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Saturday, August 06, 2016

I hate to be the One


To tell you this.

However, the birds are saying something these days. All you have to do is look and listen.

Yesterday, Alan put all four sets of brakes in the car. When I went out to see how it was going and to walk Fin I heard Chimney Swifts. Nothing unusual about that. They nest in our chimney after all. 

However, when I looked up to count I was amazed. Our little flock has grown by twos all summer....first the original pair, then a couple of more, etc.

This time there were seventeen! Yeah, and those were just the ones I could see against the bright noonday sun when they were very high in the sky. No doubt there were more.

You know what that means don't you?

And then this morning, once again walking the pup, I heard something strange over at the barn. Never did see whatever bird was making that call, but as we walked over we flushed a Dark-eyed Junco.

Yeah, a winter bird. Although range maps show them occurring in Upstate NY in all seasons I can tell you, they are winter birds here. Winter. Normally we start seeing them in October.

And it was hanging out with a flock of Song Sparrows. I called it a dozen, but once again, there were almost certainly more. Limited mobility and a dog jiggling the binoculars made it hard to get a really a good number. Plus the weeds are still high.

I don't know what to make of a junco in early August, but somehow I don't see it as anything good by way of portents. 

47 days until Fall.


5 comments:

Jan said...

The days keep getting shorter and I can't do anything to stop them.

Cathy said...

Nooooooooo . . . !

A few days ago I mentioned to hubby that the Robins were congregating.
He didn't want to hear it.

joated said...

Saw a Farmer's ALmanac post on FB the last day of July that said we would have a snow storm for every foggy August morning. It's now August 6th and we've had fog four days at the Aerie--five in the valley. Brrr!

Terry and Linda said...

Your post is confirming what Terry and I have been noticing here. The Robins have already left...always sad when then go...and it's a MONTH EARLY!

Late summer weeds that usually show up the last of August are already here, they started showing up the last of JULY!

Then this morning I am seeing yellow leaves in the cottonwood trees...I'm NOT READY! We need all of August to have the corn and the pinto beans mature!

Linda

threecollie said...

Jan, dagnabbit! It was still full dark at 4:30 this morning!

Cathy, stuff is flocking up quickly. Ack. Haven't seen a flycatcher in a week or more

Joated, ugh, just ugh.

LInda, this morning when I was out in the yard one of those "big" winds was clattering the cottonwood leaves. Not a hard wind, or a strong one, but one that spoke of large systems moving. It sounded, smelled, and felt like fall.