I'm starting off with a gentle nudge - to myself!
These three cross stitch projects have been languishing - unattended - unloved. I need to add these back to my stitching rotation and get working on them once again.
Monday is the final day of the Great Backyard Bird Count. All it takes is 15 minutes to participate.
Saturday evening was by far my most exciting moment in the count. When we returned home from a trip to Portland, I stepped out of the car and heard something most unusual. I left the cover of the garage and looked up to see two lines of these birds - around 40 in all. They were flying from the southeast headed northwest. My photo is not great as the light was very low. My father thought they were geese and I said no way. They were not flying in "V"s and the shape of the birds was all wrong. Added to that - the sounds they made were like nothing I'd heard before.
| Adult and juvenile Grus canadensis 2" by Justin Lebar - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adult_and_juvenile_Grus_canadensis_2.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Adult_and_juvenile_Grus_canadensis_2.jpg I had an idea what the birds might be and went to the All About Birds website. I was right! The birds were Sandhill Cranes! Take a moment if you can to listen to their typical voice - it is like nothing I've ever heard before. The birds do not winter or summer here, and only pass through as they migrate, so it was a real thrill to have seen and heard them. |
On Friday morning I found a pile of feathers from a 'hawk attack' and I am afraid that they belong to a Quail. I have not seen my group of quail for the past three days though I thought I heard a couple of birds deep in the brush on Sunday afternoon.
My Bird Count has included several Song Sparrows.
In the last week or so the Song Sparrows have begun to 'sing' their spring / summer song. You can see this bird is singing away.
Other than the numerous crows that fly overhead each day, I think I have more Juncos than any other bird.
The Towhees are omnipresent as well.
And I enjoy watching and listening to the Black-capped Chickadees as they patiently wait their turn at the feeders and chatter to one another.
I'll post a recap of my Great Backyard Bird Count in a couple of days.
6 comments:
When we went to Florida a few years ago, a couple of Sand Hill Cranes visited us! The grands were all excited, they were so very close to us! What fun to see them flying! I look forward to seeing those WIPs progress... You will have them completed in no time!
Yes! I love spotting Sandhill Cranes. I taught the kids when they were small the difference in neck shape between the cranes and the herons while flying above.
What fun to see the Sandhill Cranes, Beth. Can't say I've ever seen OR heard them before... Looks like your bird count is going well so far! Have fun with those WIPS...
The Sandhill Cranes! Wow!!!! They are wonderful birds, so beautiful. What a special thing to happen! I'm sad about the quail though. I hope some of them made it through at least. Poor things. I know it's the cycle of life, but still. I love quail.
Great WIPS. What a thrill seeing the sand hill cranes!
Ooo, cranes! That is a treat.
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