I always find it fascinating
when nature does things that we cannot manipulate in any way and that remind us of how magnificent and powerful she is. And the amount of awe it inspires is not related to the size of the event or object. The upcoming solar eclipse is just as amazing as the summer molt of the Goldfinches. The weather is fine, the migratory birds are on their way, and yesterday I did some actual garden work. Yay, spring! Happy Sunday!
(On a sidenote - Squarespace has somehow updated their website, and I am seeing that my website now looks different. I am working on getting everything back to comfy.)
It’s still lush and green outside
and the birds remain scarce. Only the MoDos have started coming in larger groups again. Better than nothing, and they look fun with their late molt. Summer will be back shortly next week, and then the weather seems to really cool down. A good time to take the pond out and set up the heated baths. And to get going with the calendars. This time, there will be two calendars, one with Grackles only 🖤
The Grackles
are also still around, and some are still feeding babies, but molting has also begun, giving some of them the best and most dramatic looks. As if they couldn’t already do that with their plumage fully intact!
I always like it
when birds look distinguishable, have odd markings or behavior that I recognize. This Red-winged Blackbird seems to be growing new wings on his shoulders, and I think it looks really cool and dramatic how the sheaths are slowly turning into real feathers. He did like to present himself properly, too.
April weather
continues to be wild, but nature is unstoppable, and spring is marching on. And it is fabulous to watch the changes and transformations. After showing just some specks of vibrancy, the Goldfinches are now almost completely in summer plumage. They nest the latest of them all so I think they just enjoy being bright and colorful for as long as possible. I do not blame them :)
The Grackles
have largely started to migrate, but some are still hanging around or traveling with the flocks of Cowbirds and Starlings that are passing through. The teens of the season are now starting to change into their adult feathers, with some really cool looking color combinations, and many of the adults are also starting to grow back their feathers after the molt.
While migration is going on,
we might often see birds that can be a bit confusing to identify. They are the youngsters from last year and are still molting into their adult plumage or females that are usually more shy. In the last two days, I saw some of this in Rosebreasted Grosbeaks and Redwinged Blackbirds (the third picture is a female).
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.
Backyard life
is still slow, variety is low, and many birds are using the remaining warmer days to grow new feathers. What you see on the MoDo’s head are the new feathers. I personally love it, "disheveled" is also my kind of pandemic style 😏 The Goldfinches have returned though, and the squeaky sounds of their adorable babies are filling the air. It is quite stormy today, which will help the migrants. And I hope some surprise visitors will pass through on their journey. Yesterday, I did see a Pine Warbler but it didn’t come to the cameras. Maybe today?
While I always
get a bit sad when barefoot weather comes to an end, I must admit that I am thoroughly enjoying the cooler temperatures and the smell of fall in the air. Things are still slow here but in the last two days, the Goldfinches have started to come back. They nest late in the season, and right now you can see them with their young ones. These two came to the feeder, and while I am sure they are both American Goldfinches, their very black wing bars look a bit unusual. Normally, there is more white to see there. I think the paler one is a molting young adult bird.
European Starlings
change their appearance quite a bit throughout the year and their life. The juveniles are starting to lose their brown baby feathers and growing into the speckled look that is their typical winter coat. The adults are losing their glossy breeding plumage, the yellow beaks of the males are turning dark again and their legs and feet become less vibrantly red. I always like this patchwork stage on them.
It's 50 shades of Peep season.
The Goldfinches are molting (changing into their summer feathers), and have the most adorable, hilarious and dramatic looks. They are also more aggressive than any other bird right now. Which is funny, considering that they will nest the latest. Maybe the sunlight fuels them up, it kind of has a similar effect on me too. 🌞
The Starlings
have been back, and some of them are still molting into their adult feathers, as can be seen by the remnants of the brown baby feathers around the head.
The little man
continues to elude me! Even the Blue Jay pep talk could not convince him to check out the bowl.
This sweet little man
is still coming around regularly to get strong and pretty for the journey to his winter quarters. The white spots on his belly are the sheaths that house the new feathers.
Ragnar and Lagertha
and their brood have been pretty much absent since the last set of babies fledged. I have heard them in the trees and seen them hunting nearby though, so I hope they will be visiting more frequently when it cools down. Last night, one of the first babies showed up, in all it’s teenage feather glory.
The balding Blue Jay
is not making a lot of progress, and I am not sure if he is molting. The patterns and textures on his head are fascinating, though.
This Grosbeak lady
is as good with her beak stick as I am with lip stick. Or maybe she is just trying to distract from the little molt around her eye.
