Big Job

Last week, I landed my biggest assignment so far. Not only will I write an article on a subject I am keenly interested in, I'll get to provide the photos too. My secret is: persistence. I kept sending queries to an editor and in one of them I mentioned that I am a bird photographer. She replied that, while she wasn't interested in my idea, would I like to do something else along that line? Of course I would! So, next week I'll be off to shoot this assignment together with my assistant, aka husband.
Things have quieted down in our backyard. The migrants have passed on to greener pastures, meaning that the rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles have disappeared.
On Sunday, we visited the Wingfield Pines area in Bridgeville. We saw bluebirds, Baltimore orioles, mallards, and yellow warblers, to name the ones we could identify for sure. It is an interesting place and I am sure we'll go back once the wildflowers and butterfly weeds are in bloom. I can hardly wait to get the overshoes I ordered so I can explore wetland areas without getting wet feet.

Health woes

I had already had a sore throat when I left for Presque Isle last Friday. I took along plenty of cough drops but my throat got worse over time. Just when I wanted to talk to people I croaked like a frog. Now, I am slightly better and can't wait to stop coughing.
When I returned from Presque Isle, our kitty who has just been diagnosed with kidney disease did not greet me as usual. She barely lifted her head and I learned that she had scarcely eaten anything while I was gone. I was alarmed over her gaunt looks and took her to the veterinarian. It turned out that Kitty had lost more weight and her kidney values have gotten worse. I was told to give her what she wants to eat, even if it is not a kidney diet food. The most important thing right now is to put some weight on her. So far, it seems to work. She is eating more now and with great appetite. I am also giving her vitamins and hope that makes a difference. She still is very skinny and does not play like she used to. I miss her antics of running through the house and playing with her feather toy. Now, all she does is sleep and eat occasionally.

Festival of the Birds

I just returned from the Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle State Park. It was were well organized and the weather was awesome, especially on Saturday when we had sunshine and blue sky all day. People took advantage of the great weather and fished, hiked, biked, and birded all over the peninsula. On Saturday, I attended a walk at Fry's Landing that yielded a lot of warblers for birders. My summary of the walk is: Warblers seen: plenty; warblers photographed: 0. I am now convinced that photographing a warbler is just about as difficult as winning the powerball. My greatest success that day was a Cedar Waxwing I photographed in a flowering tree. Yesterday morning, I had better luck during a photographer's walk on the Sidewalk Trail. I spotted my first Tree Swallow and my first Red-headed Woodpecker. The woodpecker, of course, was too far away for a good photo, but it was exciting to see it. On the way back to the conference we stopped to look at the Bald Eagles' nest but the eagles were absent at the time. At least, now I know where the nest is. In fact, the most fruitful aspect of the conference was the inside scoop, the information on which trails yield which birds. During the two days of the festival, birders tallied 132 species. Don't ask me how many I saw... I was surprised, however, when one woman spotted her first Rose-breasted Grosbeak. That was one day after I had seen three at our backyard feeder!
To sum it all up: Presque Isle is a great place to visit this time of year, before the summer crowds arrive. The festival therefore closed with these words: Happy trails and happy birding!

Spring is here

Yesterday was a great day for birding...in our backyard. I glanced out the window and jumped for joy when I spotted a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in our silver maple. I put my camera together and carefully went outside to photograph it but it flew off when it saw me. A while later, I set up my blind in the hopes that it would show up again. It took a while to come back so I photographed other birds, including a very streaked brownish bird that turned out to be a female RBG. Finally, the male returned to our bird-feeder and I got some great shots. I would prefer to photograph it on a branch but right now, I'll take what I can get. While I was sitting in the blind, I also saw the first male Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year. Is it a coincidence that I just filled the syrup feeder with fresh syrup yesterday? Other regulars are Chipping Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows (yes, they're still here), Blue Jays, and our "resident" Eastern Towhee. I have yet to see a female towhee so I wonder how long the male will be around.
Our backyard is turning greener every day. The redbud in our front yard is having an excellent spring and the insects are swarming around it all day long. The columbines are ready for the hummingbirds to savor their nectar and it is exciting what will bloom next. We have started some flowers indoors, including a very good-looking crop of sunflowers and zinnias, another hummingbird favorite.