The First Two Days

Our first day was spent in our yard.  We only decided that very evening that we were going to begin Sunday, July 28th, after spending much of the day entering our birding lists into an app called, “Audubon Guides Field Guide to North American Birds, NatureShare.”  

We saw 24 birds, which wasn’t bad for two hours of birding in your backyard just before sunset.  

Our first day list includes:

American Crow

Mourning Dove

American Goldfinch

American Kestrel

American Robin

Barn Swallow

Blue Jay

Common Grackle

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Wood-Pewee

European Starling

Field Sparrow

House Finch

House Sparrow

Indigo Bunting

Northern Cardinal

Northern Mockingbird

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Song Sparrow

Tufted Titmouse

Wild Turkey

The second day, Monday, July 29th, Bill was at work and I saw and/or heard three more in our yard:

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-Tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

I have to mention here that the kids and I also saw a female turkey with her eight fledglings.  They’ve nested in our lot, which is under two acres, but we don’t mow it specifically because of the nesting birds.  

We know that field sparrows, song sparrows, meadowlarks, bob-whites, kingbirds, and red-winged blackbirds all nest there, but we didn’t realize turkeys were in there, too.  

The first time I suspected the nesting turkeys was when the new owner of the adjacent lot mowed/bushhogged his lot and I saw her fly up and out of our lot.  I’ve seen her two times since, with her little ones in tow, marching along the edge of the weeds.  Anyway, they are getting larger and I hope they stay safe.

Bill set up a very nice birding excursion for us on Friday, August 16th.  We’ll be birding at the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, located at Jefferson County Proving Ground that morning at 8:30.  It’s my birthday present, but also a great chance to add more birds to our list!  I can’t wait to report back on that trip!