First's and Last's

A few days ago I woke to the sounds of buzzy songs and a new yard bird. Actually 8 of them, hopping on my lawn and eating the dandelion seeds that inhabit it. It was a pleasant surprise that got me thinking about my Yard list. A list that will be complete when I leave my home in less than a month. My first, almost complete, yard list is posted in the side bar and an account of my first rare yard sighting (written to a few bird freaky Friends) is posted below.   

Originally written 9/14/2005

As most of you know, I bought a home a few years ago. This home, although it fit our needs (this means that I was able to afford it), was without the thing I most desired from a home  .... TREES! So I have planted.... and planted... and planted. I have watered and feed and clipped and spent waaaayyyy toooo much money and time. Time weeding and caring for them but mostly  time spent pining (no pun intended) I dreamed about  the growth they would give me the following growing season, the shade they would prove, and the animal life they would bring in. It was my hope, that one day, I would have big trees and that they would bring in what I truly desired.... BIRDS! 

 I wanted birds... Now to only make matters worse I have a Friend who lives in California, has a family of pets, and enjoys blogging  when she is not is medical school (I am trying to be a bit vague here) and who has enjoyed telling me what she sees while sitting at her computer and looking out the window... band tailed pigeons, black phoebes (tuxedo bird), scrub jays, red tailed hawks, and American kestrel's, are a few on her list. I would always reply to her boasts quietly and perhaps with a bit of jealousy.... "I only get house finches". 

But last night things changed.....

So there I was doing the usual fall maintenance routine of moving plants that have over stayed their welcome in one place to another place where they could grow until they irritated me there. Tanner was sitting in a chair trying to get the will power to fulfill his "time out" duties while I did everything I could to encourage him in accomplishing this task.  Cassidy was in the house practicing her piano and I could hear it's hurried tune muffled by the walls of the house. ( ahhh a piece of the good life?) When I heard a series of sounds...

"sip, sip, sip" 

The plant I had just ripped from the dry earth dropped to the ground. Its roots, I am sure, where gasping as air filled them. Cassidys hurried efforts to finish her practice, so she could play with her friends, left my thoughts. And Tanner, noticing my distraction, launched his body from the chair and followed my progression down the stone path which curves its way down the side of my house.

I could see it!  I knew it was a new bird for my yard! It's  tiny body silhouetted by the setting sun was flitting around on a branch of my birch tree. "sip sip sip" it merrily chirped as it bounced from limb to limb. "sip sip sip" 
I continued down the path, tense that it would scare before I would see it. As I crept closer, more of its features where coming clearer... its bill, yellow belly, grey head and breast, and its constant movement indicated  a warbler. I have a warbler, a warbler, a warbler.... A WARBLER! let me say it one more time... a warbler! This is a big step from house finch and I could hardly  contain the excitement of such  a find in my very own yard.

I followed it as its flighty movements carried it through out my yard. I caught further glimpses of it and ecstatically identified it as a McGillivray's due to an incomplete eye ring, grey head and yellow body. Once identified I felt better about leaving it and I bolted into the house to get my binoculars for a better view. 

So there I was in the front of my yard, with a pair of binoculars, running from bush to bush and tree to tree (and even, may I say, tree to bush) trying to catch glimpses of this "rare" find. I looked over neighbors fences by standing on ladders, electrical boxes,  on anything that would get me better views into their yards. I even participated in a solo celebratory dance; in which I jumped up and down and flapped my hands into a the air screaming "yes, yes, yes". The entire time, while I did all of these things, Tanner, who wants to play with my binoculars, ran behind me and pulled on my legs  screaming " I want to see! I WANT TO SEE! I WANT TO SEE!!!!" It was amazing,  that I, saw anything.