[rlmorel]

My backyard...

The Downy Woodpecker fledglings were fun to watch. We have a suet feeder, a wire drum about a foot across that takes two suet cakes, and the bigger birds and squirrels can't get to it, but these little guys can:

So the three Downy Woodpecker fledgelings, looking unkempt, are crawling all over the suet cage, trying to reach the suet, but...they can't. Then, one of them finds out how to get through the wire and begins chowing down on suet while the other two look on. They just cannot figure out how to get in, and it is making them a little frantic. One of them lands on top of the curved poles, and ridiculously can't figure out how to fold his wings because it is a tight space.

Then I saw something I had never seen fledglings do..the one inside picked off a chunk of suet and fed it to his (I presume) sibling! Pretty soon, all three of them had figured out how to get in and out of the cage. Then along comes the older fledge with the red, stringy buzz cut, and the other three left the cage.

During all this, there were two squirrels under the feeder, and the male looked like it was trying to have sex with the (presumably) female, who seemed completely unreceptive and resisted every time. After wrestling around for a few minutes, the female would break free, run, and stop about a foot away and begin to forage and eat as if nothing was happening. It was not at all a territorial battle, as I have seen plenty of those from my hammock, and this was clearly not that. The male began foraging as if nothing was happening, then it would get closer, pretending to be searching for seeds, and jump the female again! I saw about a dozen of these unsuccessful attempts, until he finally gave up.

I just went in to put on a sweatshirt, and my wife was laughing at me and said "Watching the squirrel porn channel, eh?"

About 15 feet to my right, we have a bird box nailed to our fence, and for the first time this year, we have these:

It isn't a very good picture, but I took it by holding my smartphone camera up to the eyepiece of my binoculars...it is almost impossible to do that, but I got one by luck...

I didn't know much about Bluebirds, but they are interesting birds! Besides being beautiful to the eye, they are extraordinarily territorial. When I am in my hammock, the male Bluebird watches me all the time. Never seems to take his eyes off me. My wife says he dive bombs her when she is gardening near the nest. Kind of like a Chickadee in boldness, but the size of a sparrow, maybe just a bit bigger.

The other day, I saw a squirrel running at full speed along the top of the fence, and about a foot above the squirrel and a foot behind, the male Bluebird was just gliding along after it, as if to escort it out of its defense zone!

They are fun. We now have a few Bluebird fledglings, and their parents seem to keep a close eye on them.

I miss my Bluejays. I used to have loads of them around, but my wife discourages me from putting out peanuts for them, because they just cannot resist them. Well, when I retire, I'll put out peanuts for them!

I saw a large brown bird fly into my yard and perch for about 30 seconds...it had the markings and color of a Northern Flicker, but it seemed way too big. It was bigger than a Crow, almost Raven size. It wasn't a predator, because the other birds paid no attention to it.

And now...the fireflies are out.

We have more this year than ever before. Before this year, I might rarely see as many as five, but last night I saw about twenty! They are just coming out now.

Hope it is as nice wherever you are as it is here for me!

[FlatulusMaximus]

This seems to be an off year for us here in Eastern KY. We have a few hummingbirds, but I think some of our regulars have gone to that big feeder in the sky (they only live 2-3 years). A pair of Canada geese checked out the nesting opportunities earlier this spring. We also have a wood duck population that usually parades the little ones down the creek next to our house. In the past we’ve had a pair of young owls, just kicked out of the nest, complaining about how unfair life is. It’s a nice area for bird life, but we do miss all the bluebirds we used to get in MA.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I hiked 4.5 miles roundtrip to Mindego Hill on Russian Ridge (CA Bay Area) today. Gorgeous day, but not much wildlife or birds. Saw a couple of turkey vultures which are amazing creatures. They can flap their wings a couple times in the morning when they take to the air and soar for hours without flapping the wings again! They are fun to watch. The Redtail Hawks have migrated further north now and didn't spot any. I saw a couple of birds at some distance land on a tree branch -- white underbellies and wings with maybe a touch of red. I have no idea what they were. I heard a couple of turkeys in the distance, but never saw them.

Sitting under a spreading California Live Oak to cool off was pleasant. The dying grasses on the last mile of trail to the top of the hill were 4 ft to 5 ft tall and the trail was completely overgrown. You couldn't even find the trail in most places. A Ranger told me later that the crews are working on fire suppression tasks now. He said this is an exceptional grass year because of the wet spring and alternating heat and cool weather.

In the June heat midday, the wildlife is smart and resting in the shade. We are entering prime rattlesnake season with the heat - fortunately I didn't see any. I spotted a gopher snake last week. They are not venomous but have learned to shake and twitch their tales like a rattlesnake. They will rattle tips of their tails in the dried weeds to even sound like a rattlesnake! It's tick season now, too, but I haven't spotted any on me.

[conservativeimage]

When you hear crane bugles coming from somewhere in the sky.

[samadams2000]

Turkey vultures flying over the house on the Mendocino coast with the rugged ocean below us.

[Organic Panic]

Invasive starlings. Invasive European sparrows. Brown birds with red head. Brown birds with red heads. Crows. A few magpies. And my resident red tail hawk family.

[wardaddy]

I hear owls

Always where I live in woods

[doorgunner69]

Java sparrows, house finches, saffron finches, norther cardinals,. yellow beak cardinals, pqarrots, mayna birds, egrets, mouring doves, feral chickens, Frankolins.....

[Cronos]

Lovely bird pictures. Post more when you can

[cherry]

haven’t seen any bluebirds yet...hummers coming in well...robins...some finchs...haven’t heard a flicker yet....

[Fury]

Tree Swallow fledging is in full swing in these parts. Due to rain last weekend and cool and windy weather last Monday, there were high mortality counts at both our research areas.

We also tally the number of times we hear or observe (including any mortalities) species in the research areas. While not focal species, it gives us an idea if certain species are in an irruptive cycle, etc.

Top species seen/heard so far:

Gray Catbird - see them quite a bit this year
Baltimore Oriole - not quite as high as last year, but still up for the last three years
Eastern Meadowlark - off season mowing of nesting areas has resulted in multiple years of high tallies

One species that we have only tallied twice this year are Wood Thrush. Conspicuously absent thus far in my woods - have not heard them once this year. My “guess” is that some of this is due to tree die-off that is accelerating due to Emerald Ash Borer. As understory cover thins out, nesting areas may no longer be selected. I miss their song.

Tick counts are very high this year.

[Don@VB]

Your first two are my first two, lots of Bluebirds, Hairy Woodpeckers, Big Redheaded ones too!

[SisterK]

I am more disappointed in what I am not seeing this year. I am in rural high desert and usually see hawks and hear owls through the night. No birds of prey this year. None. This is no good because the place is overrun with rodents and vipers.

[nutmeg]

Nice! We are currently in northwestern Connecticut, near the Farmington River and Barkhamsted Reservoir. I am thrilled to see the annual return of fireflies! They are so beautiful and magical, darting all over the woods at night. Wish they were around all summer, not just a few weeks. Are they out early this year in New England?

[firebrand]

We have mostly sparrows here across the street from Riverside Park, but every so often other birds and bird songs. I wish I knew the bird songs so I would know who was there.

Saw two robins in the early spring. For a while there was an owl in the park. Sometimes a seagull gets lost, takes a wrong turn at Staten Island or something, and complains like hell about it.

The sparrows walk around my feet when I walk to the subway in the morning. I guess they know me by now and know I won’t chase them like some baddy kids do.