Birding.

[MikeandRong]

The sun was so bright today at this time I was sitting on the opposite side of the front tree now and getting ready to go inside for lunch. This Female Cardinal was all puffed up and calling but it did not seem to bother the Female House Sparrow that was feeding at the same time too.

 

[MikeandRong]

So because I was sitting on the opposite side I was able to be right under this Ruby-throated Hummingbird that landed right over me about 8 feet away. He was more concerned with the Yellow Jackets and chasing them away than he was with me taking his pictures. In the third photo he has a unique black mark on his throat that may be the start of the ruby red color that will come in later. In the last photo, his small green back feathers are so small that they remind me of fish scales. I'm glad I was sitting so close and waited the extra minute and I was able to get these photos.

 

 

 

 

[MikeandRong]

The past 5 days have been quite full with not a lot of free time, and when time is to be had, very sporadic and much fewer species to be seen or heard. Even though it's in the high forties early AM, it warms up nicely and it's been perfect weather here. All day long though I can hear the squirrels and Blue Jays with their alarm screams and it's much too often to be any Hawks or other birds of prey causing such an alarm. I can hear the alarm calls from a few houses away, so it's not just my house that things are amiss. Later I'm sure it will turn up and I'll know for sure what's causing the daytime terror.

 

Well here we have a yearling Male Red-winged Blackbird still hanging around and more intent on feeding than being bothered by the Female Downy Woodpecker eating at the same time.

 

 

This yearling Male Downy Woodpecker almost always chooses the suet feeders over the mixed peanuts and sunflower seeds.

 

 

Even with the cold mornings the Hummingbirds are still here. They must be very close by sleeping because they arrive well before sunrise for a drink and then rest on the clothesline before feeding again. If not for the white chest it is still so dark you would have no idea they are right in front of you. This guy here hangs around quite a bit now and even if not having a drink he will just sit and rest for a bit before flying off to his other feeding spots.

 

[MikeandRong]

It's been so dry here with no rain I am having to put out fresh water for the birds and squirrels to have a drink each day now. If no water is out, the squirrels will wreak havoc on all the different vegetables ripening in the garden now just to find some moisture.

 

Here this yearling Blue Jay after having finished drinking just hopped right in and took a bath before flying up to eat some more peanuts.

 

 

This Morning Dove would just dunk his head underwater and shake it off, but he would not commit to the full bathing experience.

 

 

This very nice sized White-breasted Nuthatch decided for a change of pace and came in to feed on the black thistle seed instead of his usual diet nuts and suet.

 

[MikeandRong]

The store finally received their back order of suet blocks of the peanutbutter flavor. It is the absolute #1 choice above all the other flavors for all the different birds that do feed on the suet. Just put it out this morning and this Male Downy Woodpecker completely ignored the fruit and berry suet block that was still hanging up from yesterday and flew a beeline straight to his favorite flavor.

 

 

This English Starling was making a huge mess pulling out all the nuts he did not want to eat and only eating the cashew nut halves, swallowing them whole in one big gulp.

 

 

This Female Goldfinch landed over me and looked down at me and the thistle seed. Acting a little spooky she flew over to the black oil sunflower seeds on the far feeder to feed alongside some Sparrows.

 

[MikeandRong]

I was absolutely dertimined to spot what is causing this lack of birds and crying squirrel alarms that have been going on now for the last few weeks. So, totally camouflaged out, I waited, and I waited, making zero movement and blending in perfectly with my spot. The only thing I would have to move if needed would be a slight camera angle if I spot my target.

 

BINGO! Busted!!

 

I did not shoot him, only snapped a few photos, stood up, and scared the holy beegees out of him. He cleared the 4 foot fence to the other side in one blur of a movement and was gone.

 

He sure is pretty looking and looking a bit thin along his top spine and back thigh too. I have never seen him before and it is very unusual to see one outside in the daytime in this neighborhood anyways. Now it all makes sense, lack of birds, spooky birds, and squirrels making the long cry alarm near and far. We had some new neighbors move in 2 houses down, perhaps it belongs to them but I doubt it, again due to his thinness that I am seeing.

 

 

[amberjack1234]

Yep, he does look kinds thin. There is a hugh problem here with feral cats. So many Marines get them and when it is time for them to leave they just turn them a loose. I live trapped 40 in just one summer and turned them over to the shelter. If they had any kind of collar on I would just turn the a loose. I actually hated to do that but they would sleep on the front porch and get fleas all over the place and spray the whole place to mark their territory. I had to give up on having any kind of garden no matter how small. They like the soft dirt to poo in. I'd have 3/4 piles every morning.

[Allon]

I don't call them cats. I call them, targets.

[amberjack1234]

If I had the right wife they would have been dinner.

[MikeandRong]

If I had the right wife they would have been dinner.

Mama being from the NE says the cat is very very dirty, it eat the mouse so now is more dirty. If is sit on you when you sleep and it breath you mouth, then it take you soul, so it a very bad thing in the house too.

 

On the other hand my father ate cat soup while serving in the Korean War and said it was ok. Me, I have found that most meat, both wild and domestic, picks up the flavor of what it eats, so I would pass on the cat as most meat eaters don't taste that good.

[amberjack1234]

Mike, I have never had it and the wife says she has never had it either. In fact she does not est any of the exotic foods of China. I think she is a banana, yellow on the outside and white on the inside.

[MikeandRong]

After scaring the cat away the birds came back quickly. But with the season now starting to change many of the adult birds are molting their head and body feathers making me choose between yearlings, which are starting to look more grown up, or the molting adults. This sample from last week shows some of the different species and what they look like going through their molting process.

 

This is a Adult Male Goldfinch, very typical of what I am seeing now.

 

 

This Adult Male Red-bellied Woodpecker I see multiple times throughout the day and is taking a long time to grow his feathers back, it's been over 4 weeks since he lost them.

 

 

This sad looking Adult Blue Jay really takes the prize for ugly bird of the day.

 

[MikeandRong]

The Downy Woodpeckers are flying around like crazy these days, either feeding, playing follow the leader, or just being curious about things.

 

This plump looking Female Downy Woodpecker did not seem to mind the 2 House Finches feeding opposite her at the same time.

 

 

This yearling Female Downy Woodpecker was checking out one of the Sparrow houses hanging below the shed eave. She never went inside and as the Sparrows are done having babies now, none were home to chase her away.

 

[MikeandRong]

The yearling Mourning Doves are all in big groups now days and not very smart yet. This guy walked right up to me and was not the least bit afraid.

 

 

This group/flock came in all together and stayed in one large group all the while walking around and feeding. Staying this tight together is a good way to draw attention to themselves and have one of them get picked off by a Hawk or Falcon.

 

[MikeandRong]

The yearling Blue Jays are looking more and more like adults now days. Here this yearling is grabbing a peanut to go eat up in the tree. His beak is just a small bit shorter than an adult and doesn't have the growth rings you will see later on. Sort of like the growth rings you see on the horns of Dall Sheep and Antelopes.

 

 

This yearling Blue Jay seemed to be blowing himself up, closing his eyes, and then shaking off just like a wet dog would do, except he was not wet. The photo caught him as he just closed his eyes and came to full puffyness while just starting to shake off.