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Birds of Long Days Farm

We share our land with many species of birds. Some just pass through, while many others settle in and make themselves at home. Some species pose challenges. Red-tailed Hawks, Coopers Hawks, Goshawks, and Great-horned Owls prey on our chickens. Cedar Waxwings and Catbirds enjoy our berries. And the non-native House Sparrows make a big mess and chase away native species. But most species enhance life on the farm. 

 

Since I moved here in 1999, I have kept a list of species I have seen or heard on the farm. The birds themselves don't have to be on our property, but I have to be on the property when I observe them. The landscape is made up of the cultivated land, fields, shrubs along the edge of our fields, a pond surrounded by willows and cattails, a wooded swamp, and lawn and trees surrounding our house.

Below I have listed the species of birds I have seen and/or heard. An (R) indicates that they nest on our property or visit most years. I will update regularly.

Great Blue Heron (R) - Regularly flies over, occasionally stops at the pond
Green Heron (R) - Has nested nearby over the past few years
Great Egret - Seen regularly on the Hoosic River
Canada Goose (R)
Snow Goose (R) - Some years, flocks of a couple thousand fly back and forth in fall and winter
Mallard (R)
Black Duck
Blue-winged Teal - One sighting
Green-winged Teal
Hooded Merganser (R) - Regular spring visitor
Wood Duck - Likely nests in swamp
Osprey - Visitor from the Hoosic River, which runs a couple of miles from our farm
Turkey Vulture (R)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Coopers Hawk (R) - Has learned how to prey on our chickens. We have named the culprit Jasper.
Goshawk - Occasionally comes through during migration. Big time chicken killer.
Red-tailed Hawk (R) - We have lost many chickens to these guys.
Red-shouldered Hawk 
Rough-legged Hawk
Northern Harrier (R) - Regular fall and winter visitor
Bald Eagle (R)- Nests along Hoosic River
American Kestrel (R)
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Ruffed Grouse - Been a while since I have heard them
Ring-necked pheasant - Other game birds show up as well
Wild Turkey
Killdeer (R) - Lays eggs in onion and asparagus beds
Solitary Sandpiper - One sighting
Spotted Sandpiper - One sighting
American Woodcock (R)
Snipe - About 10 hung out near our pond during an especially wet spring
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Dove (R)
Mourning Dove (R)
Black-billed Cuckoo (R)
Short-eared Owl - One winter sighting
Great-horned Owl (R) - They love our chickens.
Barred Owl (R)
Common Screech Owl
Common Nighthawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (R)
Belted Kingfisher
Common Flicker (R)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (R)
Pileated Woodpecker (R)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (R)
Downy Woodpecker (R)
Hairy Woodpecker (R)
Eastern Kingbird (R)
Eastern Phoebe (R)
Eastern Wood Pewee (R)
Least Flycatcher - Nested in our yard one year
Willow Flycatcher (R)
Great-crested Flycatcher (R)
Tree Swallow (R) 
Barn Swallow (R) - Nest in our barn
Bank Swallow
Chimney Swift
Blue Jay (R)
Northern Raven (R)
Common Crow (R)
Black-capped Chickadee (R)
Tufted Titmouse (R)
White-breasted Nuthatch (R)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren (R)
Carolina Wren (R) 
Mockingbird
Grey Catbird (R)
Brown Thrasher (R)
American Robin (R)
Wood Thrush (R)
Veery (R)
Eastern Bluebird (R) 
Brown Creeper (R)
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing (R) - like our strawberries
Northern Shrike - Spotted in winters of 2012 and 2014
Starling (R)
Red-eyed Vireo (R)
Warbling Vireo (R)
Yellow-thoated Vireo
Black and White Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler (R)
Yellow Warbler (R)
Northern Parula Warbler
Magnolia Warbler - mostly during fall migration
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler (R)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (R) - Abundant during fall migration
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Ovenbird (R)
Common Yellowthroat (R)
American Redstart (R)
Northern Waterthrush
Indigo Bunting
House Sparrow (R) - I am now trapping them to reduce the population.
Bobolink  - Formerly nested in neighboring field until it was converted to a horse pasture
Eastern Meadowlark - Nested in our field one summer
Red-winged Blackbird (R)
Rusty blackbird - likely in large mixed flocks. Starting to winter over. 
Common Grackle (R)
Brown-headed Cowbird (R)
Northern Oriole (R)
Scarlet Tananger
Northern Cardinal (R)
Rose-breasted Grossbeak
American Goldfinch (R)
House Finch (R)
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Rufous-sided Towhee - Nests  here sporadically
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Junco (R)
Tree Sparrow (R)
Chipping Sparrow (R)
Field Sparrow (R)
White-crowned Sparrow (R) - Some years abundant during spring and fall migration
White-throated Sparrow (R)
Song Sparrow (R)
Fox sparrow - Showed up at our feeder
Snow Bunting

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