Baby mocking birds hidden in the bushes.
During the lockdown, we've all had a chance to reconnect with nature. Predominately birds for us city dwellers. Last June, we put a second story deck on the back of the house. It gives us a birds-eye view into the busy life that's happening in the canopies of the trees. Cardinals, robins, mockingbirds, northern flickers, and woodpeckers are the ones I see and hear. The birds and squirrels sing, chat, and work in harmony. Not all of these have made it onto the bird plates, but their charming antics are inspiring. Having breakfast by birdsong is a soft start to a day of clay work.
Our Eastern Bluebirds nest happily in nest boxes and make a sweet sound of 3 or 4 gurgling notes, it's call is a musical chur-wi.
Our state bird is abundant around Raleigh, has a varied song with clear, loud notes sounding like what-cheer, what-cheer, or birdy- birdy-birdy.
The American Robin is the first bird I learned to recognize. Frequently found digging for worms in an open field, they're easy to watch. Their song is clear caroling of short phrases, often long in duration. It sounds like they're saying tyeep and tut-tut-tut.
House Finches have a song that often ends with a wheer. Descriptions of their song say it sounds like the bird is saying po-ta- to-chip, but you can check it out for yourself here. If you’re looking for them on the shop page, the plates are under “Vessels” tab.
I snapped this pic when I found myself being watch working in the garden, the owl was 5’ away,
Around the time we built the deck, a pair of barred owls moved into the park next door. I'd come home and join my neighbors, watching them in the trees. Eventually, little ones started flying around the park. Like all new life, they are curious about everything, including me. I've caught them watching me work on the computer at the dining room table, working in the garden, and sitting on the roof while I have an evening cocktail. Sometimes I hear them, I'll walk out on the deck, and one will be in the tree looking down at the door. I wonder, did he just call me? It's a peaceful place; when the light is right, I'll take the laptop out there. While writing this article, I was listening to the birds, a stray worry of a bird pooping on my computer popped into my head, and darn if it didn't happen shortly afterward.
The barred owl (Strix varia), also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl, or, more informally, hoot owl, is a North American large species of owl. Barred owls are native to eastern North American. Mature forests are their preferred habitat, but they can also acclimate to various gradients of open woodlands or the park next door.