Alas! The Evening Grosbeak

Although I have neighbors not too far away that say they have evening grosbeaks at their feeders all the time, I spotted my first one at my feeders last Friday! Not a great photo, as I was far away with my point and shot camera, but proof that one was finally here!

This little fellow is a male Golden-Crowned Kinglet that I think must have fallen out of his nest.  I found him on the grass up near the raspberries as I was picking today.  Everything is SO late this year......... the raspberries, flowers, the baby birds hatching......... thanks to the cold summer.

"Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes."
- Abram L. Urban

Pileated Woodpecker

We had this fledgling at our suet feeder today!  Although the pileated woodpecker is said to be a fairly common year-round resident in the forests of Western WA, it is the first I have seen at my feeders!

Big Trees and Nests!

While we were meandering through the herb gardens at the UW, we came upon some mighty tall, old trees, as well as a few huge egret nests!

 I didn't take the photos right to stitch them together perfectly, but they are connected where they should be!

In another tree we spied gigantic nests made with little branches and sticks!  No twigs or soft downy material for these babes!

Close-up of the nest so you can see the baby poking his head out on the left side of the nest.  The mama bird was busy trying to chase away a big black bird that was trying to eat her chicks.  What a commotion they made!

Feathered Nursery

Darrell spotted this nest of baby robins in the pussy willow tree next to the pond today.  Of course I ran to get my camera and intrude on the nestlings!  The first time I poked the camera near their faces, all of their beaks opened  W I D E, ready to accept what food I might have to offer!  Unfortunately, the shot itself only included the beaks, and nothing else! Here is a better one.  So ugly they are cute!

Black-headed Grosbeaks

One of my favorite birds to see come back each spring is the black-headed grosbeak. This fellow is trying to strike up a conversation with the metal bird on top of the feeder pole!

They do not have a very pretty head shape, but their coloring is beautiful!

Birds of a Different Feather

It was cool to see such totally different birds in Florida than in the Pacific Northwest!

 One of my favorite guys, seen in the Greek town of Tarpon Springs!

Several different seagulls

In that same town we spotted a huge flock of pelicans!  I think they were my most favorite :o}

 Pelicans, seagulls and a snowy egret......

 Not sure who all of these were, except for the sand pipers in the upper left and lower right.....

My favorite photo of a pelican!

Lucky Snap!

That Bird

That bird?  The one I couldn't identify?  I browsed a bird book at the Antique Rose Farm while I was there Saturday selecting a fragrant yellow rose for the spot next to the house that I removed a lilac tree from last fall.  It is a juevenile Spotted Towhee!  How 'bout them eggs?

Spring Birds

Last week the Black-Headed Grosbeaks returned from their winter migration down to Mexico, Central America and South America!

The males are so bright and colorful!

These are males.  The female is muted in its coloring.

I am unable to indentify this new bird to our feeders.  Does anyone out there know what this is?  It is fairly large in size.

Another shot to help you identify it :-)

We have also seen a number of Dark-eyed Junco fledglings recently.  The Juncos spent the winter here, so must have nested here also.

Mourning Doves Return

Early this morning I noticed two BIG birds sitting in the seed feeder and stuffing their beaks with all of the seed!  I haven't seen this handsome couple since last summer.

Mourning Doves raise two broods each year, so I am hoping they decide to nest in our yard for at least one of them.  They have a mournful coo, thus their name.

BTW, our mama mallard has been sitting on another nest of eggs for a week or so now!  My bird book tells me that mallards only have one brood per year........ wrong!

More Feathered Friends and Foes

STELLER'S JAY

Though pretty, this bird is generally thought to be a nuisance.  In its greed for more food, it scares away the other visiting birds at the feeders.  They screech and swoop in boldly, and live in abundant amounts in our yard.  Their favorite food seems to be the peanuts and the suet.

AMERICAN ROBIN

A common bird everywhere in the USA, this rusty red-breasted male robin differs from the female in that it has a brighter red breast and black head.  The female's breast is a duller red, and its head gray with more white on it. 

