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...
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.
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...
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 feederYear-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...
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.
It's been a while since my last post. The transition to my new computer was seamless, but I managed to come down with a really bad cold shortly afterwards. I think that I'm finally beginning to come out of it. And, thankfully, I have a little to talk about since the last installment.
The "Finch Famine" of 2008 is dead and gone. Double-digit American Goldfinches have been observed over the past few weeks, and 17 Pine Siskins were counted here this morning. Lesser Goldfinches (above) and House Finches (below) have also been representing in moderate numbers. There have been reports of Purple Finches around town, but so far none here.
One of the more interesting observations of the past few weeks is the fact that many American Goldfinches seem to be rather far into their molt for this time of the year. I noticed definite molting around their napes a few weeks ago. I thought that this seemed a little early, but shrugged it off. Then, I saw this guy today feeding with a flock of Pine Siskins...
and have to say that this seems REALLY early for an AMGO being well over halfway into full breeding plumage. This guy appears to be at least a month ahead of what I'd normally expect. But that's nature for you: full of surprises.
In other news, our first Sharp-shinned Hawk of the calendar year made an appearance last Saturday. Unfortunately, it didn't stick around long enough for a photo op. Later that morning, the first male Northern Flicker in almost a year (below) made an appearance. I don't know why, but we've hosted nothing but females and fledglings for almost a full year now. My last documented photo of a male was last March. While Townsend's Warblers seem to be avoiding our yard this winter, our two common winter Thrushes (Robins and Varied Thrushes) have been making appearances recently. Heck, I even saw a House Sparrow this morning, a somewhat unusual species for this neck of the woods.
A male Northern Flicker probes the pine trees for insects.
A male House Sparrow briefly stops by. Tell your friends that there's no food here!
Well, that's about it for now. Tomorrow is the beginning of March, which is pretty much the beginning of Spring migration. Activity should pick up soon...
I haven't posted in a few weeks because, well, there hasn't been much to talk about. Thankfully, that has changed recently.
My part of the state is known as the "Home of the Ducks" and that's an apt title, given what we've seen over the past 10 months here. We're close enough to a golf course pond that hosts Mallards (and Wood Ducks) to entice them to feed on our driveway. We hosted 2-3 regular Mallards from early April through early July of last year (and a pair of Wood Ducks for about a week last April). Two weeks ago, they returned. But while we saw maximum numbers of 2-3 last year, we're hosting up to 6 now. I don't know why they left at the beginning of last summer, but it's certainly nice to have them back.
Other than the ducks, activity here has remained approximately the same as before, with a slight uptick in Goldfinches (both American and Lesser) and Woodpeckers (Downy and Northern Flickers), as well as a more frequently-observed male Townsend's Warbler. The Song Sparrow that stayed with us into early January has been MIA for some time and no "winter finches," such as Purples, Evening Grosbeaks, or Red Crossbills, have been observed. I can't complain much about the lack of the latter two, but it would sure be nice to see a couple of Purple Finches.
American and Lesser Goldfinches dine on thistle in the backyard.
A Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler feeds on suet.I'll be switching over to a new computer later this week, and will probably not post again until later this month. We'll see what happens between now and then.
