New Birds

I'm unstoppable! I looked at my bird header and it is missing a pelican.  So this stitch will rectify that and add a new bird to my stitched pieces. 

Speaking of new birds...

Most evenings this month I've had 2-3 Vaux Swifts flying about.  They have a very high-pitched call, so I usually hear them before I see them.  Vaux Swifts are in flight all day long eating insects. They do not set down on trees or the ground as their legs will not support them.  They used to roost in large colonies in the hollows of old growth trees, hanging like bats. Here in Eugene, they roost in an abandoned chimney on the University of Oregon campus. It is a amazing sight to watch thousands of birds swirl in black spirals down into the chimney for the night.         

As they are always in flight it's hard to get a good photo of these 'flying cigars' as they are fondly called. They will breed here and then fly back to Central America for the winter.

Here's another Summer Friend - the Olive-sided Flycatcher.

He made a brief appearance one evening.  I am hoping he returns as he has a most amusing call that sounds like "Quick three beers!"   

I took a walk down by the Big Creek and found this female Bushtit building a mossy nest. They create a very cool hanging nest.  I'll have to see if I can remember where I was and find it again. 

This is a Bushtit eating away.

And here's a mystery bird.  Might be a female Warbler of some sort.

On Monday a most welcome infrequent visitor came by while my sister and I were outside gardening. 

A male Pileated Woodpecker!

And this time I was able to get some nice photos of this majestic bird.

Interestingly, he never spoke, just tapped away on the dead top of a Big Leaf Maple.

I have to wonder if he isn't responsible for the new hole on the left of the trunk beneath the bird.

I think this photo looks like an Audubon painting! 

And here's a welcome sight!  A Western Bluebird!

I haven't seen one for two years, and just happened to look out the window as he lit on a feeder in the backyard.  

Such a pretty bird.

I have a Bluebird nesting box and rushed out to see what was up with it.  The darned Starling have taken it over and are still raising a family.  I am not heartless enough to prematurely evict them, even though I'd much prefer to have the Bluebirds using it.