Summer Surge--07/24/09

In spite of the rather wretched weather we have been having lately, there’s no doubt: summertime has come to Vermont! In addition to the flocks of tourists who have been visiting the area, flocks of birds—from the regular to the more exotic passerby—have descended upon the area in brightly-colored and melodious clouds.
When doing some pruning around the house, I stumbled upon a cleverly-hidden Catbird nest guarded by two very suspicious parent birds. The proud father stood at the edge of the bush scoping me out while mom fluffed up to guard her eggs. After very quickly vacating the area, I was pleased that the nest was in view of one of our windows. What a wonderful opportunity to watch these lovely, frisky little birds raise a family.

I was also pleased to see that the Cedar Waxwings have returned to my yard. As always, their arrival was announced by the buzzing of their distinctive, high-pitched zee. Surely, they’ll be gorging themselves on the berries that are just starting to ripen in the thicket nearby. In addition to the Waxwings, a pair of vibrant orange Baltimore Orioles soared right past me, playing a game of tag through the yard and in the willow trees where they seem to enjoy sitting. These lovely birds always seem to escape me; no matter how hard I try to attract them and lure them into my yard, they always manage to flutter away just as I spot them. This time, however, the birds stayed around long enough for me to get a good look before they flew off. Perhaps I’ll have better luck with them this summer. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

On another note, the other day I received a question from a reader regarding my website for this column. Yes, it is up and running! In spite of a break during the winter, I now have regular posts with birding tips and tricks, special sightings, general musings, and photographs of birds and flowers from my garden. You are also encouraged to leave comments, questions, and birding tips of your own. Please check me out at www.watchthebirdsvermont.blogspot.com and thanks for your interest in the column! As always, you are welcome to send me questions and comments regarding this column of any sightings you have seen at chickadee@att.net. Happy birding and enjoy the fine summer weather (while it lasts)!