Last Bird/First Bird of the Year

My last bird of 2016 was the same as my first bird of 2017. I guess that's got a bit of kismet to it.

The species was northern cardinal. A male visited the bird feeders on December 31, right at dusk—as cardinals are wont to do. When all the other feeder visitors have gone to roost, the cardinals are still coming in, loading up on sunflower hearts to stoke their internal furnaces in preparation for another cold winter night. And they're back first thing in the morning, too—just after the first bit of light washes across the yard and things start to become discernible, emerging from the darkness.

I often hear the cardinals' loud, ringing chip notes even before I see them. It's a sound I've heard nearly all my life. In fact the what-cheer song of a male northern cardinal is the very first bird song I remember noticing. I was riding a scooter in my grandmother's driveway one summer day in what must have been 1968 or so. The cardinal was singing high in a flowering magnolia, so I associate the sound of the song with the sweet smell of the magnolia blossoms.

Now that I think about it, that's a pretty fine bird to have for the last one of the old year and the first one of the new! I hope yours was just as pleasing.

Happy New Year!

LBOTY and FBOTY

My last bird of 2010 was a whinnying eastern screech-owl, calling from the north border of our farm. I heard it at about 10:50 pm on New Year's Eve, while spending some time around a camp fire with my family and some dear friends. The owl was calling so softly that it was really hard to discern, even though the night was pleasingly still and quiet. It seemed a fittingly subtle and mysterious species to be the last bird of the year (or LBOTY).


My first bird of 2011 was a male northern cardinal in the same tree as this photo and in almost exactly the same pose, minus the snow.

I make a big deal out of the first bird of the year. Sometimes I even go to great lengths to make it a special species. However this year I was feeling rather Zen about it and decided to just let it happen.

And, as it did happen, my FBOTY was Mr. Reddy. He was waiting patiently for SOMEONE to fill the bird feeders, and he successfully guilted me into it.

Thanks for stopping by to read my posts here during the past five-plus years. And thanks even more for all of your comments and kind words.

Here's wishing you a wondrous, healthy, happy, and bird-filled 2011!

—Bill of the Birds

Here Kitty!

The feeder birds all love our suet dough. The northern cardinals are especially loyal customers. But I'm not sure they appreciate the bowl we use to feed the dough on our deck railing.

She is wondering if this might be a trap...

This male cardinal looks as though he's re-reading the letters on the bowl.

Notice the pale feathers on his flanks? He's got some plumage variation, I think. More on him in a future post.

A Cardinal Haiku

All nature slumbers
world reduced to black and white
warm cardinal flame

Death Rocket

Northern cardinal male. We have one less of these on the farm this morning.

First thing this morning, while I was talking on the telephone with a hick buddy from West Virginny, the death rocket came blasting past the studio window.

This was a big female sharp-shinned hawk and she swooped up into feet-forward position to grab a male northern cardinal. Her piercing talons must have killed the redbird instantly because he hung limp as she pumped her wings and propelled the two of them into the sumac thicket. Entering the thicket at full speed, she turned just so, and did not disturb a single snowflake from the branches as she passed.

The entire event took less than three seconds. The sharpie was in blurry, fluid motion the entire time. Many of the birds at the feeders next to the birch tree were so surprised that they did not have time to react. And in the aftermath, no one dared visit the feeders for half an hour, despite the ice and snow covering everything.

Nature red in tooth and claw...

Sharp-shinned hawk at our feeders last spring.

My Funny Valentine

I took this photograph two days ago of a male northern cardinal escaping from the deck feeding station with a big wad of suet dough. Since it's red and swirly and weird, I thought of you.

So here is a valentine for all of my bird-obsessed/bird-centric friends out there.
Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope your heart is full.

Love,

Bill of the Birds