There are fireworks in our woods.
They're not the kind you normally think of but none the less they are as brilliant and as bright as any I've ever seen. They come in a variety of colors and in all shapes and sizes. Often they're heard before they're seen. As quickly as they appear, they vanish. Our woods are ablaze with the sights and sounds of migratory songbirds, some just passing through and others here to stay, nest and rear their young.
For years I've walked in our woods and never really noticed them or their distinctive songs. It took a few emails from fellow members of the Carroll County Bird Club to make me realize what I had been missing.
Week after week I got messages detailing all the wonderful birds others were seeing. I was green with envy. I had the usual suspects: blue jays (it seems there is a bumper crop of them this year), cardinals, goldfinches, house finches, catbirds, grackles, red-wing blackbirds, etc. These are fine birds and I never take them for granted but they are a bit ho-hum compared to warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, buntings and a host of other really cool birds.
My friend Sharon Schwemmer and I make frequent forays around the county looking for birds and sometimes we are really lucky. Quite often they are close by and in some unlikely places. The pond behind the Walmart in Hampstead has more than its share of some really neat birds, including the Common Yellowthroat. Another little hotspot is the pond next to the Jiffy Mart on Route 97, though it tends towards larger birds like Belted Kingfishers, Bald Eagles and Ospreys.
Meanwhile, back in my yard, I started paying more attention on my daily 7 am walks with the dog through the woods. Soon I heard many strange songs and flashes of bright color zipping through the trees. Trying to keep all the voices straight was getting tough, not to mention binocular whiplash from trying to keep up with birds flying here, there and everywhere. It was like an IMAX movie with surround sound, only so much better.
I realized quickly that I needed help with what I was seeing and hearing. That's when I turned to my smartphone and a very neat free app called Merlin from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It has photos, sounds and range maps for over 500 species of birds. What started out as a garbling gaggle of noise soon became very distinctive calls and songs of individual birds. It helped to have Sharon with me on occasion, too, to give me tips on what I was hearing when I couldn't see the birds (this happens quite often, especially since that the trees have leafed out).
Now that I was much more focused on what I was hearing, I discovered that there were quite a few little jewels living in our woods. That envy I mentioned earlier soon disappeared because I had my own treasure trove to revel in.
The Scarlet Tanager made the top of the list. I only saw one once on our property years ago. He was at the very top of a very tall tree. My photo of him was fuzzy to say the least. This time was different. I followed the song (it sounds a bit like a robin to me, only one in the deep woods) and there he was in all his black and scarlet glory perched right above me. This was one of those contortionist moments where it was a miracle I didn't fall over backwards to get a photograph of him. I even shot a video as he sang for his sweetheart probably waiting for him nearby (by the way, the females are an equally attractive yellow and black).
After several weeks of forays into the woods, I counted at least twelve new birds or ones I hadn't seen in years, including a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, at least five different kinds of warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Swainson's Thrush, an Indigo Bunting, Great Crested Flycatchers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Red-eyed Vireos. I know that there are even more out there but being a novice, I have yet to figure them out.
Not only is it a joy to see these beautiful birds with their many bright colors and patterns, but it is also a joy to share them with others. Over the last year, I've given talks to various groups about what to see in your own backyard or close by. People are amazed at the variety of birds I photographed just walking out the back door. It inspires them to take a closer look at their own yards and discover what hidden gems might be waiting for them.
The lesson here: don't underestimate who is visiting you. Take the time to listen and watch.
You will be amazed at the bounty of wonderful birds we have here in Carroll County.
