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.
Number 1 confusion bird
for many seems to be this species. This is a Brown-headed Cowbird, and he is growing his adult feathers. The hues in the black portions as well as the simple brown of the youngsters and females can make it hard for people to identify this bird. When I was still a birdwatching beginner, at one point I thought, “Everytime I don’t know what it is, it is very likely a Cowbird.” And that was often the case. I love this particular look on them and am happy this one came to the camera. He seems to have some bumps on the feet but I haven’t seen them on any other bird.
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…
Today when I walked outside
to refill the feeders, I heard a familiar birdsong that I hadn't heard in way too long. And lo and behold - there was a group of at least three Tufted Titmice, happily checking out the buffet and singing away. I hope they stay, I have been missing them! (The one in the picture appears to be a young one.) Interestingly enough, I also recently heard people say they spotted red-breasted Nuthatches. I haven’t had any of those guys last winter, so I hope this year they will be back too. And Pine Siskins!
Video: molting Hummer
I have mounted one of the Birdsy cameras by the Hummingbird feeder again. Now that the Orioles are slowly starting to migrate, Hummingbird activity might increase a bit for a couple of weeks. This one appears to be molting on the head.
New in the shop!
I have added the squirrel and the groundhog to the shop, they are available on several products like greeting cards, stickers, clocks, pins, travel mugs, backpacks as well as face masks. Face masks are also now available in three different sizes. Furthermore, I have added two aprons.
For direct links to the shop, go here for the squirrel, here for the groundhog, here for a backpack and apron with the King of the Yard here, for the red Flock of Chickadees here. I will also add direct links on the main page. Let me know if you have any wishes, I will see what I can do.
Chuck, as we have decided
to call the quirky and vivacious young woodpecker, is really enjoying the treats in the camera bowl. And I am enjoying the details his portraits give me into the feather detail of a young Red-bellied Woodpecker.
A Moltey Crue
The Grackles are starting to grow their feathers back (and one youngster is getting adult feathers), resulting in all shades of a dark rainbow.
I have said before
that birdwatching is a bit like eating seasonally for me. I try to make the best of what is available at the moment. So here is another Hummingbird photo, from yesterday. If you look closely, you can see a tiny red feather coming in as the start of the characteristical gorget of this teenage Rubythroated Hummingbird.
International livestream summit with WildlifeKate from the UK!
Wildlife Kate is a fellow Birdsy user and has some wonderful camera setups in the UK. We agreed to share each other’s livestreams for a bit so everybody can learn more about and enjoy European and American birds. Her waterhole was built out of an old, recycled tire. It was planted up and covered with soil and plants. It is well used by a variety of birds and mammals, including several kinds of Tits, European Robins, Blackbirds, Pigeons, Nuthatches, Bullfinches, Woodpeckers, Chaffinches etc… You can check out her website here and the livestream here. Below is a montage of what you can see at the waterhole.
I am not sure
if this young Red-bellied Woodpecker is a boy or a girl, but it seems to love the camera feeder - it comes for snacks every day. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are beloved regular visitors in my yard, but the babies can be kind of elusive. This is the first year that a youngster is not camera shy, and I absolutely love it. Also just as much a goofball as the parents :D
Tiny case of "Nope"
I saw a male Hummingbird today on the regular feeder and then decided to try and get video eith this cute little homemade button feeder. He did not come, but this one did, a female or younrgster. Also not happy about it haha I’ll give it another try tomorrow. I took the video with the GitUp camera at 60 fps and slowed it down a lot to show some of the cool flight movements.
Sunday sunshine!
Baltimore activity is still quite high, even though this will soon change when the first ones start their fall migration. I always thought it was interesting to see their plumage variety, so here is a little gallery. I especially love the “Sunrise Tequila” one.
This lady is a goofball
and she cracks me up! In the middle photo she saw another Hummingbird approaching. I am really enjoying it that their activity has picked up. This almost feels normal.
Molting birds
can be tough to look at, but these Blue Jays are already growing their new feathers back.
They have been scarce for a bit,
but the Chickadees are also slowly making their comeback. And they are exploring all options, including the hummingbird feeder.
Video: Flick is back!
After ten days, the Northern Flicker came back tonight and is now sleeping in the nestbox :D The photo I snapped when he first came to check it out.
The Blue Jay babies
come in different shades and marking, something which I always find somewhat fascinating because the adults seem so much alike. This one sticks out a bit because it has hardly any markings. It looks so cute against the flower backdrop. (I am still super busy with work for the next couple of days but then I will hopefully find time to go through the big pile of photos that have been accumulating.)
