American Goldfinch

My bird books say that the Goldfinch eats insects, does that not include spiders?

Because either this gentleman finch didn’t see the spider on the top bead, or they just aren’t to his taste.

Or maybe he was saving it for his lady …

A Starling is Born

The big barn is full of activity, the Starling young have hatched and the parents are busy hauling food in and out.

When I walked into the barn the adults called out warnings and all chirping ceased. I waited quietly for a few minutes, then let out a “HOOT!” and suddenly the barn came alive with “Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!”

Who did they think I was? The Hoot Owl food delivery guy? Funny!

Mrs. Yellow-rumped Warbler

I’m excited to see that there seems to be a MRS. Yellow-rumped Warbler in the old orchard next to my house.

I have been reading on the Birds of North America website about the warblers, they say there isn’t much known about these birds and their mating habits, but here’s some of what they do know.

Mid- to late-May is when they start working on a family. Nest building takes about 10 days and the woman does all the work.

After the nest is built, she begins laying her egg almost immediately. Two weeks later, the chicks are born. Two weeks after that, they start venturing out on their own. The male and the female take turns feeding their young.

The female Yellow-rumped Warbler is a toned-down version of her husband. A yellow stripe on her head, a lighter yellow throat and with yellow under the wings and over the tail.

Their diet consists of insects, for the most part. They either hawk or forage for them.

They are energetic birds and love to flit about in the canopy overhead. They are curious sorts, however, and if you make enough of a racket, they’ll hop down to investigate.

It Starts with the Letter “P”

Plants.

I picked up a lot of plants over the weekend while out on assignment. To the left are a few lavender bushes, to the right some of the plants that are native to our local prairie lands. Below and out of sight are new blueberry bushes and several prettily flowering perennials.

My little Pine Siskins have become very proficient posers.

And of course there is the Purple Finch, who is never, ever to be outdone by a Pine Sisken when it comes to posing prettily.

Punked by a Yellow-rumped Warbler

I get the idea that this guy is just playing with me.

He flitted around in the cherry tree, high overhead, always keeping branch and blossom between us.

If I didn’t know better (and, honestly, I really don’t know better), I’d think this guy was trying to get one over on me and keep me from capturing a great shot. He warbled his little warble as he jumped from branch to branch. Higher, lower, OOPS!, almost got me.

“What are YOU looking at?”

Pine Siskin vs. Purple Finch

The Pine Siskins are always bullying each other. These little bantam weight birdy boxers are pretty scrappy, but at times they act a little too big for their britches, as my Grandma Frazier would say.

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American Goldfinch

In past years the male American Goldfinches tended to dine at my mother’s house up on the hill and the ladies ate at my house. I used to complain to her about it, “You have all the lovely yellow ones and I have all the drab girls.”

I’m not  complaining anymore … at least not about their absence, now I’m going to complain about their presence. What noisy little beasts!

Ah well, if that’s all I’ve got to complain about today I must be doing okay, eh?

Singing in the Rain

These photos were taken from the breakfast room at my mom’s house this afternoon. So many wonderfully posing  songsters …

This little stunner is the Washington State bird. It’s easy to see why he was chosen when you see him posing in such an elegantly proud manner.

“Did I hear you say you think I’m handsome?” he seems to ask.

“Aw, shucks.”

There is a rowdy bunch of Pine Siskins up there on the hill, they always seem to be scrapping over something. I love to watch the feisty little scrappers.

I love it when they stare right into the camera lens.

Did you know that underneath the Pine Siskins wing there is another flash of yellow?

The Red-winged Blackbird is one of my all-time favorites. I had a few “almost” good shots of males flying in, but the light was just too low.

“He went thataway!”

This isn’t a stunning photo, but it’s a stunning example of his species. The red was so bright and clear, but I couldn’t get him to come out from behind the branches. What a looker he was, I bet he’s got himself a nice girlfriend (the girls all say the redder the feathers, the better mate).

On the way out the door I came across three deer and a bunny.

A good day for fur and feathers.

