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Any birdwatchers?

Mockingbirds have been doing flight training this morning. Zipping and zooming all over the place almost like Hummingbirds. Missed be by 'that much' a couple of times and I've seen them darting around each other about a foot off the ground.

Silly things.


Hummers usually show up the first week or so of May, but with the warm weather, I'm wondering if they'll be early.
 
Had fun the other day. The whole fam was in the car and we were driving along the river. A bald eagle was flying over the river paralleling us. It then moved over and flew straight over us (maybe 30 feet up) for a quarter mile or so before shifting back over the river again. We do see them sporadically, but that was one of the longest close views of one in flight, I've seen. (We have a moon roof, so we opened the cover to watch him from straight below. And no, I wasn't driving.)
 
Five_Inch_Heels said:
Mockingbirds have been doing flight training this morning. Zipping and zooming all over the place almost like Hummingbirds. Missed be by 'that much' a couple of times and I've seen them darting around each other about a foot off the ground.

Silly things.


Hummers usually show up the first week or so of May, but with the warm weather, I'm wondering if they'll be early.
Click to expand...
I've seen all kinds of things happening early this year. I saw a pair of Bullock's orioles gathering nest building material yesterday. Most years, they're only just beginning to think about starting to migrate by this date.

(We have different populations - some migrate in from the north to spend the winter here, others migrate in from the south to spend the summer here. The winter population doesn't make nests here, so, at least some of the summer population is already here and it's literally still winter! They're about six weeks early.)
 
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Finally heard an Orange-crowned Warbler very close (instead of 50 yards away):

Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue jay, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Tufted titmice, American Crow, Eastern Bluebird, House Sparrow, Barn Swallows, Carolina Chickadee, Fish Crow, Pine Warbler, House Finch, Turkey Buzzard, Orange-crowned Warbler.

Thought I briefly heard a Mississippi Kite, but couldn't see it nor did Merlin confirm.
 
Report today: Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, blue jay, red-tailed talk, Carolina wren, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, tufted titmice, purple martins, American crow, eastern bluebird, house sparrow, Carolina Chickadee, Pine Warbler, European starling, brown headed Cowbird, chipping sparrow, White Winged Dove, Eastern Phoebe, house finch, turkey Buzzard, Song Sparrow, Bewick's wren (24).

Not my record day, but the Brown Thrashers were out (I heard 3, whereas I normally only hear 1; same with the Pine Warblers).
 
Comentarista82 said:
Report today: Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, blue jay, red-tailed talk, Carolina wren, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, tufted titmice, purple martins, American crow, eastern bluebird, house sparrow, Carolina Chickadee, Pine Warbler, European starling, brown headed Cowbird, chipping sparrow, White Winged Dove, Eastern Phoebe, house finch, turkey Buzzard, Song Sparrow, Bewick's wren (24).

Brown thrashers are always fun to come across! Sounds like a good day
Click to expand...
 
Went looking for a screech owl today. Struck out on that. Checked out the nearby bald eagle nest, but they weren’t around. I did hear some turkeys in the woods though.
 
I've had two nesting pairs of merlins near me the last two years. At least one of them is back. The male flew right past me, within 8’ of me (Not intentionally. he swooped around the back of the house— probably dive-bombing the feeder— and when he came around the corner, there I was!)
 
Okay, birdwatchers, one just for you:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/bird-watching-brain-9.7108469

Bird watching may build better brains, study says

Expert birdwatchers had structural changes in their brains that may help prevent cognitive decline

Bob McDonald · CBC Radio · Posted: Feb 27, 2026

Expert birdwatchers have some fascinating brain changes that may help protect against aging and cognitive decline later in life, a new study by Canadian researchers has found.

This study, published on Monday in the Journal of Neuroscience, used MRI scans to compare the brains of 29 expert birders with 29 beginner birdwatchers. They found in the senior group, the parts of the brain related to perception, attention and memory were denser and better able to process information.

What this means is the brains of the experts were structurally more efficient, allowing them to retain details and absorb new information better than the non-experts. And the researchers found that this change stayed persistent as the birdwatchers grew older.

The sample size is fairly small but the results track with what we know about how to keep our brains sharp as we age. Studies have shown that remaining mentally active by learning a new skill, musical instrument, language or having a complicated hobby causes our brains to grow new neural connections and avoid mental decline.

And there is a growing body of research demonstrating that time spent in nature is good for the brain. In 2022, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at data from 62 million Medicare recipients in the U.S. and found that those who lived among more green spaces were much less likely to be hospitalized for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Another study out this week co-led by researchers at McGill University and published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that it takes just three minutes in nature to trigger measurable changes in the brain.



Birdwatching is one of those skills that demands deep knowledge of the many bird species, along with their sounds and appearances. The greater the memory, the quicker the identification on the spot.

One of my most memorable experiences with bird watching was many years ago during the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. It’s a worldwide citizen science event that takes place every February to take stock of the number of bird species worldwide. In addition to being a fun, relaxing family activity, it is actually an exercise for the brain. It requires observational skills and deep knowledge of the sounds, patterns and colourations of the more than 1,000 bird species found in North America. Serious bird watching is harder than it looks, as I discovered during a bird count at Long Point Bird Observatory on Lake Erie.

Having never been among seasoned birders, I began chatting with the group and telling jokes, to which no one was laughing. At first I thought these people had no sense of humour, before it finally dawned on me that they weren’t interested in listening to my chatter.

They were listening for birds.

Once I was politely told to keep quiet, it became obvious how good the birdwatchers were at identifying a species by a single tweet.

Everyone’s attention would swing around to the appropriate tree, and binoculars and spotting scopes would be quickly focused to a spot where a colourful songbird hid among the branches. Everyone would agree on the type of bird it was — whether a warbler, chickadee or some rare exotic bird — verify it in their bird guidebooks and make an entry in their personal log.

Their acute sense of hearing and broad knowledge of birdsong and identification of species was astounding.

The brain is definitely a use it or lose it organ. Research shows that staying mentally active later in life delays the onset of dementia. Earlier research by this same group concluded that having expertise in anything, such as motorcycles or rare coins, creates a sort of scaffolding in the brain that helps retain new information.



So birdwatching itself isn’t a cure, but it helps to build a well-connected brain, because the same skills developed to recognize bird species by the smallest of details can be used to better recognize faces and names in senior years.

There are many other suggestions for maintaining a healthy brain, such as exercise, a good diet, socializing, and solving puzzles. Birdwatching includes many of those in one activity.

In addition, becoming a citizen scientist like those participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count helps identify the many bird species that are at risk, which is important for conservation. If you decide to join the effort to save our feathered friends, you could also be saving your brain function at the same time.
Click to expand...
 
TarnishedPenny said:
Okay, birdwatchers, one just for you:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/bird-watching-brain-9.7108469
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing that! This is welcome, and not too surprising, news.

I'm an OK bird watcher, meaning I'm better than probably 98% of the general population at identifying bird species by sight and by sound, but I'm nowhere close to being an expert birder. I've spent time with expert birders on birdwatching forays, and I'm amazed at their skills at instantly identifying birds by sound or sight, even at a distance. It keeps the mind involved.
 
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