Daily Bird Pictures volume 457

continued from: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1352179/

The first photo is a repeat from March, because
the second photo is not a great photo for starting this thread - but I am excited about it. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are rare here during migration, very rare between migrations. The storm over the weekend must have blown this one in. It is the first one I have ever seen

Congratulations on the Grosbeak! They come here briefly in May. I wish they'd stay longer since I am stocked up on Safflower.

Tree Swallows are at the box.

Thanks for the new thread, pollen. Great start and congrats on the RB Grosbeak! How exciting for you! And your Bald Eagle is gorgeous, even if it is a repeat pic.

We've been very fortunate with the RB Grosbeaks. Once they show up, they do stay and nest. We had our first Indigo Buntings of the season on the 10th. I'm always so thrilled to see them, though they generally move on after a while. And this morning I saw an Orchard Oriole. The first time I've seen one around here. He joined the Baltimore Orioles at the grape jelly.

Chilly, those are great pics of your Tree Swallows! I like the way one is in the nest box and one is flying.

The plot thickens -
1 & 2 Female Black-headed Grosbeak. The are common in this area but NOT common in my back yard. My daughter says that the male Rose-breasted and the female Black-headed originally showed up together yesterday. My bird book says that they will hybridize where their ranges overlap.
3 The male Rose-breasted again - he is much more furtive than the female. The weather is still trying to spit snow today, but there will be some good flying weather this weekend. I doubt he will be around next week.
4 Scaled quail, year round resident here. I thought I was done feeding birds for the season, but I am going to have to buy more bird seed!

This message was edited May 13, 2014 11:41 AM

But you never know. That Black-headed female sure seems to be enjoying her meal of sunflower seeds. Maybe she can convince Mr. Rose-breasted that it's a nice place to raise babies?

Thanks for starting the new thread!

I did a little photoshop enhancement on the Grosbeak ;-)

Resin

The RB Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings are here and do nest nearby but do not visit on a regular basis.

I believe this is a Swanson's Thrush. Hanging out on our fence and in the backyard.


This message was edited May 13, 2014 5:32 PM

Resin - thanks for cleaning up my photo. If my first photo had been my only photo, I would have needed it. But I got lucky - I turned off the flash, washed the window, and the bird came back.
1 better photo of Rose-breasted Grosbeak
I was seeing such interesting things in the yard, I thought I had better check the local park
2 Violet-Green swallows taking a break
3 a very Yellow Warbler
4 American Coot (note to self: go back and pull that weed before it goes to seed)

Wow, look at all those swallows!

nutsaboutnature,

The way they were interacting, I've been wondering if we have two females here. Sometimes there are three, but I cannot figure out who the couple is. Here is the young female struggling with some grass. It snagged on the hole.

Some of the parts arrived in the mail yesterday for the makings of a Northern Rough-winged Swallow "box". We saw the bird at the creek again today and they've been in our yard.

Here is a surprise shot of a Clay-colored Sparrow. I had no idea it was on my camera. When I take photos of little sparrows in trees, they are most often Chipping. This year, the Clays spent a lot of time here, unlike the usual one spring day they pass through. I now recognize their buzzy song.

Ditto on the "lots of swallows"! Pollen, It looks like the Grosbeaks are getting real comfy.

Impressive the way you can do that with photos that are online, Resin!

Nice pics, nanny! I think our Indigo Buntings also nest right nearby, but after a while we rarely see them.

Chilly, sometimes male Tree Swallows will actually have two mates at one time which might be what you're seeing.



This message was edited May 14, 2014 3:04 PM

These were taken through my kitchen window. Sorry they're not out in the wild, but the feeder near our window allows for some closer shots.

1 & 2 - Indigo Bunting
3 & 4 - American Goldfinch
5 - This one was for fun. This Northern Cardinal was shot in the middle of a snowstorm less than a month ago!

Forgot to mention the birds in first 4 pics were all still molting.

