Avian Activities

Fittingly I've started working on Bent Creek's "Black-capped Chickadee: Chirp". It's a recently released kit, so it made for a very quick start as I did not have to hunt down linen and threads.

My Black-capped Chickadees are nest building.  I've see them flying off with small downy feathers - nesting material I would assume.

This photo shows just how fitting the name is for the Violet-green Swallows.  Until Sunday we had a series of cool and damp days - so the swallows were not active.  In fact I was worried that my pair of Tree Swallows had left.  But Sunday was sunny and warm, and the swallows soared and chattered.  I discovered that while the Violet-green Swallows are still staking out houses and nest building, the Tree Swallows have completed their nest and it looks as though they are sitting on eggs.  So exciting! 

The Starling beat out most of the other birds; they've already nested, hatched, and their babies have fledged. 

I'm not sure that there is anything noisier or more raucous than a baby Starling!  

The Evening Grosbeaks are courting.   

They and the American Goldfinches are some of the last birds to nest.

I've had a Hairy Woodpecker or two fly by in the evening, and stop at a tree for a moment of two.  The red patch on the back of the head indicates that this is a male.

So I was very excited when this female Hair Woodpecker decided to check out the feeders in the backyard.

She came rather late in the evening so the light was low.

I wish they'd show up more regularly.

But I'll take what sightings I can get!

Speaking of bird sightings, on Friday I heard a very distinctive song in the backyard hedgerow. 

I called up my All About Birds webpage to listen to the "typical voice" of Yellow-breasted Chat. In my book, there is nothing typical about the Chat's song.  If you have a moment go to the page and listen for yourself. 

I was not able to locate the bird in the brush until it flew off to a distant tree.  These photos are from last summer. Such a pretty bird, you can see why I was bummed not to see the bird at closer range.