May 13, 2007

How can such a beauty day be so dismal? It is clear but cold, in the 40’s early high 50’s in the afternoon. My walk at the Arboretum produced a mere 66 species and we had to work hard for almost every one. We put in 4.5 hours and walked much of the central 800 acres. It was very quiet this morning so I knew it would be difficult. The wind out of the northeast did not bode well.

Still there are other joys beyond a big list. With any beginning or occasional bird watchers the challenge can be to just find and get people on a bird. My first Indigo “bunny” of the year was very vocal but invisible in the top of a tree. We did get everyone great looks at Swainson’s and Wood Thrushes, Yellow-throated, Red-eyed, and Warbling Vireos, Eastern Wood Pewee, and Hooded Warbler. These species of the deep woods can often be very elusive. But because the diversity was low, we took the time to look hard and find each.

For me, being in the field with less skilled people tends to make me less sharp. I lose my edge and my skills are certainly not at a peak. I need time with excellent birders. People who are better than me at field I.D. They drag me up closer to their level. Birding is again like golf in this regard. To paraphrase Harvey Penick: No how bad you are at identifying birds, you will always find someone worse, and no matter how good you are you will always find someone better.

I guess I can officially declare this to be a year without nesting Phoebes here on the higher elevations. Although I hold no office in this regard, I can say they are gone from their usual haunts above 900 feet MSL. Given the site fidelity of this species, I wonder how long it will be before we have them in these locations again?

My yard this afternoon is a happier place. While mowing my lawn I find a Springtime Darner Dragonfly. The Bluebirds are most certainly sharing my house this spring as I saw Mr. chasing a Robin, and Mrs. emerging from the hole in the siding soon after. The Juncos are busy carrying nest materials. Lots of new flowers. Few I know. My mom was the botanist-horticulturist. Who knows what is here. Knowing my mom there could be some interesting stuff. Nothing exotic, but she had a “brown thumb” as she put it. Able to coax many difficult things to grow. A new yard bird too. Given where I live I can understand never having it before. Tree Swallow, high over the trees.

A little later, I am cooking on the patio. Everything is covered in the grill and I am just having a look and listen. I am enjoying the song of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Really appreciating the musicality of it, when a very odd thing happens. A Wood Thrush, lands on a low branch of a large maple near me. Perhaps 15 feet away. This in itself is odd, because I have never seen a Wood Thrush so close to the edge of the woods. Not here. Then something even stranger. The Wood Thrush throws itself at the trunk of the tree, then a second time, and a third. Each time making a noticeable impact. After each hit it perches on the branch and looks at me. I take a step closer and if flies off deeper into the woods. I have no idea what that was about. To me it looked like the bird was attempting to fly through the tree trunk. And what was it doing way up here by the house?