When I'm at home these days, it's difficult for me to focus on the things I "need" to go get done away from home. Having a hummingbird feeder, two suet feeders, and a seed feeder with black sunflower is one thing. But, now, with spring here, nesting activity is becoming a constant draw of my attention. Are the Hutton's vireos singing from the backyard oak going to build a nest on one of its thousand branch forks for me to find? The regular pair of purple finches, whom I can hear crunching seed on the bird feeder when I sit in the kitchen -- where will they nest? They sing in the trees around the neighborhood. Are these California towhees I see going to start gathering nesting materials, or are they just foraging...and ditto for the golden-crowned sparrows?
The yard bird list is at a plateau of 33, with the last three birds to date added on 16 February. Spring migration will be starting soon. What will be the next bird to be noted? I am curious whether next door's palm will invite a hooded oriole to nest. Will stopping-over sparrows follow the cues of locals and visit my feeder? I just realized I don't have a song sparrow on my list, but I heard one sing across the street this morning. Come on over and be #34, I invite him.
One of the things I "need" to go do, and I'm about to do so, is go buy more bird seed.
And find ways to stop feeding the squirrels -- and seal up the gaps in the fence to keep that rogue cat who keeps visiting OUT.
Snow geese, La Conner, December 2012. |