Third week of May in living color

[David Suddjian]

The third week of May is one of my favorite little windows for backyard birding at my place. Sometimes it is for some string of unusual or uncommon migrants that may appear in the yard now, but these have so far been slim around my home. More reliable and plentiful are the delightful bursts of color that appear each year all at once now, fluttering around the ash tree over my back deck - the Western Tanagers, Bullock’s Orioles and Black-headed Grosbeaks - chasing and vying for position at feeders, all scattering when suddenly spooked, then dripping back down again to suet, peanut butter, jelly and nectar. What a thrill to look out - like just now - at a flock of 10-15 tanagers, a couple orioles and a grosbeak or two, all twenty feet away! I just called the local food store to make sure they have more Smucker’s grape jelly in stock. I’ll be back in a minute.

David Suddjian
Ken Caryl Valley
Littleton, CO
Sent from my iPhone