Monday, May 10, 2010

Wildlife

























I've spent a lot of time outside this spring thanks to our cleaning, planting, and building projects. One of the little blessings afforded me has been numerous sightings of all manner of wild animals. Deer are almost daily visitors, groundhogs are common. Also on the list of creatures seen are dogs, cats, a large red fox, and a coyote. The mammals we've seen are great fun to catalog, but by far the most numerous and varied are the members of the avian kingdom. Here is a list of the running tally so far, though it is probably not an exhaustive list since I have not bothered to write down my various visitors.

Crow
Robin
House sparrow
Pigeon
Starling
Grackle
Brown-Headed Cow Bird
Swallows (I'm not sure of the species)
Eastern Wild Turkey
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruffed Grouse
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Harrier
Kestrel
Merlin
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Merganser
White Crowned Sparrow
White Breasted Nuthatch
Redwing Blackbird
Tufted Titmouse
Chickadee
Slate colored Junco
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark

The last bird on the list there was exciting. I have not seen a Meadowlark since I was a boy. The other day I sat on the front porch with my binoculars and watched a happy, healthy specimen waltz through our neighbor's hayfield. Every minute or so he'd throw back his head and let out a trill, then turn back to the ground and walk along, probing here and there for bugs and grubs. The yellow on his throat was the same color yellow as the dandelion blossoms he walked through.

-Edmund

1 comment:

  1. Hi Edmund! I have spent the morning happily reading your farming adventures. I love this blog! After Costa Rica, NY has happily provided more birds for my lists than anywhere else. I hope the fall brings an updated list for me to read.
    Best,
    Brian.

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