Video: A very elegant nightly visitor and a PSA
During more boring times like right now, it is often wonderful to see something unusual. Like this Fox that came at night for a drink. He looks so elegant, and I love how attentive his ears are.
PSA - the livestream will be inactive for a couple of days but will be back live soon again.
Ragnar and Lagertha
and their brood have been pretty much absent since the last set of babies fledged. I have heard them in the trees and seen them hunting nearby though, so I hope they will be visiting more frequently when it cools down. Last night, one of the first babies showed up, in all it’s teenage feather glory.
We got a good amount of rain
the other day, so here are some birds with rain drop jewelry.
(Common Grackle, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove)
This Hummingbird
finally got over their fear of the camera box and took some sips from the feeder. I am thinking this is a female but the throat somehow looks as if it could just as well be a young male. I am still amazed by their delicate beauty and the colors in their tiny feathers.
The Blue Jays
and their babies are all over the yard at the moment. The funny thing is that they really don’t care where I place a camera, they will come and explore it as soon as I turn my back. Here, we have a baby, an adult and a baby with adult.
Masks 15 % off until July 13!
Redbubble is giving a discount on all masks until July 13th 11:59 pm. Use the code MASKS15.
All profits from my July mask sales will be donated to the Native American Rights Fund. There are direct links to the masks right here at ostdrossel.com, but you can also go to my Redbubble shop. I also have stickers, cards and other things available there.
New charity for mask profit donations
I will make the next donation to Feeding America in two weeks, but all profits from mask sales starting today and throughout July will be donated to the Native American Rights Fund. There are direct links to the masks right here at ostdrossel.com, but you can also go to my Redbubble shop. I also have stickers, cards and other things available there.
Video: Grackle parent feeding baby
Grackles are very devoted parents. This Dad is making sure that the baby gets food that it can stomach, cracking seeds before he feeds it. The youngsters seem big enough to do it by themselves but right now, you can watch them running through the yard following the parents wherever they go with an open beak and fluttering wings. So cute. This was captured with the Birdsy cam. They are on Kickstarter now, and you can get one here: https://birdsy-ai-records-and-ids.kckb.st/190e5d15
Last but not least,
after three Bluebird babies hatched yesterday, the fourth seems to have made it out this morning as well.
The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
have been coming steadily, but I haven’t seen any of their offspring yet. They must have a nest close by, a nest by spider webs, because this guy always has them on his head. The photo is partially blurry but I thought it was cool because it shows the red on the underside of the wings. The female is much more camouflaged but beautiful nevertheless. I love these birds.
Video: Mr. Flicker takes a bath.
This morning, a Northern Flicker came to the bird bath. I think they are one of the most beautiful birds around here but they never come to my feeders - they prefer drilling the lawn for ants. So I was delighted to watch him. With his short woodpecker legs, he seemed to have some issues with the pebbles, but he still made it work. I hope he comes back. (The male can be distinguished from the female by his “mustache”. The female doesn’t have that.)
Video: Catbird meowing at the pool
I love this guy, and I am so happy he is sticking around. I was working on my computer when I heard the first meow, and I actually thought there was a real cat haha He seemed quite surprised that the young Starling left.
The Catbird was back
for more grape jelly. Apart from the meows that he produces, I think his appearance also resembles that of a Chartreux cat. He looks so elegant, and I am happy that he graced the yard with his presence this year.
Another first today!
A young male Orchard Oriole. For comparison, the dark one is the full-grown adult. The yellow one is one that hatched last summer, and I am excited because I never had one in my yard. The female is more shy, seemingly, I have never seen one, but I hope they are nesting somewhere close.
Redwinged Blackbird glory
The first two photos I think are the same guy, a young adult. I love the markings on him. The last one seems to have gone to bird hypnotist academy. I am willing to fulfill all of his wishes.
I keep moving the camera around
to find interesting spots, and now this is becoming more fun because the vegetation is finally starting to fill in. Close to the ground, sometimes the funniest little things happen. Like Peanut, the woodpecker, bringing a straw (this is a joke, it is his tongue ;) ). The Nuthatch looked quite pleased, then there is a young male Rosebreasted Grosbeak who looks wonderful with the dots, and a Titmouse that has been coming lately.
Love is in the air...
A Northern Flicker has discovered that our gutter has a nice resonating quality and has drummed to impress the ladies quite a bit. Which prompted us to build an experimental starling-proof Flicker nest box. I am excited to see how that goes. Well, and the Blue Jays are also getting cozy :)