Robins

The curious thing about October on the West Coast, at least from my backyard, in the shadow of Mt. Doug, is the arrival of Robins.

In his book A Year With The Birds, Wilson Flagg writes “there is no bird that has fewer faults than the Robin.” Their songs are familiar strains of morning and evening.

Our Mountain Ash, at 2:00pm today, held the coming and going of 23 Robins. These orange-breasted ones also have a touch of red-orange around their beaks. I observed Robins who guard while others pick at the red berries and jiggle their heads and necks to swallow the berries whole.

These may be migrating birds or perhaps birds who have arrived from more northerly climes and who plan to winter here. Once the tree is emptied of berries, though, these Robins are fewer in number.

As I change the position of my camera and the birds fly for shelter into the neighbour’s fir tree, I notice how bright their chests are in the blaze of sunshine.

I believe this flock of Turdus migratorius are different from the Robins that sing in the spring.

Disorienting, but lovely these October Robins.

Mt. Doug Hiking

A bird’s screech, a flash of red across my path, and I stop.

I’m pretty good at keeping my head up to take in the forest, but there are days when I find myself treading carefully or else lost in thoughts, and that is when I miss what is happening around me. I stand still and wait to see if the bird will return.

Thinking it may have been trying to distract a predator from a nest or mate, I look carefully into every tree around me. Birders know how to do this–I am not an intensive birdwatcher. Should I lean into the brush? Do I crouch down? Why did I leave my camera at home?

Within a few seconds I hear a tapping in the trees. Stepping into the brush, I can see the tip of a tail and then the bird about halfway up an old fir. It taps determinedly, lifting its head frequently and looking left and right.

It is a woodpecker, and not until I get home and look through my West Coast Birds do I learn that it is a Pileated Woodpecker. West Coast Birds writes that these are “secretive and retiring birds” recognized by a “laughing call” or “rhythmic drumming.”

So, I have documented two Pileated Woodpeckers in Mt. Doug forest. My book says it is a good idea to carry a notebook, maybe a pencil to document quick observations, dates and activities, as these are often lost in the excitement of sightings. I think I’ll just try to remember the camera.

I’d be curious to know how many of these birds have been seen by other Mt. Doug hikers.

Here is a link to the bird and its call.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id