Birds: March 2009 Archives

Over the last week of February and the first week of March, Dear Husband and I spent ten days in Florida. We had really looked forward to getting away. DH needs to be spared from the Chicago area hard winters, given that he works construction, and each year he has the opportunity to play in the memorial golf tourney which is named for his son. This year, we flew in and spent the first four days in the Orlando area. We went to Disney with our granddaughters and their parents, and then, Sunday, we headed for the Florida Keys.

I'd never been further south than Cape Canaveral, or Siesta Key. It was roughly a five to six hour drive from Orlando to Key Largo, and we stopped halfway to refill the gas tank. DH must have felt we needed to refill our tanks too, because he stopped at a McDonald's for lunch. We were getting ready to order when I realized that three sand hill cranes were walking across the lawn at the front of the building. Perhaps they needed to top off their tanks before beginning the trek north. I'm sure these birds were very clear that they could get hand outs at Mickey D's.

We weren't giving the handouts. In fact, we did not feed ANY wildlife while we were there, despite a lot of opportunity.

P.S. I didn't get my bird book out to make sure I have the species right. If I'm wrong, I hope Bogie or Cop Car will set me straight.

I was astonished and delighted to see our first heron yesterday, standing in the icy waters of a retention pond near our home. Then, today, I passed by a preserve that has been devoted to herons. I don't know if it could be called a "rookery" or not, but this is a major breeding site in the Chicago suburbs, and the trees and man-made "masts" were covered with birds. YEA!!!!

While we were in Florida, we visited a bird refuge, and saw many of the heron and egret varieties that come to this area for the summer. They are simply beautiful birds! And, on our trip south I was able to get within twelve feet of three sandhill cranes. Dear Husband said that he saw some of them flying north today.

Yesterday, I looked out our kitchen window, toward the bird feeder a short while before dusk, and counted TWELVE male cardinals feeding. Of course, there were most likely twelve females, too, but it takes a little more careful searching to see them, since they blend in so very well.

My friend Cop Car, and her daughter Bogie, are much more informed birdwatchers than I am, but one day I may catch up to them. It's a lovely hobby.