Fall Report

Photograph by Bill Ravenscroft

As the day presses on during the past week, the few sightings of hummers at the feeders have come to a halt. However, noticeable are different birds visiting the water bath and surrounding cover of the bushes in my back yard as well as the high branches of the oaks above. For the past two days, three or four Ruby Crowned Kinglets have visited, flitting back and forth between the Rose-A-Sharon and the Oaks. They have been accompanied by six to eight Nashville Warblers. The Nashvilles were particularly interested in the water bath gathering at least three at a time and affording me a good look at their white eye ring, gray head, and yellow throat. Yesterday evening, there were other warblers high in the oaks. However, before I could acquire my binoculars and focus on these birds, they were off. Scratching about the under growth has been a Brown Thrasher.

Steady are the constant companions, the Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens. A female Downy also frequents the peanut feeder. Not seen in a while are the Red Bellied Woodpeckers. They are heard about the neighborhood, however. Tough Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers have not yet been seen in the yard, I have seen one in the park.

My good friend has a different visitor. Since Tuesday, this Red Shouldered Hawk visits early in the morning in his yard. The smaller birds do not show for four or five hours afterwards. Oh well, one must be appreciative of whatever gift comes along.