Thursday, January 12, 2012

New Yard Bird

When Cindy and I drive up and down the hill here on errands, we often see small flocks of Ruddy Ground-Doves milling about in the road near the chicken fincas. But, they occur only down lower, at the guard station and below. We have been hoping to spy one of these cute things in our yard, which is just a few hundred feet higher. Note: As Bob Behrstock says, they are high on the Cuteness Scale.

After two years of waiting and hoping, we have our first! He likes the cracked corn I diligently scatter in the driveway and yard for the grassquits, seedeaters and other doves. Now, we hope he encourages some friends to join him in his foraging.

The video leads off with the Ruddy and then presents other recent yard birds and critters. In quick succession, there are Long-billed Starthroat, Lineated Woodpecker, Keel-billed Toucan, a furry thingy (I probably accidentally touched something similar last month and my left mitt swelled up large enough to catch a softball), and a sloth of the three-toed variety.