Back to Building a Hare and Back to Birding

I started on Mosey 'n Me's "Hare Crossing" back in April and last worked on it in mid-May.

I finally picked it up again for a bit yesterday.  I have embarrassingly little progress to show.  The head is done (still missing an ear) and I've finished the neck and have started working on the shoulders. It looks a bit less like a blob now anyway!

I've had some interesting birds show up recently.  Some of my photos leave something to be desired, but I wanted to share these rather elusive birds.

A shy Brown Creeper was working away on the large Douglas Fir near our house.

I've had several more sightings of a small flock of Cedar Waxwings the past three days or so, usually when I don't have my camera!  There are anywhere from 7-12 birds in the group. 

The Flycatchers remain pretty regular in the evening. This is a Western Wood Peewee.

If the deer aren't munching down the few blackberries we have, then the birds are gobbling them up as fast as they ripen.  Here a Robin is about to take off with one in his mouth. 

The Starlings have been gone for several weeks now (Big Cheer!). Most of the Band-tailed Pigeons have left as well (2nd Big Cheer!).  I now see anywhere from 1-3 birds and they rarely come to the feeders anymore. 

What I do have are Gold Finches.  Scads of them - I'll bet I have up to fifty birds at the feeders.  They also are feasting upon thistle seeds.

I caught a Father Flicker teaching a Son Flicker how to hammer on our metal eves.  The father is at the bottom, the son at the top of the photo.

Here's the son.  He is slightly smaller and 'cleaner' looking with a smaller red stripe by his bill.

Dad is a bit scruffy looking (tired maybe?) and has a larger longer red stripe.

Here's a small Flicker feather I found after the two gentlemen had left.

I spied these two birds from afar and the light was not the greatest.  I was convinced it was a baby bird (on the left) and an adult on the right.  I've decided it is a young Western Tanager with a female Western Tanager on the right. I'm reasonably confident because...

...the next day I got a much better look at a female Western Tanager.

This photo is of a little bird, but my biggest coup for the week - maybe the month.  The large bird on the right is a female Black-headed Grosbeak.  But I am stoked about the little bird on the left.  She is a female Black-throated Gray Warbler.  Ironically the female does not have a black throat though the male does.  She is an insectivore who works at various heights in the canopy and will hover and sally for her prey. Anyway, a Brand New to Me Bird!  Wahoo!    

One year ago today Mom and I took a wonderful day trip and visited Lincoln.