(no subject)

[winterbadger]

There are many markers of summer, but for me, one of the strongest in this area is the arrival of the catbirds. They've been here for several weeks now, filling out the ranks of the usual suspects, starlings and grackles, robins and sparrows, blue jays and cardinals, crows and morning doves.

I'm sitting outside enjoying the evening air, and there are a pair of red bellied woodpeckers sporting around in the tree on the corner. They seem to be having fun, and it's a pleasure to watch them.

ETA: Another marker of summer is the arrival of fireflies. I noticed ours a couple of nights ago, when I was out walking in the rain. There were several, high up in the trees. I was sitting out on the porch just now, watching the day fade (it's only just gone fully dark), and a few flew past. Lovely. :-)

Comments

[peatsmoke.livejournal.com]

I miss the catbirds and the fireflies -- especially the fireflies. And the peepers in spring.

Living in a city is so strange for wildlife. I find myself getting excited to see a nuthatch or a cardinal, because it's not the ubiquitous gull/sparrow/starling mix that crowd the streets. The wild turkeys that live in our cemetery are a constant source of amusement for me, even though they're little jerks and kind of a nuisance.

I miss being called to the window for cedar waxwings and rose-breasted grosbeaks, or downy/red-headed/red-bellied/pileated woodpeckers. And oh, for the days when the rare wildlife sighting was a fox rather than a rat the size of a housecat! :)