Feeder activity is down
as you might have noticed too, and that is because everybody is busy building nests or taking care of offspring. The birds do make quick trips to grab beaks full of goodies for the babies. Grackles are especially talented when it comes to taking large quantities :D While it is always odd to have less activity after the spring migration rush, it frees up time, at least for me. I have used it to get my veggie garden in shape, and things are looking very good this year.
Teen beau
While the adults are busy taking care of new eggs or babies, some of the teens that hatched last year are hanging around and look a little lonely. But also super adorable, like this Rose-breasted Grosbeak teen. I love this stage where the adult feathers are mixing in with the baby plumage. He appears to have some crud on his nose but otherwise seems to be fine. I bet he is looking forward to meeting his new siblings.
The Blue Jays
are cracking me up. They are very vocal at the moment, and create a frenzy and hilarity wherever they go. (The second bird in the second photo was a Robin.)
Peanut and Hazel,
the resident Red-bellied Woodpeckers, are coming to the feeders more often at the moment. I wonder if they have babies yet. The female is easily identifiable by her gray patch on the head.
Today is my birthday,
and I turned 42. It feels weird and I don’t feel like it, and after all, it is just a number. But birthdays are a thing in my family. We celebrate them in a big fashion. So today was a special day for me. I was lucky I did not have to work, and I worked in the garden today. And it was wonderful. I am achy. My one wish was that a Hummingbird would show up. And I got my wish granted. Here he is. And I hope he comes back. This is me, tipsy-posting. 42! What a weird number. Let’s spin some Binaural…
I loved this Downy Woodpecker.
Apparently, he has a cavity home somewhere because he has some wood chips under his “mustache” :D
The Gray Catbird
is still around, and I think yesterday, I saw two of them. This is very exciting and makes it more possible that they might stay for the summer. He was not very enthusiastic about the constant rain yesterday, but today we have wonderful sunshine! (No flooding in my area, and I hope everybody out there is ok, given the circumstances.)
What a strange spring this is.
After having seen a male and female Hummingbird the other day, I haven’t seen any more. Things really seem to be off to a slow start this spring because of the weather but hopefully we will catch up with everything soon. Here’s to a great start of a new week. Be safe all of you who go back to work! And if you need a mask with a bird on it, check out my Redbubble shop.
All profits will be donated to Feeding America. The way Redbubble works is that I am getting paid each month. I am waiting to make my donation until June because that is when the bulk of the mask profits will get paid. I will post about it here once the donation is made. This is all very exciting!
A gallery of orange goodness.
The Orioles have been plentiful, and one of them had a particularly cool head.
"I was told there would be seed."
A disappointed Tufted Titmouse, checking out the jelly feeder. Interestingly enough, I have seen Chickadees going for the jelly yesterday.
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.
There is a lot going on
in the yard, and I feel like everybody is having babies. The Grackles are collecting food like there is no tomorrow. Preferred are sunflower hearts (that is what the “bird with teeth” had in the old photo) and earth worms. I love it when they check by the camera after hunting before they bring the bounty to the nest.
Today was a great birding day
despite the really really bad weather, or maybe because of it. There were so many photos… For tonight, just this one, more in the morning. The Gray (I got the spelling wrong earlier) hung around all day and checked out all the feeders and made me all giddy.