Late Summer Movement

This August continues to surprise and excite. Normally a veritable snoozer of a month, our yard has been bustling with activity over the past few weeks.



The big story has been the persistence of Black-headed Grosbeaks (above) at the sunflower feeders. They stop off here for a snack during migration at least once every May and August. However, multiple visits during these months are infrequent. We hosted several individuals for a week in May of 2008, and have never experienced multiple visits in August before. This year has been drastically different. Only one May visitor was recorded, but I have seen individuals at least once a week from July 28 through this morning. All visitors were either females or hatch-year juveniles (their plumage is almost identical). Black-headed Grosbeaks are incredibly shy at first, fleeing at the hint of movement (or glare from my telephoto lens), so my success in photographing them has been limited. However, they become accustomed to humans after a few visits. The fact that I've managed to scare off the majority of those that I've seen suggests that several different individuals have come through, and that they're not sticking around for long. I don't suspect that they'll be coming through for much longer, but what a ride it's been so far.


A female Rufous Hummingbird guards the backyard nectar feeder.


A juvenile male Rufous Hummer guards the same feeder from atop a rose tree. Competition for this food source between several Rufous and Anna's Hummingbirds has been very high.

Rufous Hummingbirds are also representing in unusually high numbers. They typically arrive in early-to-mid March, hang around until May, disappear in June (apparently they don't nest locally), return in July, and are gone by the end of September. I began noticing more than usual last month. They've moved on since then (the males migrate ahead of the females and hatch-years) and we've since been inundated with females and juveniles. In conjunction with the Anna's Hummers, they managed to drink down four cups of sugar-water last week. And over this time, they've been vehemently attempting to establish control our two sugar-water feeders. Watching them chase each other around has been entertaining. Their activity has waned somewhat over the past week, indicating that some of the Rufous Hummers have moved southward. But plenty remain and will be entertaining us for the next few weeks.

I had been waiting around for the past month to see Western Scrub-Jay fledglings, and was finally rewarded today. At least two extremely loud hatchlings stopped by this morning with their parents. It was quite a sight. Oh, and did I mention that they were extremely loud? Those crazy jays. While I've been paying much attention to our neighborhood's offspring Dark-eyed Juncos and their Brown-headed Cowbird "brothers" (two of each now, see the previous post for details), I just recently noticed that the adult Juncos are going through their Fall molt. One male is currently missing his upper tail feathers. Yep, the seasons are a' changin'.


A juvenile Western Scrub-Jay ponders its suet feeder perching strategy.


A molting adult Dark-eyed Junco

Lesser Goldfinches (left) are all over the place right now. This was somewhat unexpected, as finches in general typically don't flock until mid-September. But I've heard reports of higher-than-usual numbers of Lesser Goldfinches in Western Oregon and Southwest Washington, so it appears to be a regional phenomenon. Today's tally of 24 was a record for August (the previous high of 15 was established two years ago). Finches are highly unpredictable and it'll be interesting to see what happens later this year. I'm currently seeing about 3-6 American Goldfinches at a time, which is about normal for this time of the summer (these numbers will increase to 30-60 at this time next month). Pine Siskins are scarce right now, although that's about par for the course for August as well. Their numbers tend to uptick in October. Interestingly, I've read recent reports of unusually high numbers of Evening Grosbeaks in the Coastal Range. Since a large number of them move to the valley floor for the winter, some are predicting a large winter irruption. This would be great, as I'm still waiting (patiently) to check them off of my yard list.


American Goldfinches: More on the way soon.

Next month is shaping up to be very busy and exciting. Unfortunately, I'll be crazy-busy with work as well, but promise to find the time to share updates.

Juncos Raise Cowbirds and Other Yard Tales

Late July and early August is typically one of the least exiciting times of the backyard bird-watching year. The breeding season is over for most species and most fledglings are becoming self-sufficient. Natural food sources are in high abundance, so birds' reliance on feeders is minimal. In addition, it's too early for migration or post-breeding flocking, so the number and diversity of birds in the yard is also minimal. Given all of this, I've been very pleased with what I've seen over the past few weeks. With the help of a recent heat wave, yard activity has far exceeded my expectations.


A fledgling Dark-eyed Junco forages for seed with its father on a warm August morning

Last summer, we were graced with the presence of fledgling Dark-eyed Juncos. Juncos do breed here in the valley, but only in small numbers. It was nice to see that at least one pair decided to breed in our neighborhood again this summer. But I was literally shocked to see an adult Junco stuffing Nyjger seed down the throat of what at first appeared to be a large, plump juvenile finch. After a second, it dawned on me that the "finch" was actually a fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird. I had never witnessed cowbird parasitism before. Cowbirds are the only birds that lay their eggs in the nests of other species (warbler nests are frequent targets). The host species then (usually) raise the cowbirds as their own. While cowbirds aren't exactly my favorite species, I still found this incredibly interesting and exciting. A second fledgling cowbird made an appearance in our yard last week and both are now regulars in the yard.


