BIRDS OF A FEATHER THREE

Now that winter is turning to spring, my bird feeder is becoming a hive of activity.  All of the sudden I am inundated with species I have never seen before! I am totally blown away by the variety.  I have some truly amazing things to share, but NONE more personally relevant than this.....

The goldfinch is the Washington State Bird.  I lived in Washington for 30 years- did I ever see one? NO. And I tried, I really tried. I kept my feeders full of nyjer seed, their preferred diet.  I talked to bird enthusiasts to make sure I was using the right seed and right type of feeder to lure them to my yard. I was repeatedly told that Goldfinches "are everywhere", they aren't hard to attract. 30 years later- NADA.  Well, they live in Utah, IN MY BACK YARD!

Unfortunately, my feeders have also attracted starlings.

They are a non-native species that are very aggressive and drive native species out of their habitat. They even fight with each other for dominance at the feeder. They will fight with squirrels for food- trying to take a nut right out of its paws as it is eating. I don't like them, they are bullies. I consider them rats with a wings.

On a lighter note with spring close I have seen red-winged blackbirds at the feeder. The flash of color as they fly makes them a joy to watch.

My next discovery just makes my heart sing! When we moved to Utah I quickly learned that Magpies are ubiquitous here year round.

HOWEVER, the last two days I have had an ALBINO magpie in my yard! To say they are rare is an understatement! Literally the odds of an albino magpie hatching is one in a million. AND I HAVE ONE!

It is always in the company of three other normally colored magpies. I am wondering if it is a mother and her clutch, but if so I don't know who is who, as they are all the same size.

The next addition I have been able to check off in my birder's book, is equally impressive, if not nearly as rare......

Sandhill Cranes

In Washington Great Blue Herons were a frequent sighting. Seeing these guys out my back window was even more startling. the first time I saw them I hollered for Sam to come quick, so he could see them. He said he had already seen them a few times before and they always seem to come in pairs. These are really BIG cranes.  Much taller and heavier than herons.

In the first picture of the cranes, the dark object in the lower left hand corner of the picture is the railing on our back deck- these guys are literally in our back yard.

Birding is getting so exciting ( I know, I'm a nerd) that I am keeping my binoculars and bird book handy on the kitchen counter!