Just Sitting Around

Today was sort of a Big Sit for me. One of the teens from church came over and we sat in one spot hoping the hogs would come up for the corn I've been throwing out for them. We didn't see any hogs, but there were more birds that I expected. I got a couple of new property birds for the year. A Blackpoll Warbler looked for food in the top of a water oak. He was joined by several American Redstarts, Black-throated Green Warblers and a couple of Magnolia Warblers. An Eastern Wood Pewee entertained me by showing off his flycatching skills. I saw a large, black bird fly over and he called. I quickly identified him as a Fish Crow which was the first of those for the year. One thing that really excited me today was a male Painted Bunting singing his territorial song. I've always wondered why I didn't hear Painted Buntings singing on the property since we've got great habitat for them. Looks like we've got at least one nesting now!

Birds Seen 5/17/08 (33 species): Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Cardinal, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird

'08 Birds Seen as of 5/17: 124
'04 Birds Seen as of 5/17: 105