Preliminary New Yard Bird List

Susan asked me a while back to talk about what birds I can see in the trees around my new little apartment. I haven't done an extensive (with binocs) look around, but here is a preliminary list:

Tufted Titmouse (seen this morning--been a while since I've seen one of these guys)

Eastern Starling

Chimney Swift (these are legion in downtown Bellefonte, a block away from me)

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

There are a lot of weird bird sounds in the morning, but I've always had to get up, get ready, and go someplace (work, etc.) so I haven't sat outside and just tried to ID these weird sounds. I'm guessing they're probably just starlings or house finches, but I'm not sure. They sound very different from the starling and house finch calling I used to hear out at the marsh house. Of course, that's probably about ten or more miles to the southeast of me and in a different valley. Maybe that makes a difference.

I'm planning for a very low-key weekend, so I'm hoping to get up early and do a little yard-birding to get a more detailed list. The trees all around the house are maples, pretty much to the exclusion of all other kinds of trees. I imagine that might make some difference as well. Still--I'll look around and report back to you. I'll also FINALLY post pictures of the new nest.

Until then, happy birding!

Finally! Fotos!

If stupid Blogger will let me post them! It's been persnickety all morning long, not even letting me post text, much less photos.

So -- I finally have some pics of the new homestead. First of all, here's the Nibble eating his dinner:

Here are the various rooms in my apartment:
my big-ass kitchen:

It goes back about 15 or more feet! I could park a car in here!

my study:

music area
computer area
book area

The cool thing about the study is that it has these doors
so Niblet can't get in there and chew every single guitar and computer cord into little pieces! He's rather frustrated with me when I go in there, and he stands at the doors and scratches on the glass with his claws.

The bathroom:

My very dull bedroom:
I need some framed bird prints or something in here!

Thus endeth the inside tour. Here's some outside pics:

train tracks across the street behind my house
looking down the steps outside that lead to my "patio" of broken concrete

So--my revised bird list thus far:
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Carolina Wren (haven't heard him in a few days)
Starling
Mourning Dove
Turkey Vulture
Chimney Swift

I'm planning to wander around our quaint little downtown this weekend and show you what that's like.

Women's Rights Groups Endorse Obama

It's official! The leading women's rights organizations are lining up behind Sen. Barack Obama. The Washington Post reports:

Women's rights groups endorsed Barack Obama for president Tuesday, asserting the historic selection of a female Republican vice presidential candidate does not make up for John McCain's lack of support on issues important to women.

"We don't think it's much to break a glass ceiling for one woman and leave millions of women behind," said Eleanor Smeal, chairman (sic) of the Feminist Majority Political Action Committee.

Smeal was among leaders from six organizations that announced their endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee at a news conference. [...]

Obama also won the support of the National Organization for Women, which said it has not endorsed a candidate for president since Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro shared the Democratic ticket in 1984. Ferraro was the first female major-party vice presidential candidate.

NOW backed New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries. "We join with her in saying 'no,'" said NOW President Kim Gandy, referring to a line Clinton used at the Democratic convention last month. "No way, no how, no McCain."

Gandy and Smeal dismissed polls that suggested McCain has received a boost in support from white women after he picked Palin.

"The die is not cast yet," Smeal said.

Recent polling data has Obama barely ahead of McCain, 47% to 46% -- a statistical dead heat.

An Associated Press-GfK Poll of likely voters last week showed Obama's lead among women at 49 percent to 44 percent. The same AP-GfK poll showed that white women are backing McCain over Obama, 53 percent to 40 percent.

Along with NOW and the Feminist Majority, Obama was also endorsed by leaders from Business and Professional Women/USA, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Congress of Black Women and the Women's Information Network.

.