Birds!

[Philadelphia Eagle]

It seems that more species of birds than ever are visiting our feeders.

I sat and watched them this afternoon for just 30 minutes and saw the following:

Several Tree Swallows with their distinctive white undercarriage and dark blue top.

Four Mourning Doves.

One Eastern Phoebe

A Brown Thrasher

Many Grackles with their spoon-like tails

One Mockingbird

Several Red Winged Blackbirds

Two Buffalo Birds

Many American Robins

Two Eastern Bluebirds - surely one of the most beautiful birds we have.

Numerous Chickadees, bright yellow Goldfinches and deep red Purple Finches.

Wow! - what a varied collection each singing their own special song.

[minks]

Nice I love awaking to the sound of the birds. My Fave, The Red Winged Black Bird.

My youngest is so afraid of birds so much so it is nearly funny

[lady cop]

that sounds so appealing Philly~~~i've got three-foot-high vultures and pink plastic lawn flamingos! :-1

[hotsauce]

A robin just built a nest on our house. I love to watch it. Makes me think of my grandma (she loved the birds) each time I see it!

[Philadelphia Eagle]

The red-winged blackbird is one of my favorites too.

I can always tell if it's around.

I can hear its raucous song through the screen door !

Our nesting Bluebirds are eating us out of house and home! Their favorite food is mealworms and it is expensive compared to other mixes. It's worth it however to have a grandstand view of them going in and out of their nesting box with food.

We don't know yey how many hatchlings are in there as we don't want to upset them by going too close but soon all will be revealed as the babies start to appear at the entrance.

[jahamaa]

Bird feeders are one of the best investments you can make for the enjoyment of your home aren't they?

Purple finch is my favorite. Love their song. Only problem is I haven't seen one yet this spring.

[Philadelphia Eagle]

We have finch feeders at which purple finches visit from time to time but now that you mention it I can't recall seeing one this Spring either.

The goldfinches are in great abundance however and have lost their winter dull brown feathers. They now appear in full bright yellow plumage.

Occasionally one will share a perch with a Bluebird and to see the two side by side with their contrasting colors is a truly beautiful sight.

[A Karenina]

We don't have a bird feeder. But we do have large fields nearby. Last weekend we sat on the balcony drinking morning coffee, and I saw an eagle. Wow!! I also saw hawks. Amazing

[lady cop]

well aside from the aforementioned vultures and ubiquitous plastic flamingos, Audubon was enthralled with florida birds, the lovely blue heron, cranes, roseate spoonbills, and the sea eagle (osprey). we have an amazing wealth of species, even wild parrots ^^^^^^^^^^^National Audubon Society

[anastrophe]

i used to be a very avid 'birder'. my peak year was 1988, when i identified 62 different species. i topped out at 119 several years later, but lost interest in actively 'racking up' the count. my favorite sighting was the very first day i went birding - and saw at least sixty, perhaps upwards of a hundred Bald Eagles standing around looking glum on a very frosty january 1, 1988, up at the northern border of california.

but my favorite bird, for its call, is the mockingbird. when i was growing up in suburban redwood city, california, the telephone/power pole at the far corner of our small yard was yearly the host to a nest of very territorial mockingbirds. their incredibly complex songs, calls, and of course mocks, wove into my consciousness, and into my subconscious, as they sang in the very early morning hours.



any time i hear one now, it gives me a wave of memories. love em.