BS: Birdwatching 2012

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 05:31 AM

A perfect spring day at Minsmere yesterday - lovely sunny weather and birds out in force. My life remains a bittern-free zone (though someone else saw two), but good views of two marsh harriers.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: freda underhill
Date: 27 Mar 12 - 08:43 AM

two currawongs had a very noisy fight in my back yard this afternoon, swawking, cawking and beating each other up until a neighbour set the hose on them..

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 02:59 PM

m... a martin? Dangerous! One shot at the chooks and their all dead. I know you won't, but I say terminate it ASAP.

I was just cooking and watching the snow. That's when I saw the flock of blackbirds and... drum roll, please... a canary in my maple tree. It looked, daze, confused and piss off.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 01:06 PM

Well, I gotta boast. I was on my way to Los Angeles last week, and I spent a day along the way at Pinnacles National Monument - it's more-or-less inland from Monterey. I climed through the most treacherous cave I've been in, and ended up at a spot that felt like it was the top of the world. High above me, I saw a huge, vulture-like bird - with white markings on its shoulders that looked like a skeleton to me. It was a California Condor, the largest bird in North America. I saw two that day - both were high above me, but the white markings were very clear in binoculars. There are only 275 California condors in existence, so I feel privileged to have seen two.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:48 AM

Our astonishment has been to clearly hear a Boreal owl several nights ago. On a non-bird-yet-interesting note, we have an American Marten visiting; the first we've seen.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 10:44 AM

Here in my part of Arkansas we have an abundance of house finches and some days will see the Purple Finch as well. I still get excited when I see them. While there are differences, I find them hard to tell apart unless you get a good view. The females are much easier to identify. Night Wing, I can understand your excitement.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 10:41 AM

About three days ago, I noticed the birds starting to mate. Well, "chase" might be a better word. Seems too early but I don't know much about this behaviour.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: NightWing
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 12:30 AM

WOOHOO!!!

A Lifer, while walking through the parking lot at work!!!

Purple Finch are highly unusual in Colorado. eBird shows only 9 reported in the entire state over the past 10 years. I've never seen one.

Yesterday evening (about 45 minutes before sunset), I looked up at a pair of House Finch in the tree across the gully from the parking lot and thought, "That doesn't look right!"

And it wasn't. It was a male and female Purple Finch. I looked for them again today before work and during every break, but no. They've probably migrated on north.

#243 on my Life List ... which admittedly I've only been keeping for about six or seven years. (Had I actually kept a Life List my entire life it would be MUCH longer than that :)

BB,
NightWing

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: EBarnacle
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 10:44 PM

As w stepped ou of the house today, a couple of young chickadees were having a discussion with a female cardinal.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 06:36 PM

Purple Martin scouts arrived today. Seems a little late, but glad to see them back.

Maeve, thanks for linking to the site on house sparrows. I had seen it, but was in a bit of a hurry when I posted. I have spent a bit more time there but still have some concern that efforts to deter house sparrows might not discourage bluebirds and martins as well as other desirables as well. Guess I need to try some things on a limited basis. I am reluctant to drill a two inch hole in the roof of a bluebird house but am trying to figure a way to cover the hole with glass or plexiglass and make it look nice and waterproof.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 04:54 PM

Re above post

sorry, this is a better link

http://timbobagginsabroad.blogspot.fr/

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 04:51 PM

Some excellent bird pics and records on this site from some hippy in France I think!
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Janie
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 06:52 PM

Thanks for link to the video, maeve.

The only wrens I have are Carolina Wrens. I love their songs and scolds.

Also love white-throated sparrows. They winter here and some hang around year round. 99% of the time they scratch around on the ground under the feeders, but this year one or two got adventuresome and mastered one of the feeders.

Have been gradually seeing more Dark-eyed Juncos. Don't know what happened to their population this winter in this neck of the woods. Glad to see more of them.

I do wish I lived on a fly way. Most of the birds here are year round or winter residents. I rarely see or hear species in migration. Oh well. At least I have the opportunity to observe the year round behaviors, molts and feeding patterns of some species.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 06:20 PM

Had my windows open all afternoon. Dunno what kinda songbirds I have heard for the past three days as my eyes are not too good these days BUT their songs are beautiful. I have never seen weather this warm this early or such birds. Talking 19C on Wednesday. UNreal.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 06:09 PM

Ok- one more post and I'm through...probably. I heard our first White-throated sparrow of the year this afternoon as well as our first singing male Red-wing blackbird singing hither and yon as I pruned the roses and harvested the basket willows.

