Tuesday 6 May 2008

Look what visited our bird feeder this morning!

I've only seen a rose-breasted grosbeak once before, in May of 2006 (yes, I date sightings in my trusty National Geographic "Field Guide to the Birds of North America", purchased in Cape Breton in 1987). I'm truly amazed that this little guy stayed long enough for me to run downstairs and grab my camera, and didn't startle as I tried various shots through the french doors.








I'm not a radical birder, who would traipse across the countryside looking for elusive birds, but I enjoy being observant where I am. Some of my favourite sightings around our house and the pond since we've moved here have been ... a snowy owl (truly awesome!), a green heron (stunning), American bittern (we practically stepped on it thinking it was a plant), kingfishers, snipes (very odd looking; chicken legs with a sandpiper body), bobolink (their call sounds like a chuckle; very funny birds) and wood thrush (very shy; always a victory to glimpse one). This year we have numerous Eastern Meadowlark, one of my very favourite birds. I have heard that their numbers are dropping Ontario-wide; perhaps they are all moving to the county because they are regulars in our field this spring! :-) And down at Point Traverse we were thrilled to see a migrating sandhill crane on it's way to the north for the summer.

2 comments:

Tricia said...

You must have given him directions as he showed up at my place this afternoon. (Sat.)
Tricia

kkaci said...

:-) .. perhaps he has a buddy! I wonder where the females are? I see this guy every afternoon now from about 12:30 - 2:00.

We had a baltimore oriole two days ago in one of the trees. I keep meaning to cut an orange in half and stick it out on the railing, just to see if we could draw him over.