April is Fooling me!

Well here it is the first week of April over! I Predict this year will go faster than last..what you say?  So in the way of new birds got the most distant look at a spattering of (78) northern rough winged swallows.. hoping for better looks soon, and as predicted the (79) Northern Parula showed up in my radius..

Up pretty high in the tops of the newly leafing out hardwoods...in this case a sycamore tree.  Got a better look of a black n white warbler doing his thing...

The focus on my camera is getting worse by the day it will drive me batty!
 

I had an (80) Osprey at Goodale! So only 3 this week.  Got a really distant look he flew right over me, I just stood there with my mouth open and didn't bother with a photo because I thought it was another turkey vulture as the shadow came over me like they do...then he landed far to the back of the pond! I don't even know if you can see him here that black dot.  It didn't fly like an Eagle or Hawk, and the flat looking angle of the head and long wing span drew me to Osprey. I should go back today but it's Raining today!

Had another nice Palm warbler just a 1/2 mile down the road..

and a really good look at a blue headed vireo who finally poked his head out of the brambles for a quick look over the shoulder..not FOY but he is just so pretty.  Also not new but pretty the redheaded woodpecker.

hello gorgeous

The spring bud is on and the trees take on that soft awesome hue that doesn't last too long in these parts...

with a splash of lime?

and a splash of  curry?

Below: is something you rarely see anymore around here its a tobacco barn, the reason I know it's for tobacco is the height! They used to hang the tobacco in these tall barns to dry out before taking to market,

 they would hang it up high I tried to find an image to share here but they are all copyrighted so here is a link so you can go see for yourself..how they used to cure it up in the tall barns, 

I have not seen a field of tobacco in this area for years! I did see some when I traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia a couple years ago...just a small field.  When my cousin in TN decided to get married he built a house and he paid it off by growing one field of tobacco a year he had his house paid off in less than 10 yrs on one crop per year.  I remember very well seeing the leaves hanging up in the rafters of these tall barns.  The main crops here now are: cotton, corn, soy beans, sorghum, and sunflowers.  Mainly all for textile and oils, HEMP would grow awesome here it's only a matter of time...and it should be legal to grow!  

Our challenge this month is "birds heard in the yard, including fly overs" 

So here is my list of heard birds (most seen also) so far this week:

1. northern cardinal 
2. eastern bluebird 
3. brown headed nuthatch 
4. blue grey gnatcatcher 
5. black n white warbler 
6. yellow rumped warbler 
7. yellow throated warbler 
8. tufted titmouse 
9. Carolina chickadee 
10. Carolina wren 
11. A. crow 
12. fish crow
13. chipping sparrow 
14. pine warbler 
15. killdeer 
16. Canada goose 
17. hermit thrush 
18. pileated woodpecker 
19. downy woodpecker 
20. red-bellied woodpecker 
21. n. mockingbird 
22. a. goldfinch 
23. purple finch 
24. house finch 
25. Blue Jay
26. Eastern Phoebe
27. Eastern Towhee
28. Red shouldered hawk
29. brown headed cowbird

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.