Jennifer

I completed the first lesson today and am so excited to further my bird interest and watching skills!  My backyard is full of birds despite it not being wooded, and being surrounded by neighbors.  I have a feeder just outside my back bay window, and so far this spring/summer I have seen 33 different species of birds!  A couple are just summer visitors to our area, so they've been exciting to spot.  There have been a variety of groups represented in the yard and at the feeder.  We had a Red-Shouldered Hawk  (Raptor) decide to enjoy its lunch in the middle of the yard, and a beautiful Common Grackle (Black Birds) stopped at the feeder.  He had a beautiful, shiny dark blue head that just makes you appreciate what nature can produce.  And rounding out the three groups is a Common Yellow-Throat Warbler (Warbler).  A common year-round favorite in my yard and neighborhood is the Eurasian Tree Sparrow.  I love it simply because the only place they are found in the wild in the United States is in St. Louis, MO and its suburbs.  There is a great history to that reason.  They are skittish little birds so combined with my photography skills that makes for blurry pictures.  They closely resemble the male house sparrow but can be slightly shorter and narrower.  Their heads are a darker brown than that on their bodies and wings- which are streaked with black and flecks of white feathers. Their bellies are a tan color. They have a black mask that flows into a black bib, and white on the sides of the head with a black mark on each side.  Hopefully I'll eventually be able to get a decent photo to share!