Siggy's Blurbs » birds

Dozens Of Blackbirds Were Sitting On The Tree I Passed

siggy — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:24:01 +0000

Dozens of blackbirds were sitting on a lone, solitary tree on the edge of the road surrounded by several acres of farmland. I guess it was a “convention.” I spotted this from my car and was amazed. They were watching all the cars pass by. Nearby I made the first definite sighting of a red winged blackbird. It is a little harder when they are sitting. There is a small patch of color on their shoulders and their red can only be viewed when they are flying. They come back to that marshland every year. And every time I pass that area I look for them.

The Canada Geese Are Coming Back

siggy — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:24:51 +0000

The Canada geese are coming back. I heard honking and looked up at the sky. The geese were flying in a V shaped pattern with the left side considerably shorter. There must have been at least seventy geese in the flock. They were heading for Lake Huron–a small acre sized body of water. They are an harbinger of spring. Earlier we noted the row of tulips were coming up. It will be a surprise what colors they are. No one seems to remember what the package indicated. More and more greenery is coming up. There are surprises every day.

I Keep Looking For The Pheasants As I Pass The Meadow

siggy — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:16:08 +0000

I keep looking for the two pheasants as I pass the meadow but I have only seen one again. I did flush a small cottontail in the area yesterday. No more pheasants, though. Every time I drive along there I am curious what I will see. I have seen red winged blackbirds fly over the meadow but not this year. It is still too early in the season although not all migrate. I have only seen the blackbirds in the winter time in a bog viewed from a nature center. There are marshes a few miles away that attract red winged blackbirds. It is still early in the season. The farmer has strategically placed nesting boxes for them. They come back every year. Every time I pass there I try to spot them after they have returned from their migration. These are two birds I like. The pheasants wander to my area from the game lands. They really are a rare sight here.

The Only Thing I Saw On The River Was The Ubiquitous Gull

siggy — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:34:36 +0000

The only thing I saw on the River was the ubiquitous gull. I crossed the busy highway to take a closer view of the River but that was all I saw. With a little luck I thought I might spot one of the bald eagles who nest on the opposite mountain. Not this time. I keep looking for them but I never have seen them in the vicinity.

Later on I might occasionally spot a snowy or great egret on the fringes of the nearby islands. It is still too early in the season for that. I just wanted to view the expanse of the River. There were many gulls but that was about it. They could be found here year around.

Later on I will walk around my land and see what plants are starting to come out of the ground. The daffodils, of course, are five or six inches tall. I am wondering whether any of the row of tulips planted last year will come up. There are always surprises. Spring is now three weeks and some days away. We will see what comes up.

The Were Several Hundred Blackbirds In That Flock

siggy — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:55:36 +0000

There were several hundred blackbirds in that flock. They were in the sky flying en mass. They were tightly grouped and flying together not changing the distance between them much; thus flying as a mass. I have no idea where they are migrating from or where they are going. I just notice them coming through this area twice a year–fall and spring. They are small blackbirds. Sometimes they will stay in the area a day or two. I just marvel how they keep so close together when they fly as a flock. They are just a one of many mysteries of nature to me.

Visitors I Am Waiting for

siggy — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:24:24 +0000

There are many visitors I am waiting for. At some point, sometime soon I will put out nectar I have prepared for the hummingbirds. The first sighting is usually not before the end of April but I awaiting them. The regal great egret will come back. Maybe, I will see flocks of goldfinch under the tree, again. I don’t understand it but they stopped coming to my thistle feeder but during the beginning of spring I see the most–often a dozen or two at one time. I will put out fresh thistle. Snowy egrets I will see, again, along the river. And about now I will keep my eyes open for the first sighting of a robin. And that is a short list. And includes only the birds.

Now Every Time I Pass The Meadow Near Our House I Look For The Pheasants

siggy — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:46:25 +0000

Now every time I pass the meadow near our house I look for the two pheasants we spotted a few days ago. Of course, they are not there. Surprises are just that. They come when you are not looking for them. Serendipity is serendipity. What if you saw everything you were looking for every day. Wouldn’t life be boring? Usually your attention is somewhere else. And there it is–another surprise. Thank God life is not always predictable. What a world it would be if it was?!

