My wife and I spent a couple of days at The Ridges Resort in Hiawassee, Georgia this week. Tuesday morning a green heron (Butorides virescens) on the hunt for breakfast joined me as I was having devotions by the lake. I took a break for a couple of photos when the heron showed up on the hunt. Read on to see if he was successful.
Green Heron on the hunt
We’re heading back to Idaho in early June to meet a new grandson, who should arrive a couple of before weeks we get there (if he’s not, Lynn will probably have some harsh words for him.) In anticipation of the upcoming trip, I thought of the many Western Tanagers we saw while out there last year about the same time. Apparently the tanagers hanging around last year was due to the unusually late spring; too cold to move on to their normal summer territory. I don’t expect the same good fortune this year, and am grateful for last year’s opportunity. Here are a few photos.
Western Tanager - Piranga ludoviciana
Western Tanager - Piranga ludoviciana
Western Tanager - Piranga ludoviciana
This Carolina wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus – was active around our house last year. I hope for his return this year.
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus
I was raised on a dairy farm, and the American Crow was the enemy of our corn crop. One of my jobs – or maybe pastimes, because I enjoyed it – was hunting the crows to try to reduce the crop damage. Fortunately most of the crows survived – I was never a very good hunter, and the crows were smart. One of the things they did was to post a sentinel in a tree. This sentinel would raise a ruckus when it spotted me, and the flock would fly noisily away from the corn field, usually in the same number as they arrived.
This may be the city version of my sentinel crow, watching out for marauders. There are a couple more photos down the page…
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos - The Sentinel
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is perhaps the best-known bird in the United States. Although it is migratory (take a look at that species epithet) and the winter range maps I’ve seen show it as not being a normal resident of North Georgia during the winter, we’ve had robins in our yard all winter this year in spite of it being a rather cold, snowy winter. I photographed robins in our yard in December 2010, and January and February of this year.
These pictures were taken last spring, however, not this winter. Every time I see this first photo, I’m struck at the eye crescents. I’m not really a very observant person unless at a particular circumstance I make a conscious choice, and honestly I’d never really noticed them before. More photos are included…
American Robin - Turdus migratorius
It’s interesting that while north Georgia is at the northern end of the range of this small bird, I only recall seeing it visit us during the winter. Either it’s attracted to our feeders during the winter due to reduced forage in the winter, or I’m just missing it. I’ve really enjoyed the visits.
Brown-headed Nuthatch - Sitta pusilla
In the past my good friend Dave Ridge and I made a point to get at least one winter backpacking trip in each year, and for several years had our annual “Piece o’ the AT Winter Hike.” For various reasons we hadn’t been able to do that for several years, so I was pumped when Dave called to invite me along with a couple of other guys for a 2-nighter – and the scheduled worked. This past weekend we hiked around 17 or 18 miles in the Smokies, including a great side-trip up Rocky Top.
Rocky Top
Even though I’m sure these have been around our feeders for quite a while, I’m going to claim “lifer” for them. I previously thought they were goldfinches, but recently saw Pine Siskins (probably on Twitter) and realized that these are different.
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This is what our “bluebird” birdhouse looked like last year, the first year it was up. Things are more hopeful this year. Read on to check out the prospective occupants checking out their prospective digs.
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The “Northern” in “Northern Mockingbird” (Mimus polyglottos) seems strange for a bird now found throughout the United States, especially since in the past the range did not include the northern part of the country. Turns out, however, that there is a cousin species, the Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus,) found from southern Mexico down into Brazil, so I assume that would be the “southern” mockingbird.
In any case, this bird, full of personality, is one of our year-round residents. This one was on a post at Reflection Riding Aboretum in Hamilton County, Tennessee on January 3 of this year, and appears to be enjoying a meal of an insect.
