Boyds n the Hood

Birds were really active on my street this morning. Where I only saw two birds and heard another a couple days ago in the wind, this morning I was able to find 20 different species--all on three blocks of row homes and small suburban lots. A Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a neighbor's tree was the highlight, I suppose. It for sure warmed my heart more than the pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds making mating motions on a powerline. Otherwise just the common local birds. By the end of my walk, I'd spotted 35 species, including the first Hairy Woodpecker I've seen in over a month.

But the coolest thing I saw today was probably the "wing-shivering" display of the Tufted Titmouse, where the female bird crouches down and flutters its wings while making an incessant series of high-pitched calls. She does this to get a mate to feed her, as part of the courtship before nesting. Yes, its springtime in titmouse land! image:wikipedia