In A Span Of Thirty Seconds We Spotted Two Ringed Neck Pheasants

siggy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:15:21 +0000

In a span of thirty seconds we spotted two ringed neck pheasants. We were near our house and both quickly disappeared into the large meadow we passed. There is a game preserve a mile away where they stock them for the hunters. Sometimes you can spot them nearby but this was them first time I saw more than one at the same time. We were amazed how quickly they ran and vanished into the undergrowth of the meadow. They are beautiful birds and their sighting thrilled us.

It Was A Fruitful Day Birdwatching

siggy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:13:37 +0000

I believe it was last Saturday. We were driving down our road and we spotted a hawk perched high on a tree on our left. My wife wanted a second look so we turned around and stopped our car at that spot. The hawk soon after flew away. It could not tolerate our presence. My wife saw the red on its tail as it flew away. It was a red tailed hawk and a juvenile (less than a year old according to my bird book). Then we got on the main high way along the River and my wife saw two bald eagles soaring high in the sky. I was disappointed. I had never seen two at once but only spotted one. It was a fruitful day birdwatching. I like surprises and new bird discoveries.

The Birds Outside My Window

siggy — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:58:12 +0000

In a short time–twenty seconds–I saw a Carolina wren, a brown creeper, the ubiquitous titmouse and a red bellied woodpecker–all from my window. They were feeding on the birdseed I put out on the ground plus the suet cake placed next to the trunk of my large white pine tree. The woodpecker took a chunk of fat from the suet cake and disappeared. I could never understand why it is called a red bellied woodpecker. The red is on its head not its belly. It is a big magnificent woodpecker I never saw before I started putting out suet cakes regularly.

The small sized downy woodpeckers are more frequent visitors than the red bellied woodpeckers. Sometimes you can see two or three downy woodpeckers at one time although they maintain their space between each other. They march up and down the pine tree stiffly like they are at attention. The Carolina wren is a big wren as far as wrens goes–maybe the biggest and feeds on the ground as well at the suet.

The brown creeper is a nondescript little brown bird with a curved beak that does just that creep up and down the trunk of the pine tree. It occasionally can be found on the ground but usually is found on the trunk of the tree going up and down the tree. Of the four birds, it comes here the least. These birds mentioned can be found here all year around.

Every once in awhile I spot a new bird and become excited. The latest was a red-cockaded woodpecker that came every day for a few days although I saw no red on it. It took several visits before I could make a positive identification. It is a midsized woodpecker between the size of a downy and red bellied woodpecker. I had never seen one before. Watching birds from my large living room window gives me much pleasure.

It Has Been Snowing For Awhile And Everything Is White

siggy — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:23:25 +0000

It has been snowing for awhile and everything is white. The snow is a wet, heavy one. I have never seen our lilac bush so bent. I am not going anywhere so I might as well enjoy the scenery viewed from my back and front window. The branches of trees are all bent by the weight of the snow. It is only an half a dozen times a year I might see the white landscape. I made sure my bird feeder was full this morning with sunflower seed. I know the birds have to forage a little harder in the snow but they have to eat, too.

I Am Glad The Tufted Titmice Are Back

siggy — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:48:41 +0000

I am glad the tufted titmice are back–as common as they are. There was seed that was not picked over and the birds returned. I even saw black-capped chickadees again. And today saw a house wren. Even birds are particular what they eat. I was really glad to see a steady stream of titmouse again. For that matter I never remembered seeing them before I put out sunflower seed. I appreciated them a little more.

Twice In The Last Week I Have Seen A Female Cardinal Feed Another One

siggy — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:56:55 +0000

Twice in the last week I have seen a female cardinal feed another one. I believe she was feeding on sunflower seed. This was unusual behavior. The two were adult females. And neither appeared to be hurt or injured in any way. Once they were on the ground. And another time on the bird feeder that had mostly sunflower seed on it. One fed the other directly beak to beak. This behavior had me stumped.

