Two Weeks

Upland Sandpiper

 
What a difference they make. Alan took me for my first ever quad ride two weeks ago before he went to DC. Things were pretty brown and there were very few birds around.

Today we did some of the same route, plus the east side of the farm, the portion known as the Dimond Farm, (spelled right...a local name) as that is who owned it before we did. There was such a change.

Green everywhere. Pink lipstick on the distant maples. Green lace in all the treetops.

Birds everywhere. The Savannah Sparrows are back...or at least a few of them are. Dozens of Red-Winged Blackbirds were staking out territories, and Song Sparrows galore.

We saw a pair of Upland Sandpipers.

There were deer on the move...still shaggy and grey, but nice to see.

It was great to see the land all dressed up and ready for spring. So different from two weeks ago when it looked more like October than April.

Here's a list, in no particular order, of what we saw on our ride, not including the birds that frequent the backyard.

Canada Goose
Mourning Dove
White-throated Sparrow
Red-Winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
American Robin
American Crow
Common Grackle
Northern Flicker
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Upland Sandpiper
American Turkey
American Goldfinch
European Starling
Blue Jay

I also heard what was no doubt a Brown Thrasher, but it was far down in the woods and I wasn't positive. Thought I heard a Ruffed Grouse, but it only called for a second.

All in all a lot of fun. If at any moment I had croaked I would have died really happy.