I ran across some wonderful birdsong videos just now. Love that little Winter Wren Portrait. Find it here: Winter Wren Portrait- YouTube- Lang Elliot & Bob McGuire

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 05:14 PM

Oh- also American robins continue to wander through. Two were singing out in the apple orchard early this morning.

Our bantams are laying again.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 05:11 PM

Don't you just love that first flash of gold, Janie?

This week-

From the back porch we've heard Boreal Owl (astonishingly!), Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl.

In and over our yard: Black-capped chickadees, wild turkeys, Mourning doves, Bald eagles, Ravens, American crows a-courting, Purple and American goldfinches by the dozen, grackles, Canada geese, various wild ducks.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Janie
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 04:54 PM

Lots of courtin' going on among my feathered friends.

The male goldfinches are molting. Saw my first really bright yellow fellow just a little while ago. He is not fully molted yet, but very close.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 15 Mar 12 - 02:36 PM

Great site NW! Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 15 Mar 12 - 01:23 PM

Arkie- Have you seen this website? I think you might find some good information there. http://www.sialis.org/hosp.htm

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 15 Mar 12 - 10:45 AM

I read something a couple of days ago that is supposed to help deter house sparrows from feeders and nesting for bluebirds and purple martins. Would like to know if it works. It was suggested that strings or fishing line be suspended above the nesting or feeders. This is supposed to irritate house sparrows but not bother other birds. Sparrow's don't like their wings hitting the strings. Anybody tried this.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: scouse
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 11:19 AM

Ok.. Two of my wild Turtle Doves have just this moment been having it off on my Balcony... Seen them last year do the same but never this early!!! Now they are cooin' away at each other!! Springs early this year I think.

As Aye,

Phil.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Janie
Date: 04 Mar 12 - 08:27 AM

Wow, nightwing! Congrats on your persistence in spotting that Road Runner?

Thanks for the ebird link. I took a look around and it appears to be a great resource, and a good place to learn more about developing skills as a birder.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: GUEST,NightWing, who can't get his cookie set :-(
Date: 04 Mar 12 - 12:59 AM

Didn't do so well in February (8) as I did in January (13):

January
Canada Goose [Branta canadensis]
Red-tailed Hawk [Buteo jamaicensis]
Eurasian Collared-Dove [Streptopelia decaocto]
Great Horned Owl [Bubo virginianus]
Downy Woodpecker [Picoides pubescens]
Northern Flicker [Colaptes auratus]
Blue Jay [Cyanocitta cristata]
American Crow [Corvus brachyrhynchos]
American Robin [Turdus migratorius]
European Starling [Sturnus vulgaris]
Dark-eyed Junco [Junco hyemalis]
House Finch [Carpodacus mexicanus]
House Sparrow [Passer domesticus]

February
Blue Jay [Cyanocitta cristata]
American Crow [Corvus brachyrhynchos]
Black-capped Chickadee [Poecile atricapillus]
American Robin [Turdus migratorius]
European Starling [Sturnus vulgaris]
House Finch [Carpodacus mexicanus]
American Goldfinch [Spinus tristis]
House Sparrow [Passer domesticus]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

For a total of 15 species for the year.

The list above is for my home in Louisville, Colorado, USA (near Denver). Everywhere I've birded this year (all in Colorado), I've made 99 species so far.

Couple of exciting things to report (though none at my home :).

The "Gullapalooza" day on 2/4 went very well. I saw 41 species, including 11 species of ducks, 4 of grebes, 6 of raptors (including a pair of Bald Eagles copulating on a power line and a Prairie Falcon who dive-bombed us) and 4 of gulls. Two new Lifers:

Tundra Swan [Cygnus columbianus]
Red-necked Grebe [Podiceps grisegena]

And five new species for the year:

Green-winged Teal [Anas crecca]
Red-breasted Merganser [Mergus serrator]
Black-crowned Night-Heron [Nycticorax nycticorax]
Ferruginous Hawk [Buteo regalis]
Thayer's Gull [Larus thayeri]

And I mentioned the out-of-range Greater Roadrunner [Geococcyx californianus] seen in the Denver area. I tried and tried to spot the thing. Six times I was up on the ridge where it was being seen: that is, people were seeing it every day I wasn't there.

