Wednesday, May 11, 2011

New birds


As far as I can discover, this is an unamed creek that eventually flows into Bermudian Creek
In this area, the second week of May is the prime time for wood warblers. I haven’t found many on Roundtop Mtn. yet this year. But it’s not just wood warblers that appear, though they are considered the crown jewels to eastern birders. I’ve had a very loud great crested flycatcher whooping its way along the lane for the past few days. One Baltimore oriole in particular sings so much, so loudly and so close by that I can truthfully say I’d be happy to see him move another 100 yards from the cabin. The eastern wood pewees have also arrived, one of the last of the summer residents.

Their call is one of my favorites, right up there with the admittedly more melodic song of the wood thrush. The pewee is the earliest and latest song I hear each day. Its first call of the day typically starts around 4:30 a.m., when even the barest hint of dawn is still a good 45 minutes away. I’ve heard the call after 9:30 p.m., long after the last hint of paleness in the sky is gone. But like the wood thrush, the pewee’s call almost echoes through the woods. Somehow that tiny little bird fills the entire forest with its long drawn out peeee-a-weeeee.

Another kind of bird has also arrived at my cabin, too—a two-year old Rhode Island red rooster. A fox took another of my hens, almost literally right from under my nose during broad daylight. The girls were outside running around the cabin while I was moving their pen. I went inside for a pair of scissors, and suddenly one was taken. It happened so quickly the fox must have been watching while I was outside. So now I’ve acquired a “protector” for the girls. If he does his job as roosters are supposed to do, I’m hoping that will be the last hen I lose to Ms. Fox. So far, the girls are not amused. And I’m not sure I’m ready for the 4:45 a.m. wake-up call he so thoughtfully provided this morning.

6 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

But are YOU ready for the wake-up call??

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Now are they the same birds that we call wood warblers in England. A yellowy green bird whose song is described as a "remarkable series of 'tsic, tsic' notes that accelerate into a shivering trill, with the bird trembling as it sings". I hope so, they are magical little birds.

Carolyn H said...

Lynne: I certianly wasn't ready for the every five minutes crowing. i could probably get used to one wake-up call, but 6-7 of them is a bit much!

John: I think your warblers and my warblers are similar, but most of mine are brighter than yours, I think. They are mostly tiny little yellow birds, often with blue or chestnut or red in them. I've never been able to get a decent photo of one. I'm usually lucky to be able to catch one in the binos!

Cathy said...

Carol - maybe you could train the rooster to crow at a later time ;)

But that's a shame that you lost another chicken :(

Jeannette StG said...

love little creeks and streams like this! Sorry, have been away for a while, because I have some big projects going:)

Carolyn H said...

Jeannette: Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging for all of us :) I'm glad you're back!