The bird showed up at his favorite orange (the highest on the sumac bush - easily visible from outside the fence - except for possibly the less than tall =:)) at least by 6:15 a.m. this morning. It came- and-went inconsistently throughout the morning until it went away around 8:30 or so. What I noticed that was consistent with its later presence yesterday was that it was overcast with much less intense sun throughout the morning. This was also true when it was present the day before yesterday when I first observed it. Today the sun was more intense and the bird was gone (as far as I know) by 8:30 or so. Whether there is a correlation, I don't know. It just seems to me that when the sun's intensity is enough for me to "feel the heat", the bird is gone for the day - at least so far. Yesterday I kept checking the orange and it appeared that something had been continuing to eat on it in the afternoon. This morning I was noticing that a house finch was also savoring that particular half.
All of this is the delightful rantings of an analytical birder whose only desire is to share the presence of this bird. For anyone who has not "hosted" a bird before - this has been a hoot for me. Everyone who comes is so enthusiastic and committed and considerate. There is truly an elegance with the birders I have met in my life and Minnesotans rant up with the nicest I have met. Thank you so much for reminding me that my birding insanity is a shared experience and it is to sweet to relate to fellow inmates. My neighbors are still talking and smiling. You are making their days too. Anyone desiring a photo of the bird (a small portion of an large photo file) let me know at this email address. If I send you a small image you probably won't see much even with zoom. You would need the 1.2MB file to be able to get a good look at full zoom. Thomas Maiello