A Pair of Handy-Capable Birds

This is Crip the One-Legged Rock Pigeon. He has taken up residence on my mother’s backporch. He must feel quite safe up there. The two enormous German Wirehaired Pointer Sisters on the other side of the glass, however, think he needs to find another place to hang out.

I think he is quite handsome.

I wonder if Harry the Half-Winged Pheasant (you’re seeing his good side) and Crip the One-Legged Rock Pigeon could be friends? They’re living within 100 yards of each other …

A Wee Dip

Spotted Towhee

Cliff Swallow

I can only use these photos for identification purposes, but I’m excited to add the Cliff Swallow to my (newly started this year) list of birds that have flown over The Farm.

More American Robins

I lucked out with so many great shots last Friday, these American Robin captures didn’t even make it into the post. Upon further review, I can’t see leaving these guys/gals out of the picture …

I met this clever fellow as I was walking back from the woods. He walked ahead of me, keeping one eye on the ground, one eye back at me.

He hopped up on the fence when I started traveling too quickly for him to be comfortable with the pace …

Then suddenly, he jumped back down to the ground and then back up to a further post …

As I focused in on his face, I could see what he had captured disappearing quickly. Notice the saliva? Yum, fresh worm makes my mouth water too.

Bird Dogs: Spinoni Italiano

I had a group of backyard visitors last week, Spinoni Italiano — bird dogs, not birds … though they brought plenty of birds with them.

And they also made a muddy mess …

Picture me, a blonde, mustache-less version of Yosemite Sam, standing at the window, jumping up and down muttering “Razza-fratz-uh-blatz-oh-fraz-dem-eener.” While my son, Stosh, stood beside me, shaking his fist muttering a Moe-Howard-of-the-Three-Stooges-style, “Why I oughta … ” as we watched them tear up the road he had so carefully tried to repair and keep rut free.

This fellow (above) must have been a happy camper, he’s carrying a hand full of huge rosettes.

It rained on them most of Monday and Wednesday. This was an AKC event, the first we have ever held on our place. Frankly, as poorly as these folks followed directions, I wouldn’t be sorry at all if it was their last. They made the NAVHDA dog folks look like angels.

The Pacific Northwest Chapter NAVHDA club will be visiting again this month for a training day, May 14, and then again for a test the first weekend in June.

Yay.

New Backyard Sightings: Savannah Sparrow, “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Violet-green Swallow and Eurasian Collared Dove

Five new birds sighted in just a few days time. The first four were sighted in one afternoon, on Friday. The dove was seen just yesterday.

The Savannah Sparrow (below) was a lucky shot. I turned around, saw a bird on a post, aimed, fired, and it was gone. I really didn’t pay much attention to the bird, I thought it was just one of my Golden-crowned Sparrows. I love finding those kinds of surprises when I get home!

I spent twenty minutes looking straight up at this little bird while he flitted away in the very tops of the alder trees along the Middle Marsh trail. I had no idea what he was, but I was bound and determined to get an identifying shot of him.

He is a “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler.

I was sitting at the edge of the South Beaver Pond looking over the water when a pair of Chestnut-backed Chickadees wandered over to see what I was up to.

They move so quickly, I have a hard time capturing their image.

This year is the first time I’ve seen Chickadees since I lived in Wilkeson near Enumclaw. I love those loud, little tweeters!

This Violet-green Swallow has a friend, they were snapping up the mosquitoes as I walked by. I was very glad to see them here!

This dove took me hours to figure out. I had assumed it was a Mourning Dove, because that is the only type of dove it even came close to resembling. But it isn’t, it’s a Eurasian Collared Dove.

It is an invasive species, just like the European Starlings are invasive. Ah well, I think he’s handsome.

I thought he was an owl at first, I heard him long before I saw him.

Northern Harrier Returns

I would have missed this gentleman if I hadn’t (for the one millionth time) forgotten something at home and turned around to get it. There he was, in the north field next to my house.

Osprey & Red-tailed Hawks

I have a pair of red-tailed hawks in the backyard …

The female red-tailed hawk is generally larger than the male. This pair is performing the mating “sky-dance.” They soar at high altitude, circling around, the male approaches the female from above, landing gear down (legs extended), to touch the female’s wing for just a moment before circling around again.

