Interesting Calendar of Firsts/Nature study experience

Tonight as we were eating dinner, I saw a bird in our front yard that none of us have ever seen before. It was very small with a white breast, black back and wings, bright red beak, and loooooooooong black tail. A bit of research told us that it was a male Pintailed Wydah. A bit more research told us that these have been spotted in our county (Orange County in Southern CA) in the last few years but that they are most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa! It was great fun to see such an exotic looking bird in our crowded suburban area, where the most exotic bird I normally see is a Western Oriole once in awhile. It’s all house finches and sparrows and crows and mockingbirds around here!

But here’s something really fun – in just under a month, my middle daughter is leaving to volunteer for two months at a school for the Deaf in Uganda, which is in sub-Saharan Africa. *tiny chills down my spine*

(I didn’t want to include a link in case that made my post get caught in the spam trap, but if you look this bird up, you’ll see its loveliness!)