Another busy week has passed,
and I was finally able to solve my computer issues by upgrading. And I took some time for photos too. There are still no hummingbirds, which is a bummer, but I am still keeping up hope. The baby birds are pretty much ruling the backyard, and it is tough to find good shots because they have that toddler energy 😆
I worked in the veggie garden today,
and there was so much bird song going on that I put out Merlin to tell me who sings. Merlin picked up a lot, even a Tennessee Warbler, which makes me want to go explore. While I was shoveling, I spotted this guy, an immature male Orchard Oriole. I usually get an Orchard O at least for a day or two and was hoping this year too, so this was very nice. I love how his brown adult feathers are creeping in on the “bib”. I also saw a Catbird today, hopefully it comes to the feeders too.
The orange mood-boosters
have taken proper residence, and their songs can be heard in the tree tops all day now. There are more than six individuals visiting, adult males and females as well as non-breeding birds. It is interesting to see their color variants, ranging from yellow to yolky to deep orange. They have also begun to build nests, as can be seen by the one that stopped by on her way to the construction site.
Sometimes, complaining pays off,
it seems. Since yesterday, things have changed a lot in the yard. The Baltimore Orioles have finally arrived, and along with them, several Rosebreasted Grosbeaks as well. This morning, I can hear them all sing up in the trees too, and it is so uplifting! Here are some male Orioles and a female Grosbeak from yesterday. I have set my Birdsy camera with the Oriole feeder to stream live on birdsy.com, check it out!
Happy Sunday!
I am continuing with the introduction of the calendar birds. The choice for June was a tough one. I knew I wanted an Oriole, and since this season there was an abundance of them, I also had an abundance of photos. The wet Baltimore Oriole was my first pick because it is just such an unusual look and I loved the background and lighting. However, the bird is not entirely identifiable, so eventually, it was out. The “Tequila Sunrise” one is another favorite for the beautiful colors but somehow it lacked something. The final choice was an Orchard Oriole, and I chose it because I loved the gentle pose and felt like this beautiful bird deserves some attention.
You can get my calendars here.
The end of the summer
is always bittersweet but when fall migration has started, the backyard becomes alive with flocks of travelers. Some are just stopping for a short break while others stay for a couple of days. This is the case with Baltimore Orioles right now. I have added an extra jelly feeder, and the cups need to be refilled several times a day now (I also clean the cups with each refill). It is always wonderful to see the full spectrum of color variations at display when indivisuals of various ages come together. And in between, the Robins, Woodpeckers and Finches (the one pictures has a very interesting molt going on) also get their share.
Video: Everybody has a sweet tooth!
I still have lots of Orioles coming, and the funny part is that this year, many more birds are seemingly having a sweet tooth and give the grape jelly a try. I have never seen a Cowbird doing it until yesterday.
Summer's slowly coming to an end,
and while this has been an especially bad year in regards to Hummingbirds for me, Oriole activity has been and still is great. Yesterday, I put the grape jelly on my photo setup to capture some sunshine. There are less now but I still have several individuals coming and loading up for the big trip south. I also put out some orange halves again, and the woodpeckers as well as Orioles enjoy them. I am wondering what fall migration will bring. It has been so dry, it makes me wonder if it may be another irruption year if food is scarce up in the more northern regions.
They have become a little less
recently, I think some might have already begun to migrate, but I still have quite a lot of Orioles hanging around. At this point, it is mostly juveniles but I also see the occasional adult male and female strewn in. I was hoping to see the Orchard Oriole’s young ones or females too but time might be running out for that. Anyways, here is a good dose of sunshine to brighten your Friday.
Video: The hummingbirds
are making themselves really rare this year. I hear it is not just me, everybody seems to see less. I am not giving up hope, traditionally I have seen an uptick in activity by late July and August and even into September. So I am keeping the feeders clean and refilled. The Allura feeder that I was sent has proven to be very pleasant and practical because it is so easy to clean and has not given me any issues with ants or spills, and I don’t have to make huge batches of nectar that never get used. At least the baby Orioles are explory enough to come and visit. I am streaming this camera on BirdsyTv (birdsy.com), and hopefully there will be some hummer visitors at some point. The Allura feeder is available on Amazon.