Is that like a tap on the shoulder?

I have yet to get a well-lit, in focus photograph of a red-tailed hawk. I keep trying.

This osprey flew past the house, on his way from the river to Lake Mayfield, I presume.

I know that’s not even close to being a good shot. It’s just good enough to make a positive ID and for me to post him to my list as having been seen on The Farm.

The particular bend that the osprey has to its wings makes it easy to ID in the air.

It is said that 99% of the osprey’s diet consists of fresh fish.

This gentleman was seen floating back and forth over Offut Lake (Tenino) on Saturday. In the single hour I sat at the dock, I didn’t see him dive after a fish. But he kept looking.

Turkey Vulture, Canadian Geese and a Snail

I was riding on the back seat of the John Deere backhoe/loader on Monday, Stosh and I were on our way to put up the wood duck boxes I had written about just that morning for the Outdoors column when I saw this elegant beast of a bird gliding through the air.

I was too far away to identify if properly through the camera lens, I had to wait until I got home to see just what it was.

Ugh, turkey vulture.

Well, that was my first thought, anyway. Now, after reading up on him, I’m a big fan. Somebody has to clean up around here … and it certainly doesn’t seem to be my neighbors at the tree farm across the street.

Turkey vultures “follow their nose” to find their next meal, they rarely kill their own food. Although it does worry me a bit that they have “nosed” their way next door, I’m grateful that he is here to do his job.

When we got to the South Beaver Pond, a pair of Canada Geese were hanging out. They didn’t seem to be too excited about our presence, so they slowly, while watching us suspiciously, made their way into the cattails and disappeared.

Stosh hung up one wood duck box here at this pond, and another at the other pond. No need for pictures of both, it’s the same box, same kid, different pond.

And here, simply, a snail.

At the Scratching Post

This White-crowned Sparrow had a bath in a nearby puddle, then hopped up on this fencepost to preen. He is using the blackberry vine to scratch …

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He’s Baaaaack!

Name that bird …

This is the first day I have seen a yellow-clad whatsits in his full glory at my feeder. Have you seen any yet?

Take a Second Look

I never really know what I have in my camera until I download the pictures into the computer. Sometimes I get a pleasant surprise when I get a chance to see the action frozen for a moment. Things I didn’t know I could see.

A bird’s tongue reaching out for the bug, a foot reaching over a wing to scratch a head, a particular bird’s particular taste in seedery.

While there are times when the camera puts me behind the moment and I miss just reveling in the experience in front of me. There are enough times when I am surprised and delighted by a capture of a moment and it makes up for the experiences lost as the images stretch and expands my experience in Nature and her children.

Yesterday was one of those days. I set out for the ponds with a mission in mind, I was hoping to find a spot to sit, get still and wait to see what birds would come out of the hiding around me after a 30 minute sit. But Buddy the WonderDog and the birds had a different plan.

Look a little deeper into these pictures to see what there is to see …

What is that juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird male looking at? Something startled him.

What’s wrong with this picture (below)?

After we cruised through the South Beaver Pond for a quiet look see, we headed into the woods east of Middle Marsh. I decided to climb a tree that was hanging over the pathway at an angle that seemed scalable.

The truck of the tree was spongy with moss and ferns.

As I climbed up. Buddy fretted. He didn’t like me being up in the tree. After a long whine, he decided to make the trip up the trunk.

Going up the tree was easy, it was the going down that was hard. Watching Buddy make an anxiety-filled descent, raised my anxiety level a bit.

I got up in this tree, now how am I going to get down? Buddy lasted another 10 minutes before he got serious about trying to get me down off of the tree.

Now, just a warning, unless you are my mother or my child or my best friend, you may not find Buddy’s behavior as endearing as we do. When Buddy says, “Get outta that tree, NOW!” he means it. (Turn down your sound.)

I thought perhaps I could get away with sitting only a few feet off of the ground. But no way.

“Get down on the ground or hear about it,” Buddy said.

Belted Kingfisher

New news to me: the Belted Kingfisher doesn’t nest in a tree (though he may roost in one), he burrows into the bank of a stream or pond!

