A Perfect Spring Afternoon -- Finally!

My backyard bird count went up one to 36 species today when I noticed this little guy, an almost-adult wood thrush sitting by the grill.

It's odd to see wood thrushes in suburban settings as they prefer being safe within wooded areas. But springtime winds always send a few birds off course. I'm sure there are a lot of tiny nomads across the South after those terrible storms. Springtime visitors to my yard in years past have been the common yellowthroat warbler, who I'm pretty sure ran into my sunroom door, and a rose-breasted grosbeak. Seems like since I started blogging in 2008 I've added about two species each year to my list, though I'm not always lucky enough to get pictures of them.

You may notice a resemblance between this wood thrush and the American robin. They are both thrushes and are similar sizes and have similar eating habits. American robins, however, have adapted better to life in the suburbs.

Since the weather was so very nice out this afternoon my husband and I sat outside while our boy was napping and watched the antics of squirrels and chipmunks and birds and envisioned a life as old folks training squirrels and chickadees to eat from our hands. Here's a sampling of our little friends.

It's pretty apparent that life as a squirrel involves a hierarchy, and this guy is on top in our yard. But that doesn't stop a wily chipmunk fom trying to get his share.

He lurks beneath the feeder, waiting for the opportune moment. Mostly he psyched himself out and ran or was chased away, but at one point he ran right over top of the squirrel, which seemed to surprise them both.

This uneasy truce lasted about as long as it took my camera to take the picture. Lucky shot.

We also spied house finches, goldfinches, blue jays, cardinals, and chickadees (standard visitors) along with some red-winged blackbirds who have been hanging around a lot lately.

Noticeably absent today were the downy and hairy woodpeckers and the nuthatches. But you can't have it all, I suppose.

I'm quite pleased that my son is so interested in feeding the birds, the dog, and the fish, and that he "helped" build a little birdhouse this week. He really loves small animals (not that the dog is small), thinks that "birds are so nice," and this morning informed me "when I turn into a fish I will swim in that tank."