Owls by night Cedar Waxwings by Day

I have not been able to get a picture of the great horned owls that are living in the neighbor but I'm hearing them every day now, usually at dusk (6:30 to 8:30) and just before dawn (this morning I heard him in my back yard at about 6 am). The great horned has the "hoo hoo" call that we teach children is the sound owls make. Actually they are the only owl that makes that distinctive sound. The other common owl in the area and which was featured prominently in this blog last year is the Eastern Screech Owl. It makes a very different sound. Go here to play it. You will actually here two distinct parts: A descending, whiny hoot, (beginning) and a lower repetitive monotone (near the end). The birds in our area make the second sound 90 percent of the time.

Was pleased to see the Cedar Waxwings are sill munching on the Elm buds in my area. If you have an elm in your 'hood check for this pretty bird (crested, small than a cardinal and usually in flocks). Here's a pic:

Note the black mask, greenish yellow belly and bright yellow tail tip. Yes they like berries too.

I put out a mix bird seed and all the pig birds came: 20 to 30 house sparrows, 15 white wing doves, 10 grackles, 10 Starlings. and 5 Monk parakeets. I haven't seen the mitred conure that lives with the monks at the nearby UT Whitaker Fields in about a year. I've put out a finch feeder but have only seen one dead house finch. The oriole feeder has attracted no one. The hummer bird feeders are feeding no one yet that I've seen.

A red bellied wood pecker family lives nearby and is frequently tapping on my Pecan tree with the dead top branch. I've also heard what sounds like a yellow bellied sapsucker but I haven't seen it. Still looking. The Jays are out in force now as are the cardinals, Carolina wrens and chickadees. Haven't seen the tufted titmice yet. The ruby crowned kinglet has apparently moved on. Haven't seen one in 2 weeks. After seeing Robins for the last 3 weeks, haven't seen any this week. Nesting is going on in earnest, though. More as it happens.