Practice Makes Progress

 

4:00 to 5:00pm, 74 degrees, Sunny, Wind 5mph SE

Not the best shot of this Downey Woodpecker. However, I saw the Downey! The time spent in my sit spot is paying off. I am seeing more and more birds. I saw my first Goldfinch. After all the noise they make it was nice to finally see one. I saw a Cedar Waxwing, a Black Capped Chickadee, most likely a Tufted Titmouse and crows. The waxwing was maybe twenty feet from me and it was still hard to see and identify in the dappled sunlight. It is quite possible birds have been doing this the whole time and I have just not seen them. Also possible, that the birds have gotten used to me. Or maybe, the bird feeder is bringing them in. It is now clear the seed level is going down. Maybe all of the above. No matter what the cause I am seeing more birds. Practice makes progress. 

The Crows making a ruckus again! They do not live in The Little Forrest. However, they will fly over and through from time to time when chasing something off. I think they live in Chevrus Woods. That is where their calls seem to originate the most. Today some flew through the understory. Always fun when that happens. They were making a general ruckus for a while. I heard what I though was a raven.(No Merlin conformation) Then the chase was on! I could see 5 crows on the other side of the little woods chasing something. Seconds later a large crow or perhaps a raven came through the understory and perched. It looked furtive. Tucked in tight dense leaves. No calls. Then it was gone and the crows calls ended. Did I see crows chase off a raven? I am not sure. However I think that is what happened. Crows and ravens are not friendly. 

The Goldfinches were really active at one point during my sit. Mostly I hear them off to the east, my right. I could here them moving around the canopy in Old Red. I could see birds flying about the canopy. Mostly, near the upper branches of Old Red. Never seeing one directly, for even one second. Moving between the branches and leaves as Goldfinches will. Are the getting closer or am I getting batter at seeing into The Little Forrest? Some of both I suspect. Practice makes progress. 

Merlin heard twenty species. How many where there? I do not know. It heard four woodpeckers Hairy, Pileated, Red Bellied(Not likely in Portland today) and Downey. I saw the Downey! Several were new to The Little Forrest: The Hairy, Eastern Bluebird, Chimney Swift. All unlikely in Portland today. Not a red dot though. So maybe.