Today when I went outside,
it sounded like spring, there were Robin calls, Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cardinals and Starlings. There is a place nearby that has a mature Cedar tree, and I have checked it a couple of weeks ago to see how far the berries were, and I went there today again. The tree was basically covered in happy Robins, and it also had some Cedar Waxwings sprinkled in. I will go back to try and get some Waxwing goodness. Here is a photo of the teen Cardinal too, he posed just outside my window today, and a Whitecrowned Sparrow was at the bath!
Despite my earlier musings,
today turned out a fabulous day for a birdwatcher! The Bluebirds were back at the nestbox, there was a Red-winged Blackbird, and a Grackle and even a Tanager! I am not sure what kind of Tanager but I lean towards Scarlet. Sorry for the bad pic, this is what my DSLR photos look like 😜 Must have been a big migration day today!
Video: Thirsty bun
Good morning! The yard is still slim pickings when it comes to birds but there was a thirsty bunny at the pond last night that I thought people might enjoy. It is still very mild out and I think I will give the pond one more thorough cleaning before I close it for the season.
Two days ago, there were Bluebirds at the Gilbertson box, and I heard them yesterday in the morning too. This made me incredibly happy because they have been absent since the Wren destroyed their eggs earlier this summer. I hope they will start sticking around again, I miss seeing these lovelies. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Race-car stripe birb is back,
and I am so happy because I love these guys! I have seen and heard the Red-breasted Nuthatches for a bit now, and today, one went for the cam. These birds are cold season birds around here, and they are one of the most entertaining and tame feathered friends I have come across. They are super vocal too, and when you hear something that sounds like a beatbox, you might have a Red-breasted Nuthatch in your yard.
As I mentioned the other day,
a Downy Woodpecker lady had started to roost in the Bluebird box. This happens every other year, and they will stay for a while but never have all winter. She goes to bed at around 6.30 pm every evening and gets up at around 7.40 in the morning. Like clockwork, day after day. Here she is coming for dinner before going to rest for the night. The male is still checking out the other box but has not spent a night yet.
Have a sweet night!
Are you someone
who talks to the beings around them? I am. I talk to the resident (indoor) cat goddess, I talk to the Groundhog when I see him running, I talk to the plants and I also talk to the birds. These two here are currently the most vocal. The baby Goldfinches are all over the place, excitedly talking to their parents, and the Red-bellied Woodpecker lady is just like me in a car in heavy traffic 😆 She wants to eat in peace but there are so many others who annoy.
Video: Finally!
I have been stalking this adorable little stinker for a couple of weeks now, a young Cardinal. I keep hearing it begging for food from the parents but the whole family is camera shy. This morning, however, he came for a sip at the bird bath. The beak is still brown and will only change to the characteristic red when the bird has reached one year of age. The plumage will slowly start to fill in more with color too. I love this "tie-dye" stage on them.
Apart from that, there is very little going on in the yard still. The leaves are starting to turn, the air smells like fall, and it is raining Black Walnuts. This means for me that winter prep is still ongoing. Each morning, I go out with a helmet on to collect them (they are big and fall from tall trees and I like my head). I also saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch this morning, which is wonderful news because you never know if they will return. Hopefully, it will also check out the camera feeders. Have a nice Wednesday!
The 2022 calendar is here!
Hello, dear followers, I proudly present the 2022 Ostdrossel calendar. I have to admid that it was tough to go through the photos of the year to narrow the selection down but I think it worked out nicely in the end. There is an early bird special going on for the next couple of days, too. I will introduce the monthly species in the coming weeks as well.
They come in three formats and four sizes. There is a rectangle wall calendar in two sizes, a 12 x 12 wall calendar and a desk calendar. Only the wall calendars have the species names on the back.
Link to shop: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
(Please note, all orders are made on demand and handled by that website.)
Have a beautiful Monday and week!
Video: Look who it is!
