We are all about the birds these days.
Strangely many of the birds that we had overwinter in our area last year, were absent this year.
So we weren't sure what to expect come Spring. But right on schedule, they have arrived again in full force.
One of our most favorites bird to watch from last summer were a pair ospreys and later their two young ones. The houses across the street from us back up to a canal with brackish water (salt water and fresh water). So, we can literally sit for hours on our front porch watching them fish in the canal. Sometimes we hear them before we see them. The ospreys glide up high, shifting their wings with the slightest movements. Then all of a sudden, they fold their wings back, head turns down and like a bullet, dive into the water. We figured last year they were batting about .500. A pretty good average, if you were playing baseball.
We've been watching a pair of cardinals. We always hear their tell tale call first too. Then he comes to the feeder first to check things out. Then she eventually comes into view. They both sit at the feeder and he gently feeds her bits of seed...usually sunflower seeds. So sweet.
We see Mr. Mockingbird every morning on our fence.
And this little sweetie, if you can see her, is a female purple finch...we think. Anyone?
She belongs to this dude. And he sings about her all day long. He must really have it bad for her.
We've also seen chickadees, mourning doves, and flocks and flocks of black birds - grackles with a few red winged black birds in the mix. Being this close to the wter, we have a constant flow of gulls overhead, but I haven't learned to distinguish one species from another yet. We've spotted several groups of geese flying North. And there are always the ducks who are happy to clean up the bird seed that the black birds kick out of the feeders.
Unfortunately, the boys and I are not the only birdwatchers in the family.
Needless to say, with birds so much on our mind, the bird theme is working its way into lots of family projects these days. Stay tuned, because tomorrow I'm excited about sharing a little project that goes along with bird theme.
And it involves one of our all time favorite songs. The song was originally an old North Carolina folk song, but we discovered it when Elizabeth Mitchell re-recorded it on this album a few years ago.
Until tomorrow, I give you the words to the song...I promise you, you'll be hearing them all night.
Little Bird, Little Bird fly through my window
Little Bird, Little Bird fly through my window
Little Bird, Little Bird fly through my window
Buy molasses candy.
