Bluebirds and Raptors

     A member of our local naturalists'club, fairly new to birding, had never seen an Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis so I offered to find one for her. Yesterday, Miriam and I went out looking in some of the places where we have located this species for several years, and were successful, seeing in total four males and one female. None of them were especially positioned for good shots, but photography was not our principal goal, which was to locate the bird for Francine.

     This bird is perched on a tombstone in the cemetery next to a Mennonite meeting house. The rows of grave markers provide attractive perches for these birds and they perch atop them scanning the earth below for insects and beetles. There are a couple of nest boxes nearby and in some years a pair has raised a brood there.
     On the way home we spotted this Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis perched on a pipeline sign and approached the bird very slowly and were able to get a picture or two before it took flight.

     It must have been the day for raptors to perch cooperatively for a little farther on we spotted this Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura also perched.

     I am happy to report that this morning we were able to take Francine and her husband Jim to see Eastern Bluebirds and they were rewarded with several sightings. It was our pleasure to help them find their first sighting of this evocative species.