Morning Birds

We went for a walk at the University nature preserve and saw some ruby-crowned kinglets. There was a winter wren singing in the brush near a creek, a pair of wood ducks, a broad-winged hawk and a kingfisher, along with the other tough birds who’ve been here all winter. (Actually the kingfisher may have stayed — we saw one last year in the dead of winter. This was a colder, longer winter though.) There was one I didn’t recognize: a dark reddish-brown, warbler-sized bird working the ground among the marsh grasses. We also saw what may have been an oven bird, as well as a startled (I think) flicker.

Only a few posed for pictures, of course. But it was a great way to start the day — right around freezing, but with plenty of activity indicating that spring is underway.

There was a whole treetop full of blue jays warning that this hawk was around, though we didn’t realize what was bothering them till he flew overhead.