Eastern Bluebirds and Chipping Sparrows
Late this afternoon the sky was clear and blue, not a cloud to be seen, and the sun shined brightly – though the air felt very cold, in the mid 30s, with an icy northwest wind.
Despite the cold, Eastern Bluebirds and Chipping Sparrows seemed to be everywhere, all along the way as I walked through the neighborhood, almost sparkling in their colors and flashing movements. Feeding together in big open yards, along with other small songbirds like Yellow-rumped Warblers and House Finches, they almost disappeared in the faded grass. But as I walked past, they all scattered up in waves, with a startling blue splash of color in the male bluebirds’ wings, and the sharp chips of the Yellow-rumped Warblers, the plaintive little cries of the House Finches and the silvery flash of dozens of Chipping Sparrows all spraying up like sparks.
In wooded areas, I heard the chatter of Chickadees, the day-day fussing of Titmice, and a few Titmice whistling peter-peter. Northern Cardinals peeped. Several Carolina Wrens were singing, trilling and fussing; Red-bellied Woodpeckers chucked and rattled, and Downy Woodpeckers whinnied. A Northern Flicker called a sharp kleer! One Turkey Vulture tilted in the wind.
American Robins also were scattered all through the neighborhood, in yards and in trees. Less flighty than the smaller birds, they mostly stood placidly and watched as I walked past, not greatly disturbed. A few blackbirds restlessly perched in trees and flew short distances in small groups. I heard the calls of both Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds, but none were close enough to see well, and they didn’t seem to be gathered or moving as part of a larger flock.