not to change the subject, but...

...I'm changing the subject. Yes, I am
deviating away from my usual political rantings, and focusing on a different
interest of mine: Birding.

As my username (Earthbird)
suggests, I like birds. I have always like birds. And since I've recently taken
up the hobby of birding, I've decided to (try to) use this blog as a record of
my bird findings.

Here goes nothing.

I've seen a total of 119 birds this year, and my goal is to get up to 150 by January. I've taken to bringing my binoculars along every time we go to a park and keeping a rough list of my sightings and their locations.

Obviously, I'm very inexperienced at all this, but what can I say? It's FUN!

And how can you become experienced, if you don't first go through a period of being inexperienced? If you know how, pitch me an email. I'd love to know.

Anywho, I've been seeing some great birds lately.

I saw a Belted Kingfisher and some Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers lately, and possibly a Pine Warbler, although I cannot confirm it.

My favorite find of the week? A Black and White Warbler! That's a life bird for me! I was so excited when I saw it. It was foraging for insects on an oak tree right beside a Downy Woodpecker.

If you've never seen one, it's a fascinating looking bird. Completely black and white, and striped kind of like a zebra. I almost thought it was another Downy, but it had the body of Warbler, and no red patch on its head. I thought it was a Black & White Warbler, but it was too good to be true. I don't know how common they are in the area, but my field guide said they were winter migrants.

Other birds I've been seeing a lot of: Tufted Titmouses (or is it Titmice?), Carolina Chickadees, Pileated Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, and Carolina Wrens.

I have my eye out for Warblers right now. I want to see how many different species I can find this winter, before they migrate back up North.