Video: King of the Yard at the bath
A royal bath in the evening light, and the King of the Yard went all by himself.
Video: female Rubythroated Hummingbird
This little Rubythroated Hummingbird lady showed up in the evening yesterday. She seems to have some difficulty with the insect guards that I put over the ports, so I took these off today to help her getting used to it. It also looks like she has some spider webs on her tail, so hopefully she is building a nest somewhere.
Video: Mr. Flicker takes a bath.
This morning, a Northern Flicker came to the bird bath. I think they are one of the most beautiful birds around here but they never come to my feeders - they prefer drilling the lawn for ants. So I was delighted to watch him. With his short woodpecker legs, he seemed to have some issues with the pebbles, but he still made it work. I hope he comes back. (The male can be distinguished from the female by his “mustache”. The female doesn’t have that.)
Video: Wilhelm von Grack is back!
Wilhelm von Grack is back 😁 He has grown quite a bit since I saw him last, and here he watches a Redwinged Blackbird bathe. I was wondering why I only saw one Grackle baby and then none anymore, so I am happy to see him back. I hope this means more baby birds are in the pipeline now.
Ostdrossel link to Birdsy Kickstarter
This is live now, and you can pledge to get yourself a Birdsy camera. Birdsy will record and monitor the wildlife in your garden with the help of AI. It will identify the birds and mammals that come to visit you, and save the videos in your own Birdsy account. There, you can watch your own livestream, save videos or share them with others. I have been using this system for about a year now, and I can tell you, it can become quite addictive :D Let me know if you have any questions.
To pledge, follow this link: https://birdsy-ai-records-and-ids.kckb.st/190e5d15
A perfect summer day at the pool.
A nice splash and a snack brought to you by your lover. These Blue Jays were so cute. (I know the lens was dirty. I need to find a solution for that.)
Get ready for Birdsy!
As you know, I have been using the Birdsy camera for quite a while now. (If you don’t - that is the camera I am using for my videos. I have written a bit more about it in my FAQ.) It has helped me getting to know my backyard visitors and also the ecosystem of my garden a lot better. It has brought me joy in the cold of the winter and the heat of the summer, in daylight as well as during the night, and it was a pleasure to share that with the world. Many people have asked me about it, and now I am happy to let you know that Birdsy is going to launch on Kickstarter on Monday, June 15th 2020. You can learn more here. I can help you out if you have questions, and I will also provide a special Ostdrossel link once it has started. I am very excited for the Birdsy team, they have created a fantastic product that I am sure will make lots of people happy.
Stay tuned!
Video: Catbird meowing at the pool
I love this guy, and I am so happy he is sticking around. I was working on my computer when I heard the first meow, and I actually thought there was a real cat haha He seemed quite surprised that the young Starling left.
Video: Ragnar and two babies at the pool
I heard them yesterday but they didn’t come down, but today was the big day. Ragnar and Lagertha, the Bluebirds, brought their first set of babies to the backyard (her new nest is almost done too). I saw three, but I was keeping a distance, so I am not sure how many there are. They are as adorable as ever, and my heart is full of joy. Ragnar made a big display at the pool too, showing that wonderful slow moving of the wings that is so typical for Bluebirds. The baby bunny, a baby Robin and the baby Grack also paid a visit, and I think the livestream is going to be a lot of fun in the coming weeks.
Video: Wilhelm von Grack at the pool
It looks like baby bird season has officially begun. Earlier today, this tiny Grackle showed up, I think the parents just parked it at the pool while they were searching for food. It must have felt good for him to take a bath after spending weeks in a nest with his siblings. We named him Wilhelm von Grack. I will get nothing done in the next few weeks, this bird bath is just way too entertaining :D
Video: Grackle examining the new pool
We improved the bird bath (still needs adjustments though), and this Grackle cracked me up. They are all still a bit shy around it, I think the pebbles must feel weird on their feet.
Video: surprise visitors
I just looked out the window when I saw three deer walking across the yard! Thankfully, an attention-seeking Robin and a Starling parent and his kid jumped into the frame, so Birdsy recorded it. This is only the second time I have seen deer in my yard, it was quite cool to watch.
Video: Baltimore Oriole
This Oriole showed me what it thought about taking feeders away for cleaning.
Video: Blue Jay collecting nesting material
A Blue Jay is collecting nesting material (the suet cage contains wool from a bird store, grass and roots).
Video: young Red-winged Blackbird at the bath
The pool is still open and getting used. And livestreamed! Check here or use the main menu.
Video: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
This morning at 6.30 AM, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird man checked in. I have so little hummingbird action this May that I had started to think they are avoiding my yard this year. And every time I see one, I hope it sticks around and comes back. We will see how this goes. I am glad I set Birdsy up with the Hummer feeder, otherwise I would have missed him.
After seeing Orioles with nesting material in the yard,
I decided to try and capture them taking it with Birdsy. I filled a suet cage with sheep wool that is sold as nesting material, and added pieces of natural string that I disintegrated into pieces that are less than 9 inches long and separate at an instant. You can see that too when the bird takes off. The blue and white plastic ribbon was something an Oriole brought to the yard, and I thought I would just add it too.
Please do not put out dryer lint or pet hair from a pet that has been treated with medication or flea/tick stuff. Bird babies will not be able to tolerate the chemicals. there are informative articles by Audubon and Cornell Labs out there about what nesting material to offer. Try to be as natural as possible.
Video: Rubythroated Hummingbird lady
I saw several hummingbirds today, and it finally warmed up as the day progressed, and I think we finally have some real spring coming here in Michigan. This must be the latest spring start I ever experienced, and as a May child, I cannot even begin to express how excited I am. I decided to name her Martha, after my wonderful niece who was named after my fantastic and resilient great grandma.
Video: FOY Grey Catbird
Grey Catbirds are also migratory visitors to my yard. They are named so because their call resembles that of a cat. They love insects and will also go for grape jelly. Which this one actually did this morning too. He checked in before 7 AM, and if it wasn’t for the Birdsy camera, I would probably never have seen him, which makes this little video extra nice. I hope he comes back!
Video: FOY Rubythroated Hummingbird
Today finally was the day where I saw my first Rubythroated Hummingbird of the season. Usually, I see them around the beginning of May, and I was impatiently waiting. We are having another night frost tonight but I hope this is the last of it - the forecast looks good.
