Thursday, June 01, 2006

Warning: Major birding geek-out coming

Okay...Today I sent a quick email to Sharon Stiteler, a.k.a Birdchick, to thank her for a link on her blog about finding a bird rehab in my area. I am so jazzed to be working with RAPTOR, Inc, I just had to thank her and spread the love a little. Well, she wrote back a very nice note, said that she will be updating her blog in the next few weeks and she will be adding a link to my blog. MY BLOG. Now, you non-blogging non-birders reading this will be like, so what? Well, I will tell you what's what: I feel like I won the Birder Oscars.
When I started this blog, I really didn't think that anyone other than friends or family would read this.
And I had another one of those days today: to use a new favorite phrase of Geoff's that I made up (I think) I am going to start walking into rooms backward to see myself coming.























First of all, maybe Laura can help me out with the first two pictures:
1...Geoff bought two of these bushes for the side of the house 2-3 years ago. I have no idea what they are.
2...this plant was growing in the container with my cattails. I assume that they like the same conditions as cattails since it is thriving next to them. Any thoughts, my plant guru?

Now the really fun stuff.
Last pic:
I went out with Belle to do my nest checks, and decided to peek in on the Tree Swallow eggs. I got this over-exposed shot of them, and when I tried to enhance the picture, it ended up looking like an X-ray. Cool, I think. But the really cool thing is that there are still 5 eggs and soon we will have adorable little tree swallows to love.
Second to last pic:
This is the thing that had me boinging all over the yard with Belle"
One, lonely BLUEBIRD egg in the beer box. YIPPEE!!!! (Non-birders: the female will lay one egg a day until the clutch is complete and then she will incubate. That way, all the eggs will hatch together)
Now I really have to baffle it and stand watch. Someone out there must have some advice for how to baffle a box on a fence near trees. Darn bluebirds...why did they pick the DUMMY nest??

3 comments:

LauraHinNJ said...

OK - that first one is easy - pink spirea - spirea japonica maybe "Goldmound" your pic looks the same. Pretty plant, very delicate.

The other I don't know - looks like some sort of lily - are the leaves very stiff? Let me think on that one.

Excellent on your bluebird egg! And the tree swallow nest is so pretty - what type of feathers are in there?

Good for you on the Birdchick thing. Try not to forget your first fans when you're famous in the blogosphere, okay? ;-)

Susan Gets Native said...

Thanks for the plant info.
I'm not sure what kind of feathers are in there...They really look like chicken feathers. Or a domestic goose? They are big...bigger than the average songbirds. And so soft and gorgeous. If Geoff didn't have a feather allergy, we would sleep in a feather bed.
(Don't tell the birds I said that.)
Don't worry...I will remember all the little people. And I can't forget you! You were the first non-family person to comment on my blog! You're like a charter member!
:-)

Susan Gets Native said...

True, Julia, true. I meant that she won't sit until they are all laid...otherwise she has 5 babies in different stages and the older ones would eat all the food and leave none for the smaller younger ones. I have heard of bird species who purposefully lay and hatch eggs, then lay and hatch more and then the older chicks can eat the younger ones. Lovely, huh?