Keeping track of local birds

Our stray ptarmigan visitor

Despite my penchant for political discussion - and the fact that Cathy and I have three companion kitty cats, none of them declawed then then they're indoor cats - I love birds.

We feed them and worry over them. I regularly chase off a local cat - jet black, sleek and fast, I can't tell whether he's feral or a neighbor's cat. Doesn't matter because he stawks our feeders, and I won't have that. The raptors, on the other hand, are part of the cycle of life and flock in abundance in our trees, hoping for a slow, plump mourning dove.



When I'm working in my home office, it's hard not to be distracted by the birds, especially in the spring and fall when there's no leave cover. I have counted more than 70 species at our feeders and in the woods. 




The oddest sighting was that of a stray ptarmigan, an arctic bird, who was clearly very far from home. He stuck around for three days before moving on. I managed to catch a good photo of him and, when I enlarged the snap, I could see several bands attached to his leg.



We've had resident wild turkeys, sometimes in flocks of up to 14, sometimes single birds. This year, we had a flock of a dozen in the kettle hole behind us. A big old tom would lead two young males and a nice gaggle of hens up out of the kettle hole to feed on corn that was pitched out of our feeders by more discriminating birds. He kept trying to teach the young toms how to get along with the ladies. One of the boys paid attention, but the other was more interested in looking at his reflection in the side of our car.



After the flock moved on, across Route One and nearer the water, the young idiot tom stayed around and almost acts like a pet - though I certainly don't encourage him. He spends all day in our yard either strutting around or sitting under a bush.

Saltmarsh Sparrow by Rey Larsen

Birds are very much a part of what makes living in Charlestown great. Being right on the great migratory flyway as we are makes us important habitat - a fact that should be part of the great debate over Larry LeBlanc's land - but also makes us very lucky to be here.

I'm on an e-mail listserve that sends simple e-mail messages from bird watchers around Rhode Island on at least a daily basis, sometimes as many as three a day. It amazes me how more than half, maybe 2/3's of the reports come from sightings right in our area. And some of the contributors to this listserve are really good photographers. I've included a shot of a saltmarsh sparrow taken by Rey Larsen, one of the regular contributors, at the Charlestown Breachway.

There is no cost to sign up for the RI Birds listserve. Just send an e-mail to Rachel Farrell.

Author: Will Collette