Christmas Bird Count 2012

Yesterday I took part in the Annual Christmas Bird Count. After Friday's horrible events I especially needed and wanted a respite from my thoughts. Roaming the woods and solely focusing on one thing - flitting birds - was just what I needed. I joined Jim and Pam and tromped through four parks in our little town and this is what we saw, in no particular order:Carolina ChickadeeTufted TitmouseCardinalRobinCrowWhite-breasted nuthatchSong SparrowWhite-throated sparrowNorthern MockingbirdRuby-crowned KingletGreat Horned Owl (heard)Carolina WrenHouse FinchGoldfinchCooper's HawkMourning DoveRed-tailed hawkDowny woodpeckerHairy woodpeckerYellow-bellied sapsuckerBlue jayRed-bellied woodpeckerParks roamed: Bird Park, Twin Hills, Robb Hollow, Connor Conservation Area

Early morning with the boy

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Every once in awhile I get a good night's sleep and I get to wake up early with the boy and it's heavenly in the morning. We've been having unseasonably cool weather this summer so it's actually chilly this morning. Jeans, sweater, coffee, etc. We're up on our third floor watching some Thomas. The windows are open and the birds are singing. I love moments like this. It's about to get super crazy around here. We sold our hulking, Victorian rowhouse in the city and we're eyeing a 1910 red brick in a small town. The next few months (and years!) promise hours and hours of sorting, cleaning, packing, dumpster filling, sanding, painting, tiling, etc. What are we getting ourselves into? We just finished five years of all of the above. I can whip myself into a panicked frenzy in no time. But for now we will just sit and listen to the birds and the persnickety British trains and enjoy this morning.