Comments for River Bird Blog

Comment on Last look at Upper & Lower Miss Birds, 7-04 by al otto

al otto — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:51:54 +0000

I have not seen the bird but have heard about it, though reference escapes me right now. Saw two turkeys yesterday and watched a deer stumble out of the woods, to lay down and die. DNR says too many bucks “overbreed” or so to speak in the fall rut, use their bodies up, and die in early spring. Spring might be on its way, at least 40,s today and hope of green and return of mushrooms and singing birds.Otto

Comment on Red-shouldered hawk, 3-18-07 by Darlene

Darlene — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:17:32 +0000

We have a red shouldered hawk who is visiting on a regular basis.
I didn’t know they would be here in georgia. What a beautiful bird!

Comment on Last look at Upper & Lower Miss Birds, 7-04 by al otto

al otto — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:42:07 +0000

Hi Richie!Nice site, lots of effort put into it I can tell! We have a pair of pilleated woodpeckers living in the back woods. It would be good to get together sometime. Otto

Thanks, Otto. The older those backwoods get, the better chance the pileated has for a hole large enough to nest, I think.

Comment on Last look at Upper & Lower Miss Birds, 7-04 by al otto

al otto — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:39:41 +0000

Hi Richie ! Ever seen a raspberry bellied thorn bird? Hope you are ok. !st time at your site, looks like you put a lot of effort into it! Otto

Is it real, this rasberry-bellied thornbird? Can you tell us about it? Richie

Comment on Black Tern, Great Egret, 5-27 by Emily

Emily — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:18:27 +0000

thank u 4 ur info on the elusive black tern. i have been doing a project on them 4 my honers life science class, if i didn’t find this site my project would still b unfinished.
thank u

I’m overjoyed to help, especially for an honor’s class. That’s one reason why I created the blog. You just helped make it a success! Richie

Comment on No quirr, no queak, yet sapsuckers squeak, 6-26 by Terry Erickson

Terry Erickson — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:11:30 +0000

You made this birding experience come alive, I actually felt I was in the forest experiencing what you were reporting. Thanks for bringing this alive for all of us through your prose.

Comment on An excess during Solstice Week, 6-19 by Dina

Dina — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:33:05 +0000

Last week, driving down hwy 35 towards Trempealeau, we noticed a flock of American Pelicans that appeared to be “migrating” south. This seemed awfully mysterious because I thought they only migrated through here earlier in the spring (which I already witnessed) and then again in the fall.

Is this normal? Why are they in this area now, during breeding season?

Thanks!

Thanks for continuing to read the blog! American white pelicans use the Upper Miss spring, summer and fall. They fly beautifully both north and south, feeding on fish. The nearest known-breeding colonies are in western Minnesota, Marsh Lake and Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, east-central Wisconsin. Small numbers showed up here in the early 80s, grew to more than 1,000 by the mid-80s, more than 3,000 in 2001. The Upper Mississippi River National Fish & Wildlife Refuge expects them to breed someday on the refuge. Officials there can probably tell you how many pelicans use the river these days. Formations sail daily over Aghaming. The increase of pelicans here coincided with the increase of the species overall after the ban on DDT and other pesticides in 1972. I think they may find food here, but no habitat remote and undisturbed enough to breed. If you watch their formations closely, you may see the pelicans’ real purpose here. They break up into the words, “Read www.RiverBirdBlog.com.” –Richie (Numbers and dates from Upper Miss Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan, 2006).

Comment on Red-headed, Least bittern, Red-shouldered! 6-03 by John

John — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:37:10 +0000

Least bitterns are definitely neat birds.

Comment on Warblers in, 5-6-7 by Steve Holmer

Steve Holmer — Fri, 11 May 2007 20:02:05 +0000

Nice posting. To See Video of Migratory Songbirds including the prothonotary by Greg R. Homel/Natural Elements Productions check out https://www.abcbirds.org/video/migration/

Comment on Virtuoso, whip-poor-will, prothonotary! 4-28 by margaret trott

margaret trott — Tue, 08 May 2007 03:16:55 +0000

Thanks again, Richie, for this sexy piece!