Sing it, Sam

I heard from several friends that the yellow warblers arrived on territory yesterday so I wanted to get out this morning and catch some of the action.  Unfortunately, the trail was in use by way more humans than I've ever seen there - hiking and biking.  What was disconcerting was that none of the bikers were wearing masks.  This is spite of what we know about how far droplets can carry under those conditions and how long they stay in the air.  It all ended up making me feel very anxious and I cut my walk short because it really wasn't worth it.

That said, I managed to see probably 30 of these dazzling little warblers.  They didn't care a whit about people or Covid 19...their only concern was carving out the best spot for their breeding territory.  Most summers this stretch of path sees well over 20 breeding pairs of Yellow Warblers, so competition for space is fierce.  As I stood quietly watching three males chase each other and try to out-sing one another, I felt myself smiling.  At one point, two of the males engaged in a heated chase flew so close to my head that I felt the breeze from their wings.  So, in spite of cutting my trip short, it was still a win. One more shot in Extra

Back at home, I started work on my new water feature.  Need to go out tomorrow and get a pump, and put on the finishing touches.  Yes, I'll post a picture!  

I also watched my favorite daytime television show - Governor Cuomo's press briefing.  Today he had several of the governors from the 7-state coalition on via zoom which was great.  They are working together in a completely non-partisan way to ensure that our region doesn't find itself in this situation again should the virus spike again.  

Yesterday's big news, which I forgot to mention, was the arrival of the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird and the arrival of the House Wrens (who've already started their nest).  The yard has gotten very busy in the last few days, filled with song and displays of all kinds.  Today, I also heard an Ovenbird in the woods behind the house.  

Today I also saw the first young chipmunk out of the den - it was following mom all over the patio trying desperately to attach itself to a teat - she was having none of it.

Be well, stay safe, maintain social distance, please consider wearing a mask if you don't already...and be kind to each other.

xo
Debbi

Covid Stats
Total positives as of today in NJ- 126,744
Total deaths in NJ - 7,871
Total cases in Sussex County - 969 deaths - 115