Evening Dove

 5:30 to 6:00, 72 degrees, Cloudy, Wind 10mph N

Long Day! I volunteer at the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center on Saturdays. I pick up canoes and put them down. Not qualified for the bird stuff yet. However I am learning. I did sunrise and then off to the marsh for some pre volunteering birding. Saw and photoed a Sharp Shinned Hawk. Not a great picture, however, it was good enough for an ID. By the time I get back it is after three. Super tired in the sit spot. 

Hard to see when you just want to sleep. I did not see many birds. Did I mention it is hard to see when you want to sleep? When I first sat some serious calling from cardinals and downeys. Saw a downey on 23's suet feeder. Not sure if there was a pair. They usually travel in pairs. Yesterday there were two on my feeder in front of my house. Very likely this female was one of them. After it left the feeder I heard a loud call just over my head! And there she was about ten feet above and two feet over. That woke me up for a bit. Also, I heard the downy's song. I love all woodpecker's songs. They sound like laughter. 

for a good while there was a Carolina Wren singing. If a Carolina Wren Is singing there are probably no predators about. For a small bird they make a lot of noise. They are definitely not afraid to let you know they are there. The volume of the song is impressive for a bird their size. It is said that bird song is calming to humans. I think we know from our ancestors that if the birds are singing there are no large predators about. Perhaps it is now in our DNA. We are not as far removed from nature as we think we are. 

The Mourning Dove pictured above flew quietly down by the crick. If we were not in drought it would be in the water. It is the first time I saw one in the sit spot. It would have been easy to miss, had I not seen the motion. It moved off into the ferns for a bit. Hard to see. I saw the motion of the ferns. It is easy to imagine that they have been doing this when I was in the sit spot and just did not see them. When I was first taught the sound of the Mourning Doves by my Dad, It was in the morning. For years and years I thought they were morning doves. So tonight I photoed an evening dove. 

Merlin IDed 15 birds. It did not hear the Mourning Dove! I thought it would hear it when it flew, but no. Wood Duck again. Will maybe go back and listen to the recording, however not tonight. Again the Dark Eyed Junco, too early. I saw the Red Breasted Nuthatch in Canco Woods yesterday. Also, too early so maybe the juncos are here.