or The Rewards of Indolence
I cut some branches in 2011 and never got around to dragging them out front for the city to remove. Come spring, a brown thrasher. First ever recorded in the yard. So this year and last, I built a brush pile. Lo and behold, a brown thrasher. It likes me, it really likes me! Next day, a catbird (same shape, different colour). Other migrants: palm warbler, yellow-rumped warbler (yard first), white-throated sparrow (no good sighting but confirmed by song--and we used to see flocks every year), hermit thrush, red-winged blackbird (song), unidentified brown striped sparrow-like bird, identified brown sparrow-type bird (female purple finch). Less certain sightings (due to gardening when I could have been birding): black-throated blue warbler (pocket handkerchief), blue-headed vireo, worm-eating warbler (yellow and black striped crown with black eye-stripe, and I can't find in my Peterson anything else that looks like that, but no one has reported this species on eBird, so I'd welcome possibilities I've overlooked). Sightings for week ended May 9. The hawks have taken advantage of poor weather since Monday to reclaim the yard.
