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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Early Spring Migration

We have a dozen forsythia bushes in full bloom on the hillside. The flowers attract tiny insects; the tiny insects attract tiny birds - in this case, Warblers and Kinglets. Earlier in the morning there were more species. Lorna probably got pictures of them before she went to yoga, I didn't.

Birding can be brutally strenuous, wading through swamps, bugs, heat, long cold hikes. A guy has to pace himself.

Yesterday, there was 8 or 10 different kinds of warblers in the yard, today not so many, but late in the day there was a really great male Redstart, maybe my favorite bird in the world. I didn't take any pictures, but again, I think Lorna did. Deligent lass that she is. Oh, I did take some pictures of a female Mallard sitting in the little water tank down in the garden, but it isn't really a "postable" bird - I was only eight or ten feet away and it completely ignored me.

It is dusk as I'm posting this and right now there is a hummingbird at the feeder outside the window, our first of the year. FOY. It is Spring.


Yellow-rumped Warbler
Nashville Warbler. He hung out through a whole cup of coffee, slowly becoming accustomed to that old guy in the hat. 
This shot is for Lorna, who inexplicably likes the head-on poses. ???
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (the "crown" is seldom visible).

1 comment:

Tom G. said...

Gorgeous pictures Gunnar. You seem to be a whole week ahead of us on Springs arrival. Tell it to put down the cup of coffee and get it's butt to the cities soon.