Up in the sky, it's a bird!

Folks who flock to Hawk Mountain north of Reading amaze me. I'm straining to make out the colors of a particular bird flying about a time zone away. There's an 80-year old gentleman sitting next to me who has lugged a lawn chair to the top of the mountain. He proceeds to explain the birds parentage, its flight path, where it's been, where it's going and what it had for lunch.

Like I said, amazing.


I enjoy birds, photographing birds--I apparently have that kind of time on my hands. I know enough to tell the difference between an eagle and a sparrow, but not much more, in comparison to some folks. But I have my favorites.

Like this classy-looking cedar waxwing. It eats berries and bugs and in the autumn if you see one, you'll probably see a dozen or two, all stripping a tree of berries. Beautifully colored with a subdued tan back and light yellow belly, the black mask  and yellow-tipped are immediate tell-tale ID marks.

Of course, the next time I see a pileated woodpecker, bald eagle, scarlet tanager or a catbird, one of those might be my favorite.