This message was edited May 14, 2014 1:21 PM

nutsaboutnature, kitchen window shots are fine by me. Many of my photos are through windows. Today I was taking photos through the kitchen of the Robin babies being fed. I always thought they were fed bugs from the start, but I ended up with a photo of white gunk coming out of the parent's mouth. Robin barf... yum. ;)

I really need to get my latest photos put on the computer: the Vulture fight, the Bobwhite in our "monkey tree", warblers, orioles... But here is one of our last Juncos of the spring with a messy, messy face.

Here's a bird from last weekend, an Osprey. Just as I was editing it, I noticed it has two metal bands.

Resin,
You could be right about that. It didn't look like any fecal sac that I've seen before, so I thought maybe it was regurgitated food. I am putting the photo on here.

Today, I found a fecal sac garden. I planted some wild ginger in that area last week and it sure is getting fertilized. I've never seen so many in one spot like that.

I zoomed in on the Osprey's bands and all I can make out is possibly a 4.

No photos of this, since I just dumped from the camera, but Bluebirds are moving in to one of our boxes. Last year when they tried in that part of the yard, a territorial Robin and wasps kept them away. Today, the Mrs. was already bringing in nesting material after choosing the site earlier in the day. Now those Chimney Swifts need to get here.

Hi all. Haven't been on in a while. I went back and enjoyed the other daily threads. I have changed my computers from Windows to Macs (laptop and a desktop - and love 'em) and I had to get Photoshop Elements for the new Macs - I'm back up and running now.

Pics 1 and 2 - I was out on my wheelchair porch and spotted this towhee. Haven't seen one around in a while. Spotted it a few days ago, but didn't have my camera.

Pic 3 - I've been seeing Robins for a while now.

Pic 4 - Big ole' grackle

Pic 5 - Couple of Female House Finches and a male Cardinal

Till later,
Hack

This message was edited May 18, 2014 6:46 PM

Welcome back, Hack! Those are some great looking shots!
So far this spring I've seen some birds I don't see every year and some I've never seen in my yard before.

Thanks nutsaboutnature, I meant to tell you that that Indigo Bunting you captured a few entries back is beautiful. I had a few Gold finches in little while back, but haven't seen any lately.

Hack

AWE-RIGHT!!! - Its been a long time since I had a Lifer. This Song Sparrow is a first for me. I appreciate Resin for ID'ing it.

Hack

Congrats on the new bird, Hack. It's always a thrill.

We just spotted our first of the year Common Nighthawk- never saw one in the spring before.

Here are the Tree Swallows. Not sure what their fuss is about. The brown one has her head sticking out of the hole a lot, but there are no eggs.

We had a pair of Yellow Warblers around the last couple of days. We hope they nest here, but I am not sure what their habitat needs are. We are pretty open.

Nice pics Chillybean, and I especially liked the Yellow Warbler image.

Judging by the diverse places I have seen Yellow Warblers this past month, I don't think they know what their habitat is supposed to be either. Book says "second growth or shrubby areas ... especially willows. Builds nests in shrubs, saplings, or trees"

Thank you, Hack. I will get this one printed, but I'll have to do something about that dandelion by the bill.

Pollengarden, We have some type of willow in our tree line, they're not Weeping. We'll see what happens. They are still here today.

The Tree Swallows must've gotten over their fuss... they were on friendly terms today.

Thanks, Hack, and Congrats on the Lifer! That's always an exciting experience.

Pretty Warbler, Chillybean! We don't seem to get Warblers in our yard. I guess I'll have to check out some of the nature preserves in the area.

1) Baltimore Oriole male in a River Birch.
2) Northern Cardinal female.
3) Blue Jay
4 & 5) Swainson's Thrush...this is a Lifer! (Thanks to Resin for the I.D.)

Man, nutsaboutnature, a Lifer for you, too. Great.

That Baltimore Oriole is a really nice pic. I've been seeing lots of Cardinals and a couple Blue Jays around here.

