Ten On Tuesday
This week’s Ten on Tuesday topic comes from Lucia, who suggested 10 Favorite Birds. I’m always up for some bird watching so I think it’s a great topic. Here we go!
- Red-winged Blackbird. When my grandparents moved from their apartment in the city to the “country” the first thing my Nana did was buy bird feeders and a bird book. The red-winged blackbird is the first bird I ever identified on my own from that guide book and I can still remember how proud of myself I was for finding it. It’s been a favorite ever since.
- Mourning Dove. I love their gentle coo-ing. Also, they were the 2nd bird I identified on my own. Don’t worry, this trip-down-memory-lane part of the list ends now.
- Great Blue Heron. I think they look prehistoric and I am so impressed by their ability to remain perfectly still while trying to catch a fish.
- Of course I have to mention the Bald Headed Eagle. I have learned so much about them while watching their nest in Iowa via the Raptor Resource Project. So cool. Dale and I saw one on our honeymoon in Maine and it’s a great memory of that trip.
- Chickadee. They are cute and hang out at my feeders and I love their chickadee-dee-dee-dee call.
- American Goldfinch. Nothing heralds the start of spring than the yellowing of my goldfinches.
- Red-bellied Woodpecker. The head is what’s red and not the belly, which can make identifying them a bit confusing. Honestly, I hear them (it’s an unmistakable shrill, rolling kwirr) more than I see them. I should say here that I love all woodpeckers, from the red-headed to the downy, the pileated, the Northern flicker, the red-breasted sapsucker and everything in between.
- Cedar Waxwing. They travel about in huge flocks and I love their olive feathers and black mask.
- Northern Cardinal. Red is my favorite color so I couldn’t make a list of favorite birds without including these gorgeous red guys. They often nest near my home and one year I had the treat of watching the juveniles learn to fly. It was awesome.
- Last but certainly not least, the hummingbird. We only have ruby-throated in my area but I saw violet-crowned ones when I visited Margene. I put out several feeders every year and I love to watch their antics.
I could go on and on with this list. I didn’t even mention any ducks but perhaps they deserve a category all their own. Or perhaps you all aren’t into bird-watching as much as I am. I am truly looking forward to reading everyone’s lists today.
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Great list. I’ll love the Carolina wren. Petite and so funny looking with their tail turned up. Man they make a lot of noise if you get near their babies.
What a great list! Every morning I hear Red Wing Black birds, house finches, robins, mourning doves and the occasional chickadee, and woodpecker. I miss the scrub jays that used to wake me up with their squawking.
I wasn’t sure about this topic… until I got started on it! Happy TOT!
Great list, but I’d have trouble stopping with just 10 – I’d just have to add wrens, and towhees and, and … ;o)
Great list. I love watching the birds but I have no clue what most of them are.
That is a fantastic photo!!
Hands down, without a doubt, my favorite birds are Ravens. You can look at them and just see how smart they are. I had a mated pair that would hang out on the corner of campus and I would have “quorking” conversations with them nearly every morning.
(Why yes, people do look at me oddly when I’m out walking around. Why do you ask?)
Sadly, I forgot the red-winged blackbird. I love to hear their call in the evening — such a calm, peaceful, relaxing sound.
I love hummingbirds, cardinals, and the tufted titmouse. I don’t know enough about birds to be able to put together my own list, but I enjoyed yours 🙂
This was a fun list to create…but so many great birds out there! Hope none get upset that I played favorites, haha!
I have a friend who is married to an ornithologist. He studies cooperatively breeding birds. I loved visiting them and helping band and record acorn woodpeckers in the Carmel Valley, Ca. I learned a ton about birds on my visits. I particularly love quail. Such funny little pudgy beings!
Great bird photo!
Loons!! loooooooons. Loons
ooohhh you are a bird watcher! love the photo and you mentioned a few that are new to me – cedar waxwing and red-winged blackbird. I wonder if they come around my neck of the woods?
I love your list! Is that a heron in your top photo? I had no trouble at all with this one — I had already blogged pix of seven of my ten.
I love your list. I used to (when I was still in grade school) take the field guides out from the library and try to identify anything. I did it with astronomy and constellations, birds, plants. It was a lot of fun!