July 26, 2017 - middle of the HOT HOT summer!
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Also Google says notice of google cookies is required, especially for the European visitors - so there it is...
Update - a few more summer birds added to the end!
Even though it is not evident by the postings lately, it has been a good summer for birds in our Southern California backyard. We have a very nice returning group of Hooded Orioles that did a great job of rearing families. I believe we have 5 adult pairs and hard to count the juveniles. It never gets boring watching and hearing them playing and chasing!
Here are a couple captures from one of the webcams.
We should have a solid month left before the males begin to leave followed a bit later by the females as they head back to points east/south for the winter.
After a hard day of play, a cool refreshing bath is in order ;-)
We've had several Blackheaded Grosbeaks join us this summer and I believe we got at least a couple offspring!
This little Blackchinned Hummingbird prefers this roosting spot near his favorite feeder, easy to guard it from there! Other hummers include Anna's, Allen's, Costa's at the moment. Mostly Anna's, as they do not migrate and there is a steady local population.
We are very excited about our California Scrub Jays this year. (They just were re-designated from Western Scrub Jay) We had a couple beginning last year, but late this spring we suspected youngsters - and we got at least four! So much fun watching them, though their appetite for mealworms is draining our checkbook ;-)
A new bird for us this year - a Greater Roadrunner has been coming to visit. Mixed feelings about this bird, it has been snacking on our hummingbirds! I understand that is Nature, but I don't have to like it. I am pretty sure there are two adult Roadrunners, because a month or so ago we saw what we are pretty sure was a juvenile RR, so now there are three. Though we have only seen two at a time, and mostly just one.
Hmmm, NOT a hummingbird or Oriole! In fact, when this guy showed up - other birds were few and far between ;-) Possibly a young Cooper's hawk, seems a little big - but too small for a red-tailed or red-shoulder, both of which we have in the area - but they don't often sit on the fence!
A young Kingbird, I think - maybe Cassin's.
Scaly breasted munia, Nutmeg mannikin, Spice Finch in the pet trade. Becoming naturalized in California because so many have escaped or been released.
Other birds visiting our backyard this year (photos to follow) - Spotted towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, California Towhee, Lesser Finches.
As a point of interest - though I have not been keeping receipts - our sugar water usage is about average for us and right around 2 gallons a day. Still buying 25 pound bags every couple weeks!
Thanks for stopping by, I'll try to be a little more consistent in my updates!
Marvelous photos and interesting dialog make for a super backyard birdwatching record. I've hardly had a chance to keep my birdfeeders filled in July, let alone take pictures, so this is an especially welcome sight that lets me vicariously enjoy your backyard birds.
ReplyDeleteHi BC :-) Thanks! I've been meaning to get back to this blog for a long time, but as you allude to, time is short sometimes! I generally can find time to enjoy the birds, but keeping the documentation up, well LOL.
ReplyDeleteHello, I live in San Diego, Clairemont, near the Bay,
ReplyDeletewhere lots of back yards are near a canyon.
I want to thank you for these wonderful reports with photos! We had Hummingbirds for many years. The feeders
are around all year. About two years ago we saw our first Orioles. Lucky, we had the correct feeders.
The orioles came back last year and this year in big
numbers! We have 5 feeders hanging and wish for more.
Yes, we had a hard time keeping them filled. There must
have been at least 20 Orioles, coming sometimes in waves
of 15 all at the same time. We enjoyed watching their behavior. Around August 15, 2017 we noticed that the males with the immature males had left.
A few days later the females with some young ones left
also. Now we have only a few young left, maybe eight or
so. We look forward to next March and hope to see more
come back. We also have a nice number of Hummingbirds.
Sorry, nobody took photos. Therefore I enjoyed your
reports with photos. Thank you!
Hi Anon ;-) Thanks for stopping by! You really rocked the orioles this year! They must like the cooler temps and all the palm trees down there :-) I'm only guessing but I think we had maybe 18 this year judging by the 6 adult males I saw and if each had a female and one fledge. At any one time, I don't think I saw more than 10. I saw 1 adult male today and several females or young males, not close enough to tell ;-)
DeleteWe are seeing a surge in hummers, Anna's, Allen's, black chinned, and Costa's. Hope to see Rufous in a month or so.
Patrick, love your photos & documentation! I too, have all the same birds as you here in Temecula! I haven't seen a Roadrunner in many years, but would be quite upset if one ate my hummingbirds🥺. I go through two quarts of CLEAN,mold free sugar water daily in Winter. Twice that in Summer. I Scrub my feeders often w mild dish soap, so as not to kill or sicken them.❤️😘 I plant many hummingbirdd & Butterfly/pollinator plants & have blooming trees that they visit as well. Love nature 🌹🌿🦆💕I've had Lesser Egrets, Great Grey Egrets & wild ducks at our pond, one rare Kingfisher. I fill my front yard feeders w BO SF seed & give the 3 Coastal Jay family no melt Peanut Butter suet cake, which the other birds like as well. Yeah, I've never seen a Tanager... major envy! We do have an impressive huge flock of Lesser American Goldfinches, that eat lots is Niger seed though! Habitat is key, & keeping the feeders regularly filled & the predators away, right? Thank you for loving the wildlife! I'm Tricia, btw.😎
ReplyDeleteHi Tricia! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment :-) Sounds like you have a great group of birds that you get to see! And thanks for taking such good care of your hummingbirds. although I haven't been keeping real good records but right now with the orioles arriving, we are using about 1-2 gallons a day of the sugar water mix. Good thing we buy it 25 pounds at a time ;-)
DeleteA kingfisher - wow, very nice!