Birds

Snowball had an eye infection and there are a lot of chickens in need of a bath out there…That sentence sent me off to Google to look up pasty butts. That led to Vent Gleet. And a long list of probiotics and Chicken Spa “necessities.” I am delaying Chicken Spa Day until the probiotics have a chance to work their magic.

The turkeys I see with my very own eyes, flirting and dancing and buffing up their wings.

But for all those others tweeting and fluttering? Here is a list of birds that I hear in the mornings when I go out to jump into the pool. I swam my first lap this past week; it’s still too cold for more. I recorded and ID'd these birds with the help of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Merlin Bird ID app.

• American Crow

• American Goldfinch

• American Redstart

• American Robin

• American Woodcock

• Black-capped Chickadee

• Blue Jay

• Bobolink — Carl pointed out that someone must have mowed their field, thereby destroying the Bobolink’s nest. They now come to our field looking for a new home. We’ll see if they have time to lay more eggs. This is why it’s best to wait to mow your field until August.

• Canada Goose

• Cedar Waxwing

• Chipping Sparrow

• Common Raven

• Common Yellowthroat Warbler

• Dark-eyed Junco

• Eastern Bluebird

• Eastern Phoebe

• Eastern Towhee

• Field Sparrow

• Gray Catbird

• Great Blue Heron

• House Sparrow

• Indigo Bunting

• Mourning Dove

• Northern Cardinal

• Ovenbird

• Red-eyed Vireo

• Rose-breasted Grosbeak

• Scarlet Tanager

• Song Sparrow

• Tufted Titmouse

• Veery

• Wood Thrush

• Yellow-rumped Warbler (I can’t attest to the rump color)