A Dark-eyed Junco feeds a fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird.

A heat wave descended on Western Oregon a week and a half ago, sending temperatures into the low-mid 100's (it was 101, 105, and 106 at the beginning of the last week of August), and temperatures hung in the low/mid '90s for the next week. Not surprisingly, this meant that the bird baths were in almost constant use. Black-capped Chickadees have been a fixture at the baths, as have Red-breasted Nuthatches, both species of goldfinch and their young, House Finches, Western Scrub-Jays, and Downy Woodpeckers.

There are also signs of post-breeding local movements. A Black-headed Grosbeak visited one of the sunflower feeders early one morning during the heat wave. It is possible that this individual was fattening up before its migration. Just yesterday, the first White-breasted Nuthatch in over two years visited our shaded bird bath. It is possible that the unusually dry conditions forced him to look for water somewhere outside of his breeding territory. Bushtits are flocking in numbers of 15+ again. This is somewhat unusual, as the larger numbers are typically not seen until late September. Male Rufous Hummingbirds have dwindled somewhat in number over the past week (undoubtedly headed South) and have been replaced by females and juveniles. They and the Anna's are constantly fighting over the nectar feeders. Lesser Goldfinches have already increased in number and are eating more than their share of Nyjer and sunflower. It's just a matter of time before the American Goldfinches and Pine Siskins begin to flock as well.


A male Anna's Hummingbird tries to cool off in the 100-degree shade on an August evening


A fledgling American Goldfinch bathes on a sunny afternoon, as a Lesser Goldfinch watches


An unusual White-breasted Nuthatch stops in for a drink


A juvenile House Finch munches on sunflower seed

Despite the fact that we're still in early August, we've definitely passed the apex of summer. American Goldfinches are already beginning to molt (below) and it's just a matter of time before more migrants pass through and the flocking begins.

Summer Heat

Yep, it's been over a month. I've been insanely busy lately and was scheduled to be in Chicago this weekend, but that fell through at the last minute. Thankfully, this change in my schedule gave me a chance to get away from my recent 70-hour work weeks, relax, and look out my window.


A juvenile Western Tanager overlooks the driveway on a hot July morning.

The West Coast is known for its mild summers (typical highs in the low 80's out here), but that hasn't been the case lately. The last three days have topped out in the low/mid 90's, with more 90's later in the week. Even the cicadas are buzzing about! Because of this, I'm seeing a lot more yard activity than I typically do at this time of the year. The bird bath under the Rhododendron bushes has been jam-packed with Black-capped Chickadees, American and Lesser Goldfinches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, House Finches, Downy Woodpeckers, and even a young Northern Flicker (more on him shortly).


A Red-breasted Nuthatch escapes the hot afternoon sun for a cool drink.

Anna's Hummingbirds are also in significant numbers at this point, and it appears that Rufous Hummers are slowly headed south again. Not seen at all last month, male Rufous have been spotted at the nectar feeders and fuschia plant. Males preceed the females duirng migration and, although mid-July may sound somewhat early, it's actually pretty normal. (The females are typically gone by the end of September.)


A juvenile Anna's Hummingbird hangs out in the Rhododendron bush.

Summer juveniles are representing in the largest numbers to date. Juvenile Black-capped Chickadees are almost constantly "Dee-dee-deeing!" about, and waves of 10+ Bushtits are hitting the suet feeder several times per day. Lesser Goldfinch offspring have also become regulars at the feeders, as have very noisy young Crows. Juvenile House Finches visited our feeders, but in relatively small numbers. Even a juvenile Western Tanager and a juvenile Spotted Towhee made brief appearances!