Finally, on my seventh trip, on 2/27, I had spent nearly two hours at the location and the time of day he had been seen most commonly. I was giving up and heading back for the car. A passing bicyclist happened to be from Arizona; he saw the bird working its way along the roadbed, recognized it, and realized that its appearance here was very unusual. He took a few pictures of it and saw me up the road about a quarter mile, carrying a telescope with tripod and obviously a birder. He came roaring up to me and shouted that he had seen a Roadrunner and did I want to see it. He showed me where he had seen it, rode back down the hill, and pointed wildly off to one side. I understood (correctly, he came back by later) him to mean that the bird had just gone down the hill right there.

I hurried down to that point and began scanning the hillside below me: no sign of the Roadrunner. For another hour, I hiked up and down the roadbed in increasing arcs, looking down (and UP) the slope, hope fading. Finally, as my time was running out, I headed down the slope again to the parking lot and my car to leave.

On what I decided would be my last look over the edge of the roadbed, I peeked over the edge ... to see the Greater Roadrunner working his way along the slope less than 10 m below me. He was very unconcerned about my presence and I followed him 200 or 300 m as he worked his way along the slope hunting for (presumably) bugs of some kind. He definitely did not catch any snakes (the primary food of the Greater Roadrunner in their usual range), unless they were less than about 3-5 cm in length.

Most common misses so far this year: Northern Pintail [Anas acuta], Ring-necked Pheasant [Phasianus colchicus], Sharp-shinned Hawk [Accipiter striatus], Horned Lark [Eremophila alpestris], and Canyon Wren [Catherpes mexicanus].

BB,
NightWing

And another advertisement, if you're a birder, from serious to completely un-, and you're not using the eBird website <http://ebird.org/>, you're SERIOUSLY missing a bet. (I have no financial or other interest in eBird; I am merely a very satisfied user.)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 10:49 AM

I feel fortunate that Cardinals are regularly sighteed here. Don't see them everyday but sometimes two or three pairs drop by. Here is my list for February. Since the hawk has been showing up frequently in the neighborhood, the other birds are not around as much. The Pine Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Brown-headed Nuthatch were sighted only once. Would like to see more of them.


Bluebird
Blue Jay
Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Chipping Sparrow
Cooper's Hawk
Cowbird
Crow
Eurasian Collared Dove
Finch, House
Finch, Purple
Goldfinch
Grackle
Junco
Junco Hybrid
Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Nuthatch, Brown-headed
Nuthatch, White Breasted
Pine Siskin
Pine Warbler
Sparrow, House
Sparrow, White Throated
Redwing Blackbird
Robin
Starling
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Buzzard
Yellow Shafted Flicker
Yellow Warbler
Woodpecker, Downy
Woodpecker, Hairy
Woodpecker, Red-Bellied

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 08:49 AM

The birds have finally found us... Took a month or so before they figured out that our bird feeder is a bird feeder... We have the usual North Carolina birds but out favorites are the red headed woodpeckers that we didn't have back in Virginia... No palliated woodpeckers - sniff - however in these parts...

We do have our very own hawk because of the fields the surround our little tree'd oasis... We'll see if he leaves other birds alone purdy soon as baby birds hatch out... I hope he's happy with squirrels and mice...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: scouse
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 05:31 AM

The people up in Friesland here in "Cloggieland." land have just been given permission to take one Lapwings egg again. This seems to be an annual sport to see who can be the first to find one. See below...

Lapwing egg hunt to go ahead

Tuesday 01 March 2011

The traditional hunt for lapwings' eggs will go ahead in Friesland this March although hunters must ask for permission from the provincial council by telephone text message before taking each egg they find, NRC Next reports.

In total, 5,939 eggs can be collected, despite the objections of bird protection groups.

Friesland is the only place in Europe where the eggs can be collected on cultural-historical grounds.

