what's a porch? (part 1)

To free us from the expectations of others,
to give us back to ourselves--
there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.

- joan didion

for my friend, shelley ... living over on the right (vs. left) coast. because of a nifty quote in her email signature block, i became a joan didion fan AND a shelley fan! and most recently, after virtually enjoying (via facebook) her morning of birding where she shared ...

Cape May warbler, Tennessee warbler, Magnolia warbler, Canada warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, american redstart, scarlet tanager, yellow-breasted vireo, blue grosbeak, yellow-billed cuckoo, empidonax flycatcher, red-breasted woodpecker, gray catbird, cedar waxwings, blue-headed vireo & assorted residents. Not a bad morning of birding from our front porch.

... i decided to learn about these birds (virtually at cornell university's all about birds over here). and here are the links for most of the birds ... (part 2 of this post will include the gray catbird, cedar waxwing, blue-headed vireo, and a few empidonax flycatchers)

• cape may warbler
• tennessee warbler
• magnolia warbler
• canada warbler
• chestnut-sided warbler
• american redstart
• scarlet tanager
• yellow-breasted chat or yellow-throated vireo
• blue grosbeak
• yellow-billed cuckoo
• empidonax flycatcher (what is an ...) the images i chose are those of the 5 species listed on that site - least flycatcher, alder flycatcher, willow flycatcher, acadian flycatcher, yellow-bellied flycatcher,
  
• red-breasted woodpecker (via red-bellied woodpecker perhaps?)
  
• gray catbird
• cedar waxwing
• blue-headed vireo

hope to sit with you, shelley,
on your porch, of course