Wednesday, May 21, 2008

They Made Me Laugh

Sunday evening, I though I'd try to get into a good book. I am a big reader but haven't been able to commit to a story for the last several months. I guess there have been too many distractions and my mind has been very unsettled. I picked up a few books at a garage sale last week that looked interesting so I settled down in my chair by the window to see if one of them would grab my imagination. No luck. Again, feeling easily distracted I started looking out the window. It's an upstairs window which sets me at about the mid-height of our large maple tree out back. There had still been a few warblers passing through but they were tough to spot in the thick maple leaves. A flash of movement caught my eye. Out of a clump of leaves popped a Magnolia Warbler! He sat at the tip of a bare branch and preened. The longer I watched the more movement I detected in the tree.
HA! I caught a Redstart perched!! By now I was laughing loud enough to bring my kids running.
"Oh, it's just Mom. She sees a bird."

By the time this Wilson's Warbler popped into view I was beside myself. I've tried so hard this spring to get a photo of a Wilson's but they've been too fast for me. I checked the times that these three pictures were taken and they were all within five minutes. Such a gift.

I stalked this Ovenbird, trying to get a good look all day yesterday. He spent the day creeping around under the lilac hedge. He was cagey, never coming out of the shadows for long. Finally he made his way out to the ground under my feeders.

Who needs a stinky Wilson's Warbler when you have ME in all my golden beauty?

I still need to start a book.


21 comments:

Anonymous said...

How lucky to be able to look out your window and see such pretty birds! Especially that Magnolia Warbler and Redstart. I laughed reading "Oh, it's just Mom. She sees a bird." I'm always gasping if I see a new bird, especially one I haven't seen before. I excitedly told my son on the phone that I actually held this or that bird at bird banding and there was kinda a silence. Oh, well, I think you have to do it to know how exciting it is. I hope you can get into a good book but good birds are just as good!

entoto said...

Nice window and tree! Good luck getting into a book. It took me ages to go back to reading after having my first child. I just could not focus for that long.

Owlman said...

AWESOME shots - wow. All of those cool birds in 5 minutes is crazzzeee!

Carolyn H said...

Great shots! I haven't seen a Wilson's warbler in years.

Carolyn H.

Jayne said...

Three different warblers in FIVE minutes? You are charmed my dear! Beautiful!!

Ruth said...

I would be shocked to see even one warbler in my yard. You were the one with a Wood duck in that tree last year I believe. Do you live in the city or in the country??

Anonymous said...

Lynne . . . been trying to catch up on the past few post that I have missed! Although those other pictures are stunning . . . . these warbler shots are perfect! Keep up the great work my friend!

Deb said...

Dang it Lynne, I deliberately walk around on my 40 acres and see nothing (but hear ovenbirds), and you just casually look up in your suburban yard and see birds I've never seen! It ain't right...:)

Anonymous said...

Way to go, Lynne! Gods way of easing your mind! Those pics are great!

Marsha said...

Who needs a book when you can look outside your window and see those three beauties in under 5 minutes! WOW is all I can say! How fun that must have been to be right at eye level with them. Congrats and great photos!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Forget the book, keep watching that window!

Anonymous said...

What nice birds. I have begun to see some of the Wilsons come over to our house. They seem to be waiting for the sunflowers to come up.

Richard said...

Great pictures. You need to do what I do, get an audio book and download it to an IPOD. Then you can do 2 things at one time...birding and reading.

Richard said...

Great pictures. You need to do what I do, get an audio book and download it to an IPOD. Then you can do 2 things at one time...birding and reading.

Anonymous said...

These are wonderfu,l Lynne. What a great place to watch for birds. I would be there all the time.

Yes, I think they were a gift, one that you needed to receive.

Kathie Brown said...

Lynne, you crack me up! How fortunate you were to get all those lovely photos! That's just the way it happens though. You have to be ready in a moments notice for that is all you get sometimes. Glad you lept at the oppotunity! As for reading books, I use to love to curl up with a good one, but now find myself using al my spare time to Blog! I've started listening to books on CD while I clean house or drive in my car instead.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Linda- my kids shake their jeads at me a lot!

Trixie- I really need a book though.

Owlman- It was nuts!

Jayne- Just lucky to be looking.

Ruth- I'm in a suburb of Minneapolis.

Mon@rch- Thank you very much. I'ts hard to keep up sometimes.

Deb- Maybe you should move back to the 'burbs! ;)

Cindy- I really think some times we get the gifts we need.

Marsha- I've had some wonderful sightings in that tree.

LauraO- It's a good blind!

scienceguy288- I was excited to get a picture of the Wilson's.

Richard- Good idea. I think I'll give it a try!

Gardenpath- Yep. Quite a gift!

Kathie- It was very lucky timing. I'm going to try the audio-book.

LauraHinNJ said...

Lynne: Your pics are amazing! What lens are you using again?

Glad you've been able to enjoy so many warblers this spring!

Mary said...

Linne,

I've been too distracted to read a book for years! Perhaps it's because I'm always looking out the windows :o)

You have a fantastic variety of pretty birds...lucky you! Your goldfinch comment made me laugh out loud :o)

Eve said...

Well Lynne, who needs a book when you have all that entertainment outside!! Your backyard birds are fantastic!!!

Larry said...

Wow! I never get warbler photos that nice-really terrific-those are hard warblers for me to even see around here.