Let's jump right into it this week.
This Week in the Backyard
It’s one of those times of the year when, if you’ve been watching for more than a week or so, you notice some significant changes in the backyard.
Some of those changes may have to do with bird migration. If you’re interested in what may be going on in your backyard relative to migration, you might want to read this:
What to Watch For This Week
So speaking of migration, this week see if you can identify a species that’s probably just passing through your area.
It could be just someone flying overhead, like a flock of geese or a pair of Sandhill Cranes. Backyard Moment
I saw this Blue Jay in the maple in our backyard.
I know he barely looks like a Blue Jay from this angle, but trust me - he is. I saw him later on a feeder and got a good side view to prove it.
I don’t know if he’s just old or got into a fight or what happened to make the feathers on his head look like that.
Any ideas?
Journal Prompt
In keeping with our migration theme, what species did you see this week that you usually don’t? It doesn’t have to be someone who’s migrating, just a bird that’s not often seen.
From My Sketchbook
Since I mentioned that Blue Jay, I thought this would be appropriate here.
For several years, I’ve (very occasionally) tried my hand at colored pencil drawing. I'm not an artist. I'm not even sure "artist" is the right word for what I'm doing. But when I try to draw a bird, I have to really look at it. I notice the shape of the bill, where the wing meets the body, the subtle colors I would have otherwise missed.
This is the result of my first attempt at drawing a bird.
Have you ever considered trying to sketch a bird?