Taking it Slow
After two weeks of pretty intense traveling and birding, I kept it close to home yesterday. I went to Duke Forest, a couple miles away, and walked the trail in the feeble hope that a late Rose-breasted Grosbeak or even a Yellow-throated Vireo would be around. While a Scarlet Tanager singing an odd short version of a song had me dreaming of ticking the vireo for the year, the eventual identification of the sneaky songster was about the most exciting thing I had yesterday morning. Though a close encounter with a Wood Thrush, a bird I often hear but rarely see, would have to be a close second. The woods around Chapel Hill appear to be resetting to summer, soon the only thing I’ll be hearing will be the persistent Red-eyed Vireos, the James Browns of the bird world. The hardest working birds in show business.
This Memorial Day weekend I’ll be doing what the rest of America is doing. Staying at home, relaxing, maybe taking in a blockbuster movie, and enjoying the first official weekend of the summer. And while my job does not end on Memorial Day, the shows at the planetarium must go on, the blogging will take a hiatus, save this short little ditty, explaining said hiatus.
Enjoy your day off folks. Go get some birds, or don’t, your call.
We’ll be back to the grind tomorrow.
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“the James Browns of the bird world”: nice expression!
Hi N8!
This also struck me as remarkable, especially when compared to European forests: As soon as May is over, the forests are basically quiet except for the permanent song of the Red-eyed Vireo. All the other residents seem to be largely quiet.
Still, it could be worse, ey? Nice song after all.
How many beers did it take to get over the fact that the next day off Hatteras brought a Bermuda Petrel?
Three beers and a pizza? Good thing, too we can always blame the birds for enjoying a decent blond and bubbely iced hop tea.
Geez, the Bermuda was just the beginning. This last weekend they had tons more Fea’s, two more Bermudas, a handful of Trindade Petrels, and no fewer than 3 Masked Boobies.
This has already been a phenomenal season and it’s only just started.
But no Euro Strom-Petrel…