IS it me or is time speeding up? Wasn't it yesterday that I was posting to World Bird Wednesday?
... for this week I'm going to feature this bird...I know many of you have these around your yards this time of year and they are not exactly welcomed guests!! They arrived here this week for the breeding season.
 |
| molothrus ater (Brown Headed Cowbird-male) |
The brown headed cowbird is a beautiful bird but since its known to lay its eggs in the nests of other birds they are NOT well liked....they lay and fly away...leaving the naive surrogate parents with all the responsibility of raising their chicks! Sometimes a large cowbird chick will starve off a smaller chick which should be getting fed by the overworked parents by gobbling up every worm that's brought back from the hunt!!!
 |
| females are a lighter dull brown |
I don't know which birds they predate here but I have seen them here every single year so I know they must be successful!! They arrive along with the purple martins in smaller numbers than in the past and that seems to be the trend across the board these days--I recall huge numbers such as 20 in a flock in times past--today I counted roughly 8 --
 |
and the females have a slight mottled striping on the chest
|
|
| The males have a rich coffee brown head and a oily black body like a blackbird |
WISH I could catch a photo of them as they sometimes ride on the back of the horses or cows catching flies right off the cows back--- and they will stay right next to the feet of the grazing animals eating the bugs that land on the legs of the cows or horses-- so far I've only been lucky to get them in the trees waiting for a turn at the bird bath--
 |
| I enjoy the bubbly call they have--once you've heard it you are not likely to forget it! Similar to a Redwing Blackbird |
On a personal note: Im leaving in the morning [Not on a Jet Plane] but in my car and Indie the dog is joining me...She has been our guest for almost 2 weeks--but now its time for her to go home...So we will drive 157 miles northwest to my sister's home and I will stay one night --at least that is the plan up to now. I decided to drive up because it soon will be too hot to hike and I really want to get in one more waterfall hike in the mountains this spring --if the weather holds out--Im on laptop battery right now because a strong overnight storm Killed out Power--IT was a DILLY too--light show and high winds...Hope you see a great bird yourself this week and you can share it on Wild Bird Wednesday...click this link to see others and share yours its easy and educational!!! HEY I know most people think birders are all like Miss Jayne Hathaway of the long ago TV show -Beverly Hillbillies- but its NOT TRUE--LOL---birding is soooo easy anyone can participate and the joy of watching birds can bring you more in line with Mother Nature as a whole--
ANYWAYS
Enjoy-
PEACE
