BirdBlog

For the last couple of days, I have been engaged in searching for my misplaced cell phone. Just short of apoplexy I found the offending phone and decided that my supply of birds had suffered. The day was waning, and rain was threatening, but by golly, the Bird of the Day must go on. I donned my tree suit (camo) and sat for a half an hour or so under Carole’s feeder. The usual neighborhood showed up, Juncos,Towhees, Jays, Gold-crowned, House, and Song Sparrows, Chickadees, even a Woodpecker, but there were two (I know that I said one, but – journalistic license) that eluded my shutter finger; two that would have been the chocolate frosting on the cake. While I was setting up in Carole’s yard, she told me that she thought she saw a Red-breasted Sapsucker just leaving; and a Bush Tit sat long enough for me to get two irretrievably underexposed frames before it was gone. Oh well, they’ll be back.

If you are like me, and I will bet that you are in some respect, some days feel very ordinary. Many days are very ordinary. My Barn Owl this last week was an extraordinary day. My Chickadee days have been much more ordinary. What do we do for Bird of the Day for today? Well, there are hundreds of Chickadees in my yard, but no Barn Owl. In my earlier years as a Washington resident, a Great Blue Heron or a Bald Eagle would have been an extraordinary day, but I drive by them all the time now because they have become so ordinary. At the same time, ordinary can be really good stuff. It’s like the old sweater that you can’t give up. As Carole and I share our coffee in the morning, I am so warmed by the puppies snuggled in her lap. That lap and her every day presence are what matters. It’s what they know, and can depend upon. We can all get excited about the Barn Owl, or the White-winged Crossbill that’s not supposed to be in this neck of the woods – but is, but the comments that I get are more likely to be “I remember the Red-shafted Flickers from my childhood” or “. . . the Spotted Towhees on the farm with my new husband.” I get frustrated a bit when I’m not finding the next best wonderbird, but, my goodness, it’s not “Just a Robin.” Robins are a special part of what’s right with the world.

It’s all I can do to keep up with the birds. It has been brought to my attention that there needs to be accommodation for BirdBlog visitors to comment on things in general and not be restricted to individual posts. With that in mind look in the upper right hand corner of this post and you will see a little note that says comment. Click here and comment away. Thanks Carole.

I see lots of birds with injuries or diseases that are quite disturbing, but with no way to treat them in the wild, they continue on as best they can. My guess is this poor fellow got too close to a hunter with a shotgun, a beautiful bird with a big chunk of his beak missing.

Finches are quite susceptible to Avian Pox which inflicts ugly tumors on their feet and around their eyes. I remember vividly, watching a handsome House Finch that entranced me totally until he turned his head. Most of the opposite side of his face was missing. I was glad that he was at our feeder and didn’t have to compete for his food. A year or so ago we had an outbreak of Salmonella amongst our Pine Siskins that killed a lot of birds. The grim side of birding.

Jason sent me this little guy. He was just walking down a street in Langley, when this little fellow decided to join him. Gold Crowned Kinglets aren’t rare, but they are elusive. I’ve seen a couple in my yard, but have yet to get a photo. When I see a little brown speck flitting in the bushes, I get my camera on it. They all look the same from a distance, but you just never know until you can get a close look. More often than not it will be something that you have seen a million times. But you never know.

I didn’t expect today to be a big bird day. There are always lots of other projects waiting to be done. But what do I know? I found myself in Langley this bright and sunny morning with a couple of hours to kill, so down to the marina I went. 500 shots later with lots of Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Cormorants, Grebes, Surf Scoters, Rock Doves, Gulls, and Crows to keep me busy, I went home a happy camper. Now it’s bed time and time to call it a day. The fruit of today’s labor will be showing up here soon.

Visited another new, and private site today. Sorry, I can’t advertise the location or owner other than to say that it was along Saratoga Passage. These places are inspiring. They fill me with a sense of adventure, as well as giving me access to more birds.

Let me know what you think about Bird of the Day and how we are doing.