The first week of May, especially the 5th (Cinco de Mayo), was an amazing time for bird sightings here on the farm. Following a light rain the night before and welcome summer-like temperatures, I was able to see and to take some photos of “new” birds that I associate with summer.
Looking through the front window around 8:00 a.m., I noticed an orange, black and white bird on the ground of one of my front yard bird enclosures. It was an Eastern Towhee. I will include the photo in the group below as many people have never seen one even though it is only a “record shot”, certainly not a prize-winner. I saw one last fall but only once.the Towhee in the photo must have been passing through and dropped in for a quick bite of bird seed and a drink after a long journey.
Later the same morning I saw 2 male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet and numerous White Crowned Sparrows. It seemed that all of these birds had arrived here the same day! Later that morning, I was amazed to see a male Baltimore Oriole trying unsuccessfully to drink from one of the hummingbird feeders! I had put them out about 2 weeks ago although the weather was very cool at the time. I had decided to wait until the weather warmed up to put out the oriole feeder which has the necessary perches for orioles to drink the water/sugar “nectar”. I guess it is better to be too early rather than too late. I saw the oriole again yesterday feasting on the half oranges that I had set out for him. Last year there was a pair so perhaps a female will arrive in the next few days. I hope so!
I have included photos of a few other birds that arrived in the past 3 weeks. The most beautiful to me was the Purple Finch!
Jane Walker's Cards 