carduelis (thistle) tristis (sad, in allusion to its plaintive call)
Monday, May 28, 1979 – 2:02 pm
Boulder Junction, Wisconsin
I was sitting on a bench outside an antique store watching the Evening and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. The goldfinch flew into the jack pine grove that surrounded the store and landed on the roof. It hopped down and began eating on a feeder that hung from the store’s eaves.
pheucticus (inclined to avoid, retiring) ludovicianus (Louisiana)
Monday, May 28, 1979 – 2:01 pm
Boulder Junction, Wisconsin
I was standing in a jack pine grove outside an antique store in town, watching a flock of Evening Grosbeaks on and about the feeders. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew in and landed on one of the sunflower seed feeders and began eating.
hesperiphona (hesperios, at eventide, and phone, voice) vespertina (belonging to evening)
Monday, May 28, 1979 – 2:00 pm
Boulder Junction, Wisconsin
I spotted these birds outside an antique store, which was located in downtown (I use the term loosely) Boulder Junction. Feeders were scattered in a jack pine grove, and the Evening Grosbeaks were scattered around the feeders.
This was my first “exotic.” When my mom told me I might see Evening Grosbeaks, I had no idea what they were. I had to look them up in a field guide before I went.
Within the next few months, I became obsessed with birding and read the guides over and over. In consequence, there were only two or three other times that I saw birds that I was totally unfamiliar with.
corvus (raven) brachyrhynchos (brachys, short, and rhynchos, beak)
Sunday, May 27, 1979 – 9:50 am
Oneida County, Wisconsin – Rainbow Flowage – junction of County Roads D and E
My girlfriend and I and some friends were on an expedition to collect driftwood from the shore of Rainbow Flowage. We had just crossed the dam and were passing a small bay by the intersection of the two roads. The crow was flying from shore, out over the water.
seiurus (from seio, to shake and oura, tail) aurocapillus (from aurum, gold and capillus crown)
Saturday, May 26, 1979 – 3:15 p.m.
McNaughton, Wisconsin
My girlfriend and I were walking through the woods on the path around a lake when I heard an Ovenbird singing. I knew its ‘teacher, teacher, teacher’ song from trips I took as a kid with my Dad. I traced the sound and spotted the bird perched on a lower branch of a poplar in mixed woods about 50 yards uphill from the lake.
To be honest, early in my birding life there were some birds that made my life list under circumstances that would not be satisfactory as I gained more experience. This is a prime example. I still didn’t have binoculars, and all I saw was a tiny bird perched on a branch singing an Ovenbird’s song. Of course, it was an Ovenbird, but I didn’t see all the field marks like I was supposed to. So … just to make things legit …
On Thursday, May 15, 1980, I saw an Ovenbird in my backyard at home. It was walking around under the bushes next to the shed. It stayed around, off and on, for two days always on the ground and I saw all the field marks many times.
