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.
Times are busy,
which can be good and bad. Good because thoughts don’t linger, bad because there is not enough time in the day to do what one would like. More bird babies have started to show up, and things are now becoming very entertaining at the bird bath and generally. The youngsters sometimes seem to be even bigger than the parents and still beg them for food. But they also go their own ways. And since they aren’t perfect adult birds yet, they are adorable to watch. The Wren babies also started to hatch today, and I hope to give a little update on that tomorrow. Anyways, here is a young Blue Jay, testing out that beautiful crest.
I know I have not been posting a lot recently, but I am having a hard time because the days are longer and there are more photos and I also have a lot of work with my job. But I am trying to catch up and hope for a little break soon :) Be sound and come good into Thursday.
The Hummingbird situation
is truly a bit sad in my yard this year. I never really had many but I did have regulars that came steadily. This year, there are fewer than that, so I am extra happy when I get to see them. This little lady looked so cute in her curiosity. The flowers are just starting to open, and I hope she has babies in a nest somewhere that will later feast on the goodies in my garden. And oh my, how is it July already?! Have a great Friday!
On this rainy day,
the baby penguins finally appeared. The forecast for the next two days is not much better ,and I am a bit nervous about all the bird bests in the trees. But yes, still, the baby pwenguins are finally here, and I am utterly in love.
Mourning Doves
often puff up during hot days, to cool off. However, when they do it in front of the camera, they sometimes seem to get into special poser mode. These little sessions can go on for a while, with the MoDo just sitting there, looking at the camera and puffing up to different degrees. I move the camera into a shaded area on hot days, which sometimes creates the weirdest light. Perfect for this MoDo’s “drama shots” 😆
Come good into the week and stay cool!
The Robins
are having more than one brood per season, and since I have seen them gathering more nesting material, I put up the little bowl with mud and leaves and grass up again to help them out a bit. This one apparently took a good portion, and then came straight to the feeder. Happy Friday!
This spring, I have been
quite a bit disappointed with the variety and number of migratory bird visitors but things have picked up a bit recently, thankfully. There are now several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks here, at least one “regular” Hummingbird, and the Orioles have also returned after being away for nesting duties. And two days ago, this wonderful individual showed up - an Orchard Oriole. I always used to get one per season at least, so seeing him was special. He has quite the interesting (not normal) beak color.
This week was exciting
despite a lot of work because of the beautiful development of the Bluebird babies but also the Wren box. It looks a lot like Sir Corleone has found a female, and she has been busy making the nest more cozy. Since male and female pretty much look alike, I am not entirely certain if it is indeed a female, but I am keeping an eye on things.
Other than that, the first Grackle babies have shown up. I know many people are having their issues with these birds but I cannot help but love them. They just look so cute with their amber eyes and little brown coats, and it is funny too to hear their adorable squeaks after weeks of haunting juvenile Starling screeches.
Now with birds feeding babies,
I often see them coming to the feeders with natural food, mainly bugs from the garden. I always find it interesting to see what they find. This Robin looks to have a caterpillar, and I am wondering what kind it is. One of the dreaded Gypsy Moths?
(This Robin has a skin condition that shows on his legs. He has been coming for years and it does not seem to affect him, in case anyone is wondering.)
Much like the human world,
the bird world is full of drama and posing. Somehow, though, it is much more enjoyable to look at. Of course I am injecting a bit of anthropomorphism into this, I sometimes can’t help myself. It has been hot and humid with the occasional thunderstorm, and the birds that came to the feeders puffed up to stay cool (in both senses of the word, look at that Grack!) or get dry.
(Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, MoDo, female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Grackle)
Now with the summer weather
having arrived here in Michigan, I am finally also seeing a bit more activity from some birds that I’ve been missing so far. There aren’t plenty but a couple of Hummingbirds seem to have found their way to my yard now. I noticed in videos that they often came to the feeder, checked and then took off without feeding, and I wondered about that. I thought about possible reasons and then removed the insect guards that I put over the ports from inside. And that seemed to have done the trick. The guards will go back on as the season progresses but for now, the hummers can get used to the feeder. There is a male too but here is the pretty female. (She has no gorget, the black/ red throat feathers.) Happy Friday!
