The weather forecast for this week's Global Big Day was plumb discouraging. Last year's event fell on a gorgeous spring day, with migration well advanced and Becky and Alan both home to help.
This year it rained, almost all day but I decided to do my best and went out at five for dawn chorus. That netted 22 species and a lovely time watching the light slowly pour across the land like thin silver.
Then a walk to the middle of the farm to see what was shaking out on the land. Bobolink numbers are terribly low this year. Dunno if it is that the season has been slow or that the grass is short and the crows are giving the Bobs hell, but there are a lot fewer than normal.
However, I heard an oriole singing as I came back down that was not a Baltimore, our commonest of that clan. I pulled out my phone to check iBird to be sure how an Orchard Oriole sings. Bingo.
And then it flew right to a treetop and sang for me to get a good look, although alas, I missed a photo.
That is when the rain started. Mappy and I dug lilacs and peonies anyhow. And rhubarb too.
Later, the boss, Becky, and I chased all over a couple other counties grabbing birds...figuratively.... We ended up with 52 species, ten up from last year. Last year I only looked on the farm though....
It poured to varying degrees most of the day. We went through a couple of changes of clothes and got very wet.
But man, was it ever fun! At the end of the day, last tick off the list of the day, one of my two favorite birds of all, Carolina Wrens, were counted in the driveway. Multiple Carolina Wrens, as the adults have already raise a brood. The driveway was scattered with tiny, fluttering, just-fledged babies, the color of cinnamon toast and cuter than kittens.
What a day..... Thanks Ralph for a really nice Mother's Day gift.
from Northview Diary http://ift.tt/2pyPEwC
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