We live in what is basically a rural village. Lots of old diciduous (spelling?) trees, meadows, flower gardens and berry and seed-bearing ornamental shrubs and trees. Behind our house is a 2 block long corridor of immature hardwoods and scrub growth along a ravine with a wet-weather creek. Before we moved into town, we lived on a large farm that was mostly dry, wornout pasture and dry pineywoods, with a few oaks mixed in. The understory was mostly vibernum.

It is only 15 miles north of here. But the habitats of the two places are very different. I think I see most of the same birds here that I used to see there, but I saw more species out there, even though this seems a more hospitable habitat. Nuthatches, indigo buntings, occasionally cedar waxwings, white-crowned sparrows, whipporwills and chuckwillowswidows, sparrowhawks, barnswallows.

I haven't seen a nuthatch since we moved to town. I will occasionally see an indigo bunting in town, and we have as many birds of prey here as we did in the country, maybe more. But I guess there are a lot of species that, regardless of habitat, just don't like living in the middle of a bunch of people.

Sometimes I feel the same way myself!

I've never been out of the country and never seen much of the USA that lies between the Mississippi and the Rockies. I really enjoy reading about the flora and fauna of other places. Thanks.

Janie