DJ Geribo

As we come to the end of summer, I look back on the variety of birds I enjoyed and the ones I missed. Over the years we used to get the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak but I haven't seen them for a few years now. We did change our bird feeder so that only the smaller birds (and not the squirrels) can access the sunflower seeds. Perhaps that has something to do with it. For a few years we were getting the Northern Tufted Flycatcher but I didn't see them this year. And every year since we've lived here we've had the Tree Swallow nesting in a couple of the houses we put out but I was sad not to see them this year. 

But the one I missed the most is the Baltimore Oriole. With their bright orange colors and their distinct clear single note call with a little melody at the end, I always put slices of orange out when I know they might be arriving. And I've heard them in nearby trees but did not see one eating the oranges on our deck. I'm pretty sure the chipmunks got the oranges.

And now as I see fewer and fewer birds around, with a Phoebe or a Bluebird making a rare appearance, I look forward to our regulars who are with us year round like the Chickadee, Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, and the American Goldfinch. A Sparrow or two may hang around, also, and the Cedar Waxwings, that were here most of the summer, will be back for the berries on a few trees this winter. I haven't seen much of the Woodpeckers but they will become regulars once I start putting the suet out. 

I miss all the birds when they leave in the fall and look forward to their return in the spring. I, personally, can't imagine a life without birds. They have given me so much pleasure as I watch, and envy, their ability and skill as they fly from tree to tree.