Bird of the Day

The other day my husband spotted the first rose-breasted grosbeak in our backyard. I didn't see it, but set up my camera yesterday hoping it would show up. Instead, I photographed a blue jay with a piece of corn in its beak. Wind and clouds finally convinced me it was time to go inside. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I took my camera off the tripod a turkey showed up in the yard. If only I had stayed in my blind a minute longer... Such is often the case with photography. The moment I pack everything up an exciting bird shows up. That's why I'm hesitant to quit.

I haven't seen a ruby-throated hummingbird yet, but keep cleaning our feeder and expect to report a first sighting soon.

Turkey Hill

The "wild" turkeys in our neighborhood are getting pretty bold. The other day my husband observed a turkey in the front yard of a house down the street from us. It is pretty common for them to stroll through our backyard, but now they're crossing the street?
Then on Sunday we spotted a male and a female turkey under our feeder for a short while. A little later my husband noticed a turkey taking a dust bath in our neighbor's dirt. Perhaps there is some truth to the advice to give birds a place to take a dirt bath. After all, their feathers need to be in ship shape to take off when a predator is nearby. We never run out of new things to see in our backyard.

An Unusual Visitor

On Wednesday I set up my blind to photograph the birds in our backyard. I took several photos of what I thought was a sparrow. But when I looked at the LCD monitor of my camera I noticed that it had a crossbill; its upper bill was longer than the lower bill and its tail was very long. We consulted our birding guides and websites and came to the conclusion that it was probably a juvenile white-winged crossbill, a very rare visitor in our parts. I'm now waiting to have my sighting confirmed. During spring migration we often see birds that we don't observe for the rest of the year. But this bird is truly a life list bird.

Planting for Birds - Serviceberry

Last year, we planted a Smooth Serviceberry - Amelanchier laevis - in our backyard. It is also known as a shadbush or juneberry. When in doubt, always check the Latin name on a tag.
This particular serviceberry is a shrub and ideal for small yards. Its white flowers are blooming right now. The berries are popular with birds and the coppery red leaves add great color to any fall yard.

Birding Update

Two days ago we saw the first Eastern Towhee in your yard. It has been a regular early-morning visitor ever since then.

Yesterday, I headed to Boyce-Mayview Park to photograph birds. The morning air was resonating with the call of Red-winged Blackbirds who flitted about the shrubs and tall trees. The Bluebirds were more quiet, taking in the morning sun from tall trees. I did not have much success photographing either since they were too far away. Perhaps when the vegetation grows and I can easier hide I will be more successful. In the meantime, I am putting up my blind in our backyard. Unfortunately, the blind is very noisy in the slightest wind and yesterday I had to take it down again, as it spooked the birds away.

Still, it is great to be outdoors again after a long winter. Yesterday, the temperature reached 81 degrees. It seems unreal that the trees are still bare and the juncos are still here.