Banner Day!

 Hi all!

Today was a banner day for birding!  However, it didn't start that way!

I did my usual chores this morning and a few new ones, then I decided to see if any birds were allowing me to photograph them?  I found not many.  The female Northern Cardinal visited, as did a Rose Breasted Grosbeak, but they were sort of regulars. 

It was about 1:30pm and I paused my birding to go check the mail.  As I walked out to the mailbox, I heard, from somewhere across the street in the 300+ acres of woods, a Tufted Titmouse.  I was excited!  They haven't visited my feeders yet in the year I've been here.  In fact, I've not even seen one in the area, so to hear them close was thrilling!

At this point I knew that I had all the appropriate foods to attract them (black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, both shelled and unshelled, fruit and mealworms), so that shouldn't be an issue.  I thought that they just needed to see the available buffet and the problem would take care of itself.

On my iPhone I have the Audubon App that has the songs of most all the birds in my area.  I brought the app up and thought that perhaps if I played it loud enough, they would hear it and come to investigate.  I played the first song.  Nothing.  As the second sound byte started I saw a few birds fly into my pecan tree, directly behind my feeders.  I looked through my camera and low and behold; Tufted Titmice!!!  Figuring that I was on a roll, I then played the first Carolina wren song.  Note: They had not been here (at least visually), for about a month.  It was seconds before one landed on my snag, then on the flat feeder, then on the peanut feeder!  

Not being a person who normally presses his luck, I thought I'd try and see if there were any Downy Woodpeckers within listening distance?  I played their first sound byte.  Unbelievably, almost immediately two flew into the pecan tree.  Now, they didn't stay long, but they did come back twice and I'm sure they now know that there is food there for them.  Time will tell.

As I thought about this amazing series of events, I saw a Brown Thrasher in the woods beyond my property line.  Why not, I thought!?!  I played their first song.  Nothing.  I played their second song.  Again nothing.  My luck had run out, it seems.  I stopped playing their songs and went back to the Carolina wren song.  As it played I saw a motion almost directly below the window in front of me.  Yes, you guessed it, a Brown Thrasher!!!!  It stayed for about five minutes, hunting for bugs, before finally catching a leaf hopper and flying away.  Amazing!!!

The day was spectacular!  Here are a few photographs as proof.  Tomorrow will also be interesting, I'm sure!!