New Bird in our Neighborhood

The other day I set up my blind in our backyard to photograph some of the birds that visit our feeder. We had placed the feeder close, but not too close, to our serviceberry so that the birds can scope out their surroundings before flying to the feeder. The fall foliage provided a nice backdrop. I expected the usual tufted titmice, chickadees, and cardinals. When a bird sat on a perch for quite a while it seemed to be saying, "photograph me." I did not recognize it and was thrilled that I could take almost a dozen photos before it took off. Imagine my surprise when I viewed my images on the computer and learned that the mystery bird was a "Myrtle" yellow-rumped warbler! I had never even seen this bird, ever. Sometimes the best subjects are as close as your backyard.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

This past weekend, I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count. At some times of the day it was like a feeding frenzy out there. On Saturday, for example, I counted 13 cardinals at once. I can explain their abundance with the wooded ravine we have behind our house. Other large numbers were: five juncos; nine mourning doves; five goldfinches, and seven starlings. I also saw three robins on our street, my first sighting of the year. Their survival instincts have not quite kicked in yet.
Our most exciting experience was on Sunday when we watched two crows land in our yard. At that same inopportune moment, a vole decided to leave its hole - only to be snatched up by one of the crows who then took off with its prize.
The other backyard visitors were vegetarians and munched on our four bird feeders and the feed that fell to the ground. Too bad I was not allowed to count squirrels. They are always in abundance around here. I was also sorry that the flock of red-winged blackbirds I have often seen lately did not show up during the count. That would have been impressive! I am anxious to see the final tally of the count. Last year, cardinals were the most reported species. No wonder, judging from my own numbers.