Re: [gardeners] Birds
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:38:11
At 07:38 AM 4/20/98 -0400, you wrote:
>George, congrats on the new grandkid.
>
>At 10:46 AM 19-04-98, you wrote:
>>The neighbors bird feeder had a couple of exotics on it this morning. The
>>Indigo Buntings are passing through and were feeding and a new species to
>>add to my life list - Purple Finches! First time I've seen them although
>>they are supposed to be indigenous to this area. Sparrow sized birds where
>>the male has a raspberry colored flush to his head, shoulders, and stomach.
>>The female looks similar to a sparrow except more slender. Just a pair of
>>them but my first.
>
>These are the residents almost all year in our garden, along with 2
>cardinal couples, chickadees most of the time and lots of sparrows almost
>all the time, save for the coldest weather.
In a lifetime on the Gulf Coast the purple finches were the first I've ever
seen. We had a pair of summer tanagers nest in our yard many years ago and
we never saw them again or before. Lots of birds are transients in the area
and a few stay to nest. We do have year-round robins including "Old Peg", a
one-legged robin that we've been seeing for two or three years now.
>
>We are now waiting for the grosbeaks to fly through, but it's such a
>strange year I'm wondering if we've not been bypassed. We seem to have
>lots of woodpeckers this year, though. Good. Since it's been warm we'll
>have lots of bugs this summer; the woodpeckers are as good as a
>pre-emergent pesticide (I think that term applies only to weedkillers, but
>oh well.).
I'm beginning to think the hummers have bypassed us, usually have hundreds
by now and we've only seen a few. With an early spring and strong south
winds they may have over flown us on their migration path.
>
>Lucinda
>
George