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.