OK, I just "rambled" on the Michigan birders list. With great personal lazy drivers, I repost it here. Geez! I just have to "reuse"
Begin post:
OK, I miss-spoke about “Spring sprung” broken. We did have one more wonderful day of “winter spring”. Now, I really suspect Spring really sprang and our wonderful false Spring will now be broken in the following days bringing the jet stream down upon us from the north. (I suspect all local birders know Judy and I are “fair weather birders” so we will “hibernate” for awhile…) Judy coined a new word for the winter we have had so far: “uncomplainable”. Cool!
Today was a beautiful day in high 30’s with wind chills in the high 20’s and Judy and I went to Stoney Creek Nature Center to “hang out” and watch the feeders. We planned no big walks, just wanted to see birds,.
With about an hour of observation, we again saw and photographed the Pine Siskins (feisty birds – they “win” over goldilocks at thistle feeders – see pics) and the Common Redpolls (pics). We saw several Juncos and both Downy and Hairy WP as well as many other birds. Great winter stuff!!! Wonderful!
Note: Y’all should visit your local Nature Centers for fun and warm birding at their feeders!!! Forget the walks! At least as far as I have seen, most birds are around feeder areas! No, not the “best birds” who, albeit displaced, know how to “make it” here in winter, but if you want to see lots of cool birds, some area around a place with feeders is best.
Then we went to Winter Cove (the whole parking lot was open again vs. the last time we went here) and saw two Coopers Hawks and two Eastern Bluebirds! Huh? - Bluebirds? Spring!? OK. Now I need to give up on “land birds” and think about the wading birds as possible harbingers of Spring! Hey, you can’t wade in a frozen pond! (See, I am learning!) Really, what IS the true birdie sign of spring in Michigan? And, do not say Robins, or Red-winged Blackbirds (my former choice) or even Bluebirds or Sandhill Cranes! And do not get too fancy (like the Clay-colored Sparrow). SO WHAT IS the birdie harbinger of Spring in SE Michigan? Please, “Come on back Good Buddies”!
I am not sure about summer and fall, but seeing winter and spring birds in the same day was just SO cool!
Now back to winter that as I predicted in my last note was about to “fall” upon us! In “summery” (sic), how often can one see spring Bluebirds and winter Redpolls and Pine Siskins in the same day?
The obscure ref in the subject of the e-mail was to a phrase I remember from my childhood. I remember Mom talking about “Princess Summerfall Winterspring”. Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Tyler. I think I might have seen Howdy Doody on some occasions but it really made no huge impression, but I have remembered that name after all these years. Interesting that today re-triggered the memory.
See my PBase (URL below) for winter and spring birds in the same day.
I don’t know, I just remember Mom’s words. I certainly do not remember why, but I guess it must have been an important moment for her when I was a kid (I assume we shared something important!) , just as like why today was an important moment for me seeing special winter birds at the same time as I got FOY spring bluebirds. It all comes back sometime. I always really think Mom was the reason why I appreciated Nature and the outdoors to begin with! God bless you and the memories I have of you Mom!
Just thinking/rambling: if I could think of anything especially wonderful to do with kids in our area, I would certainly take them to Kensington Metro Park to hand feeding birds near the Nature Center area. In California we had the ocean where Mom liked to go. Yet with all the wonders and treasures of the ocean, I never had a lighter than air being light on my hand! (Geez! Y’all do not know what you miss ….!), I suspect nothing would have compared with a flighty weightless being landing on your hand. Never mind, it is not seasonal, I just went off into another ramble … Point here is half of a memory of a childhood princess triggered today …
I put the pics on my PBase site: Oh, just click around … and enjoy …
http://www.pbase.com/doctorbass/image/141414346
Do “next” for a total of 4 new pics.
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