That's my Friday face.
Have a great weekend, everybody. Stay hydrated and cool and keep the bird baths clean and replenished, it's supposed to get very hot!
The weather has been less than stellar
and activity remains low, but I was happy to see the Grosbeak female, a frequently visiting female Red-winged Blackbird, and the ever so beautiful wet Blue Jays. The forecast is very summery, though, and I am expecting lots of baby birds to show up soon. Dr. Clara and Mandrake’s babies are due to hatch in a few days as well.
You may have heard them
and seen them on my livestream - the Starlings have started to bring their young to the yard. I won’t let them nest on my property but I guess they are finding spots nearby. While they can be annoying with their noise and the mess they leave behind, I still find their babies adorable and it is funny to see the interactions with the seemingly bothered parents. The camera captures their spirit perfectly 😆
More rain yesterday,
and more drenched birds. The Orioles have returned for very sporadic visits, and I think I might only have one pair this year. I also spotted a couple of Grosbeaks at the feeders yesterday, but also here, far from the numbers of previous years. It remains a sad season so far, but I am thankful to have at least some summer visitors. The good thing today is, the rain has finally stopped and the sun is out. However, it is rather windy and still cold. I am ready for some more summery weather. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend, everyone!
Yesterday,
we finally got a good amount of rain. It cooled the premature summer heat down and made the garden happy. The birds looked a bit pitiful and drenched but you know I love a good wet birb because the textures are so interesting. And interesting things are welcome right now because this is a very boring season so far. And I don’t seem to be alone in my observations, the local birdwatching groups are full of people stating that they don’t see as much activity as in previous years. This is concerning, and one can only hope that populations will bounce back. If you are inclined, this article from the Smithsonian Magazine is shedding some light on things. It is from last December but seems to be appropriate now.
Wet birbs* pictured: my current favorite House Finch with the orange patch, a Blue Jay, an American Robin, Dr. Clara the Bluebird, a Starling and a MoDo.
(*I use this spelling on purpose and as a term of endearment, it is not a typo. Audubon is in agreement 🤓)
Nesting season
is pretty much in full bloom right now. I still see some birds gathering nesting material, but many others are either coming a lot less to the feeders or when they come quickly stuff their beaks and take off. Funnily enough, during this rather slow time at the feeders, sometimes birds make it to the bowl that usually don’t go there, like this female Redwinged Blackbird. They are a rather shy and humble bird, kind of in the shadow of their vibrant male counterparts, but I love their kind faces and their subtle colors.
Things have slowed down
quite a bit right now because everybody seems to be nesting. Some are already done with the first batch, like the Bluebirds, and today I also heard the haunting voices of young Starlings and then eventually also saw one popping up at the bird bath. The smaller amount of visitors made me feel more easy about going out to plant my veggie garden. It was a hot day, and everybody wanted to go to the bird bath badly. The Robins did not care about me being out and about and enjoyed the relatively empty feeding stations. Dr. Clara is pretty much done with her nest, and I expect her to start laying eggs any day now. The one oddball thing right now is there are no Hummingbirds around. After having had a pretty good start of the season with them about ten days ago, none have showed up again. Same for the Catbird. I know that migration is still going on, so I hope to see some more new visitors soon.
It has rained
Bluebird babies yesterday while I was gardening in the evening. I am happy to report that it now looks like all four have made it. They are seemingly different characters, some more enthusiastic and brave than others. They are still focused on the parents and follow them around but they will become more independent in the coming weeks. Hopefully, they stick around and will help the parents defending the nestbox. It was absolutely wonderful to sit in the yard last night and just listen and watch. My favorite time of the year is here.
