Wordless Wednesday - Missing Aunt Marybeth

Backyard Carnage

A fine spring day, scrubbing birdfeeders, admiring the plants in bloom in my yard (unfortunately, the forsythia didn't bloom - but it is full of green leaves and house sparrows!)...

This is the weeping cherry tree in the front yard. Was even more beautiful last week before half the blooms blew off.

And then I noticed this.....

Massacre.

Feathers at the base of the birdfeeder pole. No guts, no bones, no beaks....

Just feathers.

Lots of them.

I think it was a junco. But I am willing to entertain opposing points of view. Any thoughts from the more expert birders out there?

I just wish I had seen the sharpie or the red-tail who had lunch courtesy of the poor bird at my feeders.

After all, hawks have to eat, too.

Deep cleansing breath.

More yard beauty...

Boy Scouts Make Great Beginning Birders

It has been a long time (about two months) since I posted to my blog. Lack of birding experiences is the main reason. I have a new job that involves a lot of travel and a company car (!!) and am getting ready to have my mother come live with me permanently. This has sucked up a lot of my free time, so birding has taken a back seat. But how could I pass up another opportunity to show young boys the joys of watching birds and help them earn their nature badges at the same time?


My friend, Kathy, has a son who leads a Boy Scout troop and they asked me to do a presentation on identifying common backyard birds.

Here I am with my cool raptor t-shirt from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. God only knows what I was saying when I did this with my arms...

I asked the boys if they thought birders were nerds or were cool. One of them said, "Well, the t-shirt doesn't help the image"! Wow - cheeky little Scout.

I am passionate about birds. Can you tell?

Don't they look riveted? Actually, they asked lots of insightful and pertinent questions.

Their favorite bird (out of the 20 birds we reviewed)? The tufted titmouse. *sigh*. Boys will be boys.