In the last weeks and months, I mostly saw skunks and raccoons in the night recordings, but look who was back last night, happily running into the frame 😁 Herr von Bödefeld! I love Opossums and always feel lucky to have them visiting my yard. And I hope this one returns for some more muncher videos.
Robins are the state bird of Michigan,
but they do migrate too, even if just within the state. I love Robins because they are a lot of fun to watch and listen to but also because they remind me a lot of a European bird I love, the Eurasian Blackbird. American Robins look basically like them but have a lot more color going on. I did not see any for a while but right now, a group is visiting, exploring the feeders, searching the lawn and taking baths.
As we are diving deeper
into those golden light evenings, temperatures are becoming noticeably cooler and the plants are starting to wilt. I am happy for every sun ray, trying to soak it all up before winter. The birds forage seed pods and nuts and fruit in nature, so activity is still down but it is normal for the season. Here is the current crew, and imagine a Downy Woodpeckerine happily snoozing in the BB box.
I am always a bit restless during these quieter times but they are also very useful because they give me time to work on the 2022 calendar.
(pictured: Goldfinch, female Redbellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, young MoDo, House Finch, Chickadee)
Video: Another lovely migratory surprise
Rosebreasted Grosbeaks come here in spring, stay during summer and raise their babies, and usually leave my area pretty early, like in August. Today, these two showed up, a young female and male. The female comes in first, she has the yellow “armpits”, then the male comes in, with red “armpits” and a bit onf the red bib showing too. I hope they have safe travels! Come good into Monday!
I love the little surprises
that are always possible during migration times and even normal times. Yesterday, Count Grackula made a surprise visit to the yard! It has been what feels like a month since I last saw a Grackle, so this was wonderful to see. He didn’t stay long but he found some nutrition for his travels here. Today it is once again raining, so yesterday was a great day to travel for a migrating bird.
And from big to small, the rough looking cutie is a molting Goldfinch. You can still see the bright and vibrant yellow of their summer feathers but the milder brownish tones of their winter plumage are coming in too.
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!
Fall is here!
And the weather was appropriate for the occasion. It has been storming and raining nonstop since last night, and I actually made a beef roast today because it felt so fallsy. Funnily enough, I also spotted two Hummingbirds. The end of September can be fun and interesting but apart from those few lucky encounters it has basically been MoDo season here for a bit now. They are fun and goofy and all but I feel like it is time to adjust feeders and food for a bit again to discourage them from flocking here because they keep all the other birds away.
Backyard life
is still slow, variety is low, and many birds are using the remaining warmer days to grow new feathers. What you see on the MoDo’s head are the new feathers. I personally love it, "disheveled" is also my kind of pandemic style 😏 The Goldfinches have returned though, and the squeaky sounds of their adorable babies are filling the air. It is quite stormy today, which will help the migrants. And I hope some surprise visitors will pass through on their journey. Yesterday, I did see a Pine Warbler but it didn’t come to the cameras. Maybe today?
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 ❤️
Many of the summer Blue Jays
have migrated (yes, even they do that but not as far as the typical migratory birds), but there is still a smaller group around. some of them are looking very scraggly but here is the proof that not all of them molt. Sometimes I get so used to their scruff that I almost forget how gorgeous and perfect they normally look 😄 Speaking of blue - I also heard a Bluebird sing this morning! Hopefully this means they will be around again soon. Happy Wednesday!
Now is a good time to learn more
about bird ID because individuals from the same species can show very different looks. Between male and female, young and adult and molting or non-molting, there is a big variety of feathers to be seen at the end of the warm season. These are all House Finches. One male adult (this was yesterday morning when the air was beautifully foggy) with a little molt, one younger male with a lot of molt and a female that looks pretty much impeccable.
I like it when they share,
even if they often do not seem to. Titmice and Chickadees often seem to hang out together but I guess peanut envy is a thing 😜 The House Finch looks unimpressed yet wary of the big (molting) MoDo, and the young Woodpecker appears to be more interested in the camera than the Goldfinch.
