Feathered Friends #1

"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12:7

A few years ago, I got inspired to become a "birder." A birder is simply-put: a bird-watcher.

What inspired me? Well, I a read an article in Nature Friend Magazine written by a girl my age. She, like me, knew very little about birds, but she wanted to know more. So, she purchased a bird book to help identify them. Then, she grabbed her binoculars and camera and went "birding." Each time she saw a new bird, she wrote it down on her "bird list."

All of this sounded fascinating to me. Maybe I could someday know what bird made its nest on our house, or what bird sang in the field everyday. So I did some research, and bought my own bird book: The New Stokes Field Guide to Birds. This book proved to be extremely useful. To this day, it is the best bird field guide that I have ever seen.

My bird list began to grow. I did not know there were so many birds on our 20-acres. My brother joined me in my quest to find new birds. And soon I purchased Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs. This was not a necessity per se, but it helped me SO MUCH. It had all the songs and calls from hundreds of birds. Soon I began to identify not only different birds by sight, but also by sound.

I want to inspire you to become a birder. Even if you only learn a few birds, that will be worth it. Your eyes and ears will be opened up to God's creation at a much deeper level.

So, I would like to help you get started by sharing some photos that Nathan and I took. These are very common birds that are easily seen. I will share a little something about each bird.

House Sparrow: I listed this bird first, because it is the most common bird. These birds are originally from England, but have taken over the U.S, because they are very hardy birds. They thrive in the city, as well as in the country. They are the first to come to feeders, and are very aggressive birds. They are seen by most birders as pesky birds. Because of these birds, other birds are going extinct. This one is a male. The females look different. They are light brown without the distinct markings of the males.

Blue Jay: These birds like to whistle and talk. They are kind of aggressive, and like to chase other birds :) 

American Robin: These common birds are often in flocks sitting on the ground looking for bugs. If you walk up to them, they usually hop away rather than fly. Their "cheer up, cheerily" song really does cheer you up.

Northern Cardinal: These bright red birds are easily recognizable. You'll often hear them singing "cheer cheer, birdie, birdie, birdie." They like to come to my feeder to eat sunflower seeds. The top picture is a male, and the bottom picture is a female.

Northern Mockingbird: I love these birds. They are easy to recognize. When you hear a bird that is switching from one bird call to the other, you know it's a mockingbird. When a bird flies in front of you while you're driving, and you  see white patches on each wing, you know it's a mockingbird. They like to sit in the tops of trees and sing their hearts out.
And like Atticus Finch said, "Shoot all the blue jays you want, but it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
(To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

Eastern Phoebe: Why do we have so many pictures of Phoebes? Because they are very common, and when you are looking to take a bird picture, they are easy targets :). These birds are named "Phoebe" simply because that is what they say: "phoebe. phoebe. phoebe." Sometimes their phoebe call drives me crazy ;).  They take every opportunity to build their nest on your house and buildings, outside lights, etc. They are not very scared of you either. They like to catch insects, and will often sit on fences wagging their tail up and down while they hunt. They look a lot like their shy cousin, the Eastern Wood-Pewee, but their calls are distinctly different.

Tufted Titmouse: These birds like to come to feeders. They are very quick and always moving. You'll often hear their fast call, "peter peter peter peter." They are not shy birds, and there is even stories of them pulling out peoples' hair for their nests :o ;) :)

Eastern Bluebird: The above bluebird is a male. The females are very light blue. These birds are easily recognizable though, and they like to call to each other with their warbling song consisting of  1-3 short notes. They like trees in more open places, but not fields.

Ruby-Throated Humminbird: The males have a Ruby throat, because of their iridescent feathers. If you put up a hummingbird feeder with the ratio of 1:4 ( 1 part sugar to 4 parts water), they will be happy to come and drink during the summer. Their high pitched chirping tells you when they are flying by.

White-Breasted Nuthatch: They are always upside down ;) They often call back and forth to each other with their famous nasal call. I almost think it sounds like their laughing. They love nuts and seeds, as you can see by this picture I took.

Carolina Wren: I had to shut the window to our milking room for the hundredth time this year, because of these silly little birds. They love to build their nests in buildings, shoes, flower pots, and other (in)convenient places ;). Their calls are SO loud such as their "teakettle teakettle teakettle" call.

American Goldfinch: These top and bottom pictures are of goldfinches in winter. The females look like that year round, while the males only look like that in winter. In summer, the males are BRIGHT yellow, with black heads and wings. They love to come to my feeders in large groups. They are beautiful birds.

Canada Goose: Most everybody recognizes these birds. They are seen at public parks a lot. When they migrate, they fly in large flocks in a V shape.

Mourning Dove: These beautiful birds have an even more beautiful song. Their sad song or "coo" is easily recognizable. They sound like they are mourning, thus the name. You'll often see them on electric lines, and they sometimes come to my feeder and feed on the ground.

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher: The Oklahoma state bird. It's a beauty. You see these birds next to roads, and by fields or open places. There is usually more than one, and they like to chase each other; their tails swooping gracefully as they fly.

If you have a picture of a bird, and want to know what kind it is, send it to me at moriefamily@gmail.com, and I will tell you what it is.

Resources: http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stokes-Field-Guide-Birds/dp/0316213934

https://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Field-Guide-Bird-Songs/dp/1607887835

https://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/index.pl?linkid=subscribe