While I enjoy all species, I have to admit that fledgling woodpeckers are my favorite. And this summer has not disappointed at all. Juvenile Downy Woodpeckers have been hitting the suet feeder for the past 2-3 weeks. The adults first show them the suet feeder, and they learn to eat by example. For the past week, the fledglings have been showing up to eat on their own. At least two juvenile Downies are visiting daily. Last summer, we were treated to the sight of a Northern Flicker feeding suet to a fledglings on top of my wife's car. And while I haven't seen anything quite that cool yet, I was pleasantly surprised to see a juvenile Red/Yellow-shafted "intergrade" Northern Flicker this morning. Red-shafted Flickers are (by far) the predominant subpsieces of Northern Flicker in the Western U.S. However, small populations of Yellow-shafted Flickers do live in the Northwest, and often winter in the Willamette Valley (a female visited my yard in the winter of 2007). Since these two subspecies belong to the same race, they often interbreed. Hence the "intergrade" subspecies. The particular juvenile that visited this morning had all of the markings of a typical Red-shafted Flicker, but also the large red mark on the nape (back of the head), indicative of a Yellow-shafted subspecies. Interestingly, it showed up with a mature male (most likely its father), who appeared to be almost "pure" Red-shafted, except for a very small splotch of red on the nape (that I only noticed after photographing it). Unfortunatley, I have not seen the mother, and am very curious to see what she looks like! The intergrade juvenile returned to drink water from the bird bath twice.


A fledgling "Red x Yellow intergrade" Northern Flicker. Note the red coloring on the nape and the red "mustache."


A young Downy Woodpecker. The incompletely-formed red mark on the crown/nape is the hallmark of a juvenile male.

Other species representing since the beginning of summer include Scrub-Jays, Dark-eyed Juncos (at least two of them), and Pine Siskins. The latter have made something of a comeback over the past month. A female Mallard visited a couple of days ago, but has not been seen since. Mallards have appeared to move on for the summer.


An adult male Lesser Goldfinch feeds one of its offspring sunflower chips.


A pair of Crows (adults on the left, offspring on the right) keep an eye on things.

Despite being in the height of summer, I've already begun thinking about this winter. In particular, I wanted to find a good way to accommodate the enormous flocks of goldfinches that we typically host in September. Also wanting to recommission some under-utilized feeders, I decided to invest in a squirrel-proof pole system for the back deck. It's far enough from the house that we won't have to move gingerly around the kitchen, but close enough that I'll be able to get some great closeups.



Well, that's about it for now. I may post some photos from my recent Central Oregon trips later this month. Until then...

Lots O' Finches and Fledglings

Well, it's been some time since my last post (this is becoming a recurring theme). I vacationed in Florida in late May, and have been working on another web site as well. But it's well-worth the wait, as Mmid-May through mid-June has been much more exciting than I had expected.

The most pressing question of this spring was whether or not Pine Siskins would nest in the area once again. At least one pair raised a brood here last year, which is uncommon here in the valley. I had noticed four healthy adults (plus one diseased individual) last month, and they stayed through May. And then I spotted three overly-tan fledglings in the seed tray of one of my feeders approximately two weeks ago. In addition to the slightly darker plumage, they had a somewhat more difficult time flying around and exhibited that classic "clueless" juvenile look. Confused or not, it was great to see them. I'm also flattered that my feeding station can serve as a viable alternative to their natural seed crops up in the hills.

In addition to the Siskins, juvenile Lesser Goldfinches have also been prevalent. They've also been particularly noisy and active, cheep-cheeping! loudly for their parents to feed them. Along with the Siskins, they've also been enjoying the bird bath and fountain on the back deck. And I've been spending a fortune on thistle!


Fledgling Lesser Goldfinches and Pine Siskins dine on thistle


Fledgling Lesser Goldfinch and Pine Siskins (left) wait as an adult Siskin makes creative use of the fountain power cord

In addition, I've seen at least one juvenile House Finch, a couple of fledgling Red-breasted Nuthatches, a couple of juvenile Black-capped Chickadees, and a small flock of fledgling Bushtits. I've also seen a marked increase in Mallards, including what appear to be are two juvenile females. And speaking of Mallard, their numbers are back up into the 5-6 range now, which means that they're going through almost 10 lbs of cracked corn per week! Good thing it's relatively cheap.


Mallards have found the ground feeder in the backyard

Late May also afforded two new species on the yard list: a Western Tanager and a small flock of 10-20 Cedar Waxwings that foraged through the oak trees along the street for a good week or so. The tanager was just a migratory passer-through, but I found it odd that the waxwings were feeding up in the oaks. Perhaps these trees were infested with insects?


A Cedar Waxwing tries its best to stay outside of my field of view on a Sunday afternoon in late May


Yes, even our Fox Squirrels are having offspring!

Well, that's about it for now. Hopefully next time I'll have some photos of juvenile Downy Woodpeckers or Scrub-Jays. I'll also try to post some photos from my trip to the Deschutes National Forest last month.

Warbler-palooza

While I'd love to report a yard sighting of a Evening Grosbeak or a Lazuli Bunting, the first half of May has not been that kind. (Both species have been seen in the area over the past couple of weeks.) However, I do have one morning of glorious warbler activity to report.

