Sunday, August 19, 2018

More Birds and a Mystery Tree

I can report twonew birds this week, one of them a Hummingbird my son saw on the Yarrow flowers this afternoon while we were sitting outside visiting (but I missed).

The other is a Red-tailed Hawk that has been screeching in the sky - one of the easy bird calls to recognize.  Then it flew quite low right over our heads.

The  mystery tree is a puzzle to me, even though I did write a little tree guide.  The leaves look for all the world like Sumac leaves, but it's a tree 40 or 50 feet tall.  The trunk has smooth bark, and the seeds are somewhat like  maple keys.

Can anyone help?

It's been a beautiful day here, more people outside than I've ever seen.

19 comments:

  1. Your mystery tree may well be a tree-of-heaven, otherwise called the tree that grows in Brooklyn (Ailanthus altissima) -- an invasive exotic. If you can get a leaf, even a fallen leaf, you'll find that, to put it discretely, they stink. Glad to hear that you're getting outside and seeing more birds.

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  2. I went to Google to see Parkwood, a huge area, and a tree that is past the third floor at the corner of a big building. Beautiful day? we have had rain, it is cold, both fires are lit. But we have birds chirping all day, maybe thinking about building their nests, waiting for the " timber to dry" maybe. Such a lot of work into making their homes safe and cosy, I love to see them lined with tony downy feathers, after the little ones have flown away and the nest blows onto the ground. Fond greetings from NZ.

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  3. Oh my goodness. I usually visit people who visit me. I often miss people like yourself. You poor thing! I went back and read the tales of your journey. Oh my. You sound positive, goal oriented, and purposeful. I know it's not all the time, I'm sure, but good for you. I keep trying to fake normal, and some days I achieve it!

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  4. I'm glad that you had a good day and maybe you will see the hummingbird tomorrow! ;-)

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  5. My hummingbirds are almost all gone. And now they have to share their feeder with the yellow jackets. We have terrible smoke from all the BC fires on Vancouver Island and in the interior. It is so smoky today that it looks like sunset at 7:00 and the air even has a hint of smoke smell. It is supposed to stay back until later in the week when the high pressure system weakens. We are lucky to have only the smoke. Many places are being devastated. - Margy

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  6. A hummingbird would make my day!

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  7. Nature is a great entertainer and a puzzle sometimes too.

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  8. Glad that you are spending time with the birds and trees! It's been really hot here except when it's rainy but even then I like to eat lunch in a park, safely sheltered in my car.

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  9. For many of us our interest and love of nature goes a long way in our mental and physical well being. Hummingbirds, hawks, yarrow plants and mystery trees are all a wondrous part of that.

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  10. Hello, it is great being outside watching and listening to the birds. That red-tail hawk will spook the song birds. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and the new week ahead!

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  11. So nice that you can enjoy the birds and trees outside with your son. That does sound like a mystery tree, no idea.

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  12. It is wonderful that you are able to get outside now and enjoy nature. Hopefully you'll see a hummingbird soon, my feeder is constantly being emptied, they are plentiful. Even the Oriole likes to drink from it!

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  13. i am soooooo happy to ready about your outdoor adventures, and to feel your sense of joy. i can't help you with identifying the tree, that has always been your area of expertise!

    be careful with that hawk, you never know how hungry he is...and those buggers will eat anything!!! hehehehe

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  14. I would guess Ailanthus, tree of heaven (more like tree from hell)

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  15. No idea, but I'd never heard of this tree of heaven that others are referring to.

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  16. You will have to see if the leaves stink! :) For positive ID!

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  17. Always nice to see the birds …
    Sorry, I have no idea on the tree.

    All the best Jan

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  18. Very late to the party but we have trees of heaven as street trees here. And I have never noticed a stink!

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