#173!!

Some people keep all kinds of bird lists; life lists, country lists, state lists, county lists, year lists, birds you've seen on T.V. lists, birds you've seen while doing the backstroke in a swimming pool list, etc. Us? We keep a property list, that is, a list of birds we have seen from our property.

Granted, sometimes we stretch the limits of what we mean by "from our property". For example, we're out in the canoe and we see a bird that we claim we could have seen if we had been standing on our property, so we count it. By and large, though, it's birds we've seen while our toes are on, or inside, our property line.

We were thrilled a few days ago when a new "property bird" showed up for us. We were walking with the Corgi's and a bird flushed up from the ground in our big field and flew in a wide circle over our head. Our binos picked out the yellow and black facial pattern. Unmistakable! Right where it should be, in an open field, since it's habitat is open ground with low vegetation, where it eats weed seeds and insects.

So #173 on our propety list, is — Horned Lark. Sweet!

All photos © Lillian Stokes, 2006