Bird News
Hey, in the world of bird watching there is nothing better than a bird that is easy to identify. And when you are dealing with sparrows it is particularly exciting. Most beginning birders barely even look at sparrows, claiming that they all look alike and they are just little brown jobs! This weekend we had a visit from a sparrow that is far from an LBJ (little brown job).
Wow, it is always exciting to break a record and Dianne Powers did so recently. Dianne and I were both at Davis Solon and Gina Lombardi’s wedding reception when Dianne whipped out a photograph of a bird. Dianne continued by saying she thought the bird was a worm-eating warbler, was she right? Right as rain, said I, and what a find!
I really wowed her with my aerial flight and super sputtering call. Sometimes I get dizzy flying that zig zag pattern, but it gets me a mate every time. It was a nice nest we built, on top of a utility pole in the open country in Idaho. My spouse helped me collect weeds, twiglets and grass which we fashioned into a nest the shape of a cup. We even lined the nest with feathers and animal hair to make a soft cushion for the eggs. My spouse laid four beautiful eggs which were off white with speckles of lavender, black and brown. Almost 20 days later the eggs hatched and for the next 16 days I barely remember a thing. My mate and I were so busy feeding the young I barely got any sleep! Our youngsters finally fledged and flew the coop. Now it was our turn to relax and to catch up on our sleep and feed ourselves.
What are white-winged crossbills doing in Aquinnah in September? What are white-winged crossbills? First things first: a white-winged or two barred crossbill is a member of the finch family. Although they are relatives of American goldfinches, house finches and purple finches, the crossbills are built differently.
An emaciated juvenile bald eagle is getting special care and eating well on the Island after being captured on Chappaquiddick on Saturday, August 16.
Gus Ben David, who runs World of Reptiles and Bird Park in Edgartown, has the bird in a cage. He is feeding the animal road-kill rabbits and laboratory mice, and so far he thinks he can save her. The prognosis is good for the eagle’s eventual release back in the wild, although recovery may take months. Mr. Ben David said he wonders how the two-year-old bird got in trouble.
By SUSAN B. WHITING
There are so many bird sightings this week there is no room for more. So enjoy Lanny’s photograph of a ruddy turnstone (and see it in color on mvgazette.com) and head out birding. The migration is beginning for land birds, but there are still shorebirds to delight beachgoers.
Bird Sightings:
Tara Whiting spotted an adult indigo bunting at Pond View Farm on August 10.