Bird of the Week

Harris's Sparrow

(Zonotrichia querula)

There's nothing like seeing on these Sparrows at your feeders. With their black caps going down to their chin, it is very hard to identify incorrectly. Thanks to their odd faces these sparrow's are a bit more amusing to look at.

Harris's Sparrow's live in Central North America all the way from Nunavut, Canada to Texas, US. In Canada's Territories they nest and they migrate in Southern Canada and Northern USA. Meanwhile in Southern US, they stay there for the winter. So keep your feeders full at the appropriate time! If you have enough trees they're bound to follow where all the other birds are getting their daily supply of nourishment.

http://www.richditch.com/page111/page121/page121.html

Small Tip: Harris's Sparrow's are ground foragers so spread some seed under your feeder as well.

Wingspan: 27 cm (10.6 in)

Length: 17-20 cm (6.7-7.9 in)

Weight: 26-49 g (0.9-1.7 oz)

Food: Herbivore; seeds 

Habitat: Breeds at the edge of Boreal Forest's and Tundra. In Winter, agricultural fields, patches of weeds, pastures. In Migration, anywhere as long as there is food and shelter.

Nesting: On the Ground

Tuesday's Tips

Look & Listen

You may think this is just all 'old hat' and that it's obvious, but lots of beginning birders don't seem to do it. Yes, although it is exciting to go outdoors and find some birds, there's no way you're going to see any interesting ones with all the noise you're making. If you're quiet enough, you can see some pretty neat birds that are deep in the reeds or woods.

If you are also quiet enough, you should be able to hear birds. Use your ears to seek out the birds (while being quiet!). This is why it is also handy to have not only good sight identification skills but also ear identification skills. I admit myself that identifying birds their looks is a lot easier and I lack a bit of knowledge on that.

Just follow these two simple rules and you'll find more cool birds, faster. And you'll have great stories to tell your fellow birders about.

Bird Of The Week

Ruddy Duck

(Oxyura jamaicensis)

Trust me, you'll know if you've seen one or not. With its blue bill, black cap, white chin and chestnut body there is no other bird that can compare. The first time you see one, you have to blink several times and/or rub your eyes to make sure you're not seeing things.

But when you rub your eyes, it does disappear. You begin to think of how odd that duck was, when, fifteen seconds later, it pops back into your sight again. By now, you're slightly confused. Then you see its head dip into the water and it dives deep into the water. You know for certain that you're seeing something real.

Do you want to see this unique bird? Do they live around you? 

In Canada, Ruddy Ducks are around only the summer and are found from Manitoba to the Rockies. Their habitat? Marshes, especially one that border lakes and ponds. (Oak Hammock Marsh is a good hot-spot) You won't find one anywhere else unless it's in the air.

Facts

Wingspan: 56-62 cm (22-24.4 in)

Length: 35-43 cm (13.8-16.9 in)

Weight: 300-850 g (10.6-30 oz)

Food: Omnivore. Eats most aquatic insects and crustaceans. May also eat water weeds.

Habitat: Marshes, especially ones that border lakes and ponds.

http://christophermartinphotography.com/tag/ruddy-duck/

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/ruddy_duck

Feathers On Friday (FOF)

Since I didn't have the chance to post in my old blog, any of the bird pics from Ontario I'll do so now.

Preparing to eat. (Ruby-Throated Hummingbird)

I scared this bird onto a higher perch. (Northern Flicker)

This bird hit my aunt's window. (Immature Song Sparrow)

Starting to Feed. (Ruby-Throated Hummingbird)

Weekly What Bird Wednesday (W.W.B.W.)

Weekly What Bird Wednesday (W.W.B.W.)

This is my first weekly what bird Wednesday post.

(If there aren't at least two comments below then this post will stay until there are.)

Bird Of the Week - Pileated Woodpecker

https://www.flickr.com/photos/26522901@N08/3941637894

https://www.flickr.com/photos/56326961@N03/5302443080

Pileated Woodpecker

(Dryocopus pileatus)

Maybe you've seen one maybe you haven't. But if you have, you have agree that it is quite an amusing bird and is the largest (known) woodpecker in North America, nearly the size of a crow!

If you want see one or, if you want to see one again, your best bet is to check out the forests which spread from the Rockies into Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, into most of Manitoba and Ontario, southern Quebec and nearby the shores of the Pacific Ocean all the way down to Florida. But Pileated Woodpecker's also appear in sub-urban areas, provided that you have enough trees. So if you live on the sub-urban prairies, don't expect to sport one.

Facts

Wingspan: 66-75 cm (26-30 inches)

Length: 40-49 cm (16-19 inches)

Weight: 250-350 g (8.8-12.3 oz)

Food: Omnivore. According to scientists studies, 40-97% of their diet consists of carpenter ants. They will occasionally visit bird feeders for suet/seed.

Habitat: Large dead trees in coniferous, pine or mixed forests. Seen in suburbs in the East.

Tabs

Now added, I have four tabs at the top of the blog labelled home, bird log, life list, and 2015 Year list.
The home tab will lead you to the blog's home page and the bird log will give you what birds I saw on a particular date. My life lists has all the birds I've seen in my life and the 2015 Year List is what birds I saw this year.

Hi

Hello a bird fans and lovers. I am slightly experienced in this blog making business from my old conjoining blog with one of my bird friends (JC Birds+) but this is the only one I've done on my own so I'm excited to see what will happen in future.

There will (almost) every week, be four different posts and can be found in the 4 Feathers page (hence my name). These weekly posts will include Weekly What Bird Wednesday (WWBW), Feathers On Friday (FOF), Bird Of The Week (BOTW) (which will be posted on Monday's), and Tuesday's Tips (TT).

For WWBW, I will provide you with a picture of a hidden or hard to identify bird and you will give your answers in the comments below the post. Feathers of Friday will just have photos of what I've been seeing this past week bird wise. Bird of the Week will be posted with (nearly) all the facts that you could possibly know about the bird. Tuesday's Tips, hence its name, will give you tips on multiple birding topics; hot spots, techniques, feeding, breeding, etc.

If I can (hopefully) get enough followers/viewers I would love to start contests.

P.S. I may not get all four feathers done regularly for the first couple weeks since I need to get the hang of handling a blog on my own.

~ Colin van Delden