He looked at me, and I looked at him. It was love at first sight, at least for me.
And my spouse didn't even care. In fact, he peeked over my shoulder for a better look.
It was May of 2021, and it isn't what you think.
First, a little background. During the pandemic, spouse and I discovered birding. We weren't that serious about it until late in the winter of 2020-2021, when we bought our first bird feeder and filled it with safflower seed. A bag that held nyger seed came next, then a window mounted hummingbird feeder.
Now, it's gotten a little serious.
We are probably the only two people in the United States who watch a British Baking Show and, if we see a bird, we immediately back up the program so we can get a good look. At the bird. The pies and cakes have to wait, ignored until we do an Internet search.
I need to mention here that a lot of the birds in Great Britain, and in Europe for that matter, are not found here in the Northeast United States.
I won't bore you with what we've identified, except we recently found out that the European goldfinch (which doesn't look like our American goldfinch) has a self sustaining colony in Prospect Park in Brooklyn (a borough of New York City). We can thank the British Baking Show for introducing us to this bird, along with several others.
Moving on (like a blogger I love likes to say)....
We are in the midst of spring migration and birds that don't live here
during the year (or at least during the winter) may stop by our yard for a day or two of feeding. This is what
happened with our bird friend who opened this post, and, twice this
year, this species of bird has shown up on our feeder for a day before moving on to its final destination. (If you care, they were male rose-breasted grosbeaks).
Did you know there's a program to track bird migration? It's called Birdcast and you can get all kinds of statistics including how many migrating birds may be in the air tonight. Sunday night, between 8:10 pm and 5:50 am, it's estimated that some 665,800 birds crossed our county on the way to...somewhere.
This may be one of those migrators, from last week. We saw this May 7 and are still trying to ID it. The bad photo I was able to get before it flew off shows the bird in the upper right hand corner.
The white flowering tree it was in against the white sky makes it difficult so please don't try to ID it.
It gives me chills, thinking of 665,800 birds in the air, flying at maybe 4,000 feet at 21 miles per hour. (yes, Birdcast tells you that, too). Through the night their wings beat, as they strive to complete their journeys from - Florida? Jamaica? Mexico? The Amazon basin?
How do they navigate? How do they know where they are going?
Many die. But many make it to our Northern regions, to mate and produce young for the fall migration back home. Yes, many of our summer birds here don't live here most of the year. But they risk their lives to come to their summer home.
How can I not admire birds? How can I not root for them, now that I know?
...we are in the Adirondacks and this morning while taking photos of the sunrise the birds were singing up a storm.
ReplyDeleteI know several people who are bird watchers. When I have the time, someday…
ReplyDeleteI love spring migration! I have several favorite spots to see lots of warblers and other migrants. I love watching the summer residents arrive in my yard, and make nests. I love seeing the first oriole or hummingbird or fox sparrow of the season. How can anyone not admire birds? Keep your cats indoors, as they kill 2.4 BILLION birds in the US alone.
ReplyDeleteShari, the sad truth is that in the US there are two ways cats kill birds: (1) when they find helpless nestlings (yes, do confine cats away from nests for the week or two when the nestlings are helpless), and (2) when the birds are dying--which makes it a mercy killing.
DeleteThe last time my cats molested a bird, after a glyphosate spray poisoning incident, it was my (last year's) resident male cardinal. He sat on the ground at the bottom of the hedge and *called* attention to himself. Queen Cat Serena brought him to me alive; then the kittens got him and batted him about. He was very weak. I didn't think the kittens needed further contact, so scooped him up, put him in the metal trash can, and lighted it. Under his red feathers his body was mostly green from aspergillosis. That's typical, and is the real reason why birds should be taken away from cats. Just tasting them will make the cats sick.
We need prowling cats to protect us from rodents who make *us* sick. Birds can be safe in the treetops if we just stop SPRAYING POISON, which is what makes them vulnerable to house cats--North American birds have coexisted with wild cats for centuries.
I would love to have feeders. But... I used to, before the duplexes behind me were built. Then the feeders just drew in the vermin from the empty lot! Now, it's cats. Not mine, who are strictly indoor only cats. The neighbor has one who like my yard better than her own (and who wouldn't?), and is here most days, lurking in the bushes. Mickey thinks she's playing tag when she chases him! I loved watching the birds in the big wild sunflower last year when the seeds were dried. My sister-in-law (brother's wife) has a big book of bird sounds, you press a button and it gives the song. I would be hard-pressed to identify most birds by their song!
ReplyDeleteSince they imitate each other, I wouldn't try. Bird feeders can be built in a way that keeps off most non-birds--hung from a high branch or post with a support arm--but that may mean going upstairs to watch the birds, and squirrels will climb down the cord or chain.
DeleteCommenting on behalf of a friend Diane T: How grand that you and your husby share the same passion! I love birds. You have started me out on this 'fine and feathered' path. So far this year, I have spotted many, many Canada geese, robins, chickadees, house sparrows, seagulls and pelicans. My app and I don't know each other yet...
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were just talking about this over the weekend. We have several houses and feeding stations. There is a blue Jay that has been here since I lost my mother. She always said she wanted to be a Blue Jay. We're both bird people. The Red Hawk is our favorite.
ReplyDeleteWe've lately gotten some birds here that I do not recognize. Birding sounds like a great way for you and husband to have a hobby to do together.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten all caught up with birding, too. The number of bird feeders outside my window...it's a little ridiculous. But it brings us great joy.
ReplyDeleteLove the British Baking Show, too.