Grackle – female
Orioles
Sora Rail
It is more often heard than seen and gives one of the most distinctive calls of any marsh bird, a loud descending whinny call: whee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee. Vernacular names for this species include Carolina Rail, Soree, Meadow Chicken, and Ortolan. Notoriously hard to find.
Wild Turkey
We have no shortage of these on the farm, the largest bird by far that comes to our feeders. They discovered the can beat the Squirrel Buster by leaping up and pecking the underside which bounced out seeds without putting pressure on the closing mechanism. Who ever said turkeys were dumb, hasn’t met this flock!
Phoebe
I think it is fair to say our most entertaining flycatcher is the eastern phoebe. It is the easiest of the flycatchers to identify because of its fondness for human structures, including our barn. From the nest it built in Limerick’s stall, we have watched one female in particular fly to and fro through several summer months beginning in May. The female phoebe constructs the nest from mud, moss, and leaves mixed with grass stems and possibly animal hair. This nest adheres to the barn beams in the barn. Once the eggs hatched, you can hear the insistent chirping complaints of the chicks while their busy mother tried to satisfy the chicks’ appetite for insects. The adult could often be seen sitting on a low tree branch, a few yards away from the porch, flicking its tail up and down.