Our first Indigo Bunting(Passerina Cyanea 5 1/2")) and his mate arrived here today, May 14, 2002. The male landed in our feeding tree and took my breath away. He flew down into the grass which was high with dandelions gone to seed, after the heavy Spring rains. Both he and the female, stepped on the stems of the dandelions and fed on the fluffy seeds. What a treat. A very beautiful pair.
New feeders include the cardinal, and a couple of pairs of Rose Breasted Grossbeaks. They came after I put out an open, bowl type feeder; our current feeder's perches are too close to the holes in the feeder to allow the "taller" birds to feed.
1/6/2000 Ringed Turtle Dove with Blue Jay, feeding on popcorn.
1/6/2000 American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) - here the last three days.
Dec. 30, 2000. Ringed Turtle Dove (Streptophelia risoria 12") First time I've ever seen this bird. Must have blown in with the storm. Slate-colored junco in flight, top right.
Dec. 30, 2000. Ringed Turtle Dove (Streptophelia risoria 12")
Dec. 13, 2000. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) and Red Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). Lords Valley, PA., by J.E. Francis. See bottom right for description of Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker (female), 12/18/2000. Once I "buttered" the tree with bacon fat, the woodpeckers started feeding heavily.
Red-bellied Woodpecker (female), 12/18-12/23/2000
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), female. These look just like the downy, but, they are more than double the size of a downy.
Male Downy (Picoides pubescens), same tree, taken minutes after "Hairy", above.
The green light cast on the right tree trunk and on the White-breasted nuthatch (Male Sitta carolinensis) is from the "squirrel reflector" of the birdfeeder.
SOME OTHER BIRDS SEEN AT OR FEEDER AND IN OUR LOCAL AREA
ŠJoan Sholl Francis, 1999 - 2003. Email: joanfran@ptd.net