Sky Blue Sky

I just love the avian diversity in my neighborhood. This bald eagle was flying right over our house! 

Rare sighting of red-tailed hawks

A pair of red-tailed hawks were soaring over the yard this afternoon, riding the breeze. One took a rest in the neighbor's tree. In a word, impressive. After they left and had been gone a few minutes, the flock of cedar waxwings flew out from their hiding spot to their favorite crab apple tree.

A Christmas for All Creatures Great and Small

The birds weren't the only ones who appreciated what I got for Christmas this year. All creatures are welcome at my feeders. I had bunnies and squirrels (even a mouse) climbing the entire ascent of the deck steps to enjoy what we put out for the birds.

A wreath decorated with suet balls. Unfortunately the dog helped herself to these goodies.

Homemade bird seed cakes in fun cut-outs. Chickadees and downy woodpeckers love hanging from these, but it was the squirrels who would steal them off the hanger. 

Snowman feeder. I didn't have enough sunflower seeds to fill him all the way but I put him out anyway and the squirrels found him.  

Catching up a little

It's been a busy fall/winter so I haven't been updating this blog as much as I would like.

This photo is from after Christmas. A Cooper's Hawk, chasing all my little birds away.

After the Storm

The robins found the heated birdbath. 

Mid-winter break

How many cedar waxwings are flocked in these trees?

Backyard Oasis

As we enjoy the last few weeks of summer on our new patio and still-new deck, we've also made a pretty nice place for my birds to hang out by finally putting up the bird bath on the deck right above a hanging feeder placed on the edge of the yard. 

So far it's been just the usual: sparrows, finches, chickadees, and occasionally a cardinal. The chipping sparrow below was feeding its biological baby (not a cowbird baby like the other family I saw a few weeks ago).

Chipping Sparrow (there's a baby hiding in the shadows somewhere behind her) 

Double Hawk Day

This morning, a Cooper's Hawk...

In the evening, the Common Nighthawk...

A speckled egg

Found on the grass near some pine trees at the YMCA. Cardinal? Cowbird? Not sure who it might belong to.

Mama chipping sparrow and cowbird baby

I was surprised to see this cowbird baby and its chipping sparrow mama since I had seen very few cowbirds this spring and summer. In years past I've seen cowbirds raised by other sparrow varieties, and even cardinals. But these two are so off in size, it's comical. 

Robin's nest

This is the robin nest from under our deck. I took it down after the second brood successfully fledged and the family moved out into the wild. 

Catbird

Catbirds are so secretive that this was the first year I've been able to get a decent picture of them. Earlier in the spring they were nesting in the neighbor's shrub, but now it appears they've moved on to a nearby pine tree. They spent the majority of the day clucking and mewing their warnings at me and our nesting robins, often with a mouthful of food.

The upside of having weeds...

We have a full-on thistle farm waiting to be destroyed by the landscaper later this month. In the meantime the weeds are an eyesore and I'm totally embarrassed by them.

But, I found the silver lining! They feed the goldfinches! 

Just today we had at least two females and one male fighting over their turn at the lavender bristles.

Three-eared rabbit

This three-eared bunny likes to eat the bird seed under our feeder, so I'll include him on this blog. I don't actually think he has three ears as the questionable ear (on his right) may simply be a birth defect or possibly the result of a predator (my brother noticed he was favoring his right paw). He's still pretty cute, and because of his silly ear I call him Flopsy.

The Deck Robins

We got a new deck last fall and the robins have once again made a nest under it this spring. We like to sit out on there in the evenings but the incessant barking from mom and dad robin make the experience less than enjoyable. How they think to nest there with all the activity of us and the dog is beyond me.

In years past the robins haven't been successful in this location. Last year Dallas killed the babies that fledged, and I'm not even sure if past nests have even seen anything hatched. So this year when I noticed the nest my heart sank. 

But those parents kept at it. We were out playing in the kiddie pool when a little black squirrel got chased out from under the deck right next to us, froze when he saw us, then darted back under the deck only to be dive-bombed again. The poor thing was then chased all across the yard and up the oak tree. As for Dallas, simply minding her own business too close to that nest has warranted an attack from mom and dad robin. 

So I carefully checked the nest and I saw this, around mid-June (a month later than in years past, most likely due to the snowy spring and cool temps earlier this summer). Two babies!

Last week I didn't see much activity in the nest, and it was empty, so I was hoping they had fledged safely. Yesterday I heard baby robins in the backyard and found this:

The two babies waiting for a meal.

One baby with its mouth ready for a worm

Now I hear those two babies every day, all over the yard. Hopefully they will find a quieter spot to nest next year! 

Baby birds!

Several birds have brought their babies out to feed recently, and here are some of them in the act...

A Lull

I tried a new birdseed the last couple weeks, a berry and nut mix, hoping to attract more cardinals, grosbeaks, and orioles. So far it has only reduced the number of sparrows and finches at my feeder and increased squirrel and bunny visitors. It's been very quiet around here.

However, I did see this downy woodpecker the other day. Perhaps I should put some suet out for him.

Just because...

From a few weeks ago, another white-throated sparrow.

Yellow Warbler!

Seen (for the first time!) swimming through our wet birch tree.

Singing a Happy Tune

The tree next to my kitchen window is a house finch condo so I hear them sing a lot. When they do, they puff their feathers out and extend their neck, like this guy is doing.