteen Birmingham Audubon members joined him for dinner at the Fish Market Restaurant and to watch the swifts going to roost in the chimney of the above location. The climax of the evening was watching the hundreds of swifts going to roost.  Greg estimated that about 500 is the highest number he has counted in his surveys.  Tune in next year!

Scot Duncan’s project recently has been several “Big Hours.” The area he has birded includes East Birmingham, Roebuck Springs, and Ruffner Mountain. As he said it takes some planning a strategy, because every minute counts, literally. Routes covered were local wetlands, woodlands, and forest edges. He birded this same route 15 September (41sp.) and 22 September (50 sp.)  “68% of the species I detected were only encountered at one of the locations-this indicates good birding diversity among destinations. After each Big Hour I spent some time unwinding and enjoying the migrants and birders that often seem abundant in RMNP’S nature center.”

Thanks Scot for sharing this experience.

 Other sightings were:

9/4 Common Nighthawk, (50-100); Birmingham Southside/Homewood (GH).

9/9 Most of the regulars, also seven warblers- Northern Parula, Prairie, American Redstart, Canada, and

Hooded Warblers; eBird report, Botanical Gardens (GH).

9/12 Bald Eagle; East Lake (PD)

9/15 Philadelphia Vireo; Eastern Wood Pewee; Several warblers including Tennessee, Magnolia, and

Wilson’s; Summer and Scarlet Tanager; and Indigo Bunting; Ruffner Mountain (GJ,DJ).

 Yellow–throated Vireo; Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warbler; While photographing at Ruffner Mountain an Ovenbird seemed to be escorting me to the birds (GH).

9/22 Baltimore Oriole; At a hummingbird feeder, Homewood (KA).

9/28 Philadelphia Vireo (5!); Botanical Gardens, maybe this is a record (KA).

9/23 Red-breasted Nuthatch; Clay. The Sargents also report that this is the best year ever for hummingbirds in their yard (BS,MS).

 Contributors:

Ken Archambault

Patrick Daniel

Greg Harber

Greg and Debi Jackson

Scot Duncan

Bob and Martha Sargent

2 March through 31 March, 2011 

The "hot spot" during March was Perry County. Lakeland Farms has not been too productive recently, but on 12 March a Western Meadowlark wasseen and heard by Stan and Dana Hamilton and Greg Harber. Nearby, at the famous "fish hatchery," on 2 March Harriett Wright and Alice Christenson discovered a Common Moorhen. Not many records of the meadowlark in Alabama and the moorhen seems to be on the decline. 

A Bald Eagle nest with one fledgling was reported at Lake Purdy 3 March by Ken Wills. It is in the same location as the one that was found last May. Thanks to Ken, the Water Works  has been alerted and are pleased that the eagles are nesting on their land. 

Yellow-rumped Warblers have really "showed off" this winter.  I have heard from near and far about as many as 10 to 20 (or more) at a time at suet feeders. 

Other sightings were:

Contributors: 

Lisa Bailey
Alice Christenson
Stan and Dana Hamilton
Greg Harber
Pelham Rowan
Bob and Martha Sargent
Beverly Wayland
Ken Wills
Harriett Wright