Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Weapon of choice

Brettski,

Another great thread. I didn't realize there were so many bird watchers here. I'm only mildly into it, but my wife has developed a real passion for them. She'll sit for hours with her camera, binoculars and bird books trying to get a good picture or identify a new species.

Currently, she has positively identified 67 different species of birds on our land. Some are hear only for certain times of the year and for a very short time, while others are here year round. We know that there are allot of other species here, but have not seen them, or been able to be positive in identifying them. If we are not 100% sure, then we won't add it to our list.

Our weapons of choice are also 10x50 binoculars. Mine are Swarovski, and hers are Pentax. She also carries a Cannon S2 camera with an optical 12x lens. It's still not enough for ever picture, and getting a great picture of the birds is more about the photographer then the camera, it's still a very good camera. She's thinking of upgrading it to one with more power, but it's so hard to keep this one steady, even on a tripod, that we're not sure if it's worth the expense. She also has attachments to increase the magnification 1.6X and filters to improve clarity, or add interest.

I just enjoy going for a walk with her and seeing what's out there. When we first started living here, we didn't have the big pond, and there was only a few trails and open areas. Since building Lake Marabou, clearing our back pasture and creating our roads, we've noticed a tremendous increase in bird activity. I can't say if it's improved habitat, more diverse habitat or if it's just that we can see them better, but our bird count went way up in just a year after most of the work was done.

Here's a list of our 67 Bird Species.

American Coot
American Crow
American Kestrel
American Robin
Barn Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Black Vulture
Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
Blue Grosbeak
Blue Jay
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown Headed Cowbird
Brown Headed Nuthatch
Brown Thrasher
Canada Goose
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Cattle Egret
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Kingbird x
Eastern Phoebe
Egyptian Goose
Grackle Common
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl
Greater Roadrunner
Gold Finch
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Hairy Woodpecker
Harris Sparrow
House Finch
Inca Dove
Indigo Bunting
Little Blue Heron
Mallard Duck
Morning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northen Flicker
Northern Mockingbird
Painted Bunting
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Siskin
Pine Warbler
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Red Shouldered Hawk
Red Tailed Hawk
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Ruby Humming Bird
Savanah Sparrow
Scissor Tail Flycatcher
Song Sparrow
Spotted Sandpiper
Summer Tanager
Titmouse
Turkey, Rio Grand
Turkey Vulture
White Breasted Nuthatch
White-crowned Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Wood Duck
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Yellow-Rumped Warbler


Eddie