Sunny Day

After a day of miserable cold and mist, today dawned bright and sunny, with 18 bird species in the woods at work, including a Hairy Woodpecker, which is new for the year. I first heard it call high in a tree, then saw the larger-than-a-cardinal woodpecker briefly before it flew off through the woods. Birding is often like that. Of the 146 individual birds I saw or heard this morning, many were just brief looks--often obstructed by trees or bushes. While it is common to get killer magazine-cover-type looks at birds, most of the birds you see are far away, partially hidden, or don't stay put for very long. But that's part of the challenge and fun--to be able to find and identify these little gems as they go about their own business.