Did you ever feel that satisfaction when you finally lay eyes on that illusive creature in the yard? You know, the one making that unusual new sound that you've never heard before. That squeak, that chirp, that trill. Sometimes it drives you nuts for days. (Its usually a bird, but this applies to little froggies or shy insects too.) You may see a flash of feathers... maybe a glint of bright yellow. "Is that a... no, it looks more like a... You turn your head and only see a twig with quaking leaves. You run all the way into the house to get your binoculars to better stalk your prey, and its... gone! Ugch! Its like hunting, but without the murder part at the end.
Then, there are those days. The days when all the elements in the Universe are in alignment. "Wow! I think I just saw a male Redstart! I did! I did see a male Redstart! I've been waiting my whole life to see one! It was worth the wait." Check one more off the "Life-List".
I don't know about you, but once I've "captured" them either by camera or at least in my minds eye, they go on my cupboard door "trophy" list. I only write them down if I have positively identified them. Do you keep a list of the beautiful fliers that grace your backyard? You'll be surprised how quickly they add up if you do.
We are particularly blessed here in Virginia Beach. There are 90 species
on my list! 90! That represents five years of stalking. Let's see
how many little trophys your yard holds.
Here are the rules...
~If you can see them from your yard, they're yours!
~If you know who they are.(ie, male, female or immature [species])
you bagged 'em!
~Lay binocular enhanced eyes on all of them. What looks like a sparrow could be something much more exciting! Believe me, it happens to me all the time. They ARE little masters of camouflage after all.
Of course, you will need a bird book and a pair of binoculars. Check out
Amazon for that. My first good pair was Bushnell 8x21, a good start. I use Bushnell 12x50's now. (Whatever you do, don't drop them!)
More about books & binos in a future blog.
Happy hunting!
Birdwatching, Gardening, Deep Thinking
Friday, October 29, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
To My Childhood Friend Chirp
It was the early '60s. Life was very different than it is today. One of my earliest and best memories is of a little bird I named "Chirp". I named him that because that is what he said. Loudly! Repeatedly! Emphatically! Begining very early in the pre-dawn hours!
It all started when a vicious storm swept him out of his nest. He was a little bit of a thing. He looked like his beak was too big for his head. Big feet, a plump ball of chirping wet feathers. Being the Naturegirl that I was (even at five), I insisted that we go out & rescue him. Mom & Dad knew I wouldn't shut up until they helped me save him. I'm sure they thought he would go right back home after the storm. Well' that's not what happened.
He was up dark & early the next morning as my Dad was getting ready for work. They were only a little surprised when I wanted to go outside & turn over the slates in the path to find worms for you know who. From observation, I knew what Mama Robins fed their young and I knew where to find them! Sure enough, that quieted him down... for a few minutes! Since his parents were nowhere in sight, I took it upon myself to be a bird Mom making many trips out to the slate path.
As long as I was willing my parents let me do my thing -like I said it was a different time then. I think they might have been distracted by a new baby or something like that, but I was much too busy "teaching" Chirp to fly to notice. I would sit in the dry bathtub with him on my finger. As I raised and dropped my hand, he began to flap to steady himself. Somehow in my tiny brain I just knew he was practicing for flight and strengthening his little wing muscles. After a couple of days of this he took off on a short flappy cruise and I knew he was ready to go outside. I guess I thought that Chirp and I would grow old together, or maybe I wasn't really able to think past my nose at such a young age, but Mother Nature had another plan.
I carefully and lovingly carried my little friend outside into the sunlight. As expected he took off and flew his first outside free voyage. I guess all that flight training payed off! However, he was suddenly out of sight! Uh-oh! And then... suddenly I witnessed something incredible -and frightening! Out of the blue, and out of every shrub and tree came a flock of every kind of bird I had ever seen! And they were all headed for little me! I had no idea that Chirp had made so many friends in the week or so he spent in his nest! There arose such a clatter... there was chirping and peeping and whistling and lots of dive-bombing! And then there was screaming and running for cover and tears. (I think Alfred Hitchcock was hiding in the bushes somewhere.)
That was the last time I saw Chirp that summer.
As the Summer temperatures cooled and the flowers began to slow, I often thought fondly of my little feathered friend. That experience changed my short life, but it was about to get even more amazing...
One early fall day I was playing in the yard, lost in my imagination, standing by the clothesline. In an instant there was a flapping commotion on my head and shoulder! I of course shrieked and ran. Biggest regret of my life, even to this day. As I shot across the lawn to the back door, I looked over my shoulder to see what had shocked me so. There above me as if in slow motion was my friend Chirp flying away with a mate
who had been waiting nervously on the wire. I could almost hear her say, "I told you those humans were skitzo!"
I learned three very important life lessons that Summer. First; that birds that flock together don't necessarily have to be of the same feather. That was teamwork. That was unspoken communication between species against a common enemy (unfortunately me). And they won!
Second; the next time a bird, or anything for that matter, tries to land on me I'm keeping my big mouth shut! Seriously, this has taught me to be much more gentle and graceful around all creatures great and small.
It has made me pause momentarily before I step on my pets or frighten the birds in my backyard by bolting outside with seed.
