Property Bird #188!!!

On Monday, November 17, all of us were outside working in the yard a little at the house. I took my last days of vacation this week. I heard a really strange bird call, which sounded like it was coming from the pasture. The call was familiar, but I couldn't place it. I was looking intently out there trying to find what was making that call. I heard it again and realized it was coming from above. There were 20-25 birds flying in a V-formation. I ran inside to get my binoculars thinking they were some sort of weird sounding geese. As soon as I stepped inside, it hit me what they were based on the sound - Sandhill Cranes! I ran back out with my binoculars and got some great looks at them. I looked and looked for a big white crane to be flying with them, but no luck there! Over the next 30 minutes, three more flocks about the same size flew over. I came inside and entered the sighting into my Birder's Diary and Petey the Parrot did his little celebration and said, "Rawk! This is the first sighting of a Sandhill Crane in property list for Paul!" When Petey does that little celebration, I know I've got a new property bird. I was very excited about it. Sandhill Crane will be #188 on my list now. Just 12 more and I can get to 200. That's going to be tough to do. I'll have to see some rarities to get to that number. Either that or have several gulls, terns or sandpipers to find my new pond.

Other than that, not much new has been going on around the property. I have pretty much the same birds at my feeders. I'm not seeing many Chipping Sparrows yet. Hopefully they'll show up next month. I am excited to have a pair of Carolina Wrens coming regularly to my suet log. I see Downy Woodpeckers and Red-bellied Woodpeckers in the yard pretty regularly, but they haven't found the suet yet. I keep hoping to look out and see them on the feeder. Cardinals have pretty much been non-existent at the feeders recently (although there are a male and female on the on the feeder now.) They must be finding enough food in the wild to satisfy them. But, the Eurasian Collared-Doves, Carolina Chickadees, Blue Jays, House Sparrows and Carolina Wrens are usually present at the feeders at most times during the day. I'm seeing more Eastern Phoebes this year than I remember in years past. Seems like they are everywhere! The Yellow-rumped Warblers love my birdbath with the drip. They are on it quite a bit. So, it's fun to see what's around this time of year.