The Sparrow

Willow Flycatcher

With hay season in full swing there are almost no opportunities to get out and bird. I make a list or two from home each day and that is about it.....

Fledgling American Crow begging from a parent. There were four! Parents were
downright beleaguered. 

Not that we are bored or anything. Major breakdown with the baler yesterday. That's gonna leave a mark...on the checkbook that is.

Now you see her

Now you don't

Plus watching Peggy in her little pool, working our way through some Dick and Jane books Becky and I found for her, and enjoying the "Barbie Beach" which is the little border of sand along the herb garden that holds down the landscape fabric. Plus house cleaning with Becky.

This is kind of a doldrums season for birds anyhow. Not much migration going on...and everybody is nesting or feeding fledglings and they are quiet and secretive. That will change in about a week when the mulberries get ripe, but I digress.

Common Grackle fledgling begging from parent

Poor poor pitiful me

Let's just say birding has been on the back burner here at Northview and I am feeling the withdrawal.

That being said it has been fun and interesting to watch the results of a little birdie we came across on the 31st of May. I may have mentioned it, as it is fairly rare, a Clay-colored Sparrow. I heard it buzz-buzzing when I got out of the car up on Dingman Rd. near Fort Plain. That's a good road for Short-eared Owls in winter and pretty decent for grassland species year round. We had a fine time birding it that day, plus meeting the owner of a small homestead we have admired in passing. 

Turns out the singing CCSP was a big deal I guess...

Aqueduct henge, still not much water in the rivers

Because birders from all over have been coming to see and hear it. Almost every day a list or two is posted to the county eBird making note of it. Some days several people come by to count it. One visitor even labeled the location where the bird is being seen "Clay-colored Sparrow Stakeout" and it has been mentioned several times on the regional bird club email service.

Kinda fun in the absence of actual personal birding.

So far no one has gotten a photo of the little fellow, so I guess we might pursue that if we get to go chasing anytime soon. Meanwhile, it rained last night so along with the baler being really badly borked there will be no haying over this weekend. Hope the boss can find a part a little cheaper than he has so far.

And other than that...bring on the mulberries! And the birds that eat them.

A snoozing doozy, sunning snapping turtle