Thursday, 5 May, was a day of note for myself and my wife, as we stepped out of our garage and heard, and almost felt, those familiar wings whirr-r-ring and going a mile-a- minute! Yes! Our first sighting of a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, as it sought a drink, and maybe a resting place, after its long trip back to our part of its world. Unfortunately, my feeder for it was not to be in place until 10 minutes later, surprise, surprise, so it didn’t linger to wait for us! It, or another one, did appear at the feeder four days later and partook of a drink, but other than that their presence at the feeder has not become a regular event yet. The hotter weather will now give more encouragement for the “Summer birds” to show themselves, as they too return to spend a few months with us.
With the lifting of the Covid restrictions and a lot more vehicles back on the roads, our soaring “clean-up crew”, the Turkey Vultures, are ever more in evidence, as they majestically soar above the fields and hedgerows alongside the roads in search of “carrion”, as do the ground feeding Crows. They, the Crows, seem to get bolder by the day, defying passing motorists by waiting until the last second on a “roadkill” before deftly hopping out of the way of the approaching wheels! Unfortunately, the food that they are cleaning up is of some poor animal victim, who isn’t quite so smart, as they are, at doing this!
Other “big bird” sightings. such as the Ospreys, can be seen whilst traversing the local highways and byways, especially in proximity of the river. Some of the nesting platforms are now in full use and the head of a parent bird can just be seen as they sit on their nest and newly laid eggs. Please be careful if you happen to come across such a platform on your travels, and be conscious of other drivers. Stop to look, rather than being distracted and attempting to look whilst you are driving.
My picture this week is of a female Red-winged Blackbird that has been availing herself of our feeders, and giving us a good look at her lovely feather markings.
Stay safe and well,
Cheers,
John Baldwin
