Gerber Daisies are my favorite....so half of the 12 are one color or another of Gerbera Jamesonii. A side benefit of flowers is the number of wild birds that visit the farm each year.
My favorite birds have color, Cardinals are at the top of the list, followed closely by Yellow finches. They just seem so tropical....reminds me of being on vacation. I also like Crows.....(black is a color) because they are incredibly smart. Family legend has it my great grandpa captured a baby crow and taught it to speak. (I'm just repeating a family legend....)
I have seen several Robins in the yard and a couple of Bluejays have landed on my deck. It's hard for me to like Bluejays...... (I still have not gotten over the 1992 World Series, damn those Canadians!)
In case it hasn't come to your attention, pretty birds are the ones I like.... Bald Eagles soar over head every day on our farm. When we first bought the place I thought that was so cool..... but once you have seen an eagle snacking on a dead roadkill racoon they just seem to lose their appeal. It's not unlike a nice farmer running for election as a Liberal hack......
Today I glanced outside to see a beautiful red bird, then I had to take a second look as something seemed off. I said I like pretty birds......I never said I know anything about them. Cardinals are red, and that is the extent of my knowledge....... the bird I saw today was incredible, but to my surprise it was not a Cardinal. Hmm, are birds like the weirdo democrats, did I see a bird that "identifies" as a Cardinal.......
A quick Google search introduced me to the Summer Tanager, a red bird that visits Missouri. I have probably seen them before, and just wrote them off as Cardinals.......
Some times it really pays off to slow down, look around you and enjoy the day. What about you, did you know what a Summer Tanager was? How long have you known about them? Are you a birder?