We Flushed A Blue Heron In An Unlikely Spot

siggy — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:11:33 +0000

We flushed a blue heron in an unlikely spot–just down the block at my neighbor’s far corner of his property, where there was a little creek. It must have been drinking its water. It just surprised me. I never would have expected to see one there.

I mentioned it to someone I “bumped” into at the local supermarket and he declared they are everywhere and eat the bass in the river and also trout in other streams. He complained the state will fine you $200 if you kill one. And said they are so numerous they do not need the state’s protection. I just shrugged my shoulder and continued walking down the aisle.

A Chickadee Came To Visit Yesterday

siggy — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:41:14 +0000

A chickadee came to visit yesterday. I had repacked the feeder with clean sunflower seed. The birds had stopped coming to it. I was thrilled when I saw my first chickadee visit the feeder. They are one of my favorite birds to watch. I always love watching their antics. I had not seen one in a long time. Or any bird come to this feeder. Now I will await the next visitors.

I Made My First Definite Sighting Of A Hummingbird

siggy — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:43:01 +0000

I made my first definite sighting of a hummingbird since I put out new nectar a few days ago. In fact, it did not feed on the nectar but was attracted to the pink fuschia flowers from a plant hanging only several feet from my feeder. I was thrilled one was still in the area. I did not think any more were. There were several times I thought I spotted one but this was the first time I was sure. Let us see if it comes back. Most have migrated. It is a straggler. It is already in the first week of September. They have a long journey to make.

They Could Of Been Cliff Swallows

siggy — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:47:19 +0000

They could of been swallows. I saw dozens alight on that wire and swirl above. I never saw swallows migrate before. It was early morning and they were over a mile away from water. If I had to guess, they were cliff swallows. I spotted them going through the “back way’ into town. I was surprised to see them. Now is the time I usually see flocks of small blackbirds come through. I still saw a hummingbird feed on my nectar today. At least one has not decided to migrate. Temperatures have fallen–the seventies. Summer does not end for another three weeks. There is no doubt Autumn has come already.

Soon The Hummingbirds Will Stop Coming

siggy — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:01:23 +0000

Soon the hummingbirds will stop coming to my feeder. And will take the long journey south. I never know when I see the last one of the season but I will keep nectar out for a few more weeks for any stragglers. The “passing” of the hummingbirds is another sign the warm weather is out and the cold temperatures are on their way. I can become too used to their sight and they have to go away for me again to marvel at this creation of God. It will be April, again, before they come back. And I will await their arrival.

The Hummingbirds That Come To My Feeder Never fail To Amaze Me

siggy — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:44:03 +0000

The hummingbirds that come to my feeder never fail to amaze me. There is a steady stream of them. The other day I actually saw two feeding at the same time. There is such diversity in nature. Take birds for example. There are all sizes and all are colored differently. Woodpeckers and nuthatches hug the trunk of our large pine tree and seldom can be seen on the ground. The cardinals feed very warily on the ground and come in pairs. And occasionally there is a surprise like an indigo bunting or some other bird I usually don’t see. I keep a bird journal and note unusual visitors. All I do is make sure the feeders are always filled and from my large living room window watch the parade of birds come and go all day.

We Have Been Home Less Than 24 Hours And What I Most Appreciate Is The Quiet

siggy — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:09:45 +0000

We have been home (from the Jersey Shore) less than 24 hours and what I most appreciate is the quiet here. All I hear here is the ?crickets or is it the ?cicadas. And the occasional “whoosh” of a car passing nearby.

The bed and breakfast we stayed at for three nights was on a busy road. It was very difficult to make a left hand turn. It was only a block away from the ocean. New Jersey just had too many people.

For some reason I become very unsettled in crowded areas. It is not my fault. I just do. I will appreciate my house better. It is not on a main fare. I watch the birds come to and fro my feeders all day. Especially the hummingbirds who never fail to delight me.

There is a reason mental hospitals always were situated in the country. They used to be called rest homes. Many years ago the array of medications to treat mental illness did not exist.

People who had nervous breakdowns were sent to hospitals in the countryside to recuperate and recover. There is nothing like the calm found in nature to do so.

I will appreciate my home better. It is just a relief to be here. My trip to the Jersey shore reminded me how fortunate I am to be on the edge of country.