Finally! Maybe . . .

I am cautiously optimistic today! There are four Purple Martins around my gourds and house today. They've been there all morning! I'm very, very excited about this! It's been five years since I put the gourds up. This is the most promising sign of them taking up residence with me that I've seen.

The Eastern Bluebirds are within a few days of completing their nest. They are using quite a few pine needles in their nest. Hopefully we'll see eggs soon.

The birding this morning in the woods was good. There are still a really high number of Northern Parulas flitting around and singing. Not to be outdone today were the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. There were parulas and gnatcatchers everywhere. I have never seen it like that. I did get a few FOS birds - Bank Swallow, Tennessee Warbler and Orchard Oriole. I saw several Black-throated Green Warblers. A male Yellow-rumped Warbler came out nearly in full breeding plumage. I always have to stop and figure out what they are when I see them like that. A Swallow-tailed Kite flew over while I was at the new pond and gave me some really great looks. A flock of eight Anhingas flew over while I was down there too. Red-eyed Vireos are beginning to sing on territory.

Birds seen 4/3/09 (44 Species): Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow (FOS), Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Tennessee Warbler(FOS), Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole (FOS), American Goldfinch