Rolf’s common Owls
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There are really three common owls at ROLF on the North Fork;
Steve’s Blog
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There are really three common owls at ROLF on the North Fork;
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Common spring and fall. Uncommon in summer and rare in winter. Nests at ROLF.
Orchard Orioles are smaller than the more well-known Baltimore Orioles. Male Orchard Orioles are a dark brick-red; females are a soft yellow-green. Females somewhat resemble female tanagers but female tanagers do not have wingbars. One yr. old male Orchard Orioles are the same color as females but have black throats. Orchard Orioles are very common in High Island in the spring where they particularly favor the many bottlebrush bushes which have been planted by homeowners.
Pictures are of female and male.
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Here are two common Herons that spend their summer breeding and feeding on the North Fork river. Both are quite common and should be easy recognize after looking at these pictures. Many people think that Great Blue Herons are Cranes; they are not. The smaller Green Heron is an outstanding fisher.
Singing one of the loudest songs per volume of bird, the Carolina Wren’s “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle” is familiar across the Southeast. It is a common bird in urban areas, and is more likely to nest in a hanging plant than in a birdhouse. Again, listen for “Tea Kettle, Tea Kettle, Tea Kettle”, then repeated many times.
Purple coneflower is a Missouri native plant which occurs in rocky open woods and prairies throughout the State. Large, daisy-like flowers with slightly drooping, rose purple petals (ray flowers) and large, coppery-orange central cones. Long summer bloom period. Best flower display is late June to late July, with sporadic continued bloom into autumn. Flowers grow on rigid stems typically to 3′ tall (less frequently to 5′). Dark green leaves (4-8″ long) are lance-shaped and coarsely-toothed. Good fresh cut or dried flower. The dead flower stems will remain erect well into the winter and, if flower heads are not removed, are often visited by goldfinches who perch on or just below the blackened cones to feed on the seeds. Echinacea comes from the Greek word “echinos” meaning hedgehog in reference to the spiny center cone.
The Indigo Bunting is particularly common at ROLF in the spring and early summer. Males are readily identified by their iridescent dark blue plumage. Females are a soft brown with blueish patches on the tail. Buntings along with Tanagers display complex molting patterns. In the fall male adult Indigo Buntings resemble females. Varying degrees of blueness may be observed. Indigo Buntings are sometimes seen feeding on lawns and make use of bird feeders.
Very common at ROLF. The White-eyed Vireo is often difficult to spot as it likes to lurk in moist thickets and woods. Fortunately it has a very distinctive call, consisting of a 5 to 7 note phrase followed by a sharp Chick. Pick-up-a-real-CHICK. Sometimes the call resembles very closely that of the Yellow-breasted Chat. Also aiding in identification are its white eyes.
Nesting under both the Log Lodge and Treetop Hideaway every year, the Phoebe is a great bird to watch.
The Eastern Phoebe is a plain but attractive bird roughly the size of a Purple Martin. Adult birds have dusky gray or grayish-brown upper parts with the crown, face, and tail contrastingly darker, sometimes appearing almost black. The under parts are off-white with pale dusky gray markings on the sides of the breast. Some wintering birds show a faint yellow to yellow-green wash on the belly and vent. Various sources describe these birds as juvenile, immature, fresh fall birds, or simply winter plumage (basic) adults.
The habitat in which you will find Eastern Phoebe is deciduous or mixed open woodlands. Mature and dense forested areas are less desirable. One can frequently find Eastern Phoebes in the general area of small ponds, ditches, wet open woodlands, or woodland edges. Here they often perch in a rather erect posture, frequently 3 to 15 feet off the ground and will fly out from the perch to capture insects (referred to as sallying or fly catching). They also consume small berries and fruit of various plants. While perched, Phoebes will often pump or wag their tail.
Common at ROLF in the summer in the tops of trees. Best chance to see one is from a treehouse on the hillside. Female olive green to yellow. Immatures resemble females. First spring male is lighter red or orange rather than brilliant scarlet. In early fall, males may take on a mixture of green and red feathers as they molt to olive green for the winter. Scarlet Tanagers may be difficult to spot despite their brilliant coloring, as they often like to perch motionless high up in the canopy of trees. Some say the call sounds like a robin with a sore throat.