The backyard
is currently mostly occupied by these guys - young Blue Jays. They are loud, they are entertaining, they are adorable, all the while learning how to get around in life. The adults often mostly look alike except for the “necklace” part but the babies have very different looks, and I always love the variety. One of my favorite ones showed up the other day. Each year, there is at least one like it, and for some reason I find them extra cute. They have comparatively dark markings around the face, reminding me of a cartoon bandit. Others barely show any markings.
There's a new kid on the block!
Today, I spotted a bird at the feeders that I thought looked unusual. I grabbed the camera to get a closer look and snap some photos. Well, as it turns out, this is a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker. I have only ever seen one one time, and that was in northern Michigan. It is a very elegant and beautiful species, and I am so happy about this. He liked the seed cylinder, so I quickly changed the Birdsy setup to try and capture some video of him too. I hope you enjoy.
Video: young Cardinal
I am always fascinated with Cardinals, and especially with their young ones. They just have the coolest looks. The other day, I checked recordings from earlier this summer, and found this adorable youngster foraging right in front of the camera. It still has a brown beak, meaning that it is less than a year old.
Video: Hummer sampling jelly
A young Rubythroated came this morning to sample the grape jelly. As you can see, he keeps a watchful eye at the yellow jackets. Them and other insects like hornets always appear around the end of August and can be annoying around the nectar and jelly feeders. I am trying to keep the feeders extra clean and avoid going there too much so I don’t get stung. And I am secretly hoping that the Orioles will start to migrate so I can take the jelly feeder in…
