I shouldn't have spoken
about spring yesterday, because this is what we got today. I do not mind it because I don’t have to drive, it looks beautiful and snow days always have lots of bird activity. Stay warm and be safe out there!
This morning,
it really felt like spring outside. The Cardinals and House Finches were singing, the snarls of the Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds filled the air, and it was so warm that I did not have to wear a coat. Variety and activity is still down but I am enjoying these sure signs of spring. I also serviced the nestbox the Chickadees used last year, it needed a new roof and some other repairs. The BB house is next. And here are some visitors. Wonderfully enough, the Grackle with the white dot on the neck has returned!
To send you off into the new year,
here are the Judgy Gracks of July (a personal favorite), August, September and October. Be safe tonight and see you in the new one.
There are bird babies
all over the yard right now. The Chickadees and Bluebirds have fledged (I have posted videos on all my social media platforms and Youtube and may make a separate post here soon too), and it is the most wonderful yet funny to listen to when outside. Most of them you can see at the pond livestream (babies of Orioles, Grosbeaks, Robins, Grackles, Starlings love to hang out there), and the others are starting to find the feeders. Today the first baby Blue Jay visited, along with a cute Grack. You can tell them by behavior and cuteness but also by their unusually colored gapes, the soft edges of the beaks. I love the color combinations of these youngsters! A funny Grosbeak and MoDo shot in the middle. Have a lovely 4th of July weekend and be easy on the fireworks - I cannot imagine all the young wildlife being super thrilled about it.
Video: FOY Grack baby!
Very early this morning, the first baby Grack appeared at the pond. The parents seem to like "parking" the babies there while they forage, and it always reminds me of childhood days at a public swimming pool or lake, with lots of swimming and the occasional snack. The bird you can hear in the back is a Baltimore Oriole.
Birds are clearly on the move,
and diversity has gone down to pretty much House Finches, MoDos, Blue Jays and Chickadees. But there are still some Gracks too. This is a nice time for the wallet, and I totally love the temperatures outside. I saw a Downy starting to pull things out of the Wren house, so hopefully there will be a roosting winter tenant there. We are all settling in a bit, I will start working on the 2023 calendar, and I hope there will be some fun fall migration sights.
As we move farther
into summer, you might also notice birds that look like they are balding. If you are new to this, it might make you think something is wrong with them, but you can calm down. Most of the times, they are in the process of molting. They lose old feathers and grow new ones. What better time to do this than during summer? During that time, they appreciate nutricious food and clean bird baths, because those incoming feathers itch! The most dramatic molds I have seen were with Grackles, Blue Jays and Cardinals. And here is one of the first of 2022 😁 He is just getting started.
Baby birds!
In the last couple of days, the air has filled with more squeaks and begging calls. The Blue Jay babies have fledged, as well as Orioles, Redwinged Blackbirds, more Doves and Grackles. Not pictured but also seen were a Redbellied Woodpecker baby and a young Cardinal. All of them also seem to love the pond, so there is lots of fun stuff happening there. It is wonderful to see them explore things and follow the parents around. (Oriole, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Grackle, Blue Jay, Redwinged Blackbird)
This was supposed to be
my garden prep week, and the weather and life somehow got in the way, and nothing went as planned. We had several thunderstorms, and suddenly, the Bluebird house had a leak that I spent a lot of time on to fix (I think I finally got it!). Now today after a big thunderstorm, the sun is out and I will continue to work the veggie garden so things can start to grow. Because of my constant back and forth in the yard, there wasn’t a lot of bird photos either. But here are two. A Hummingbird lady and a Grack that looks like I did today in the mirror at my new 44-year-old face. Have a great Saturday and weekend!
The beginning of May,
my favorite month of the year, is also the point in time when the serviceberry blooms. And everybody comes to pose in front of it. (male Rosebreasted Grosbeak, Blue Jay, Grackle (‘tis the Count himself!), MoDo, female Redwinged Blackbird, female Rosebreasted Grosbeak)
Spring is in the air,
and there is no denying it, despite the frost, and the birds are starting to show up as couples. I saw Blue Jays gathering stuff, the Robins are becoming more defensive, the MoDos are snogging things up and the House Finches are getting romantic. So much to see, such nasty weather!
Spring is good
for some surprises after all. A Scarlet-eyed Grackle came by and curiously checked the feeders. I have never seen one before but I heard it is a special day when a birder has the opportunity, so I am sharing with all of you. Happy Friday, I wish you all wonderful surprises and a good laugh. Also, your zipper is open😉
Speaking of Grackles,
they don’t just impress with their size and iridiscence, but also make the Grack ladies go wild when they puff up. It is a whole process that they get ready for, showing the nictitating membrane and also giving out their trademark call that sounds like a rusty garden gate. With that said, I hope you all have a great Friday - cocklareee!
I am sorry for not posting more frequently
right now, but work is busy and there is also not really a ton going on bird-wise. Nature is amazing right now and providing a lot of food to birds and wildlife. It is a bumper crop year for Black Walnuts and acorns here, and I am excited to see what that means for the winter bird population. Here is a view into the current regulars, furried and feathered. Also, since it is Thursday - check out the Ostdrossel calendars!
Despite my earlier musings,
today turned out a fabulous day for a birdwatcher! The Bluebirds were back at the nestbox, there was a Red-winged Blackbird, and a Grackle and even a Tanager! I am not sure what kind of Tanager but I lean towards Scarlet. Sorry for the bad pic, this is what my DSLR photos look like 😜 Must have been a big migration day today!
I love the little surprises
that are always possible during migration times and even normal times. Yesterday, Count Grackula made a surprise visit to the yard! It has been what feels like a month since I last saw a Grackle, so this was wonderful to see. He didn’t stay long but he found some nutrition for his travels here. Today it is once again raining, so yesterday was a great day to travel for a migrating bird.
And from big to small, the rough looking cutie is a molting Goldfinch. You can still see the bright and vibrant yellow of their summer feathers but the milder brownish tones of their winter plumage are coming in too.
The hot phase of the summer
is here, the air gets stickier by the hour, and because of all the rain we have been getting, there are a lot of bugs around. I am happy for the birds but I am hesitant to spend a lot of time outside because I get eaten alive by the mosquitoes. The natural spray did not cut it this year, I have to get DEETed, but even that only helps for short periods. So I am happy that the cameras do all the work without me having to be present. Because there are some fun things happening. Like this Grack with a tonsure molt. There is one like that every year, and it always makes me giggle.
We had so much rain
coming down yesterday. The birds pretty much got properly soaked and there wasn’t a dry feather in sight. As you know, I am a big fan of wet birb, so here is a little gallery. Some (ahem, MoDo 😆) seem to have had more fun than others.
(Grosbeak lady, Grackle, Grosbeak man, House Finch, MoDo, Redwinged Blackbird, Blue Jay, more MoDo, Redbellied Woodpecker)
I put the jelly feeder on the cam
to see how Oriole frequency is, and here is who hit it today. I also saw a female Hummingbird. However, this is Michigan. We have a frost warning tonight, and I hope everybody has a warm spot. The week should be warmer, and hopefully, May finally has a chance to really show off. Happy Monday!
(I realize the lens was dirty but I did not see it at the time.)
Starry Sky Grack
has also returned. I love seeing the speckles on his neck. There is even a second one with a different pattern this year. As far as I know this is some form of mild leucism and not harmful.
