In 1958, millions of teens were rockin’ to Eddie Cochran’s popular tune Summer Time Blues. Although he might have been singing about being sad in the summer, there are quite a few “feathered blues” in Pennsylvania that are not so sad. As a matter of fact, I get happy when I have a chance to see some of these “blues” during the summer months, and there’s plenty to choose from!
Pennsylvania’s blue birds include Eastern Bluebirds, Blue Jays, Great-blue Herons, Blue Grosbeaks, Blue-winged Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Blue-winged Teal, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Blue-headed Vireos, and the bluest bird of them all, the Indigo Bunting-sorry, no blue in in this one’s name. It’s as if nature knew that the color blue is the # 1 favorite color of most people!
Blue is the color of our sky and water. It’s considered a “complex color,” with connections to words such as coolness (water), soothing, loyalty, peace, serenity and intellect. But, it’s also associated with sadness and depression, like the name of the song in the beginning of this blog. Many corporations use blue in their logos, over half the world’s flags contain the color blue, and we can’t forget the many styles and shades of our favorite bottom wear-blue jeans! In the bird world, blue feathers are usually found on the males of the species. This bright color helps the males attract girlfriends!
Blue Jay, Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting
All of these birds can be seen in the late spring through the dog days of summer, but only a few of these stick around through our Pennsylvania winters. From all the birds listed, only Blue Jays, Eastern Bluebirds and Great-blue Herons can be seen during the cold, snowy months. All the rest head south to warmer climates. I’ve had some pretty memorable experiences while looking f or some of these winged wonders.
Great-blue Heron, Blue-winged Teal, Black-throated Blue Warbler
While checking bluebird boxes several years ago, I was more than a bit surprised when I opened the side panel to see a large Black Rat Snake curled up in the nest with a chick hanging out of its mouth. The slithery reptile was not very polite, lunging itself in my general direction. I don’t think it was actually trying to attack me, more like a hasty exit from somewhere it shouldn’t have been. Critters come in all sizes, too.
I pulled a personal record of (11) ticks off me after trying to sneak up on a male Blue Grosbeak in an overgrown field one Sunday afternoon, and put my foot down right next to a good size snapping turtle while photographing a Blue-winged Teal in a local marsh this past spring. Not all my adventures are that exciting. While watching a pair of Blue-winged Warblers this past May with five other birders, along a heavily used trail, I slammed my head on low hanging branch, dropped my binoculars, and stepped in a pile of horse manure-all in one, swift, Olympic-style motion! Insult was then added to injury when the guy in front of me quickly turned and asked me to be a little, more quiet as we approached the birds! I won’t write in this blog what I whispered under my breath to him!
True Blue! I love the color in nature, whether it’s watching and listening to a male Indigo Bunting singing from a hedgerow on a hot summer day, or watching a Great-blue Heron glide across a bright blue sky on a crisp autumn morning!