The Orioles
have been extra busy at the feeders recently, and I am expecting to see their babies in the yard soon. I have already heard their gentle little calls in the trees yesterday. The Orchard Oriole is also still coming, and I am hoping that maybe this year, it might bring a young one to the feeder too. In the meantime, the adults are enjoying the amenities the yard has to offer and make the world prettier with their vibrant colors and songs. Come good into the week!
Summer is here,
and we are starting it with another really hot day. Temperatures will reach around 36 °C / 98 °F today. I have watered the garden, filled the bird baths and gave the nestboxes some extra shade. The Wren sadly lost two more eggs to that destructive other Wren yesterday, but she seems to be hanging on. (Update on the Wren - the other Wren came and tossed the last remaining egg earlier and is now working on the nest.) The Bluebirds are looking great. And there are many Orioles stopping by. Here is a little selection. Stay cool and hydrated and happy summer solstice!
Vitamin O to start the week!
We had the the first real thunderstorm and rain pour of the season. The yard’s vegetation has pretty much exploded and the bird songs have calmed down because many are busy building nests. Last week, I saw the first female Oriole (see first photo), and there is a good group of them visiting. It is funny to me how much they can differ in color. On of these is of course the Orchard Oriole, so it is generally darker.
Video: They are back!
Today, about a week earlier than in the last couple of years, the Baltimore Orioles have returned. I hear that people are also seeing Rosebreasted Grosbeaks, Warblers and Hummingbirds, but they have not come here so far. Happy Spring, everyone!
The outside looks very pretty today,
we were gifted with snow over night! I am glad I got my little Santa Stop done yesterday (check the livestream to see it), and I love that there is more activity at the feeders today too, so hopefully there will be some fun new photos later. I still wanted to continue to introduce the calendar birds for 2022. I apologize for slacking a bit with that, but it has been busy. July and August are the months that burst with bird variety and baby birds. The July bird is the vibrantly looking and beautifully singing Baltimore Oriole, and August shows an adorable young Blue Jay. Be safe out there in the snow today!
If you are interested in getting an Ostdrossel calendar, you can get them here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
50 Shades of Orange
There was a lot of Oriole traffic yesterday, so much that I decided to prep one of the photo cams with jelly to get some more photos. So here’s your hump day dose of Vitamin O 😁 They are so diverse and pretty, I can hardly choose a favorite. These are males and females, younger as well as adults. Basically the whole Baltimore Oriole range. They will soon move on and I am going to miss them.
It is always great
to get a new wave of summer guests when the season comes to an end. Orioles are starting to be on the move, and some from farther north are passing through on their way to their winter quarters. This one came very early today, and it looks very unusual with this really intense vibrancy. It looks like it could be a young male, with some of the darker head and neck markings coming through too. I hope it sticks around for a bit, I also prepped a photo cam with jelly today.
Power might still be out
until Sunday night, but thanks to the generator, I was able to go through the photos of Wednesday today before it all went down. I feel a little bad because I cannot replenish the bird baths because we are on a well and have to preserve water right now, but I have put out some food today and might put the photos cams out tomorrow too. There are still some Orioles, but it feels like with the storm most of the summer guests have been swooped away. It is weird being so long without power, I never experienced it. And generators are amazing. Be safe and enjoy the weekend!
Birds have evolved from dinosaurs,
and in the middle of summer, this begins to show with many of them. They are molting, changing their old feathers for new ones, and reveal some more or less dramatic looks. They are not sick, and they will appreciate high quality food and clean water for bathing that itchy skin. Yes, the hole next to the eyes is the ear. These are Grackles and Orioles.
Now that July is here,
more and more bird babies are coming to explore the backyard. Some are camera shy, others not so much. It always stops me in my tracks when I am out there and see them, I just stand there and watch. They are mood boosters, they instantly make you smile. Here’s a baby MoDo, one of the several Orioles and a Bluebird baby. I hope to see more of all of them, and I hope the Cardinal brood will step into the spotlight too - they have at least two youngsters.
