I was talking to a visitor the other day who was asking me if there were any birds of note. He had just seen the white-throated sparrow that seems to be hanging out with us this year. I said, no, nothing spectacular or rare, although, I said, there is a common yellowthroat who seems to be wintering with us this year. For that matter, a coot has taken up residence as well. I know they aren't rare, but they are uncommon out here. He shrugged and kind of looked at me as if I was crazy. These birds aren't just not rare, they are downright common. What on earth would be the value of these?
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| Common yellowthroat |
Interesting question. I find it absolutely delightful that our little coot has decided to stay. He is probably being fed by the visitors (please don't feed the wildlife!!!) and the yellow-throat is not common here even during migration. So to me it is a treasured find: just to find it where it is usually not!! It seems to me that a common bird in an uncommon situation is almost as exciting as an uncommon bird in an uncommon situation. And for that matter, a common bird in a common situation is still eye candy!
I hope it means that the pond is slowly recovering. It certainly means there is enough vegetation for the coot to eat, and enough bugs for the yellowthroat to eat. Well, and the coot also seems to have a taste for dragonfly naiads. So, what is it that makes some birds worth looking for and some not? We have numerous phainopeplas, cactus wrens and gnatcatchers, and yet each one is worth watching. I heard a phainopepla song for the first time this year, and it was a delight. It will be next time I hear it. We have house finches, northern flickers, and great horned owls, white-crowned sparrows, sage sparrows, cooper's hawks, sharpies. Look for fun ones like the white-throated sparrow and juncos, townsends solitaire, and even uncommon birds like thrushes and thrashers.
