see an indigo bunting

I was cleaning produce yesterday and looked out the kitchen window to notice the water level in the bird bath was low. Poor little sparrows were trying not to slide into the bath to drink it was so low. So, I took out water, cleaned it up and refilled it. Soon, there was a pool party at the bird bath. A few minutes later I look out and a very young robin was sitting in it with its wings spread hogging the whole thing. “No one likes a jackass” I told him. He just stared at me. A few more minutes I look out again and there he was. A flicker. He was SO beautiful. I had seen him a couple of houses down, usually on people’s lawns, but there he was, on the old broken down fence under the bird bath eating bugs. He was amazing. I whispered as loud/soft as I could for P and we watched him from the kitchen window for a few minutes. Then the robin started moving around and scared the flicker off. I had to remind the baby robin again, no one likes a jackass, especially when they chase off birds that arent as often seen as robins.

We went to Forest Lawn Cemetery which, is one of the largest cemeteries in the country. They have a pond and a really nice creek with bridges…just a really nice place to sit and relax. While we were there we saw a great blue heron fly overhead, a mallard family, one pair of canadian geese (migration has started already, its been a cold summer) and a belted kingfisher. I love kingfishers. They are a bit ugly, but a great color blue and they have a fantastic personality that is different to each bird. This one was enjoyable to watch, but he didnt stay too long. I think he knew we were watching him.

An egret has taken up home at Delaware Park. Every morning he sits on a ledge that separates 2 parts of the pond. One side leads into where the area where Shakespeare in the Park is done, the other half has a nice little japanese garden on it. Ive driven by the last 3 days and there he is, just hanging out on the divider wall. About 20 feet down is a great blue heron all hunkered down looked PO’d that someone has invaded his space. I yelled the other day for the heron to play nice and share, but, you know how herons are.

Amazing how Im going to see the complete Sibley’s Guide to Birds of North America before I see an Indigo Bunting. On our way to Michigan to see P’s dad for his 80th birthday, there it was, just taking off for flight. An American Bald Eagle. I had seen them before, hundreds of them actually in this place called Alton, IL where 3 rivers converge in the winter. They dont freeze so eagles go there for the winter to eat and nest. But for some reason, maybe because I hate being in a car for more than 2 hours, it was breathtaking. I think its more that, when we went to Alton, we EXPECTED to see them. This was a nice surprise, a beautiful surprise.

Cormarant flying overhead, landing in pond and this guy: green heron. Other than that, not much else. We think it was all the idiots with fireworks. I hate fireworks.

Im afraid its too late and I will have to wait for migration again. Snap. I will have to double check though, Im not sure. But today I came close to a mommy deer and her 2 babies, happened upon a mommy mallard and her 4 babies, goldfinch, warbler, chicadees, nutchatches (which have the best chatter in groups), grey catbirds (who have the best song) and the cedar waxwings (above) are now out in full force. It was nice, but on the verge of raining so I didnt stay too long. Plus, Im fighting depression the last few days which I know has a lot to do with the crap I ate over the weekend at my sisters because the ONLY healthy thing she had was grapes. I should have gone to the store myself but didnt because I didnt want to offend her and now just have to wait for the sugar/carb crash to complete its course. My poor body and mind cant take much more, so I hope its almost over.

Back out to the woods to birdwatch for awhile. Nice relaxing morning followed by a soy mocha at a new coffee place that plays the best jazz and a little GRE study time.

I actually cant wait.

We were driving to church and P goes “HOLD ON, that was either a lawn ornament or a bird.” I wasnt going to turn around because I thought it would really be pretty easy to tell the 2 apart. But, I turned around and sure enough, on someone’s front lawn (in the VERY rich section leaving Buffalo to go out toward the water and town where I grew up), was this guy. A ring necked pheasant. We sat there in our car for a few minutes because we were in awe and hated to leave.
It was one of the most amazing birds I have ever seen. Of course with feathers like that, the million dollar home section is the only place to land.

a chestnut sided warbler
a black throated green warbler
yellow warbler—picture above
baltimore oriole—already seen, but he was so brilliant, it was worth mentioning.
great blue heron—we scared each other. Great blues are about 4 feet tall with 6 foot wingspan. I came up on the water and he jumped and so did I.

It was SOO nice to go get lost in the woods for a few hours yesterday. I have always hated hiking, but I think it was because I was fat. Now that I have lost so much weight, it was really a pleasure to walk around trails and enjoy the trees and birds and bugs getting stuck in my eyes and hair. (We forgot the OFF).
We saw a Yellow-bellied sap sucker. Doesnt it remind you of Yosemite Sam? Hee hee. He was beautiful with his, well, yellow belly. I saw a female scarlet tanager. She is yellow. A yellow rumped warbler. It was cool to see the black and white with the yellow as accents. Amazing.