Video: Peck, peck, peck
The Woodpeckers are slowly returning to feeders, which of course makes me happy because any bird that is not a Dove right now does :P I find it fascinating how many different feeder styles for these birds are out there and while I generally only rarely put out suet, I am always interested to see what else is possible. This is where this “sandwich feeder” came in that can be filled with bark putter or other speadable bird food. Now it is supposed to also be Starling proof but only if you spread the food inside so that it does not come all the way to the edges. I didn’t do that here because I wanted the birds to find the feeder first. It is easy to clean and easy to hang, but the birds have been pretty much ignoring it for weeks. Until today. Patience pays off, and with that, have a great Friday!
Video: We are well into September
but I am still putting out Hummingbird nectar. Activity has slowed down a lot recently, and there are days with no Hummers. However, when I was in the middle of refilling yesterday, this guy showed up. It's short but I loved how he seemed angry that the feeder was empty 😄 Well, it will stay put for the time being.
I hope everyone has a nice Saturday ❤️
Video: Happy National Hummingbird Day!
How befitting on this date because I am seeing more Hummingbirds than all season. This little love came for a very relaxed sip today at around 11 am. I left it uncut because it is fun to see him go and look around, show off his tongue and also how cool his plumage looks with all those shades of green. I say he because I think this is a young male because I think I spot some kind of “beard shadow” but I am not sure. I keep hoping for one with a single red feather shooting in, we will see.
Video: Hummer fun!
Yellow jackets and Bald-faced hornets get sugar hungry towards the end of the season and can spoil the fun for birdwatchers as well as birds. At least for the Hummingbirds, I find these dish-style feeders a great solution to keep stinger insect devil at bay. These feeders do not leak, and they are quick and easy to clean. On top of that, the birds seem to like them too. There is not really much else happening, so I am enjoying the tiny winged jewels to the fullest. Come good into the week!
Videos: late summer life at the community pool
There is still not a lot happening at the moment so I am thankful even for little scenes.
I love Nasturtium and this year, it grows like crazy all over the yard (but also in a fenced-off section in my veggie garden). I often gather some for salads or just to eat plain. It has a peppery flavor. I am surprised to see that the groundhog likes it too, but it also looks like it has to take a big sip right after 😜 Once again, I know they are destructive but they just crack me up.
Happy Friday!
Robins are some of the best bathers around, and I thought it was so funny how these two made way for the young Flicker. I never see Flickers at my feeders so I always love it when they pop up at the bath.
It is always great
to get a new wave of summer guests when the season comes to an end. Orioles are starting to be on the move, and some from farther north are passing through on their way to their winter quarters. This one came very early today, and it looks very unusual with this really intense vibrancy. It looks like it could be a young male, with some of the darker head and neck markings coming through too. I hope it sticks around for a bit, I also prepped a photo cam with jelly today.
Video: Yesterday at some point,
power came back for a little bit, but with lower voltage. We were hopeful, so I put the cameras back out, and they recorded for a little bit. Now this morning, we are back to no power and the generator. I am glad I decided early to use the generator because I had deadlines and did not want to risk damaging the computer or losing data. Anyways, in between that tiny timeframe, this adorable young hummer came to the grape jelly. I lowered the volume in this video to make the generator noise less noisy but you can still hear the tiny chirp. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day power-wise. I am beginning to tire of this.
Video: Dr. Clara at the pool
The camera was struggling a bit because of the constantly moving leaf shadows but I thought this scene was too cute not to share. Dr. Clara is behaving like me when I first go to take a dip 😆 Also, I just love their slow wing display. Bluebirds are magical.
Videos: Critter cam!
It’s been a busy work week and there was little time for photo editing, but here are two videos to hold you over. I have always loved seeing what the Birdsy Cam recorded at night but of course it is especially fun when something more unusual shows up. This week, the Flying Squirrel came over again (last showing on cam was last October!), and two frogs were practising the famous Lift Scene from Dirty Dancing in the pond 😆
I am processing photos as we speak and will post some in the next two days. Friday is finally here! Have a great one!
This sweet visitor
finally was comfy enough to sit while drinking the nectar. I make my own hummingbird nectar, and recommend you to do it too. It is easy, cheap and healthier for the birds than the store-bought stuff with dyes and preservatives. Use 1 part granulated white cane sugar and 4 parts water. Mix until dissolved and chill. You can boil the water to help dissolving. Don't use chlorinated water. This mix will hold up for a couple of days in the fridge.
Video: Dinner with the Blues!
