This shot was made today at my mother's home in Chatham County.
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Pollinating Blueberry Blossoms
Submitted by jpo_05_09_07 on April 6, 2009 - 12:59am. View all photos…
Just a note to let you know I didn't rotate the image. On that windy day I was lucky to get a shot of any flower/insect at any degree. As far as the Cowbirds, they are pigs and try to overtake any available food (I know how you feel about my prejudices!). But the up-side is when you see Cowbirds the Blue Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings are on their heels.
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Lucky you. I'm afraid my urban locale excludes me from the enjoyment of seeing those shy fellows firsthand.
My cowbirds aren't a problem, really. It's just one or two, and they make way for everyone else. It's the doves who tend to bully all other species here. But for the most part, each that drops by seems fairly successful going away full. To date, 22 bird species have signed my guestbook, so to speak, including some I never would've imagined to be feeder visitors. (I'd never seen a Mockingbird eat suet until this morning, in fact.)
By the way, a book came out last year you might like. "Wesley the Owl," by Stacey O'Brien (Simon & Schuster), tells about the author's 19-year experience raising a barn owl from 4-days-old to death. She was a biology grad student at Caltech when the two were first introduced. It's a charming and informative read.
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When you spoke of your sighting of the Cowbirds it rang a bell in the depths of my memory that you had also spotted Blue Grosbeaks last spring... is that true or am I thinking of someone else. I have had the good fortune only once to have Blue Grosbeaks fly into my yard. On the other hand, my sister who lives in the country in Chatham Co. sees this occurrence every year within a week or so. The Indigo Buntings often fly in with a flock of Grosbeaks and often stay longer. Since 1993 a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have made my backyard a lay-over on their spring migration return from Mexico and S. America to their summer breeding range in N. America. They nest around our area but only grace us with their appearance for 3 - 5 days. They arrive every year the last week in April. In fall we usually see them again in October.
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Grosbeaks are another species I can't lay claim to having seen at my place. Not surprised the buntings arrive with them, though, they being a nesting parasite.
Sounds like you ought to apply to the U.S. Dept. of the Interior to get National Wildlife Refuge status.
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I was not aware that Buntings are a nesting parasite, I will read up on that. Cowbirds on the other hand are notorious for laying it's eggs in the nest of other birds. That is the number one reason I have such a lack of respect for Cowbirds.
I assume you are being facetious concerning the wildlife refuge status:)
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Love of nature shows
Your high regard for the natural world is expressed so lovingly by your work, jpo. Another fine example. (It looks good flipped 180, too.)
On an aside, I'm sure you've noted all the migratory birds that are arriving daily now. My brown-headed cowbirds just started making their appearance over the weekend. It's always nice to see old friends return, isn't it?