Video: little rockstar in the morning
Young Cardinals are so shy and skittish and well camouflaged that it is hard to take photos of them. However, they are not so shy around the Birdsy cam, and I love that it allows me to see these cuties up close finally :D
The Hummingbird feeder
is more popular than ever during this summer with so little Hummingbird action. They are here, they are even still nesting, so keep those feeders up and clean and make sure the nectar is fresh. Avoid the red stuff from the stores, you can easily make it yourself with one part sugar and four parts water (no chlorinated tap water). I also still have Orioles, but the males are becoming rarer. This one might be a migrant on his way south.
More teens
Namely: Cardinal (it was getting dark so the photo is not superb but I was so excited to finally get her), Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, House Finch (she is the most adorable little thing, and somehow the only young House Finch I have been seeing on a regular basis around the feeders. She has some odd feathers on her tail, maybe that’s why.)
I am having a very busy work week, so I haven’t posted many photos, but I put the cams out and they have been diligently taking photos. I just need to find the time for editing. Hopefully, things calm down a bit next week. Have a beautiful Friday and weekend!
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)
Teenagers!
The yard is full of teenage birds, so here is a little gallery. In order of appearance: Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Common Grackle, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay and Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Video: A Flicker in the Flicker box!
As you know, we built a Flicker nestbox earlier this year, but no Flicker or other bird came to nest in it. A House Wren inspected it a couple of times but that was it. I had taken the Starling shield away and put on a Wren whole restrictor, only to later also remove that to see what would happen since nesting season is basically over. And then this morning, a Northern Flicker actually went in there several times and hung out in it for a while, enjoying the view. These large wodpeckers are one of my absolute favorites, and I would be thrilled have them nest in this box. Hopefully, he remembers next year. I am so excited!
The balding Blue Jay
is not making a lot of progress, and I am not sure if he is molting. The patterns and textures on his head are fascinating, though.
These guys are not the same species,
but they look like kindred spirits and I loved the color combo. Teenage Gracks have the coolest colors going on.
Fall migration
seems to have slowly begun, but there are still Orioles visiting, so keep those feeders clean and filled.
Mask profit donations starting August 1st
I have decided to donate all mask profits starting from today throughout the month of August to Feeding America again. All mask profits from July 1st to August 1st will be donated to the Native American Rights Fund on the 15th when I receive the money from Redbubble. You have been very generous so far, thank you for that. Stay safe, wear a mask and help a good cause, even if you just share the link. The masks can be purchased right at ostdrossel.com or at my Redbubble shop, ostdrossel.redbubble.com. There, you can also find stickers and other things if you want to contribute to the bird food budget :)
A teenage Starling
looking into your soul. (They do have quite “human” eyes somehow, don’t they?)
More hummingbirds!
And I think this might be a young male because I see a teensy hint of red coming in at the neck (I added an arrow pointing to it in the second photo). I love his fuzzy little legs. I am not sure if the second one is the same bird. The light was different and I cannot see the red but otherwise they look pretty much identical with the little bulge on the neck and the black feathers in front of the eye.
MoDo faces
The Mourning Doves in my yard seem to absolutely love the camera. This can be funny fr stuff like these portraits but it can also be a bit bothersome because they can hog a feeder and prevent other birds to get to it. Also in quite an aggressive fashion, as I have witnessed. I am currently considering to set up a mock camera feeder just for them. With a box, a box and a little hand mirror. I’ll let you know if it works.
Madame Queen Red Eyebrow
Even ruffled, she is a beauty. I love it that the Cardinals have started to come back a bit more. They have been mostly camera shy all summer.
Video: More Cardinal babies!
Much to my delight, the Cardinals in my yard seem to have at least three babies! I have seen all three together, but here is the male from this morning and the two females from last night, getting fed by Dad at the pond. I just love them so much, and as I said yesterday, they are really hard to take photos of, so it makes me extra happy to see them explore in a more natural setting than just by a pile of seeds. Keep an eye on the livestream, it is very hot today, they might just pay a visit.
Family portrait time
for the Grackles. As you can see, no one was able to stay still, but at least these photos capture the Grack spirit perfectly, and I loved how the baby was mimicking the parent.
The Hummingbird feeders
are of great interest not just for the Hummingbirds. I am experimenting with different setups, and I can be sure that there will always be an Oriole visiting too. They are such goofballs.
Video: Cardinal siblings!
As you know, I saw a Cardi girl being fed by papa the other day, and then there was also a couple feeding a Cowbird baby. But yesterday, this adorable sibling couple showed up at the bird bath. First she comes in, then her brother joins. They are so very hard to take photos of because they are very skittish and so well camouflaged. I especially love the males with the red coming in in the most adventurous ways. Their beak color changes to the typical red when they are one year old. (Yes, the lens is dirty and they are out of focus but I still love this video, so I wanted to share.)
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.