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Thursday, May 14, 2020

Covid Journal, Day 61: Bird List

52, cloudy and light showers after some rain during the night. That caught us by surprise, because we thought the forecast called for clear weather the rest of the week. The garden will never dry up at this rate.

We spent half an hour on the porch this morning, and this is the list of birds we saw in our front gardens:

Cardinal
Titmouse
Chickadee
Goldfinch
Purple Finch
Nuthatch
Blue Jay
Robin
Chipping Sparrow
Ruby-throat Hummingbird
Catbird
Phoebe
Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Summer Oriole, male and female
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, males and females
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush
Towhee

I might have missed one or two, but that's about all, I think. It's a veritable wingfest out here!

A few recent bird photos, some not as good as I'd like. They are hard to capture in a picture sometimes, either staying too far away or on the move too much.

At first, the cardinals fled in fear from the grosbeaks, but now they seem to have found a way to co-exist. In fact, this one male cardinal hangs out with a female grosbeak and even feeds her seeds from time to time. I'm not sure the male grosbeak approves.


Well, who can blame him? She is rather cute.


This, I believe is a young male summer tanager who has not got his summer colors yet, sitting on the seedcake feeder. the downy woodpecker doesn't like it, as he things that feeder belongs to him.




I may be wrong in my ID of this bird, but his orange color is brighter than the photo shows. His whole belly is actually a bright yellow.

 


A purple finch shares the feeder with a few others.




Or maybe not share...



This is the best shot I've been able to get so far of the red-headed woodpecker now visiting us. I'll keep trying.



Finishing up with my latest poem:


How the Birds Sing Comfort

It begins before dawn,

high on the ridge, melody

slips sweetly down the hillside,

slides across the creek and up,

up the ravine that divides our land,

to my waiting, grateful ear.

 
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
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9 comments:

  1. Joy@aVintageGreenThu May 14, 03:16:00 PM

    Lovely poem Sue, flows like a water in a gentle creek. Amazing number of birds visiting you, love seeing the visitors to your feeding station.
    Hugs.
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Granny SueFri May 15, 11:37:00 AM

      Thank you, Joy. It's been a colorful spring at the feeders!

      Delete
  2. BillThu May 14, 05:12:00 PM

    The bird photos are absolutely beautiful to see.
    Have a wonderful evening and thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Granny SueFri May 15, 11:38:00 AM

      Hi Bill! I do love the birds, but don't have a patch on Steve Ferendo's photos on his blog. He's such a master at photographing wildlife.

      Delete
  3. hartFri May 15, 09:41:00 AM

    A pleasure and an education to read.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFri May 15, 10:40:00 AM

    Thank you for the comfort of your poem! -Amanda in KY

    ReplyDelete
  5. Granny SueFri May 15, 11:40:00 AM

    Thanks, Amanda. Good to hear from you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. jcmFri May 15, 03:17:00 PM

    Lovely poem and so true. you do have a variety of birds at your feeders. We have some of them, not the baltimore oriole or the purple finch. We see an indigo bunting every now and then. I enjoy birdwatching--better than any TV show, that's for sure!

    ReplyDelete

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