sparrows

Another Walk in the Sun

Rae SpencerLeave a comment

Trail Jan 19

More sun today, and much warmer. We chose a new path, one that cuts through a residential area before joining a series of nature reserve trails.

Trail Jan 19

Trail Jan 19

The reserve is heavily managed along these trails. We saw evidence of selective tree removal and a pair of unnaturally straight drainage canals.

Trail Jan 19

The area seemed somewhat barren of wildlife, though I suspect today’s lovely weather had lured heavier traffic to the trails than usual. Perhaps the constant flow of joggers, bicyclists, dog walkers, and groups of hikers contributed to the conspicuous silence from the trees.

Trail Jan 19

Trail Jan 19

We saw a few flocks of chickadees, and plenty of sparrows foraging in the underbrush, but no woodpeckers or warblers, and no waterbirds.

Chickadee Jan 19

Sparrows Jan 19

Back in the car and on our way home, we spotted another hawk hunting in a small field. We turned around again, and once again I wasn’t able to get a very good photo. The hawk was perched just beyond my camera’s comfort zone.

Hawk Jan 19

Each time I get one of these “nearly” photos, it makes me eager to try again. I’m already looking forward to tomorrow’s walk. The forecast calls for one more day of warm sunshine before winter’s next frosty pass.

Trail Jan 19

Feeder Photos for a Cold, Cold Day

Rae Spencer4 Comments

Dove Jan 17

Today’s rain swirled on a bitterly cold wind. Given the conditions, I can’t blame the birds for seeking an easy source of food.

Sparrow Jan 17

(I would love a little help identifying the sparrow above. Is it a song sparrow?)

Flock Jan 17

I can’t blame the birds because I was seeking my own easy fare. The weather was simply too miserable for a walk, or even for a long stroll around the yard. So I stayed indoors and took photos through the kitchen window.

The doves and robins looked so cold that I wanted to invite them to join me.

Dove Jan 17

Robin Jan 17

The cardinals seemed less affected by the cold.

Cardinal Jan 17

They had more troublesome things on their minds. It started with a small flock of red-winged blackbirds.

Flock Jan 17

Flock Jan 17

Cowbirds appeared next, as if responding to an alert about freshly filled feeders.

Flock Jan 17

Flock Jan 17

Flock Jan 17

The cardinal female tried to claim her share of the seed, but the flock ignored her fretful complaints and fluttering attempts to land among them.

Cardinal Jan 17

Cardinal Jan 17

She even tried eating on the ground, where she was forced to dodge between and around a milling crowd of larger birds.

Cardinal Jan 17

After a few desperate mouthfuls, the cardinal gave up and moved on.

The flock stayed for another half-hour or so, growing more and more nervous as the feeder’s contents dwindled. They stampeded into flight over and over again, then returned for a few more minutes of ravenous feeding.

Flock Jan 17

Flock Jan 17

Flock Jan 17

Finally, there came a time when they burst into the air on a loud flurry of wings and did not return. I saw them twice more, passing overhead as they visited other yards, but they were finished in our yard for the day.

I was puzzled by their retreat, because the feeder wasn’t completely empty. I wondered if they might have seen a hawk or cat, but the only thing left in the yard was this squirrel.

Squirrel Jan 17

Is it possible that they left because of the squirrel?

Squirrel Jan 17

Perhaps they were simply bored, or the feeder ran too low to make their continued efforts worthwhile. Or maybe they tired of my lurking presence in the kitchen window and my clicking, whirring camera…

Flock Jan 17

A Week of Travel

Rae Spencer4 Comments

I’m in Alabama this week, visiting family. The yards here are busy with birds and squirrels, and the windows are bright with changing leaves. It all makes me as happy as a basking cat.

(I would love some help identifying the unfamiliar woodpecker, above. Is it a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker?)

Birds and Dragonflies

Rae Spencer2 Comments

The blue jay babies are fledged, but they haven’t started foraging on their own. They continue to rely on their parents for food. (More about the blue jays here, here, and here.) While the adults flit back and forth, the babies explore the densest parts of our wax myrtle (where I can’t get a picture of them), exercising their voices and wings. There are at least three fledglings, possibly four, though it sounds like there might be a dozen when they shriek in unison.

During occasional blue jay lulls, when the parents forage in other yards (or simply take a break from their raucous brood), doves and sparrows share a turn at the feeder.

The doves gulp seed in greedy excess, then settle on nearby perches to preen and stretch as they digest their meals.

Along with birds, the yard is filling with dragonflies. Eastern Pondhawks have joined last week’s Blue Dashers.

I’ve also seen two or three species I can’t identify, like this golden beauty. (My best guess is a female Needham’s Skimmer. Can anyone confirm or correct that ID?)

Today was hot and humid, just right for June. I mowed through the heat, then sat on the deck to enjoy a fitful breeze stirred by approaching storms. I was tempted, for a moment, to call the yard “mine”. But a burst of blue jay racket reminded me that it isn’t mine at all.

From the Sparrow Archives

Rae Spencer7 Comments

My day is too short, my list too long. Books and projects tug at my attention, while bills and guilt lurk in every shadow. I wonder if this is how sparrows feel as they forage and flirt, keeping their constant predator alert…