Wild Grace visitors

As some of you know, I like to call the small plot of real estate on this planet we call home, Wild Grace.  It’s a lovely little spot with a few very nice trees and a back yard that can only be called ‘wild,’ I suppose.  We tromp around back there now and then, but most of the time we just enjoy looking out at a hillside that goes about it’s natural business.  

Right around Thanksgiving, when the canopy over the back porch patio gets stowed, the bird feeders go up just outside the dining room window.  We have four different types of food offered:  suet, peanuts, thistle, and sunflower; as well as a heated bird bath just beyond.  Needless to say, we get to see a lot of action while just sitting at the dining room table.  Drives Gracie the cat a little nuts, but I figure it keeps her engaged in the wild life!  

Twenty+ years ago my little sister, Susie, gifted us with ‘The Bird Lover’s Journal,’ a blank book with sketches of a variety of winged creatures on every page.  Ever since, this little book has been the written repository of any number of natural phenomena observed in places where we’ve lived.  It even includes notes on plantings we’ve encouraged.  

Last week as the calendar turned over to another year, I pulled out the journal to begin a new annual bird list.  At last count we’re up to twenty species we’ve seen in that short period of time.  

Even more interesting, and the topic of this blog entry, is the written record of 2012 sightings.  We like to consider Wild Grace more than just our yard, so we include other unusual birds seen in the neighborhood.  As much as I’d like to include critters down by the Stillwater River -- about a mile or so from home -- I think that stretches Grace a touch too far.  

So with no further ado, I offer the items written in our Wild Grace notebook from 2012: 

January: 

American goldfinch 

White breasted nuthatch 

Carolina chickadee 

Tufted titmouse 

Northern cardinal 

Mourning dove 

American robin 

House finch 

Junco 

Red bellied woodpecker 

Downy woodpecker 

White throated sparrow 

European starling 

Blue jay 

Carolina wren 

American crow 

Cooper’s hawk 

House sparrow 

Yellow bellied sapsucker 

Hairy woodpecker 

February:

Pileated woodpecker 

Canada goose 

March: 

Mallard 

Barred owl 

2 May: 

Ruby throated hummingbird

June: 

Indigo bunting 

Chipping sparrow 

Chimney swift 

Catbird

Hermit thrush

December: 

Eastern towhee

Be advised that I’m lousy at identifying warblers, sparrows, and hawks, so my guess our neighborhood list could really be longer.  Also, I am particularly disappointed that I didn’t hear a Swainson’s thrush last spring.  It is such a melodic flute that it marks the ‘official’ arrival of spring for me.  We’ve had it here for years.  Hopefully we’ll have that song in a couple months again.  

Oh.  And another note:  ’17 Feb 2012: First coyote sighting @ the old trapshoot’ down by the river.  Noah was with me on that one!  Very cool. 

I can’t tell you how beautiful it is watching birds feeding just a couple feet away.  Most of the time we sit and watch without moving.  They can be pretty skittish.  Still, I’ve stood just inches from the window and waited for some brave bird to fly in anyway.  It’s usually a chickadee! 

Everything in nature seems to stop in winter, but I’m here to tell you, ‘Not so!’  I can’t think of any better way to winter in Ohio than pay attention to bird buddies.

Today’s elder idea:  Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. 

Frank Lloyd Wright

image:  Wild Grace, fall 2012