WHG Garden News - June 2023

News from the Garden

Issue 10 I June 2023

Sense of sound.

We often talk about how Western Hills Garden offers a sensory explosion of sights, scents, and sounds. But we mostly share stories of what the garden looks like.

This month, as we hurl headlong into summer, we stop to appreciate the sense of sound — and especially what we hear from the birds that wake us up each morning and then share their appreciation of the day at dusk.

Scroll down to read about why WHG co-owner Laura Counts loves listening to birds at the garden, and learn more about birding activities happening onsite and around the country.

“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.”

― Terry Tempest Williams, When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice

Delighting in birds.

My father loved birds. He grew up in the south, an only child with a single mom, and his copy of Audubon’s Birds of America was a treasured possession. We had a feeder throughout my childhood in New England, and delighted in all the backyard birds: black-capped chickadees and dark-eyed juncos, goldfinches and strawberry finches, tufted titmice, flashy cardinals, and even common robins.

On drives my dad would scan the skies and eagerly call out to my sister and I—“Look girls, red-tailed hawk!” He also took many beautiful photos of birds. Even during the last few days of his quick decline from acute myeloid leukemia he was checking on the Carolina wren pair nesting in a hanging flower basket on his deck. It was the third year they had returned. The babies fledged just a few days after he passed in September 2020.

I never learned many birdsongs. I guess I didn’t listen closely enough when my dad would pause and say, “Do you hear the thrush?” But as soon as he was gone, I started paying more attention. It makes me think of him and keeps me connected. Spending time at Western Hills Garden has given me the chance to listen to the nearly nonstop chatter happening in the trees.

Just a few weeks ago, it was the black-headed grosbeaks who seemed to be dominating the conversation. Now, in these early days of summer, it’s the Swainson’s thrushes with their lovely liquid calls. The garden, with its density and diversity of trees, is clearly a refuge for our feathered friends who are struggling so much in the world we’ve left them with.

Below is a short list of the birds I’ve heard at the garden since I started using the Merlin Bird app’s sound ID (thank you, Cornell Lab of Ornithology!) in the first week of May.

Wilson’s warbler, spotted towhee, California towhee, hooded oriole, orange-crowned warbler, brown-headed cowbird, Mallard duck, red-shouldered hawk, Swainson’s thrush, American robin, black-headed grosbeak, Townsend’s warbler, warbling vireo, chestnut-backed chickadee, Pacific-slope flycatcher, Anna’s hummingbird, acorn woodpecker, brown creeper, golden-crowned kinglet, Steller’s jay (of course!), common raven, Bewick’s wren, cedar waxwing, house finch, song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, California quail, and pine siskin.

WHG Morning Bird Walk

Come take a self-guided, early morning stroll in the Garden before we open for the day. Bring your binoculars and your Merlin Bird ID app. Grab a coffee or tea from the barn, and enjoy a slow wander while you listen to the sounds of the garden.

Sunday, July 23, 2023 from 8:30-10am. 12 spots available. $15 per person. Children 12 and under are free

A special offer for newsletter subscribers only.

WHG Audubon Count

On the first Saturday of each New Year the Audubon Society does its annual bird count. We’ve had teams come through Western Hills Garden both years we’ve owned the property. It’s interesting to compare Laura’s list with their lists from 2022 and 2023. (Unfortunately their schedule brought them here toward the middle of the day, so there was less activity.)

2022 List

2023 List

Summer birding project.

The NYT is partnering with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on a summer birding project through September 2023. It includes challenges for beginners and citizen science collection for more experienced ones. (Illustration by Mike McQuade for the New York Times.)

NYT PROJECT INFO & REGISTRATION

As part of the summer project, the NYT brought together Christian Cooper, author and TV host of Birding While Black, and Amy Tan, author of the upcoming book, Backyard Bird Chronicles (along with many other beloved titles) for a conversation about how birding brings them joy.

LISTEN TO CONVO WITH CHRISTIAN COOPER & AMY TAN

We hope you are able to come visit the garden this summer.
And, as always, your membership purchases and tax-deductible donations help us preserve and steward the garden and demonstrate community support. Thank you.

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