Monday, September 19, 2016

A Little Visitor

For days I heard a bird's one-note call in the back yard and saw leaves fluttering as it made its way around. At this time of year, migration brings some interesting visitors even to urban centers.

I heard it Sunday and was thrilled to see the tiny visitor alight on the birdbath. Needing new glasses, I couldn't make out the details that would help me identify it, but I got some photos which could be enlarged.
If you click on this photo and look in the circle on the right, you can see the bird.
Even though the birdbath was dirty from the ablutions of raccoons and larger birds, the little visitor took a short splash.
A spin through The Sibley Guide to Birds confirmed the bird's call as a "sharp pik," and its markings as those of a female Common Yellowthroat.
Here's a close-up. I have seen a lot of interesting birds on this block at Park & Seventh, including the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, the Brown Creeper, Cedar Waxwings and more.

P.S. I cleaned the birdbath, although I'm sure the raccoons will mess it up soon again. They like to wash their food and made a pretty good mess trying to wash a greasy fried chicken wing in the birdbath last week.

3 comments:

  1. This is me hitting the LUV IT BUTTON.

    (seems as though the humming birds that visit my feeder have already began their migration south - now the woodpeckers have learned to drink the nectar)

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  2. It's so cute! Oh. And the raccoons say thank you for cleaning their sink.

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  3. My woodpeckers have been at my hummer feeder all summer

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