Apr 14
2007
Birds, Birds, Birds
Perhaps I’m just being simple, but I’m delighted with the diversity of birds our little backyard bird feeders attract.
This morning, while drinking my coffee and enjoying the wildlife show, I made a list of the birds I have seen at the feeders thus far:
American Goldfinch
Cowbird
Tufted Titmouse
Black Capped Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
Dark-Eyed Junco
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Mourning Dove
House Finch
Sparrows
Bluebird (just spotted on April 18, 2007)
We have also spotted and identified the following around the property:
Turkey Vulture
Great Horned Owl
Blue Jay
Baltimore Oriole
Wild Turkey
American Robin
Canada Goose
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Coopers Hawk
Indigo Bunting
Crows
No doubt there are others we just haven’t yet spotted or identified, or just plain forgotten, but it has taken some work to identify some of these.
Over the years I have purchased many bird books. Some, most notably the Audubon books, took such a scientific and complex approach to identifying birds that I just threw up my hands in frustration of ever figuring it out with what little time I can devote to the endeavor.
Then I happened on the best little book yet. I have found Birds of Maryland and Delaware, by Stan Tekiela, the most valuable and best resource for identifying birds. He presents excellent photos, many with male and female comparisons, and short descriptions of their size, habits, etc. The page edges are color tabbed with the predominant color of the bird. The book is small, so it’ll slip right into your pocket. And it was only $14.95, a lot less expensive than most of the other bird identification books I’ve tried.
Of course, a good part of the attraction of this book is that it significantly narrows the scope of birds you need to consider to identify what’s in your back yard. I don’t have to wade through pages and pages of birds that have never considered visiting our state.
Another book I’m just wild about is Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song. This clever book has a little sound mechanism that lets you select a number that corresponds with the birds in the book. Push the button and you can hear a sample of the bird’s song. How cool is that? Aside from being extremely informative, it’s also entertaining for the little dogs!
“Where’s the birdie? Where’s the birdie?”
