Dickcissel In The Yard (again...:) - Essex, MA - November 12, 2011
Dickcissel, which breed in North America's prairie grasslands, then winter in central Venezuela and surrounding countries, turn up along the east coast each fall in varying numbers year to year. Those that make it to the coast tend to hang around with flocks of House Sparrows, something I have plenty of at my feeders.
Today saw the second or third Dickcissel of the fall at the feeders. I managed a few photos and a brief video with the 1st two images taken in the morning at the platform feeder 16' or so from the window I shot from.
For an idea of how often these colorful migrants have visited the yard through the years:
| Date | # of birds | # of days |
| Oct. 20, 1999 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov. 03, 2003 | 1 | 12 |
| Nov. 09, 2007 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep. 03, 2008 | 1 | 1 |
| Oct. 18, 2008 | 3 | 11 |
| Dec 17, 2008 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct. 22, 2009 | 1 | 12 |
| Dec. 12, 2009 | 1 | 2 |
| Aug. 17, 2011 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep. 06, 2011 | 1 | 3 |
| Nov. 12, 2011 | 1 | 1 |
I hope today's Dickcissel sticks around for several more days!
The brief video and the shot below were taken through the kitchen window this afternoon as the Dickcissel fed a few feet away in the window box I use as a feeder through the winter months.
Not too shabby for shooting through two panes of glass!
Very handsome bird!
ReplyDeleteMaybe your tally over the years just indicates that you were working too hard back then!
Nice photos!!