The Bird Whisper

I've a friend and I think he might be a Bird Whisper. Well, he is good bird-luck! He's a neighbor who also feeds birds, though like me, he's not sure which birds he sees. We've spent several hours at my kitchen window now...it's quickly becoming the place to dine. The very first time he came over, I saw the FOS Indigo Bunting; only the second one I've ever seen. I like that he was as stunned over that blue as I was. Lordy what a color...and such a tiny little thing. Those dark eyes remind me of juncos, but they are much smaller and more slender. What a joy to see.

We watched all three grosbeaks: Evening, Black-headed and Rose-breasted come and go for hours. I thought it was pretty neat that the next day he sent a note to say he'd seen the first ever Rose-breasted Grosbeak in his yard.

Last night, while talking with him, I thought I saw a mouse with it's tail straight up, disappear into a crack between the sidewalk and the siding on my house. It was a very small crack; less than an inch and a half (yes, I measured). But watching it for several seconds after it re-appeared, I could see it was a very tiny little bird with it's tail cocked over his back. It had little to no eye-marks and was pretty much all-over brown with a lighter belly...like a mouse. The baring on its tail was the give-away, however. I'm liking my friend, he must be a very powerful Bird Whisperer!

Speaking of friends, Paul and Polly got the Baltimore Oriole this year, as well as another rare visitor to Colorado: an Orchard Oriole. Oh my, what fun it is to sit on their deck and watch these two come and go...all the while dodging the feisty Bullock's Orioles that seem to have exploded this year. I probably have nearly 20 in my yard at any one time; they love the orange halves and cups of grape jelly I put out for them. They're everywhere!

Both the new orioles are more shy, and the Orchard Oriole...a stunning bird of black and chestnut coloring, is the smallest of it's kind. But what a beauty; and so shy! I'm lucky they've been hanging around and I got to spend time watching them. What good friends...and they share photographs!

As usual, I add their name to their photos...the others are from Wikipedia or BirdFreak's free Flickr site. You can find more of Paul & Polly's photos on Colorado Birder.

Click any photo for a larger view...

It's Been a Year!

I recently realized I've been actively bird watching for a year now...and blogging about it for just as long. I've 160 posts and sixty birds actually seen in my yard! I have to say, however...I look forward to seeing a few only pure laziness must prevent me from noticing. They are here and there is no reason I've not noticed a Brown Creeper, Bushtits, Catbirds, Thrashers, and more wrens, warblers and sparrows. I'm getting better; I'll find em!

I've also been working on my yard and have continued the turf-wars. I'm committed to removing large swaths of lawn and planting much less water-needy native shrubs and trees that will also feed birds, bees and butterflies...not to mention attract benificial insects. I'm also more than a little aware native plants take less care in general...and that saves both my time and my back. LOL

Once, I created a bit of a hubbub by posting a photograph of what appeared to be a female Caliope Hummingbird...in early May. That raised some 'rare' bird alert; apparently they just don't show up that part of the year!

I've had bigger birds visit too; Wild Turkey, Great Horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks and for a few days Turkey Vultures roosted in my front yard. They didn't like me wandering around pointing a camera at them, however...and moved down the street
(I'm happy to say.)

I've had a few interesting fly-overs, not the least of which were Sandhill Cranes. I heard them before I saw them and recognizing their chatter when I finally looked straight up. They were flying quite high, which says something to that chatter; I'd not have noticed them except for recognizing their voice. I saw several; in a large check-mark in the sky. It was thrilling.

At any rate, I thought I'd finally post my complete list (so far) of Yard-birds:

1. Wild Turkey
2. Cooper’s Hawk
3. Red-tailed Hawk
4. Sharp-shinned Hawk
5. Swansion’s Hawk
6. Great Horned Owl
7. Eurasian Collared-Dove
8. Rock Pigeon
9. Mourning Dove
10. White-winged Dove
11. Black-chinned Hummingbird
12. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
13. Calliope Hummingbird
14. Rufous Hummingbird
15. Downy Woodpecker
16. Hairy Woodpecker
17. Northern Flicker
18. Black Phoebe
19. Western Wood-Pewee
20. Blue Jay
21. Steller’s Jay
22. Black-billed Magpie
23. American Crow
24. Common Raven
25. Black-capped Chickadee
26. Mountain Chickadee
27. White-breasted Nuthatch
28. Bewick’s Wren
29. American Robin
30. Hermit Thrush
31. European Starling
32. House Sparrow
33. American Redstart
34. Yellow-rumped Warbler
35. Yellow Warbler
36. Song Sparrow
37. White-crowned Sparrow
38. White-throated Sparrow
39. White-throated Sparrow – tan
40. Dark-eyed Junco (all five)
41. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
42. Black-headed Grosbeak
43. Lazuli Bunting
44. Red-winged Blackbird
45. Yellow-headed Blackbird
46. Brewer’s Blackbird *
47. Common Grackle
48. Great-tailed Grackle
49. Brown-headed Cowbird
50. Bullock’s Oriole
51. Western Tanager
52. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
53. Black Rosy-Finch
54. Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
55. Purple Finch
56. Cassin’s Finch
57. Evening Grosbeak
58. Pine Siskin
59. Lesser Goldfinch
60. American Goldfinch


61. Black-crowned Night-Heron
62. Sandhill Crane
63. Canada Goose
64. Geese (species)
65. Ducks (species)
66. Gulls (species)
67. Swift (species)
68. Bats (species)...oh, sorry

* = ID not confirmed
Italics = Flyovers