Things I Love {Birds}

This post is for the birds!

Hee hee hee!  Get it????  I crack myself up sometimes. Truly.  

I saw the first hummingbird yesterday- it buzzed by my windows that usually have hummingbird feeders on them.  Time to make and keep a stock of sugar water!  Their return always brings me such joy! (so hence this post!)

While some hobbies have come and gone over the years- I have two hobbies (or interests) that have remained with me all these years: watching/observing birds (okay...wildlife in general) and gardening.  While I love observing birds I'm by no means a professional bird watcher.  I end up running and getting my bird guide book when I see different birds at my feeders.  I can't identify birds by their calls.  Okay...so I know an owl if I hear one!  And I can also identify a whip-poor-will's call.  But after that I'm lost.  

I love LOVE LOVE having feeders out in the winter-time and watching the birds come and go.  They bring with them cheer even in the darkest of winter days.  My favorites are the very shy and easily spooked cardinals and the black-capped chickadees.  We've had a few owls come visit but they usually stay far away.  Sometimes we can hear them at night talking to each other.  

In the spring I love to hear the Bird Symphony- the chattering and melodies of all the birds singing in our woods.  We've also seen an assortment of Unusual Places Robins Will Make a Nest.  Like the time one robin made a nest in my decorative basket hanging on the front door.  We couldn't use the front door for several weeks for fear of the parent robins abandoning their young! 

In the summer I love seeing the brilliant flash of neon red from a scarlet tanager or the amazing blue of the indigo bunting.  I love watching the hummingbirds do their little battles with each other.  Apparently they're really territorial.  I mean REALLY territorial.  I always worry about walking in the middle of those battles whether they're going to accidentally jab me instead!  (hasn't happened yet- thank goodness!)  I love watching the blue birds and the red-wing black birds in the fields.  The herons are beautiful creatures to watch (but I've yet to see one at my house).  We've also had encounters with bald eagles and turkeys on a variety of occasions.  We've also gotten to see a pileated woodpecker swooping through the woods (you can hear them too!  Loud and clear...like a very fast & loud hammer).  Lately we've observed flocks of pelicans circling high above us- so very graceful.  And of course it'd be foolish to forget the Canada geese!  

Hmm...did I miss any birds?  Here's a bird guide I've found online...All About Birds.  I'm also thinking about getting the Science Investigator's Kit for Homeschoolers (it's all about birding) for us to work on over the summer.  

Did you spot the two Not Birds in the photo collage? Gotta keep you on your toes!  :-)


I just had to add this video clip on birds (Portlandia: Put a Bird on It).  It's hilarious!