I have had to eat a little crow, no pun intended with the subject at hand. Last fall Mike cut all the crepe myrtle trees way, way back--almost all the way back to the trunk. I told him we would have very few birds this winter because they would have very little cover. He said if we put food out, they would come.
For several weeks I was right. Not much came. But last night our low temp was down to 27. And the birds are out in full force. No crows except what I am eating.
Just today:
house finch
Carolina wren
northern mockingbird
pine warbler
downy woodpecker
red-bellied woodpecker
tufted titmouse
Carolina chickadee
mourning dove
brown-headed nuthatch
and more that I will think of and add as they come to mind.
I am loving all the swallow-tailed kites in our neighborhood right now. We saw the first one on the way to church almost two weeks ago on Sunday morning (July 9). They've been near a road close to here for about ten days, and we've seen them probably four or five times. Then yesterday, on our way home from a business matter in a nearby town, we saw one swooping across the road.
Swallowtails are passing through here in late July and early August. They are beautiful birds. They are graceful flyers who sail on the wind currents for hours at a time.
Most of the year, when I look up into the sky, the only birds I see are vultures. But kites have narrower wings, and if they're low enough, the viewer can see the striking color contrast as well as the forked tail. They often associate with Mississippi kites, slightly smaller birds that look very much the same except that their tails are not forked.
And having them so close by is an extra treat.
--The rose-breasted grosbeaks are out in force this year. Wave after wave appears to be headed past our area. I read one post in a FB group that said it has to do with our crazy weather. This is my best photo; I could have taken hundreds since there have been so many birds, but finally stopped.
So far (January 20, 2023), not a very exciting winter. Maybe something great will happen yet.
So we were driving home last Friday night, when we noticed this on the wires near our house. I immediately noticed the heart-shaped face. We turned around to double-check and could confirm it as a barn owl. A life bird for me, and the first one Mike has seen since childhood days of visiting his grandmother, who had a pair nesting in her outbuilding.
Just goes to show you that you have to keep your eyes open and observant all the time. Pics obviously not great due to dusk conditions and trying to use an iPhone camera instead of my good one.
The ID websites described its underparts when flying as being "ghostly white." Great description.
