I’ve been enjoying watching and listening for new birds in the neighborhood. I learned about the Grey Catbird while walking down our driveway by a little Aspen grove. I noticed “jungle noises” and then heard a catlike “mew.” Using the BirdsEye app on my iPod (which my brother helped create!), I found that Catbirds had been observed in our region and then spotted it in a tangle of brush. It was fun to identify, especially after learning that it is in the Mimidae family of mimics and that some of the jungle sounds I’d heard may have been learned from the Catbird’s winter in Central America.

The little Western Wood-Pewee is a new favorite of mine, mostly because a juvenile likes to perch on the water spigot outside our dining window to forage for bugs. I love watching it cock its head left and right searching for insects before swooping out and returning to its perch, sometimes with a fly between its beak. Finally, the American Goldfinch caught my attention with its brilliant colors and swooping flight. More birds on my “bird card” list including Grosbeaks and Ruddy Ducks! Any requests?