Just add water?

© harrington

Hi! Thanks for the visit. I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and spend at least some of it remembering those for whom Memorial Day was named. In the past day or so, the several rosebreasted grosbeaks have been joined by an indigo bunting and at least one scarlet tanager. I personally have seen the tanager but not the bunting. Several members of the household claim that the presence of the previously rare to non-existant bunting and tanager is attributable to having added a bird bath insert to the flat feeding tray (which was replaced with another flat tray). Much as I'd like to believe that (and consequently take all the credit for my brilliant bird attraction skills) I think the world is a little more complex than "just add water" and rare species will arrive. My personal belief, and that's all it is for now, is that there's been a subtle shift in the forest mix or level of maturity, or both, or something, that's making the area more attractive. Lord knows when either is around it's almost impossible to miss them, although, not having personally seen the indigo bunting I'm hoping it wasn't a mistaken identification of a bluebird. Minnesota is smack dab in both tanagers and buntings Summer range but I don't recall seeing any tanagers and only rarely buntings and never previously at the feeders/bath. Another addition of water occurred today. We all went and tried our hands at fly fishing for bluegills at and in a local pond. The breeze was both too strong and too much in our faces [literally] for reasonable, let alone ideal, conditions. No 'gills were hooked (by us at least). However, despite a contrary wind, neither did we hook ourselves or each other. It did feel good to get out and give it a try. I'm looking forward to some future, calm evenings with bassbugs and prowling largemouths. Stay tuned. Thanks for listening. Come again when you can. Rants, raves and reflections served daily here in My Minnesota.