Welcome to my world of birds!

Welcome to my world of birds!

Details

Hello, my name is Sherie. Thank you for visiting my blog about my encounters with birds. I decided to blog about birds to share my passion, dedication and experiences with birds. I want to present a plethora of birds to inspire you to appreciate birds for the beauty they bring to the world.
I submitted my first official eBird Checklist in February 2016. I have been hooked ever since. At this point I have birded in twenty-one states and six countries. My favorite place to bird is in my own yard while sitting on my T-house with a hot cup of tea and my binoculars.
I love talking “birds” with anyone who will listen and most are interested since birds are everywhere in the world. Most people have some kind of experience with a bird. It might be as simple as seeing them in the backyard or seeing them on an organized bird walk or bird tour in some exotic country.
I want to get people excited about birds and help them pursue their curiosity about them. I also feel strongly about the conservation of birds and so I am involved in many conservation projects and efforts that help them out. My blog will focus on birds with a handful of conservation efforts and a sprinkle of butterflies that share the habitat with the birds.

A Rare Visitor

February 8, 2024

I would like my first blog to be a story about a rare visitor that came to my feeder on December 18, 2023. I was sitting on my T-house and noticed that a hummer landed on the feeder. I thought it was one of the usual hummers common here in this area but then I noticed the red bill and an iridescent, bluish, purple color on the body and head. This was a Broad-billed Hummingbird who is usually found in Mexico and southeastern Arizona. He was way off course and a long way from home. I enjoyed my new feathered friend using my yard as a Bed and Breakfast. All good things eventually come to an end. His last day here was January 15, 2024. It was a very cold day, freezing in fact, at 17 degrees Fahrenheit. He found a place to perch all day on the Crape Myrtle in my courtyard by the door. I kept an eye on him that entire day to make sure he was ok. I refilled the nectar feeder with fresh sugar water so he could consume his energy drink. The nectar didn’t freeze right away because sugar water freezes at a lower temperature than plain water. He was so cold that his feathers were very ruffled and he didn’t move away when I passed by or went near him. The night came and went and by morning he was gone. I searched below the feeder to see if I could find his lifeless, frozen body. Luckily I didn’t find anything. That led me to the conclusion that he must have migrated south during the night. I hope he had a safe journey to a warmer place with plenty of nectar. I miss him and who knows, maybe he will show up again next year. Hummingbirds have a way of remembering where the nectar feeders are.

Broad-billed Hummingbird on December 18, 2023

Broad-billed Hummingbird on January 15, 2024

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