There are many of them, too, in our yard.  They are very territorial, and even can be seen fighting its own reflection in windows.  Perhaps that is why this fellow is constantly at our upper window peeking in and pecking at the glass!

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE

Similar to the Chestnut-Back Chickadee, it lacks the chestnut color on the back, but retains the tan belly.  They are a common bird at the feeders, and usually the first ones to find them.

It is said that these birds are easy to tame and hand feed.  I can be putzing near the feeders and yet they still hang around and eat.

BARRED OWL

I am angry at this chunky brown and gray owl with the dark brown eyes!  He is snatching my ducklings for his meals!  This owl feeds during the daylight hours as well as nighttime.

He is hanging around close to the pond and spooks us with his dog-barking eight-hoot call.  We have put netting over the pond, in hopes that it will be a deterrent.

Spring Song

It is so pleasant to hear the twitters and songs of various birds as they journey back north.  I have enjoyed watching them stop by the feeders.  Some are here to stay, while others are just stopping by to take refreshment on their long trips.  Following are my friends that I managed to catch on camera yesterday:

 Song Sparrow

It is recognizable by the dark spot in the center of the chest.  They defend their territory by singing from thick shrubs.  I love to listen to them!

Spotted Towhee 

This is the male.  The female has the same markings, but is not as vibrant in color..... more of a charcoal than black, and less red on the underside.

These arrived late last fall and have hung around the entire winter.  They will likely move down to a lower elevation to build their ground nests to raise their broods.

Dark-Eyed Junco 

This is a pair of Oregon Dark-Eyed Juncos.   They prefer ground feeding, though I have seen them nibbling from the hanging feeder.

Chestnut-Backed Chickadee

Distinguished from similar birds such as the Black-Capped Chickadee (which I have also seen here) by the rich, warm chestnut back and sides, it is the most colorful of the chickadees.

Varied Thrush

This is the female, with subdued orange tones.  The male has bright orange colorings, and I can't wait to see him!  Whereas the female is brownish, the male has striking black feathers.  I do  hope they nest in my yard!

Spring would not be spring without bird songs. - Francis M. Chapman

Early Christmas Tweet

We have had our first official snow fall at home this year. It began last evening. I took the last of the raspberries that I had picked beforehand and made an early Christmas treat for my feathered friends today. They are chirping and singing and loving it :-)

Pipilo Maculatus

Otherwise know as Spotted Towhee.

I have spied a new type of bird at my feeder the last 2 days! As most of my summer birds have flown south for the winter, I was delighted to see something of a different variety, and quite a pretty little bird to boot! They are mainly ground birds, both for foraging for food and nest building. Before winter, they move to higher elevations, so I suppose that is why I am just now spotting them.

This picture is courtesy of Birds of Washington Field Guide, by Stan Tekiela.

New Sighting!

Mi espouso has been telling me for several weeks now that he has seen a bird with an orange head at our feasting station. I doubted him. Shame on me. I spied the same bird myself 2 days ago......

.....with his mate. Here is the House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). The male is the beautiful orange color, while the female is the drab shades. Have you ever wondered why in the bird world it is the males who sport such high color fashion while the female is non-descript, yet in the world of humans it is the female who is gussied up? Why is it that the males birds must look attractive in order for the females to desire them as a mate, yet it is the ladies who are pressured to be the attractive sex in the human race? Hmmm... something to ponder.

Nest of Robins

Taken in the lilac bush outside my father's door.

The feller that brags about how cheap he heats his home always sees the first robin. ~Kin Hubbard

Gold Finches

Here is the pair of Gold Finches that is frequenting my feeders. They are especially fond of the thistle seed (also known as Niger). The female is on the left, with more muted coloring, and the male on the right with the bright bold yellow. On the sunflower seed feeder you can spot the female Black-headed Grosbeak.

Those little nimble musicians of the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which nature hath furnished them to the shame of art. ~Izaak Walton