I caught this gentleman flying overhead yesterday at the South Beaver Pond. I’m always so intent on sneaking up on the ducks that I forget to keep an eye out for him. He doesn’t forget about me! He gives the ducks fair warning just as I approach the water, using his territorial rattling call as he makes a pass back and forth over the water.

This time I was able to capture him because I was smart enough to remember he would turn and make another pass over his territory. It’s as though he is saying, “You are in MY space! I own this area from here … to here!” as he sounds his shrill rattling call.

You can tell it’s a gentleman because he is wearing a belt around his waist. Lady Kingfishers don’t need belts. (I love when Nature does that, just like the Northern Flicker gals don’t have mustaches.)

I captured a photo of this same fellow at the end of February (see the snow?). I was hoping to see that he had a girlfriend, but I haven’t captured her image as of yet.

I’ve seen a pair of kingfishers perched on the wires alongside National Avenue, in front of Yard Birds, so I know they are females around somewhere.

There must be plenty of food or I don’t imagine he would stick around this long.

From what I have read at the Birds of North America website, the Kingfisher is a solitary bird unless it is breeding season. The males select a territory to defend and wait for a woman to happen by.

Both sexes participate in burrow constructing, but it is thought that the men do most of the work. The digging — using their long, thick beaks — may take 3 day or 3 weeks, depending on the weather and soil conditions.

The tunnel entrance is generally 8- to 18-inches below the bank and may extend 2 feet (minimum) to 2 yards (or more) into the the soil.

The Belted Kingfisher, one of the most widespread landbirds in North America, remains poorly studied. Throughout the continent, it inhabits diverse aquatic habitats where it typically perches over clear open water before plunge-diving for prey—chiefly fish, but also other aquatic animals such as crayfish. Undigested remains of such prey are regularly regurgitated as pellets, which fall beneath fishing and roosting perches. By studying these pellets, some information on seasonal diets can be determined without collecting birds or directly observing their foraging behavior. —Birds of North America

Wow! So much to know about this gentleman. I may have to abandon my duck stalking to watch him more closely.

BTW, I finally spotted the elusive little bird that I have been chasing around the North Elk Pond (North Elk Pond, South Beaver Pond and Middle Marsh are all names that I have chosen for the various areas of my backyard — you won’t find them on a map). He is a Marsh Wren.

It’s a new bird for my Life List, I’m excited.

I tell you more about this fascinating bird once I capture a better image of him. I’ll be chasing him around as soon as the sun comes out from behind the clouds again. His call reminds me of a song sparrow’s call on a super-speedy rewind. Go here to listen to the music of his marshy melody.

Mr. Robin Gets His Dander Up

Mr. Robin just noticed that I’m standing right behind him …

The wing-droop and faux-hawk are dead giveaway signs that I startled him.

Now we add the classic tail-lift response to the wing-droop. He’s letting me know he’s not someone I want to tangle with …

… just before he flies away.

Mr. and Mrs. Robin

When a male American Robin wants to show his lady that he can be the kind of man she needs him to be, he struts his stuff, “Hey, baby!”

He needs her to know that he can be the kind of man that can provide for his woman.

Or at least let her know what she won’t have to worry, he can feed himself …

“I’m sorry, did you want a bite?”

And what was the Mrs. up to while he was out having breakfast? Probably the same thing she was doing three days ago, getting the nest ready to move in …

It’s the women that do all the work getting the nest ready in the Robin household … heh, go figure.

More Birdy Love

I was able to catch a few moments of blue sky off and on today. I spent (am still spending) most of the day in front of the computer, putting together my weekend stories and Tuesday’s Outdoors stories.

I heard this amorous male purple finch long before I saw him. He was crooning away, looking for a lady, I suspect, high up in a tree in my orchard.

He’d sing and then he’d look around to see if anyone heard. Typical male.

This poor pigeon was left behind yesterday by some people that were out in my backyard training their dogs for an upcoming NAVHDA test. He/she won’t find love with this robin (she already has a mate, they’re building a nest behind the barn), but maybe it’ll find a friend.