Hack

I reworked the "dripper" hanging over my birdbath. Upgraded it to a 5-gal water bottle with a little fish tank air hose. At the end of the air hose, suspended over the birdbath, is a little valve I use to get the desired drip rate from the 5-gallon water bottle. All I do is get the drip started by gently sucking the water into the hose, like the hose was a straw - then I turn the valve until it is nearly off and the result is drip, drip, drip . . . . . Now, I don't have to refill the bird bath nearly as much and the birds still visit and bathe (the rig doesn't frighten them).

Oh, and that green vine, with red trumpet like flowers, on the left post is a Cardinal Climber (I hope hummingbirds will be attracted to it, but it is still a "baby", just planted it.)

My 1st pic is of the birdbath set-up.
2nd pic is of a couple of female House Finches sitting, just before diving down.
3rd pic is of the same two HOFIN's enjoying a bath.

Hack

This message was edited May 24, 2014 12:46 PM

Hey Hack, nice to see you on again! I need to see what if anything good I have on my camera.

Hey nanny, I love the butterfly pic above your name. How did you get it there?

Hack

After planting my new Blue Sky vine, I snapped a few bird pics.

#1 is a Mockingbird that landed on my front lawn.

#2 is a Brown-headed cowbird. I've also seen a few females, but didn't have my camera.

#3 is a female House Finch having dinner.

#4 is Song Sparrow kicking around in the leaves.

#5 is a Carolina Wren. It was in my back yard, close to my shed.

Hack, that's a pretty cool system you built and the birds seem to really enjoy it! Great pics in your last post, as well. I particularly like the Song Sparrow, almost hidden, in the leaves.

We have a pair of Robins nesting in one of our River Birch trees. Robins nest in that tree almost every year.

1) shows how hidden the nest actually is
2 & 3) a couple of different shots
4) close-up of the nest construction - I'm always amazed at how well-built they are

Dang, nutsaboutnature. Good thing you did #2, 3 and 4, else I would never have seen the nest and chick.

#4 is a great shot!

Hack

Hep, my bird bath is a constant attraction.

#1 is a pair of House Finches, female and male, visiting

#2 first time I've seen a Chipping Sparrow at the bird bath.

#3 that Chipper had a good time.

Got me a new bird watching partner. My first grand-child (born 12-31-13). Little boy, Logan Christian. Kinda hard holding that little fella, and the camera, at the same time. But I managed.

#1 - Logan

#2 - a male House Finch we saw up in the Red Tips.

#3 - a male Cardinal we saw. This one really got his attention.

Hack

This message was edited May 28, 2014 4:38 PM

Although these Yellow-crowned Night Herons are plentiful in many parts of the US they are a state endangered bird in PA. The only nesting colonies known are in the city of Harrisburg. This is the first time I have gone to see them and I found 6 nests in this tree. I hope I can get back when the young hatch.

The fourth picture is a shot of a little nest building.

Nice shots longlens, never seen anything like them.

And welcome.

Hack

This message was edited May 28, 2014 4:38 PM

Lots of great pics, Hack, and boy, what a cutie that Logan is! Congratulations on your first grandchild!

Longlens, Welcome to Dave's Garden!
Those are wonderful shots! Kind of amazing that there would be so many nests in one tree. I've never even seen a Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

My husband and I were on our way home last night from dinner out. It was raining and traffic was slow so we detoured on a country road we sometimes use. Suddenly we spotted a beautiful Great Egret in a little gully just a few feet from the car so we stopped to look at it. It very casually glanced at us then spread those huge wings and flew across a meadow. Where's a camera when you need one?

Thanks Hack and Nutsaboutnature for the nice comments.

Since you like those guys here are their cousins Black-crowned Night Herons. It is one of 4 rookery in PA, again a PA endangered bird. Herons nest in groups and these Black-crowned Herons number about 200 around a man made lake, which is in downtown York.

The Black-crowned Night Heron I saw kept giving me resentful looks and moving to another location before I could get a photo - it did this several times. Photo 5 is even better (worse?) than the look I got!

Sweet longlens,you have some unusual birds up there. I especially liked #3, but I have to say #5 makes me think of an alien. :)

Hack