Who's in the yard
April 2009
Robins are back, the Starlings have taken up a spot by the store and the Red Polls have been coming through on their way to far off places. The Sparrows haven't been eating much, to busy wooing and fighting over the females to eat much I suppose. I had a Crow in the yard eating bread crusts, well that didn't go over well with the other birds at all so they promptly chased his feathered tail right back to the field where they think he belongs. I have had a Merlin around most of the the winter, seems he is fond of the sparrow population in the yard. I was filliing the bird bath the other day and he nearly took my head off as he chased the other birds, I found myself on my derriere in a snow drift!! It's a good thing he's so pretty or he might meet my tennis racket! I definately hear a Meadowlark at the far South end of the field so a sure sign Spring isn't just making a brief visit YAY!! it's been a long winter.
Oh I'm sure excited THE WARBLERS AND GOLDFINCHES ARE BACK!!!! Well maybe I'm jumping the gun, I've only seen one of each so far and it is a tad early but...I saw em yesterday. I see that the Grackles have returned as well so it's time to go birdseed shopping. They are like those relatives that only come visit for the food, eat you out of house and home and leave!
May 2, 2009
The Warblers are still here so it must mean they are putting down roots for the summer. I counted 22 Robins on the lawn diggin up worms the other day so I am doing the math...11 pairs x 4 babies per nest that's 66 Robins in the yard for the summer!!!!!! I think this year might be a contest to see who gets the most strawberries.
The Grackles are back...yay, I guess someone needs to keep the cats in line. I have also seen some Cassin's Finches at the feeders and a bird I have yet to identify. She looks like a HUGE female house sparrow. The Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers were tapping out a rhythm on the Scotts Pine and their was a pair unlike previous years when it was only a solitary bird. I am hoping they will nest somewhere close if they indeed nest in this area. The Flickers have been doing their duty cleaning up insects in the lawn, what a striking bird they are.
August 2009
I''ve been a little neglegent for you folks wanting to hear about my bird sitings in the yard but I just had to take the time today to tell you about my excitement. I noticed a pretty (Robin size) yellowish bird hopping around after insects in the trees and on closer observation found it to be a juvenile Baltimore Oriole. I knew I had at least one Oriole in the yard this summer but rarely glimpsed it although I heard it every day. I had no idea she had built a nest and raised 2 beautiful babies which are not quite active in the trees hunting insects and eating the Nanking cherries. This is the first year I have ever seen the baby Orioles and if I can get them to hold still long enough I'll get a picture.
Meet "Moses" This little guy (American Robin) fell out of his nest with 2 other siblings but was the only one to survive. The nest was too high for us to return him so we have been feeding him this past week and he's growing like....a baby Robin. Update on Moses! We raised "her" up to adulthood and now she is happily flying around doing what Robin's do best, eating my strawberries! From the time we found her (she was approx 3 days old) to maturity where she no longer comes back to us for food was 6 weeks. She no longer comes back to us although still isn't as afraid of humans as other Robins so is easy to identify when you see her. When things slow down I will bring you on her journey and describe what it was like raising her.
