Birding by Ear While Window Washing

The sunshine was really bright this morning.  So bright that it definitely showed up the dirt on our windows.   I decided I shouldn’t put off washing them any longer, unlike last Thursday, when I skipped out for a walk instead.  

I started to work on the outside of the kitchen window first.  A Baltimore Oriole was scolding me with his harsh rattle because he wanted to come to the grape jelly feeder, and I was too close. 

Baltimore Oriole

Then I washed the windows at the back of the house.   The tree swallows at the nesting box on the garden fence were making their funny gurgling squeeks.

Tree Swallows

From there I could hear a Field Sparrow up in the old pasture, too.  For small birds they sure are loud! And I could hear a Cardinal singing “Wick, wick, wick.... Cheer! Cheer!”

Then I went around to the front of the house.   Birds were literally making a racket out there.  From the beaver swamp across the road, Canada Geese were honking and Red-winged Blackbirds were singing “O-ka-lee".   I could hear Wood Ducks and a Great-blue Heron.    

Canada Goose

Pair of Wood Ducks

 That’s when I realized, even though I was stuck at the house, washing windows... I could listen for birds at the same time.  So I really started paying attention to everything I could hear. 

A chickadee sang, then a White-breasted Nuthatch was “yank, yank”-ing over in the woods.  There was the loud squawking of a Woodpecker.... it could be a Pileated or a  Northern Flicker.  They sound very much alike, but this was so loud, I’d guess it was a Pileated. 

I also could hear and see a noisy Red-bellied Woodpecker in a tree right down front.  He likes to come to our suet log.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

There was a Robin singing “Cheer up, cherrily, cheer up!”  A Goldfinch flew by singing on its way...  “Per-chic-o-ree”.  They are such cheerful birds especially now that they are in their bright yellow summer attire.  

I heard a House Wren's bubbly song and thought of my Mom, who always was glad when a wren would choose to use the nest box in her “drying yard”.  How nice it is to hang out laundry while listening to the sweet song of a Wren! 

Then I heard another tune.  Was that a Yellow Warbler?  Yes!  First of the year.  I HAD to see it, so I stopped my window washing and grabbed my binoculars and camera - time for a little break. 

Yellow Warbler

Meanwhile, another voice I hadn’t heard yet this spring sang out in nearby tree... a Warbling Vireo.  A minute or two later, I heard another first-of-the-spring song - a Common Yellowthroat.  If I hadn’t been on the front deck washing windows, I might have missed the arrival of these three birds.  I felt rewarded for my efforts! 

I only took a quick break and then finished my work for the day.  After I had written a list of the birds I had heard and seen, I had a total of 18 species.  I’m sure I could have seen more if I’d actually gone out for a walk... but that’s not bad for window-washing birding-by-ear!  Plus, we now have nice clean windows...

 to look out at this beautiful view!