As most birds near the end of their incredible journey, June is the month of nesters. Though the weather is exceptional today, I didn't leave myself much time for birding when I finally left for work. Driving along Pheasant Branch Road, I made a quick stop at the parking lot, stayed in my car deciding simply to relax and listen to all the birdsong I could hear. Songs were taken in as layers, rhythms, volumes and distances. You can't really take them in all at once – an adjustment of concentration is necessary, similar to picking out the string or horn section when listening to a symphony. In just a little under ten minutes, I was able to identify 24 songs and calls of birds on territory:
Great Blue Heron
Sandhill Crane
Downy Woodpecker
Ring-necked Pheasant
Mourning Dove
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
Gray Catbird
American Crow
Willow Flycatcher
Sedge Wren
American Robin
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Baltimore Oriole
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Gray Catbird image © 2006 Mike McDowell