June's Final Walk

How did the month of June fly by so quickly?

It seems like just yesterday that the Ocean Spray was forming its cascading blooms.

Now the shrubs are frothing with white.

They will be the stars of the dappled shade for a couple of more weeks.

Here's a wild pea of some sort.

The wild roses continue to bloom.

Pink, pinker, pinkest!

The blackberry vines are in full bloom.

The Ox-eyed Daisies 'own' the meadows.

I have the smallest patch of Oregon Sunshine.

The Elderberry is blooming too.  I've never seen the bright red ripe berries as the Grosbeaks eat them all while they are still green.

Speaking of green berries - Poison Oak! Stay clear!

A Towhee is singing away as we walk by...

Vine Maple provides a pop of bright green and red.

Oaks in the sunshine!  So many birds feed off the insects that are associated with our native oaks. 

We have two native honeysuckles. One is orange and the other, this one, is a pale pinky / purple.

That's it for June - onwards to July. 

Eggs, a Chick, and Birds

The egg and chick in the header refers to my stitching progress on this Easter stitch.  I brought it back out and am working on it again, hoping to finish it up in a week or so.

The birds are some of my 'regulars' this past week.  Let's take alook.

A female Lesser Goldfinch.

An American Goldfinch couple.

Male Hairy Woodpecker and American Goldfinches.

I love it when I have an assortment of birds at the feeders.

Male Purple Finch and female Evening Grosbeak.

Most birds cannot swallow water...

...without tipping back their heads.

Pigeons and Jays can, but literally everyone else avian can't. 

Male Evening Grosbeak. I may not have cardinals, but I do have this bright yellow bird. 

Male Black-headed Grosbeak. They are still singing away looking for mates and establishing territory.

Cedar Waxwing.

A group of three late in the evening.

Close-up

Two birds in better light.

They have such frowny faces!

I cannot watch a Black-capped Chickadee without feeling my spirits lifted.

Their calls and chatter and bright faces and 'busyness' are charming.

I think they've nested and are now active at the feeders once again.

"Chicka-dee-dee-dee!"

Stitching Report / Bird Report

I count, I stitch.

I'm happy!

I should have this knocked off before week's end.

There are several 'common' birds that are infrequent visitors.

I include the Red-breasted Nuthatch as highly infrequent.

If I see or hear the bird it is most often in the winter.

So it was a pleasant surprise to hear "meep meep meep" and find the bird in a young pine tree in late June. 

He hopped around the tree... 

...and posed very nicely.

The great news is that a Red-breasted Nuthatch then came to my back feeders for several days running.

They will sometimes come and eat peanuts or suet.

They generally eat insects walking down trees, so are comfortable with poses such as this.

At the peanuts.

And posing again.

Sunday's Humming Report

As I've said before this has been a very weird spring for hummers. 

Sometimes for a few days in a row I see a bird frequently ... 

...like this male Rufous.

Then he'll disappear only to reappear about the time I get worried. 

Earlier in the year (April) he was perched guarding the  backyard every day. 

I just try to enjoy the birds when they chose to show up.

This was the closest I was able to get.

Stretching and preening.

Wednesday morning I was very surprised to see this female Anna's Humming taking a small bit of cotton - I assume to use as nesting material.

She spent several seconds hovering.

   

I hope she is building a nest - as I'd have more hummers later this summer.