© DutchNews.nl


As Aye,

Phil.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 11:58 PM

I see Maeve sighted a cardinal, which makes me jealous as hell. Has anyone seen cardinals on the U.S. West Coast? Do they exist in Europe?

I was at Point Reyes National Seashore in California with a friend, and he was sure he spotted a cardinal. He was so convinced, I hated to tell him that what he was looking at was a fire hydrant.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 05:03 AM

The eagles are on their nest near the river confluence, the Northern Hawk Owl is still finding rodents in the industrial area south of town.
In my yard, the Black-capped Chickadees are carrying out bits of wood from the nest cavity the Downy Woodpecker provided for them. I'm wondering when/if they will start carrying nesting materials into the cavity?

February tally for my yard - 9 :
Black-capped Chickadees
Dark-eyed Juncos
Common Redpolls
Bohemian Waxwings
House Sparrows
House Finches
Female Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flickers
American crows

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: GUEST,Black Belt Caterpillar Wrestler
Date: 27 Feb 12 - 08:39 AM

Had the first skylarks of the year appear on Saturday 25th, last year it was the 14th. Also had a large flock of what appeared to be fieldfares yesterday, though they were on the move and a field away so difficult to be sure of.

I don't know what that says about the weather patterns.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Janie
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 04:03 PM

It seems a bit early, but the cardinals are starting to pair up and a few wrens and housefinches are starting their "look at me" songs.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 02:19 PM

I carried a wounded American Crow to the bird rehabbers this morning; one wing full of bird shot. Crow Season just opened a day or two ago so it's considered legal, but at least they could have made a clean end to it rather than leave a wounded bird with shattered wing bones flopping around in the snow. The rehabbers had just spent a night working on a Bald Eagle which was looking woozy but alive when I stopped in.

On the way home I saw a large flock of Snow Buntings in a hay field up the road from our house- not to be counted in my home list, but a delight, none the less.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 12:26 PM

This link is to some stats from this year's Great Backyard Birdcount which ends today.

Bird Count Stats

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 19 Feb 12 - 06:01 PM

So far in February:
Cardinal
Black-capped Chickadees
Purple Finches
American Goldfinches
Some furtive sparrows
Ravens
Crows
Bald Eagles
hawk
Mourning Doves
Wild turkeys
Common Nuthatches
Downy Woodpeckers
Pileated Woodpecker
Many American Robins

Heard Great Horned Owls and Barred Owls

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Janie
Date: 19 Feb 12 - 02:16 PM

Have a brown-headed nuthatch at the feeders today - the first time I've seen one in the yard or at the feeders.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Feb 12 - 06:48 PM

My wife and I celebrated Valentine's Day and our 10th anniversary late, because we have to find a sitter for Grandma, who lives with us.
So, yesterday we spent a wonderful day at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area down the hill from us in the Sacramento River Valley. We saw lots of American coots, which are always fun; and a huge number of snow geese that spend the winter here. I saw a couple of black-necked stilts, birds I've never seen before. Oh, and several beautiful Northern Shovelers, both males and females.

After a beautiful sunset, I told my wife, "It's owl time now - watch carefully." Sure enough, we sighted a great horned owl and we were able to watch him through binoculars for several minutes before he flew away. We had brief views of three other owls in our headlights as we drove home, but weren't able to identify them specifically.

My photos didn't come out as well as these (click) or these or these (click).

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 17 Feb 12 - 06:16 PM

Great pics and vids rags. I'll send you a pic of the robins soon.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 17 Feb 12 - 01:30 PM

Rags, whoever made the statement "eat like a bird" apparently never observed a bird at meal time. We help keep the local co-op in business. About a third of the birds on the list are regulars and a couple have been spotted once or twice. The hawk has shown up a couple of times this week, but I have not seen it attack any of the other birds although most of them disappear when the hawk arrives. I do enjoy the little critters and the information provided here has improved my understanding.

I decided to try to help out with the Great Backyard Bird Count this year. Any other Mudcatters involved?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: ragdall
Date: 17 Feb 12 - 05:59 AM

Arkie,
That's a very impressive list! You must go through a lot of bird seed?

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Janie
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 10:10 PM

Realizing how few Juncos I am seeing this winter. They usually are as common as the finches and titmouse here, year round.