Last; and most importantly, I am hooked. Hooked on all things feathery & furry. I'm hooked on clouds & weather. Hooked on bugs, butterflies & botany, even on snakes & sealife. I may have had it in my DNA all along, but I credit Chirp with turning me into "Naturegirl".
It all started when a vicious storm swept him out of his nest. He was a little bit of a thing. He looked like his beak was too big for his head. Big feet, a plump ball of chirping wet feathers. Being the Naturegirl that I was (even at five), I insisted that we go out & rescue him. Mom & Dad knew I wouldn't shut up until they helped me save him. I'm sure they thought he would go right back home after the storm. Well' that's not what happened.
He was up dark & early the next morning as my Dad was getting ready for work. They were only a little surprised when I wanted to go outside & turn over the slates in the path to find worms for you know who. From observation, I knew what Mama Robins fed their young and I knew where to find them! Sure enough, that quieted him down... for a few minutes! Since his parents were nowhere in sight, I took it upon myself to be a bird Mom making many trips out to the slate path.
As long as I was willing my parents let me do my thing -like I said it was a different time then. I think they might have been distracted by a new baby or something like that, but I was much too busy "teaching" Chirp to fly to notice. I would sit in the dry bathtub with him on my finger. As I raised and dropped my hand, he began to flap to steady himself. Somehow in my tiny brain I just knew he was practicing for flight and strengthening his little wing muscles. After a couple of days of this he took off on a short flappy cruise and I knew he was ready to go outside. I guess I thought that Chirp and I would grow old together, or maybe I wasn't really able to think past my nose at such a young age, but Mother Nature had another plan.
I carefully and lovingly carried my little friend outside into the sunlight. As expected he took off and flew his first outside free voyage. I guess all that flight training payed off! However, he was suddenly out of sight! Uh-oh! And then... suddenly I witnessed something incredible -and frightening! Out of the blue, and out of every shrub and tree came a flock of every kind of bird I had ever seen! And they were all headed for little me! I had no idea that Chirp had made so many friends in the week or so he spent in his nest! There arose such a clatter... there was chirping and peeping and whistling and lots of dive-bombing! And then there was screaming and running for cover and tears. (I think Alfred Hitchcock was hiding in the bushes somewhere.)
That was the last time I saw Chirp that summer.
As the Summer temperatures cooled and the flowers began to slow, I often thought fondly of my little feathered friend. That experience changed my short life, but it was about to get even more amazing...
One early fall day I was playing in the yard, lost in my imagination, standing by the clothesline. In an instant there was a flapping commotion on my head and shoulder! I of course shrieked and ran. Biggest regret of my life, even to this day. As I shot across the lawn to the back door, I looked over my shoulder to see what had shocked me so. There above me as if in slow motion was my friend Chirp flying away with a mate
who had been waiting nervously on the wire. I could almost hear her say, "I told you those humans were skitzo!"
I learned three very important life lessons that Summer. First; that birds that flock together don't necessarily have to be of the same feather. That was teamwork. That was unspoken communication between species against a common enemy (unfortunately me). And they won!
Second; the next time a bird, or anything for that matter, tries to land on me I'm keeping my big mouth shut! Seriously, this has taught me to be much more gentle and graceful around all creatures great and small.
It has made me pause momentarily before I step on my pets or frighten the birds in my backyard by bolting outside with seed.
Last; and most importantly, I am hooked. Hooked on all things feathery & furry. I'm hooked on clouds & weather. Hooked on bugs, butterflies & botany, even on snakes & sealife. I may have had it in my DNA all along, but I credit Chirp with turning me into "Naturegirl".
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Well, I finally did it...
I've been toying with the idea of blogging for awhile now. I have lots to say. Who cares? Do my experiences matter to anyone besides me? What about opinions? You know what they say about opinions!
I've seen lots of wildlife in my own backyard and it thrills me to pieces! There must be other nature-lovers out there; maybe some who live in cities and could live vicariously thru my eyes.
Here in Coastal Virginia, we are in the Atlantic Flyway. That means we have an extra helping of wonderful migrant birds stopping by Spring and Fall. We have been blessed with the presence of over 90 species of feathered flyers flitting and fluttering through since we started counting in '05. In Birds & Blooms Magazine, I once read an article about a Northern/ Midwestern woman who had an astounding 40-something species in her yard and it got me thinking. "We must have that many too!" Boy was I surprised! And, continue to be delighted and amazed at the wonders of wildlife watching!
Well, now that I've finally begun, my purpose here is to chronical happenings, photos and the general Joy
of just Living here in my little piece of Heaven.
I've seen lots of wildlife in my own backyard and it thrills me to pieces! There must be other nature-lovers out there; maybe some who live in cities and could live vicariously thru my eyes.
Here in Coastal Virginia, we are in the Atlantic Flyway. That means we have an extra helping of wonderful migrant birds stopping by Spring and Fall. We have been blessed with the presence of over 90 species of feathered flyers flitting and fluttering through since we started counting in '05. In Birds & Blooms Magazine, I once read an article about a Northern/ Midwestern woman who had an astounding 40-something species in her yard and it got me thinking. "We must have that many too!" Boy was I surprised! And, continue to be delighted and amazed at the wonders of wildlife watching!
Well, now that I've finally begun, my purpose here is to chronical happenings, photos and the general Joy
of just Living here in my little piece of Heaven.
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