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BioAnderson

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  1. Version 1.0.0

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    A couple years ago I observed a leucistic dark eyed junco in my yard. Next year I got a white titmouse. I call it frosty. The next year I got another white titmouse with a little gray on back and wings. I call it junior. This year I got a junco with a white tail. I call it truce. This is four birds of two species with leucism in four years. I'm curious how common this is. It is kind of cool to identify individual birds and give them names.
  2. I have read that robins will gather in large flocks during the winter. Then when breeding season starts , they will break off and look for mates. That is why I think of spring when I start to see single robins or pairs. A look at a range map will show robins all year in the U.S. states. I'm not sure where I heard robins are a sign of spring, but I have heard this for as long as I can remember. I am 58 years old, so it has been quite a while.
  3. Robins are usually a sign of spring. I saw the first ones about two or three weeks ago. I photographed this one today. Mcfarland Ks.
  4. I live on the corner of my little town in the flint hills. This is a view from my front porch. There is Mill Creek about a quarter mile to the right and another smaller creek a eighth mile to the left. I see bald eagles, red tail hawks, northern harrier hawks and cooper hawks amongst others from my house. My songbirds will take cover when a predator flies over , but this was the first time I have seen one in the yard.
  5. From my front porch I was taking bird pictures , by my woodstove, this cold snowy morning . As I was focusing on and framing a picture of several gold finches, BAM , birds went everywhere. Five or six came strait at me. Two hit the glass of the window I was shooting through. I jumped back and thought WOW. What is going on. Then I saw him. A red tail hawk came off the ground, just a couple of feet from my camera. I looked quickly to see if he had any luck at my bird smorgasbord. He was gone in an instant, so I couldn't tell. After that the feeders were vacant, except for a Downy Woodpecker. As he clung to a feeder in terror, he was motionless. It was about five minutes before I saw him move. It was another ten minutes before any of the birds came back to the feeding troughs. I guess the hawks have to eat also. Such is the circle of life. I have a friend that calls the red tails "killing machines". I tend to agree. I am curious If other birders have seen these predators in action, at their feeding areas. David Anderson from Mcfarland Kansas. 2/7/2021
  6. The grayish feathers you see is shadowing. In person , it is pure white. It has the black eyes so I had wondered if it was leucistic or albino. I did a little more research and agree with the comments that it is leucistic. I am still curious if something in my environment could cause these birds to be leucistic or if it is genetic.
  7. I have to agree with everyone who says black oil sunflower seeds. I have tried many different mixes while also using black oil sunflower seeds. Almost all birds go for the sunflower seeds first. I also put out suet. Mainly for the woodpeckers, but nuthatches and finches will use the suet also.
  8. I get both downy and hairy woodpeckers regularly here in Kansas. Easiest way to tell the difference is the size. My bird book lists hairy as 9 1/4 inches long and the downy as 6 3/4 long. I see no red hindcrown spot , so I would say it is female. I don't know how long the needles are in the evergreen "pine tree I am guessing" , but they appear about the length of your bird. On your 5th and 6th picture I think i see black bars or spots on the outer tail feathers ,if it isn't tree bark I see. That would make it a downy. If you could measure the needles , I believe you could identify it that way.
  9. I agree Avery. I have birdwatched for years and haven't run across this.
  10. Last year I had a "dark eyed junco" with Leucism . It stayed around last winter, yet it is gone this year . This year I have a "Tufted titmouse" with Albinism. It is totally white except its eyes. They are black not pinkish red. It has been here for about a month. I was wondering if there could be a correlation or if it is coincidence.
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