I found this European starling perched on a fence post flapping his wings and purring like a kitten. Interesting behavior. According to the Birds of North America website, the behavior is called “wing waving” and he is doing it to attract the interest of a female.

I spotted this female red-winged blackbird hanging out in her barely red epaulets, what beautiful breeding colors!

I captured this lovely lady the other day. The intensity of the color and contrast is so striking. This lady (below) fascinates me …

I look forward to seeing the golden-crowned sparrows get through the rest of their molt. They have been looking pretty ragged lately. This little guy (gal?) is just near the end of it …

House Finch Males Carry Diet-based Colorations

The more carotenoids a male house finch consumes during foraging, the brighter red his plumage will become. The girls prefer the brightest red, they say, guys sporting golden yellows, apparently, are less desirable mates.

“In the wild, three carotenoid pigments found in natural foods give House Finches their color. Beta-carotene produces yellow to orange colors, isocryptoxanthin produces orange colors, and echinenone produces red colors.”

~Project FeederWatch, Color Variations in House Finches

I do not know which foods have which yellow, orange or red producing carotenoids in them. And I don’t know why the gals might think the boys in red make better mates.

Personally, I think the guy in the Tequila Sunrise set of finery is pretty handsome.

House Finch Pitches Woo

From Swofford Pond to Riffe Lake and beyond

I started the day yesterday by meeting the Outdoors deadline. By noon I was heading out to go fishing. First stop Swofford Pond.

My son Stosh (in the boat above) said it snowed for about a half hour before he finally put the boat out. Then the sun shined until I got there.

A dozen American coots (not shown) greeted me at the dock by turning tail and heading for the far side of the pond. Tree swallows and violet-green swallows swarmed over the lake. It was magical to watch.

Tree sparrow (above), violet-green sparrow (below).

Even if you don’t fish, Swofford Pond is a lovely place to just hang out for an hour or two and watch the wildlife.

The swallows moved so fast I couldn’t tell what species they were until I got home. Focusing on a sparrow is very difficult! Especially in this low light situation.

The violet-green swallows are stunning!

I have to laugh at myself … I didn’t even notice this beaver lodge until I downloaded the photos onto the computer. I was too busy looking at the swallows (and getting rained on).

We decided to head for Kosmos at Riffe Lake, trying to see if we could run ahead of the rain. We were successful for a while. In the photo above we are at the farthest end of Riffe, looking east. The photo below is Riffe lake, looking west.

Back at the Kosmos area, we gave up fishing and decided to do some duck “hunting.” This pair of wood ducks must be nesting here, they weren’t leaving the area, not for nobody, no how.

This mallard duck seemed to have a harem of hens. I counted three all together.

This guy and gal thought they were being sneaky, so we left them quickly, hoping to keep the disturbance to a minimum.

We also saw a large group of common mergansers, but I was too far away to get anything better than an photo clear enough for an ID.

Raptors

Not the best shots, but a nice hat trick for an hour of scouting around yesterday.

We found the bald eagle at Lake Carlisle … I wondered if he was waiting for the fisherman — who wasn’t supposed to be fishing on a closed lake — to catch a fish so he could confiscate it? Working for the WDFW, perhaps?

We found the osprey at the Barrier Dam.

And this guy, I’m not totally sure what he is, but he was a stoic bird. He turned, looked at me with a dead stare, then turned back to his watch.

Each of them might have liked this little guy, uncovered in my backyard today while we were digging …

… though he would have only been a tiny nibble.

Hummingbird Scratches an Itch

And just so you know that I know that it isn’t nice to feel as though you have been left on the outside on an inside joke, I’m going to clue you in.

(Wheeee! How did you like that complicated sentence ride? )

And just so you know that I know that you probably haven’t yet seen the video of the Hummingbird (above) and haven’t a clue as to what the heck I am talking about, poo is referred to at the end of the little video. Bird poo. Which also refers to Poo, the bird.

Poo, the Dark-eyed Junco, is one of my feeder birds.

You can read about him here and see the Poo & poo picture here.

If you are a bird fan (and if you are here, you most likely are) then you might be interested in another slideshow I put together: Ring-necked Duck follows Love.