A Lull

I tried a new birdseed the last couple weeks, a berry and nut mix, hoping to attract more cardinals, grosbeaks, and orioles. So far it has only reduced the number of sparrows and finches at my feeder and increased squirrel and bunny visitors. It's been very quiet around here.

However, I did see this downy woodpecker the other day. Perhaps I should put some suet out for him.

Just because...

From a few weeks ago, another white-throated sparrow.

Yellow Warbler!

Seen (for the first time!) swimming through our wet birch tree.

Singing a Happy Tune

The tree next to my kitchen window is a house finch condo so I hear them sing a lot. When they do, they puff their feathers out and extend their neck, like this guy is doing.

Neon

Nature's highlighter.

Kisses

It's mating season and the cardinals do up romance the best by feeding each other. Looks like kissing.

Chic Magnet

There are a couple of male red-winged blackbirds that visit my feeder. One has a very thin, pale line along his shoulders where the "red" is but you can't really see the full color until he's in flight (he's featured here). 

But then there's this guy, full two-toned color on the shoulders. He is beautiful, and when I first saw him I thought, wow, I bet you gets all the ladies. And it's probably true- these guys are the playboys of birds with many males having more than one mate at a time. 

Orioles Return

The oriole returned a few times since I first saw him. I even had a female stop by briefly. They still haven't found the sweet stuff I keep putting out for them. 

Male

Female

Indigo Bunting

I haven't seen an indigo bunting since July of 2010, so I was very excited to see this one today (and to be able to photograph him with a better camera this time).

Tiny Bird

For being so tiny, wrens sure are fast and noisy! They chitter so much as they bounce here and there. It's like watching in fast-forward and my book describes it as "hyperactive." 

Copycat Catbird

Every summer growing up I remember hearing a strange "mew" as part of the regular neighborhood ambient noise. Though I never saw what it was, I figured it was either a squirrel or even a cat. It wasn't until just a few years ago I realized the sound I had been hearing all that time was actually, haha, a catbird!

They can mimic sounds to make their very own song and just today I saw one in the tree sounding like a robin who had not practiced his call enough times. Such a copycat (har, har)!

I've been trying to get a picture of a catbird for several years and finally got it!

Pit Stop

I'm surprised at the number of birds that have just happened to stop in my yard or nearby during their seasonal migration. Is my yard a special pit stop? This is the Harris's Sparrow, and he still has quite a ways to go, heading all the way to northern Canada. 

Other migratory birds pit stopping in my yard or nearby were the snow goose last fall, the white-crowned sparrow I saw a year ago and again early this spring, and most recently the fox sparrow who moved on as soon as the temps hit 60 for longer than a few days.

Impeccable Timing

Almost a year to the date of my last Oriole sighting, another one stopped by. I've since put a ripe peach out there in case he returns.

Myrtle Warbler

I love it when I just happen to look out the window and just the right time and see something I've never seen before. Last night a little after 8:00 I noticed a bird flitting about the birch tree. His small size, quick movements, and a tiny pointed beak- different than most of who come to my yard- are what prompted me to grab my binoculars to get a closer look.

You can barely see from this photo (if you can see him at all!) but he's got an almost bandit eye patch across his face, with a white throat. There's a bit of yellow near his tail, and I learned he's a Myrtle Warbler, probably taking a break on his migration north.

Flicker

This flicker has been in our backyard a few times this week, pulling bugs or something out of the ground. He blends in so well with the brown grass and dirt I almost missed him except for that tiny "flicker" of red on his head.

More on the fox sparrows

I've been keeping track of the fox sparrows since I first noticed them last week. I can't be certain as to how many I have in the proximity of my yard and the neighbor's, but I have seen two at the feeder at one time. Maybe it is just the two of them. They are aggressive and will spar with each other at the feeder and will also shoo away the juncos and other ground feeders who get too close.

Here is another look one of them.

A wintery spring wonderland

Was it the weight on its branches, or the disheartening sight of more spring-time snow that caused our poor birch tree to bend far enough to touch the ground? Is it surrendering, admitting defeat to the winter that hangs on so ferociously? Perhaps its bowing in prayer for all this to finally be over so it can grow its leaves and enjoy the sunshine and warmth of summer. 

The winterscape was a pretty sight to wake up to, and I found nothing to complain about. The birds did not seem to mind, either. Especially my winter birds, the juncos. They perched on that drooping tree as they would any other day, seeming to hide behind curtains of little branches. And really, they look the most stunning when surrounded by snow. 

Action Shots

Some sort of hawk

I love my song birds but identifying hawks and falcons and such are not my strong point. I think this may be a broad-winged hawk?

Food and Shelter

 This sparrow came to the feeder with some nesting material, then dropped it to eat.

Slate Colored Junco

Is this junco not the prettiest? I love his charcoal color and contrasting tummy. His tail feathers fan out black and white to look like a referee jersey. There have been so many at the feeder this week, I wonder if they're fueling up before heading north for the summer.

Another seasonal first

In addition to the chipping sparrow yesterday, I saw my first red-winged blackbird of the season. (The first picture has greening grass, the second was taken a few hours later with an inch of snow on the ground but I had to show his colors!)

First of the season

The first chipping sparrow of the breeding season visited my feeder today. I love them because they're so itty-bitty! 

Fox Sparrow

Under our big pine tree out back I noticed a speckled bird kicking away at the ground with both feet. I later noticed the same type of bird under the neighbor's pine, and one making a mess of our mulch in the front yard. They had a rusty color, with a patch of that color blushing under their eyes, and stripes along their bellies. I haven't seen one like this before so it took some investigating but I think they might be the red Fox Sparrow. The underbrush-kicking, rusty color, and tummy speckles seem to fit what my book described. If that's what they really are, then they are passing through to summer in northern Canada.

(Below, he's just above the snow line in the center of the photo, getting a threat from the robin).

Blackbird Spring

Each spring before they begin to mate, blackbirds descend on my yard in large groups. Some years it's a handful of red-winged blackbirds, and one year I had a whole gang of various different types including the red-wings, cowbirds, and grackles. So far this year I've seen a few cowbirds, no red-wings.

This year it's a grackle posse making the rounds.

I've always loved their almost electronic squawk. And since I've been appreciating colors, here is one showing off his iridescence. 

In the absence of a blue sky...

...a blue jay.

Bright spot on a dreary day

Cardinals are nothing new in our yard but it was so nice to see their bright colors on such a grey day.

The view from the top

It's been a busy week for the birds in spite of winter's reluctance to leave. These two geese were perched on the roofs of the houses across the street. Maybe they were scoping out the best nesting site on the pond. 

The ducks return

Last year around this time we had a pair of ducks in our backyard, right by the pine trees. This year another (the same?) couple arrived at the exact same location.

And back in 2009, during late spring we had these guests in our front yard.

Hoot-hoot!

Last week I found a dead mouse (or vole?) way up in our birch tree, and I figured it was left there by the owl I've heard hooting at night. 







The other night I caught a glimpse of the owl high atop a neighbor's tree. Such a cool sight, and a little spooky! I think it's a Great Horned Owl, judging by its size and cute little "ears." I watched as he swooped down with an impressive wing span, right past the house. 

Tiny Nest

When the bayberry bush shed its leaves I found a nest, about the size of the palm of my hand. It was made up of soft grass and a few small twigs on a bed of bayberry leaves and tiny feathers. There was one shelled sunflower seed inside. I wonder who lived here and if they enjoyed their stay.