Birding Journal Observations / September - October 2013

I love this depiction of our feathered friends!

The typical change of seasons got underway with an unusually cool end of October, which was to the delight of outdoor enthusiasts. The peak of the deer season and the rut during Mid-October was also another highlight for hunting enthusiasts. The Lowcountry received a special visitor in October when Dr. Fitzpatrick, Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, visited the ACE Basin and click here to see his remarks.

With very little precipitation ins September in October the landscape began to dry out and once again water sources became very important to bird life. On October 15 I saw two mature bald eagles visit our pasture pond, which was also being used by cattle egrets, ibis, Canada geese and a kingfisher. The presence of ruby-throated hummingbirds became scarce by the end of October and my last sighting of a hummer was a lone bird on October 23. As if on cue, the first white-throated sparrow of winter showed up on October 27, and the first male towhee was spotted just before that on October 15.

Other bird sightings included brown thrasher, Carolina wren, cardinal, female summer tanager, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, tufted titmouse, dove, white-breasted nuthatch, Carolina chickadee, yellow-billed cuckoo, pileated woodpecker and mockingbird.

To view past Birding Journal Observations click here.

To view past Birding Journal Observations from Sept / Oct click 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.