Yard List and Other Random Stuff

Yard list:

FOS Chipping Sparrow on first week in April, disappear late summer, very late one recorded in Dec, fledgelings seen 6/2010, parasitized by Cowbirds, numbers dropping;
FOS House Wren mid-late April, disappear late summer - some broods succeed, sometimes try and double brood
FOS Gray Catbird late Apr/early May persisted to early winter (mostly fall), perhaps double broods
Pine Siskins Jan-May 2009 corresponding to invasion year, also Dec 2012. Brief visit by White-winged Crossbill in March 2009, ditto.
Purple Finch notable visitor to feeders April 9th 2011.
Fox Sparrow notable visitor to feeders March 7th 2012, also on March 14th 2017 during late-season snow storm.
Tennessee Warbler one of my best sprin migrang birds, a singing male, May 14th 2014.
Common Raven as exceptional fly-by on March 31st 2017 - perhaps the duo I see at Pole Farm ?

Feeder activity varies radically reflecting food sources and snow cover. Winter 2009/2010: much weaker feeder showing suggests a lot of wild food around this winter. One Yellow-rumped Warbler in January (overwinter locally).
Winter 2010/2011 was also weak on sparrows. Juncos vanish third week in April, along with most White-throated Sparrows, not long after the Chipping Sparrows arrive
Winter 2011/2012 was also weak on sparrows. Good food crops in north and exceptionally mild winter. Winter 2012/2013 weak so far althoug a couple of notables: transient Hairy Woodpecker and an overwintering female Red-breasted Nuthatch. Winter 2013/2014 started slowly but during the Jan-Feb snowstorm burst there were 25+ sparrows, up to 10 Blue Jays, and a vist from a female Eastern Towhee, along with visits from sizeable Common Grackle flocks. Later in the winter a persistent female Eastern Towhee Feb-Mar and an American Tree Sparrow (Mar 1st).
Both Black and Turkey Vultures at deer carcass in my back yard on 10/13/2014 - previously had just been fly-overs.
Vocal Eastern Screech-Owl on or very near property just after dusk, June 29th 2015. Winter 2015/2016 was uneventful but also generally mild. Winter 2016/2017 also uneventful and generally mild - mid-Mar snow storm drove two Fox Sparrows to the feeders for a few days. Coronavirus pandemic lockdown in spring 2020 helped add Bald Eagle (distant) and Indigo Bunting (feeders) to yard list, new Lincoln's Sparrow in fall and a White-crowned Sparrow (imm) "promoted" from adjunct to full list courtesy of one at the feeder.

Landscaping Resources (older)

• American Meadows: NorthEast Wildflower mix, Daffodil and Wildflower mix, Fall Max Mix, North East mix
• Toadshade native plant nursery (NJ)
• American Beauties garden centers - Bountiful Acres, Buckingham PA
• American Beauties native plants
• NWF gardening for wildlife
• Joe Pye Weed
• Birdscaping

Nestbox Designs

• From Birds & Blooms with a backward sloping roof
• From Mike Patterson with whole sizes for western species (recommends cedar fencing as stock)
• From Free Bird House Plans which has slightly more elaborate plans (e.g. wren boxes)
• Nest box dimensions for species
• All About Birds roost box design

Images and text copyright © Phil Jeffrey 2008-2017