Birding by Ear

Edward Frampton photo

You can tell it's May in Mountaindale because the hummingbird feeders have begun to go up along Main Street. The little shimmering green Ruby Throated Hummingbirds began finding them immediately. All are encouraged to take a stroll along Main Street to watch their amazing antics. It's the best entertainment 1/4 cup of sugar can buy! It gets especially exciting as the young begin hatching & fledging and start visiting our feeders en masse during the summer months.

Sometimes, the first indication you might have that a tiny hummingbird is nearby is that you hear them. You might hear a buzzing, humming sound - hence, the name. Or you you might hear them chirping as they come in for a landing or fuss with each other for control of their favorite feeder perch.

This 'listening' for bird sounds is known as Birding by Ear. It has been especially useful this past week when the bleak, drizzly mornings have made it more difficult to spot our feathered friends in the neighborhood. Mountaindale offers a lovely quiet serenity that allows us to put the hustle and bustle of everyday life on pause and just stop and LISTEN to the nature sounds around us. If you learn what a cardinal sounds like, it might alert you to where you might look to be treated to a bit of scarlet up high on a tree limb. You might hear a Phoebe saying his own name. Nowadays there are fun Bird Call Identificiation Apps to help. Another great resource is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which can also help you learn to memorize certain songs and calls as you build up your mental library. Please come to see and hear the wide variety of birds on Main Street, in the Sandburg Creek RiverWalk Park and on the Rails to Trails.

April 30th Clean Up/Maintenance Day Great Success

This past Saturday, the Mountaindale Community Development Project, our Sullivan Renaissance Project Committee and local volunteers got together for a day or work and play here in our beautiful little hamlet, and with the weather cooperating, a lot of work was accomplished, with those participating having a great time.

The Hummingbird Garden (a 2009 Renaissance Project) received some much needed pruning, grooming and weeding...still some work to do, but it is presenting nicely. Looks like we need to replace a few plants, but overall, the garden wintered well, and the daffodils that are now in bloom there should soon be replaced with other flowers of the season. Work was begun on the Main Street water statement (small water pond) which is located adjacent to the Mountaindale Community Art Center. The bedding was cleaned, dirt turned, and some annual seeds planted around the pond for some additional WOW factor.

Some serious time was spent tying construction ribbon around trees that need to be thinned out for this years Renaissance Project over in the Rails to Trails corridor...unfortunately, someone (perhaps not realizing their purpose) came along later in the day and took them all down, so we will have to go in and remark said trees slated for removal using spray paint.

There was a GREAT DEAL OF ACTIVITY behind the school, much of it centered around washing off the maze, and cleaning up around the nature bridge. Add to this list of accomplishments the first mowing of the season, and Mountaindale is really looking beautiful as we welcome the month of May, and the summer visitors who are beginning to make their appearance in our community.

A very special thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who helped us this past Saturday...our small town looks as beautiful as it does because of each and every one of you.