A Blue Blob

This blue blob is the beginnings of a Blue Tanager and the next photo were be more aesthetically pleasing I promise.

On to the birds.

A few Cedar Waxwings have come by on and off.

They never come to the feeders, but do perch in the trees nearby.

Someone asked me how to attract birds like Cedar Waxwings.  There are two good books about gardening for birds.  The first is "Gardening for the Birds" by George Adams. The second book is "Bird-by-Bird Gardening" by Sally Roth. I have the Roth book and really like it. Each chapter discusses a family of birds like Woodpeckers or Flycatcher. It then recommends trees, shrubs, flowers, etc for the specific birds. For Cedar Waxwings Roth suggests planting serviceberries, hawthorns, sour or sweet cherries, elderberries, and mountain ashes.

I've heard a couple of Wrentits with come frequency, but it is always a thrill to see one as they tend to hide in thickets. 

They have a gray back and rust breast.

There you are!

My best photo of a Wrentit!

Young Evening Grosbeak begging for food.

"Please?!?!?" 

My Violet-green Swallows have raised their families... 

...so I will see and hear them high in the sky, but rarely at eye-level any longer.

I did have a pair of Barn Swallows gather dirt (they build mud nests) -it's possible they are going to have a second brood of young as they do not leave until October.

Here's a young American Robin looking very much like the Thrush family member that it is with its speckled chest.

And here's my RAven family - looks like they have two youngsters.