I never quite understood why birds were so exciting, and then I turned 30. Let me rephrase that...I never quite understood that birds were so exciting, delightful, thrilling. I still don't know why they are, or why I enjoy them so much more than before.
A few weeks ago Lindsey gave me a bird feeder for our back porch, and the cardinals, doves, and these little birds have been gorging themselves and making a big old mess. The robins and mockingbirds haven't been as interested. Once I spotted a male house wren, with the red cap (perhaps the same one whose mate built a nest over the back porch last spring?), but he hasn't reappeared recently.
We're slowly learning a few names and calls. I think most of the little guys at the feeder are house sparrows and song sparrows, rather than wrens, because their beaks are smaller and stubbier.
Another regular visitor is, or looks likes, a Carolina Chickadee
The craziest sounding bird we've recognized so far is the Cat Bird
The other day, driving home, I spied the biggest crow ever, scary big, with extra fluff on the neck, sitting on the guardrail of my exit. I think it was a raven! never seen one of those up close!
Also there's a giant nest on one of the signs over the 95 bridge, on the southbound side. A couple times I've seen a bird fly up to it...looks like an osprey...maybe?
In February, on our Texas trip, we saw what looked like extra purple, extra long legged starlings playing in a puddle. Grackles!
Also in Texas, on one of the lakes we drove past, pelicans swooped and paddled around.
