Birdfeeders

Every morning at 6am I walk for about an hour with a friend. We have been doing this for more than 10 years and always walk the same route. You would think that by now we would be sick of seeing the same things day after day. Yet, the opposite is true. As we observe the local wildlife sharing our neighborhood, we are constantly amazed at the variety of species that we suspect most people are unaware of. The rare sighting of a fox or the rather common wild turkey are early morning treats, but what we marvel at the most is the ever changing bird behavior. Since we both have hanging bird feeders in our yards, we are constantly comparing the visitors in each back yard. However, we are fascinated by the different early morning behaviors we see throughout the year. At this time of the year, it is still dark at 6am, so all is quiet as we begin walking. As the sky lightens, the first birds are heard - often crows are the first we hear and then the first we see. Soon we pass trees that seem to be alive with bird chirping, yet it is difficult to spot even one. Often we hear the geese flying south before we can spot them. At home, we see how busy our hanging bird feeders are and how many birds are out foraging by 7am. What a treat it is to participate in this early morning ritual.