There is a saying among bird watchers that when one spots a chickadee, one will soon find a titmouse close at hand. This adage was verified this brisk Christmas Eve as I strolled the lovely Shirley gardens. Only a few feet separated the playful little sprites.

I have also heard that bluebirds enjoy the company of other species. Sure enough, a beautiful bluebird had been observed earlier not far away from the titmouse and the chickadee.

Mixed flocks are especially noticeable in winter. At Shirley, I often discover juncos and white-throated sparrows feeding together. Cardinals and blue jays often appear as well. A saucy Carolina wren is frequently heard, if not seen. A scolding mockingbird may decide to monitor the group. Be aware of such gatherings as you watch your feeders back home.    

A rather uncommon bird for this part of Virginia delights me every winter at Shirley - the white-crowned sparrow. This dapper fellow, with his erect posture and his handsome head covering is an elegant little bird. One was singing his wonderful song as I completed my garden survey. What a blessing to hear that charming whistle!

Happy New Year! And all the best in the year to come.

Summer 2008

On a warm day in mid-June I saw a bird in flight over one of the Shirley fields which I had never observed at Shirley before: the magnificent pileated woodpecker. The crow-sized pileated is the largest woodpecker in North America, save for the ivory-billed, long thought extinct, but recently discovered again in the swamps of Arkansas. (I should point out that some ornithologists who have studied the video of the woodpecker in Arkansas have concluded that the bird on film is not the ivory-billed woodpecker after all, but just a pileated. We hope those ornithologists will be proven wrong.)

Believe me, when I say “just a pileated,” there is no pejorative meaning. The bird is spectacular and stunning. Many have been drawn to the joys of watching birds by a chance encounter with a pileated woodpecker.

Another bird which will take your breath away is our national bird, the bald eagle. Visitors to Shirley are fairly often blessed with good sightings of this splendid creature, especially in the winter months. Thus, when I spotted one on that same June day I felt particularly fortunate.

A variety of smaller songbirds may be discovered as one rambles through the Shirley gardens: mockingbirds, brown thrashers, blue jays, cardinals, robins, and mourning doves, for example. One of my favorites, however, is the orchard oriole, which nests here and charms the birder with his loud song and striking colors.The male, attractively clad in black and red, may be seen in the trees about the Great House as he commands attention with his intense warble.

Thomas B. McCary