The Bluebird babies have been in the yard for a couple of days, but the male always fed them by the caged feeder (that has no cam on it). Last night, they finally led them to the open tray, and Mom and Dad joined in the feeding duties. I have seen all five babies at some point but harsh weather, natural predators or individualism might have separated the siblings. Anyways, here is some happiness to make your Saturday better. (No, the babies are not considerably larger, the angle makes it appear so.)
Hatch day for the House Wrens
Yesterday, the House Wren babies have started to hatch. It was interesting to see how the female was taking the egg shells out rather than eating them. But maybe she ate some and threw some out because seven eggs make a lot of egg shell. In the video, you see her tossing out two shells and then you also get a glimpse of the teensy babies. Since they built the whole structure so well, lighting in the box is a bit murky but hopefully things improve a bit once the babies get bigger. I think that so far, all but two eggs have hatched. I am curious to see if the babies will keep them busy enough so that the male loses interest in the BB box. So far, he has not returned with any sticks. The BBs are still around too. They feed their babies from brood 2, and at least the male checks by the box regularly.
Video: Not the Nasturtium!
We plant a little flower patch each year around the bird bath, and this year, the nasturtiums are plenty. I was so happy because I love using them in the kitchen, but I guess others like them too 😆 (I know that groundhogs can damage gardens and sheds, but we have one every year and the house and garden are still standing.)
Birdsy 4th of July offer - extended
I hear that the special offer will be extended until tomorrow due to popular demand. Check it out at birdsy.com :)
As many of you know, I have been using the Birdsy camera for my livestream and videos for a while now. I love it because it captures many things I would not be able to capture with my other cameras, and it has given me lots of insights into the secret things happening in my yard. I would not want to be without it anymore, ha! Many people have asked me about it, so I thought I would give you a little heads up - they are having a special sale on the 4th of July on their website birdsy.com. This is only for the US but a good chance to get a camera right now. Sales for other areas will start later. I have a little more info about the camera in my FAQ too.
Video: A nestbuilding timelapse
Dr. Clara the Bluebird has been very busy building her nest, a lot faster than the first two. I always find it fascinating to see them build, and the timelapse shows nicely the different sections. First a base, then some framing, then bedding and then embellishments. Since she started in such a hurry I expect her to start laying eggs soon too.
I have been a little behind here with posts lately but there is not a lot happening, and then there was all this rain. The rain has mucked up the pond quite a bit too, so it needed a bit more cleaning than usual but it will be up and running later today. And more photos :) Happy Thursday!
Video: Those slow summer days
where all the birds are taking care of their babies and there is a thunderstorm every four hours can be a bit boring for the backyard birder. But the bird bath still provides good entertainment. Here is a surprise Cedar Waxwing, who was joined by a Baltimore Oriole.
It looks like Dr. Clara and Mandrake
are going for another round. She has started building a nest yesterday, and once again was not too happy with Mandrake trying to help 😄 The House Wren has laid a total of seven eggs and is currently incubating. We had some nasty weather here recently and I am happy to see the nestboxes withstood the storms just fine. I hope the same goes for the bird babies in the area. I am expecting to see more any day now.
Video: Fledge day!
Four of the Bluebird babies left the nest early this morning. There is a runt, and he / she is still in the box, all dry with torrential rain outside. It was cool to properly see and hear the process of them getting ready to leave, it’s gotta be such a big decision for them. They do a back and forth call with the parents, and once they feel save enough, they just go In the second video you can hear the parent answering outside a bit too. The third video was a cute scene from the other morning. Mom came to check on the babies, and the sun made her shadow appear on the wall like a little movie.
Update - all five babies have fledged now. That a big day for them! The last one left the box at around 2 pm during heavy rain. Such a little trooper.
Video: A sunbather
On very hot days, it can happen that birds go into an odd-looking pose, spreading out their wings, beak open and just remaining like that for a bit. It can look concerning, but it does not mean they are sick or injured - they are taking a sunbath. The reason is not entirely clear, and explanations range from plumage care to personal enjoyment. If you want to read more, you could check this article. (Birds also sometimes do something called “anting” where they sit in a spot with lots of ants, also for plumage care, but here, the Blue Jay is sunbathing.)
Video: Dr. Clara and Mandrake
both take turns to bring caterpillars, flies, moths, yellow jackets and spiders to their young. It is amazing what these tiny shrimp can swallow, but often, they need to empty themselves right away too. Which is what you see here. Mom takes the white fecal sac, the "diaper", and either eats it or discards it away from the nest.
