Birds of a Feather

For two days they were here. The pictures really do not do justice to what we could see outside of every window. I had my zoom lens on, hoping to get a really good up-close picture, (which I didn't) but then the photo missed all that was still happening in the "big picture". On Monday, I think they must have blown in with the wind. There were lots of them. Probably hundreds. Robins. Hopping around in the yard and in the field and down the driveway to the road. Everywhere you looked, there they were.

It's all kind of wonderfully distracting. They are fun to watch. But it wasn't just robins. Josh yelled at me to "Come quick! What kind of a bird is that?!" I couldn't tell because it had its back to me and I am a rookie birdwatcher at best. Josh was describing its yellow chest and black "v" but I couldn't get a look. I was certain it must be a Northern Flicker because we have often seen them here. He was insistant that it wasn't. We got out our bird book and began looking through the pages. When we got to the Eastern Meadowlark he said, "That's it! That's the one!" I was skeptical. It was possible, even though the little map of their range in Minnesota showed us as being a little farther west than where they typically are. But, the next morning I saw it for myself, tried to snap a picture and failed, but can tell you that it definitely was the Eastern Meadowlark. Josh was right. He loves being right. :o)

Also on Monday I observed starlings trying to invade the bluebird house. The bluebirds were fiesty, though. They put on quite a little show for a while. They stood guard over their little residence, on top of the birdhouse and on the fence just below. When a starling would approach, they would swoop out and chase it off.


Starling on the feeder



Keeping Guard



Still Guarding



While the bluebirds were on duty, all the others were feasting.


Flicker



Hairy and Jay



Robin

This went on all day on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, even more. More robins, and a little later in the morning, red-winged black birds.



As far as the eye could see, birds! In two days we saw: robins, red-winged black birds, blue birds, starlings, juncos, blue jays, hairy woodpeckers, chickadees, sparrows, flickers, the meadowlark, and a northern harrier. Right from the window. (And although I haven't seen them yet, I have heard the rattling call of the sandhill cranes!)

By Wednesday, the robins and the blackbirds in their flocks were gone. Even that was distracting. I kept looking out the window and waiting for them. Oh, a couple of them came in sporadically throughout the day, but not in the groundcover of earlier. They were gone. Just gone with the wind. But it was fun while it lasted!