I took a twenty mile bike ride along the trails and roads around our neighborhood. I found myself keeping track of all the birds I saw along the way and saw 21 different species. Better than a bird a mile.
Great Blue Heron… flying over the creek, slow and beautiful
Snowy Egret… trailing the heron by a few minutes
Great Egret… swooping over the lake and landing
Green Heron… hunting along the edges of the lake. I wasn’t sure what he was. I had to call and leave a description on the answering machine so I could ID him when I got home
Common Grackle, Great-tailed Grackle, European Starling… foraging in a field near a basketball court
Northern Mockingbird… everywhere; it is the state bird after all
Northern Cardinal… until today I had only seen these guys at feeders, but today they were everywhere along one trail
Inca Dove, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove… they have a trail where they’re the only birds I see
Purple Martin, Barn Swallow… martins in the sky, swallows along the ground, all patrolling the same trail
Blue Jay, House Sparrow… everywhere
American Crow… small flock congregating in the middle of a country road, flew off when I approached… kaw-kaw
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher…. watching from the power lines
Mallard, Muscovy Duck, Swans… feral domestic breeds hanging around the local duck ponds
And that’s just what I could ID as I blazed by on my bike. I know I saw a few that I couldn’t place, particularly sparrows.
3 Comments | Filed under: birds and nature | Tagged: birding
Are you and the pups ok with all that rain?