Saturday, May 01, 2010

The First of May

White-throated Sparrow

I awakened this morning to the sweet sound of a White-throated Sparrow song outside my window. It is raining and birds are grounded around the lilac bush beside the deck. They sing back and forth and then scritch scratch in the garden mulch looking for food. White-throated Sparrows usually return a couple of weeks before White-crowned Sparrows, but they arrived together to our neighbourhood yesterday. A Chipping Sparrow trills from the pine tree and drops into the yard from time to time for some millet. Blue Jays have called loudly for peanuts a few times but their presence upsets the Chickadees who aggressively chase them away from the vicinity of their nest. It is a David and Goliath contest but the jays do leave.

...time for another cup of tea and some more lazy Saturday morning lounging.

White-crowned Sparrow

p.s. Thanks for the good wishes for my mother's recovery. She is out of hospital, resting at home and waiting for a pathology report. I wish we were not separated by so many miles.

8 comments:

  1. Hello, hello my dear Ruth :-)

    It's funny that you should post about sparrows since I've been thinking a lot about sparrows recently. It started first with a song that really resonated with me, entitled "Sparrow" and then when I read the passage in the Bible about sparrows being sold for assaria, these birds took on new light for me. They're a promise that the Lord will always take care of us, and always has the best interests for us, no matter what. :) I believe that this principle is true for your mother's situation, as well. Wishing you a lot of love, and I will be joining you in your cup-of-tea and lazy-lounging on a Saturday morning (or more accurately, all day! ha!). I love when the rain gives us that kind of excuse. :)

    aletheia <3

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  2. Mexico Mom1:17 pm GMT-4

    Many thanks for the prayers and kind thoughts of your blogger friends I appreciate it so much and am now recovering in my home.
    Blessings. Mom

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  3. Your blog informs me of my ignorance. I more or less thought that a sparrow was a sparrow, and I didn't know they migrated. You should called me ACD, with the D standing for dumb.

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  4. Very nice pictures. Congrats on your FOS Sparrows.

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  5. As per usual this time of year I walk in the mornings with my binoculars in hand to a small marshy area near my street. On Friday when I arrived, I heard all this scratchy, scratchy in the leaves. About a dozen or so small birds were fluttering around. I too spotted my first White-throated sparrow. What a welcome! I've seen Chipping sparrows last week, but yet to see the White-crown sparrow. It's exciting! Glad to her "Mexico Mom" is home safe!!!

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  6. Aletheia- I seem to force you to think about birds :-)...I do appreciate your comment

    Mom- Glad you are online

    AC- Don't worry;- 3 0r 4 years ago I didn't know about sparrows either. House Sparrows, which are European imports, do not migrate but our native sparrows do. I can now ID about 1/3 of them easily... that leaves me a lot more learning.

    Dave- Looking fwd to my FOY RB Grosbeaks and Orioles

    Cheryl- I have seen Chipping Sparrows for about a week and saw my first WT Sparrows at Steckle Woods on Thursday. They love millet and I spread it on the ground for them.

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  7. Cute shot of the White Throated Sparrow. They are my winter birds, but it seems I still have a few hanging around now.

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  8. Their markings are so much more pronounced now. They are beautiful little birds. So glad you mom did well and is recovering.

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