Are you fascinated by birds, their ability to escape the confines of earth with flight, their marvelous color patterns and not in the least, their song?
Have you complied a life list over the years? What are your favorites among those birds you have seen and heard?
Having watched and studied birds most of my life and compiled a substantial life list from various parts of the country and beyond, I have my favorites amongst the group and they are now prominently displayed on the wall in my great room as seen on the right.
It might even be fun to include your state bird in the center of that group. I am in the process of including all the state birds in my collection. Enter the gallery by clicking on any of the images or on the gallery link above, and see what you like.
Boy was I wrong! I thought spring had won control over the climate a week or so ago. Now, every day the weather vacillates between spring and winter. Yesterday was beautiful, a cloudless sky, warm 59 degrees and perfect for raking leaves and uncovering flower beds to see what has poked up through the soil. I was encouraged to see the daffodil leaves clustered together and spikes of hostas ready to burst forth. Then today, it is 25 degrees, overcast with snow flurries and a very brisk wind. This has been the pattern over the past week. I am hopeful as I know the end of this tale will be where spring wins out in the end.
I was thrilled to see a male Kestrel take up residence in my pasture. I believe he was here with his mate last year. He has been making use of the bluebird houses in the field to scan for mice. He returns to his favorite perching house time and time again. He sometimes varies his outlook posts by sitting on the upmost vertical branch of a sapling. I have not seen a female as yet, but I am hopeful.
My state, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has requested that we used masks when we have to venture out into the world. As mentioned, they wish we would use homemade masks whenever possible as the surgical masks and N95 masks are critical for the health care personnel. I found a site on the internet which I used to create a mask for myself using a cloth napkin and two rubber bands. When complete, I inserted a section of paper towel to the inside as recommended from another source. It works very well and rather stylish if I do say so myself. Good luck with yours and stay safe and well.
It is the first week in April here in the Berkshire hills. The snow has lost the battle with spring which has now gained a firm hold on the land. Trees are still bare, but if you look closely, the leaf buds are swollen and ready to burst forth. The blackbirds are competing for nesting territory with their rancorous song. Male robins are scattered across the pastures possibly moving further north leaving a few to settle here to raise families. The greated contrast came , however, with the American Goldfinches. The females have melded into the background with their soft yellow and dusky feathers. The males are in various stages of their formal brilliant yellow dress for summer, some in full attire while others are transitioning from their winter drab garb.
It seems as we move haltingly between one season and the next, winter is loathe to give up its grip. One day the ground is warmed by sunny, cloudless skies. The battalions of returning migrant robins, grackles, blackbirds and starlings take advantage of the exposed brown earth as they spread out over the pasture searching for grubs and insects. They search endlessly, poking the earth, turning over leaves and small sticks in hopes of finding a delicious morsel to consume. Then the air turns cold and one wakes up to a world of white covering the fields and the bare branched trees under a leaden sky. This contest for seasonal dominance continues weekly through the month of March and into April. We know what the eventual outcome will be as spring aided by its constant ally the ever present sun wins out in the end.
I have been tracking bird spring migration arrivals since 2000 when we moved back to the farmhouse. This year the daffodils began poking through the soil the last week of February on the warm south side of the house. What a surprise and I giddy with expectation of things to come. Then a lone Common Grackle spotted my bird feeders in the honeysuckle bush on March 1st. Here again, the arrival was about 2 weeks early at my 1730 elevation in western Massachusetts. The following days saw the arrivals of Red-winged blackbirds, a Song Sparrow and the rest of the black birds who announced their arrival with a cacophony of trills, squeaks and crackles (music to my ears!) As the second week of March rolled around, the temperature climbed into the high 60’s and dropped into the 20’s at night (perfect for sugaring with the sweet scent of maple syrup in the air). The robins are beginning to return and one female bluebird has been scouting out the summer accomodations located strategically in the pasture.
I am not a fan of ice if I have to proceed outside for one reason or another. However, if allowed to stay within the confines of my warm, comfortable home, I love looking out at the crystal wonderland that has appeared before me. Add the sun and the whole environment sparkles and shines like diamonds. It is truly magical.
There are several interesting things about winter that reveal a different perspective, looking into the woods with its curtain of green lifted. Check out the topography, the lay of the land, hidden secrets beneath rocks and boulders and then there are the travels of animals in your neighborhood revealed as tracks in the snow. It is almost like reading a box or rewinding back to past events. Above by the stone are the tracks of our resident fox rambling about following his nose looking for something to eat. At the bottom of the picture are the tracks of a snowshoe rabbit heading in the opposite direction. As far as I could tell, they were there at different times and did not meet each other.
Winter, for the most part, tends to be monochromatic, greys, black and lots of white. Then there if you looked carefully, there was a shock of brilliant red amongst the lilac bush on the back patio. You can’t say that he doesn’t know how splendid he is. He rested there for about 20 minutes probably waiting for his lady friend to join him.
Today is the first day of 2020 AD. The ice storm has moved on but the effects still remain with temperatures in the low 20’s Fahrenheit. The view is beautiful; a winter wonderland wherever you look. However, the birds probably have a different take on their environment today. This morning, I was inundated with a plethora of goldfinches in their winter garb. So glad the feeders were full and ready for them. A mourning bird or two took advantage of the seeds that were dropped on the ground. Shortly the chickadees, woodpeckers, titmice, blue jays and juncos will stop by along with our cardinal couple. Looks like I will be monitoring and filling the feeders more than once today. Happy New Year to all!
