I have been recording nocturnal migrants from my yard since the fall of 2012. Although I have pretty good hearing, I need my sleep, and so in 2012 I invested in a parabolic reflector, a mic, and a recorder to do the work for me. Every morning, spring and fall, I check the voicemails to […]
Continue Reading →Spring migration and my bionic ear
It was fairly quiet in my yard during the early part of the week due to the persistent cold airflow out of the north. This kept birds in place to south, waiting for the weather to turn, which it did Wednesday. The warm southerly airflow through Thursday brought with it traditional April migrants like Wood Duck, […]
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Birding while I sleep
I have been operating a nocturnal flight call station from my house in Hancock for several years, recording nocturnal migrants each spring and fall as they pass over, sight unseen. If a sparrow flies over my house and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The answer is yes, if the […]
Continue Reading →Red Crossbills – when binoculars aren’t enough
I was awoken on the morning of February 18th by a “kip kip kip” call note coming from the direction of the bird feeders. I instantly recognized it as the call note of Red Crossbill, a rare visitor to my backyard with only a couple of previous records in about 10 years. They are a […]
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