NEW INFORMATION:After posting this, a dear blog friend commented that this is probably not a Goldfinch at all, but a Black-throated green warbler. I agree. So please consider that this is either a female or immature male BTGW.
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Mr. Goldfinch Black-throated green warbler stood his ground right in the middle of the path |
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| He certainly posed for us, though with zoom this was probably taken 20 feet away from him |
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| The base of one of the big poplar trees |
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| I couldn't figure out what this white flower was, perhaps a version of milkweed? |
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| Looking up hill at the root of one of the trees, it showed that some animal had been burrowing under there |
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| Finally arrived at the junction of lower loop and upper loop trails |
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| The remains of Hemlocks stand beside the marker |
My
trekking companion walked up to see the large trees on the upper loop
trail, and I started down hill. Apparently the best of the large
Poplars are on that trail. I was happy with the ones I'd seen.
poem by Joyce Kilmer
In high school I learned a lot of the methods of writing poetry from the study of this poem in English class. It was awful to have to talk about a "mouth prest against the earth's sweet flowing breast." We were teenagers, after all. And then later he talks about a bosom. Oh my, the young man who wrote this poem didn't hold back those metaphors!
Oh such a handsome little bird :)
ReplyDeletelook at the sweet bird, those trees are amazing.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I don't think your lovely bird is a goldfinch at all. I believe you have captured a Black-throated Green Warbler. It's a bit rare in NC but is found in a section of the NC mountains and I think you found him. Great photographs. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/055/articles/introduction
ReplyDeleteOh Yes, I just looked it up on my new ap, Merlin, and there he/she is...you are so right, a Black-throated Green Warbler! Thanks NCmountainwoman! I'll go make corrections based on new info!
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful Warbler! And your other photos are really nice as well!!
ReplyDeleteI think it is a great looking bird and I every once in a while get so involved that I don't put in the correct name. I know better but sometimes I just don't label the plant or the bird and fish for others to tell me what it is. I like all of the photos you shared today. It is an interesting forest area which I have never seen one with such diversity in kinds of trees.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments. Mona, hearing you like my photos is a real compliment, since you are a more proficient photographer, especially of wildlife.
ReplyDeleteL.D. Thanks, I usually don't even know the names of things...like that white flower. It's too small and too early in the season for Queen Anne's Lace...so I still don't know what it is.
I find it of interest that no-one commented about the poem. My memory says it was never very popular, though someone recorded a song to those words, or maybe a bit more palatable for public audiences.
My bird book has several pages of what it calls Confusing Warblers -- I'm happy to have this one identified for me.
ReplyDeleteI remember the poem well from school years.
ReplyDeleteBarbara -- That white flower sorta reminds me of hemlock? Hemlock is poisonous -- if that is what it is? Your tree photos are wonderful especially the one showing the root with an animal burrow. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, not sure but it could be hemlock, when I looked it up it is certainly similar.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I thought you might have run into Trees poem in your education as well. I just got the free ap for my iPhone called Merlin which identifies some of the birds and this one is actually in it! But not for the area and season and place where I saw him as being common, so he's still a rare bird! Tee hee.