Earlier in the week, I noticed quite a bit of activity among the red-colored leaves of my neighbor's tree. After breaking out the binoculars, I spotted a Wilson's Warbler (above) and a likely Cassin's Vireo (only saw it for a split second). After a while, I was able to spot three individual Wilson's Warblers. This was a somewhat significant finding, as I typically only see one Wilson's at a time in the yard - once or twice a year, if I'm lucky. Shortly after, I noticed that one of these foraging passerines had a gray head. Huh? After consulting my trusty National Geographic Field Guide, the eye ring and lack of gray on the throat lead me to ID it as a Nashvile Warbler (below). This was a very interesting find, as Nashvilles do not breed here on the valley floor and are unusual yard birds during the migration season. I counted two foraging through the tree that morning, one in the late afternoon, and haven't seen a Nashville or Wilson's since. This underscores the importance of daily vigilance - those who don't pay close attention often miss these wonderful migrants.



In other news, American Goldfinches and Pine Siskins have been on the rise (currently maxing at 11 and 5 at a time, respectively). While AMGO numbers are somewhat unpredictable, Siskins in mid-May could be indicative of local breeding. One Siskin is ill (and given that I haven't seen it in a while, it may have become Hawk food) and is probably incapable of moving up into the hills. If they're still here at the end of the month, they'll almost certainly have bred locally. At least one pair of Siskins decided to breed in the neighborhood last Spring, and one of their fledglings visited our feeders on May 26th. A pair of Dark-eyed Juncos is also still hanging around, and it's possible that they may be breeding here as well.

And as I type this, the first-of-the-year Black-headed Grosbeak (female or second-year male) showed up at one of my sunflower feeders. I tried getting a photo, but apparently bending my knees while standing 10 feet from the window spooked it. Geez, talk about skittish...

Predictably, Rufous Hummers have drastically decreased in number over the past few weeks. Having heard the distinctive wing trill of the male as recent as last weekend, I haven't give up hope that a pair will finally breed locally.



With Spring comes the time for gardening and a greater need for water (since it's no longer raining four or five days a week). We've planted several hummingbird-friendly flowers thus far. I planted sunflower seeds a couple of weeks ago, but the stupid squirrels dug them up. (I'm re-planting them indoors and am allowing them to sprout in a window this time.) And I've brought out the old solar-powered water fountain for the backyard. It's in a less sunny location this time (i.e., the fountain only works in the early afternoon), but the Goldfinches seem to enjoy it regardless.

While hosting a guest from out of town last weekend, we took a trip to the coast. Here are a couple of photos...


Brandt's Cormorants


Dunlin


A Robin pieces together a nest


A fledgling Chestnut-backed Chickadee waits to be fed

Well, that's about it for now. I'll be keeping an eye out for Western Tanagers and other late migrants, and will keep you posted. I'll also be birding the Deschutes National Forest tomorrow and will try to get a few good shots there. Until next month...

Special Spring Double Issue

It's been over a month since my last post! Sorry, I've been tremendously busy. But I've been paying attention and have continued to take photos. And that's a good thing, as there has been quite a bit of action since mid-March.

Rufous Hummers began to show up in the first week of March. First the males, and then I began to spot females by the middle of the month. I had to set up a second nectar feeder to accommodate them. By early April, the combination of migrating Rufous and local Anna's Hummers were consuming approximately 14 oz. of nectar per week! Setting up the second nectar feeder in the Rhododendron bush just outside of the livingroom window afforded several nice photo opportunities.

Mid-march through mid-April also brought at least three different Purple Finches to our feeders. They've only been recorded here in February-April and October, so we look forward to seeing them and and getting a couple of photos. Interestingly, they really seemed to take to the new-ish feeder whose perching area is only about four feet off of the ground. Purple Finches are known for prefering feeders that are high off of the ground. They appear to have left for good now, but I was pleased to see them stick around for longer than they did last Spring.

The other Spring migrant to make its presence known has been the Orange-crowned Warbler. The first-of-the-year stopped by two weeks ago and I've at least one over the past two weekends. I'm sure that they'll have moved onto their breeding grounds a couple of weeks from now, but nothing says "April" here like Orange-crowned Warblers. Black-headed Grosbeaks should be passing through within the next week or two, and there has been a recent report of a Lazuli Bunting in Eugene. This would be an extraordinary yard bird, so I'm not holding my breath... but I'm definitely keeping my eyes open.

