Susan B. Whiting
Everywhere I go, the post office, the grocery stores, exercise center I am asked the same question. When should I start feeding the birds? There is no single answer for that question. Some say wait until the first frost as the insects will perish and some fruits and berries will become more inedible. Others say the first of November and still others feed year-round.
Hooked-shaped wanderer is the exact translation of the Latin name for falco peregrinus, the peregrine falcon. The hook shape refers to the falcon’s claws which are formidable weapons. Also known as duck hawk or bullet hawk, this handsome falcon has quite a reputation. Many of us know this hawk because of its hunting prowess. The peregrine falcon is able to snatch birds out of the air and do so after going into a stoop (dive) of in excess of 175 mph. An exhilarating event to witness!
Last summer numerous greater shearwaters washed up on the South side of the Vineyard.
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.