Birds

I was thrilled when a female yellow rumped warbler took a bath in our birdbath. She was light enough to be able to stand on the floating solar fountain, occasionally having a bidet experience when she turned her back on the spouting water. Two days before, a grackle had taken a drink of water from it. The next day a blue jay did too, then a dove landed on the edge, although that was just a stopping place until it went to the ground to search for seeds under the bird feeder. We’ve had that dang birdbath since friends gave it to us when they retired to Hawaii. In Fort Lauderdale and here, I’ve kept it filled and clean, just to be completely ignored. Finally it might be loved. 

The house finches are eating the seeds off the tropical sage, grackles and red-winged blackbirds are at the feeder, with occasional red bellied woodpeckers. 

My Haikubox is hearing ruby crowned kinglets, one of which I saw when I lured it in by playing its call. Yes, I feel guilty.

I finally saw the great horned owl fledgling in a big pine tree at the end of Oakdale, when it was being mobbed by 2 red shoulder hawks. A parent was calling from another pine. I’d heard the parents for several weeks, but could not find the nest. It was high, high in the pine. 

The Carolina wrens are singing, include one who likes our trellis with the sky blue cloud vine. A limpkin has begun to scream in the night, which is slightly nerve racking, and the sandhill cranes are calling. I think spring is here.

We went on an Orange Audubon trip to the Marl Bed Flats in Sanford. Walking through the pinewoods, we saw a pair of barred owls who were watching us. Small birds flicked in the tree tops, silhouetted. The flats were dry, few water birds, way off. A pair of eagles flew over and landed far enough away to just be visible in Lorry’s scope. Back at the boat ramp we saw least sandpipers, 1 solitary sandpiper (fitting), limpkins, and white pelicans. A tree swallow flew back and forth along the little canal, one way we could see its back, on the other, its belly. That was the best view I’ve ever had of a swallow. After a while, it landed in a tree, in the sun, so the photographers were happy.

I’ve even painted chickens. Perhaps I’ll do a notebook of birds.