I'll add my thanks to maeve (and gnu) for the Robin link. I know robins are here year round but rarely see them until late winter, and then only when it is damp and relatively warm. Now I know why.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Arkie
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 09:40 PM

This list if from my window to the backyard in the southern tip of the Ozarks in north central Arkansas, USA. I got lucky today. We rarely see a Brown-headed Nuthatch in this area, and I happened to have my eye on the feeder when this little guy showed up for a brief moment and then disappeared.

January (started late in the month).

Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Crow
Downy Woodpecker
Goldfinch
grackle
house finch
house sparrow
Junco
Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
purple finch
Red Bellied Woodpecker
robin
starling
Tufted Titmouse
White Breasted Nuthatch
White Throated Sparrow

February

Bluebird
Blue Jay
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Chipping Sparrow
Cooper's Hawk
Crow
Downy Woodpecker
Eurasian Collared Dove
Goldfinch
Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow
Junco
Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Oregon Junco
Pine Warbler
Purple Finch
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Robin
Starling
White Breasted Nuthatch
White Throated Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Yellow Shafted Flicker
Yellow Warbler

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 08:16 PM

The pair of eagles that generally nest on an osprey platform in the middle of the Sasanoa River in Maine are both back in residence. They shouldn't be laying eggs for a month or so but the weather has been unusually warm.

No sign yet of the osprey pair that nests nearby.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 07:27 AM

Had a proper valentine's day sighting yesterday.

Heard a screech outside and a winged form shot past the window so I hurried upstairs for the binoculars and looked out.
A kestrel was just landing on one of the garden fence posts. As I was wondering if it was a male or a female he took flight again and moved over to another fence post where he mated with the waiting female!
At the same time I spotted movement across the field and there was a third kestrel, presumably anothe male who had just been chased away.

I've no idea whee they ar nesting but there is a ruined farmhouse two fields away that is probably full of arificial rock-face sites for them.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: maeve
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 07:00 AM

That's a lovely bit of video, rags.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: ragdall
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 03:20 AM

Great happenings in my own yard. Saturday I saw a female Downy Woodpecker at one of the suet feeders for the first time this year. On Sunday I watched a female Downy Woodpecker on the ailing Birch tree, on the street side of my house, chiseling out a nest cavity while a gang of Black-capped Chickadees flitted around excitedly. I was imagining a Birch full of fledgling woodpeckers to photograph.

Sadly, I haven't seen the Downy since Sunday. A pair of ruffian chickadees seem to have taken over the nest cavity. They have been busy flying in and out the past two days removing wood shavings.

There is a short video on Flickr of the woodpecker excavating, -- Sorry, it doesn't always seem to run well there. http://www.flickr.com/photos/diffuse/6868863169/

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: ragdall
Date: 15 Feb 12 - 03:05 AM

Interesting read, Maeve. Thanks for the link, gnu. Are your new robin pictures available yet?
No sign of Robins here, yet. When we do get them here in Spring they always seem to be following the "break up" northward.

EBarnacle, what did you think the eagle was holding in?
The eagle was on the same tree today, along with another eagle who flew away before I could position myself where the overhead wires along the highway wouldn't cut through the picture.   

I went out today looking for a Northern Hawk Owl that has been posing in an industrial area south of town. My lens isn't strong enough to get a good shot from an angle below a tall tree, but I was happy to see and record it at all. It's been several years since I saw a Hawk Owl.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Beer
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 03:18 PM

Yes, thank you maeve. Very interesting.
Ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 02:45 PM

THANKS maeve!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 01:23 PM

Except for the lone robin that has arrived as early as Jan 8 for four years, I have never seen a robin arrive here until April in my life. I am 55.

rags... another great pic.

Beer... I got a buncha pics. Haven't downloaded them yet. You ever see my pic of the drunk robin under the apple tree on the snow?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2012
From: Beer
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 09:29 AM

Beautiful picture Rags. And Gnu, that would be the makings for a great picture.
A small point to make in reference to early sighting of robins. One immediately thinks that they have come up and it is a sure sign of an early spring. However, it should be noted that many robins winter mush farther north and the ones we see early are some that come down where it is a little warmer. I read this (that is something like this) years ago and wish I had cut out the article.
Adrien