A Couple Today

First American Goldfinch (male)

Hummingbird

Wow pelletory, excellent photos!!!

pelletory...excellent photos. What camera do you use?

Thanks! These were taken with an Olympus sp550uz.

Nice photos. Hard to believe that the hummingbirds are about to leave to go south. I haven't seen our Swallow-Tailed Kites in the past week. I think that they have already left Florida to go back to Central America. They are here for such a short time.

Very nice shots, Pell.......bsharf, I saw a Swallow-tailed Kite off and on last winter....managed to get this long-distance shot of him flying with a Hawk one day. I know it was during the winter because that's the only time I sit outside birdwatching.

bsharf, How early do your hummers leave? Mine don't start doing the swarming the feeders (before and/or during migration in fall-never in spring as they arrive sporadically with male scouts arriving first) until middle to late September with many around and/or passing through well into October.

These are Ruby Throated and Black Chinned.

Could it be that I'm in one of the migratory paths if mine appear to stay later than yours? You are a whole zone further south than I.

gg=alice

Very nice GP!

Yes b the mature males already started leaving but I should have females and juveniles for quite a whle still.

Sure Texas is above Mexico.

Pelle - great photos!!!!

Thanks Murmur!

Great shot, pelletory. I have never seen a Goldfinch except in winter plumage. Lucky you!

Thanks trois! I guess we are lucky here up North to see both their season coats. I happen to love winter garb just as much as the bright summer one.

I don't know if it is known that many hummers have a "regular" migratory path through my part of Texas, North Central, so I didn't want to make any false claims. I've never seen any hummers Spring/Summer/Fall other than Ruby Throated. They may skirt around this area for some reason. One of the major migratory "watches" is down nearer to the Gulf of Mexico.

Recently I've discovered that we do have Black Chinned but in my lighting, where the hummer feeders are located, it is really hard to distinguish the slight difference between males; females are virtually indistinguishable. The Audubon people say we have them out here.

You would think I would see some of the other species that breed in Canada and West of the Mississippi, especially during migration, but I've never seen any others in 20 years. We have a lot out here so the "migration" feeding may all be our local birds that only congregate around the feeders, en mass, in the fall.

gg=alice

gg=alice

Thats great; I love the Black Chinned!

That is odd you don't see some others.