| BACKYARD BANTER |
| Featuring--Pat Prichard |
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| Backyard Banter--September 2009 by Pat Prichard After the spring brought a delightful array of birds to the yard….an Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Catbird (gobbling suet), Flicker, White-Throated Sparrow, Thrush and nine (9) species of Warblers…things still have been hopping this summer, though with less “exotic” visitors. Chickadees raised two broods already (one of seven babies and one of five), a House Wren is still desperately seeking a mate (despite having built some pretty impressive nests in the boxes); Robins are seen frequently splashing like mad in the bird baths. A Nighthawk flew overhead one evening (a pair was also observed while in the parking lot of the local Half Price Books…keep me away from the bird books in that store!); the occasional pair of Blue Jays show up to devour peanuts; Downy Woodpeckers raised two babies who regularly flit about and “fight” around the peanut and suet feeders. Three Crows have been seen frequently in the neighborhood. For the first time ever (in 18 years) a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird has chosen to nest here; a Red-Eyed Vireo has been vocalizing nearby; a House Sparrow was seen stripping off the leaves of a recently-planted yarrow. The resident Cooper’s Hawks raised one fledgling this year (vs. two in previous years)…the other day it perched only about five feet away from me in the old apple tree, screaming while mom circled overhead; drove the other birds crazy. A day or two ago when it was pouring rain, a male cardinal perched on a trellis, seemingly joyfully fluffing its feathers during the shower; must have felt pretty good! Some young Goldfinches are beginning to appear already. Other critters have been making appearances as well; there were three toads near the pond, plenty of bugs (the good, the bad…and the just plain ugly!), the bees are bumbling about and the butterflies (Monarch, Cabbage White, Black Swallowtail and Summer Azure) have been seen on the few sunny days we have had this summer. Speaking of baby birds, recently I was fortunate to have a “private” tour of the area in Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin where the young Whooping Cranes are being trained for migration in October. Operation Migration, the organization responsible for the tremendous work that has been done in this regard, has a team at the refuge and will be working with the cranes in upcoming months to prepare them for the long journey to Florida. This month I will be giving a brief talk about my trip to Necedah, and we will be having a silent auction to raise money for Operation Migration. These folks rely on private funding to function, and receive no money from state or federal government. You will not need to be present at the meeting to make a bid; you can send a bid to me via email at pprich39@aol.com until midnight, September 30th. The bidding will start at $25.00. See our web site for further details. Dates of interest in September: September is World Animal Remembrance Month; September 16 is International Ozone Preservation Day; September 19 is International Coastal Clean Up Day…and the 9th Annual Necedah Lions Whooping Crane and Wildlife Festival in Necedah, Wisconsin; September 22 Fall Begins; and September 26 is National Public Lands Day. |