Spring migration also means an influx of "birds on the move" to their higher-elevation breeding grounds. This was readily apparent this year, with a sudden increase of Ruby-crowned Kinglets (few seen in the winter) and Townsend's Warblers, followed by a rather abrupt drop-off. While I did spot an RC Kinglet last weekend, the Townsend's Warblers are definitely gone. Another recent quasi-migratory passer-through is the Steller's Jay. Steller's Jays tend to inhabit the coniferous hills alongside the valley and are somewhat infrequent in our lower-elevation yard. We also had a brief appearance from a White-crowned Sparrow, also on its way up into the hills. Pine Siskins (above) peaked earlier this month (over a dozen at the feeders at once), but then leveled off to 2-4 at a time. It will be interesting to see if a pair decides to nest in the area again this year.


A male Purple Finch dines on sunflower seeds


A White-crowned Sparrow feeds on cracked corn


A female Townsend's Warbler perches in our flowering tree


A male Rufous Hummer sips tasty nectar


A female Rufous Hummer guards the other nectar feeder

Year-round yard regulars such as Downy Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers have also been visiting the suet feeder in high numbers recently. While the Flicker numbers have tapered off somewhat, it appears that a pair of Downys has set up residence somewhere in the neighborhood. Both frequent the suet feeder, often simultaneously. Mallard numbers have dropped from 6-8 to one pair. It's likely that this pair is nesting somewhere nearby. Other "regular" passerines that have held steady during this period include American and Lesser Goldfinches, Red-breasted Nuthathces, and Black-capped Chickadees. Dark-eyed Juncos, who usually breed up in the hills, have tapered off to approximately 2-3 at a time, but are still around regularly. It'll be intereting to see if a pair sticks around again this summer.


A female male Northern Flicker pecks away at a suet cake


A pair of Downy Woodpeckers stops by a for a bite to eat.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll be on the lookout for Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli, Buntings, Wilson's Warblers, and some of the other later migrants over the next few weeks. Until then...

NOW the Fun Begins...

I spent a sizeable portion of this winter's blog entries bemoaning the lack of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Townsend's Warbler, and finches in general. Things have picked up significantly over the past month. And after this weekend, I'm finally at the point where I can't complain anymore.



While it's always exciting to find a species that one doesn't expect, one of the most rewarding experiences of birding is discovering a species that is supposed to be elsewhere. Sure, I'd be thrilled if a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks showed up a my sunflower feeders but the discovery wouldn't be particularly noteworthy, as Evening Grosbeaks (though not city-friendly) are year-round residents here. So I was absolutely thrilled yesterday when my wife mentioned that a bird that sort of looked like a Townsend's Warbler was at the suet feeder. I grabbed the binocs and my jaw hit the floor: Hermit Warblers (above) winter in So Cal and Mexico and don't return to this part of the country until the third week of April (the earliest recorded date in the past 15 years is April 9th). To add to the excitement, I had never actually seen a Hermit Warbler before. Thankfully, it hung around long enough for me to get several good photos. After consulting with a few local experts, the consensus explanation of this bird's presence here five weeks before its normal return date is that this individual most likely overwintered here.



And if that doesn't make for an exciting enough day, a pair of Purple Finches (above) graced our yard with their presence earlier in the morning. This was the first that I had seen since last April. They didn't stick around for long, but I was still very happy to see them again.



While looking out the window last Saturday morning, I noticed a small flash of orange/red dart towards the roof. Only one native species is that color and moves that quickly: Rufous Hummingbirds (above) were back. I walked towards the kitchen and, sure enough, a male Rufous at the nectar feeder outside the window. I have not seen a female yet, but at least one male has been visiting regularly. A small flock of Crows were also harassing what appeared to be a Red-tailed Hawk last weekend. March has been quite a month thus far!

In other news, at least four individual Northern Flickers have been visiting over the past few weeks. This includes two males and two females. Flickers have also been drumming on trees in the neighborhood (and also our roof, unfortunately) to establish territory. Downy Woodpeckers have also been numerous, with at least three individuals stopping by regularly. The male Townsend's Warbler that hung around intermitently over the past two months is showing up a little more often now. An Audubon's subspecies Yellow-rumped Warbler has now joined the two Myrtle subspecies at the suet feeders. The "regular" winter finches (American and Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, and Pine Siskins) have been hanging out in approximately average numbers.

As I mentioned in a recent post, Mallards have been dining on our cracked corn and millet again. Interestingly, they seem to enjoy just hanging out in our driveway as well now. It's not unusual for them to just plop down and relax for a good 20-40 minutes. This is somewhat surprising with all of the neighborhood cats prowling around, but apparently they feel safe here.


Driveway Mallards - just hangin' out.


The "Finch Famine" is over. L to R: American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, and Purple Finches.

Well, that's it now. Hopefully I'll have more interesting sightings to report in a couple of weeks.