September Draws Near

It's almost the end of oriole season for San Diego county. The hooded orioles that have been chirping, beeping, chattering over the summer will not be here much longer. Soon they will have all left for parts south and east - Arizona and Mexico mostly. But there are still a few showing up!
The first sighting this year was mid March, now 5 months later it's about time to go - new families in tow. 

Here is a capture off the 'hummer cam' in the backyard. Adult male (bright yellow with black and white wings and tail) and female (more subdued color).

 

Between the hummingbirds, orioles, and bees - the sugar load has stayed around 25 pounds a week for the last month. I expect that will drop a bit as the orioles leave and the weather cools leading to less bees. We should start to see a few more returning hummers from parts north as the migration south begins.

Here is an occasional visitor too the backyard - geococcyx califorianus - greater roadrunner, or speedipus rex meep meep, as the kids might know him as.

Although usually know for eating lizards, snakes, scorpions - but they are 'opportunistic foragers' and will go after small birds at feeders and nest boxes. This guy was setting up below a feeder.

He's not resting in the shade, but ready to spring up at an unsuspecting snack. I watched as he tried once, but the feeders are too high and the hummers get plenty of warning.

Hummingbird Madness

It's the middle of July and the hummingbird population is close to maximum. Feeder mix is going at 2 1/2 to 3 gallons per day, phew! Several male Allen's hummers are spotted so probably as many females. They are a bit small than Anna's and the males have a lot of brown, especially on the tail feathers as well as breast area. They really stand out when sighted in the right sun direction.

Several families of Hooded orioles still visiting the backyard. Seems fewer than last month but not sure, they may be getting annoyed with the bees.

A nice group of Lesser finches are regularly visiting the 2 socks and making good use of the fountain for drinks and baths.

The web cam views have been down for a while but are up again. Not sure what the issue was, maybe the indoor network switch which is outside with the indoor cams locked up.

I have a big gap in the sugar log, will fill that in as I can from receipts.

Update July 26 - a snapshot from one of the yardcams. A couple adult male hooded orioles snacking.

Orioles and Bunnies

It's May 10th and we are in to May gray and soon June gloom. But, the morning - evening fog has mostly been thin and clearing early in the mornings.

Plenty of Hooded Orioles at the feeders and 'playing' around the backyard. I spotted 5 adult males at one time last Sunday.  Lots of hummingbirds, as well. Mostly Anna's but Blackchinneds and Costa's also.

Speaking of feeders, not so many bees. I am trying a suggestion from a Wunderground acquaintance. 'Brush vegetable oil on the base', bees don't like it. Seemingly, they don't! Makes for a slippery feeder, so care in refilling is called for. And I am not sure of effects on the sugar water from mixing - by me or the birds. So far, the birds don't seem to mind (much, anyway - can't tell). Application frequency will be once a week, if not more often. I hope this will be a long term solution. It is easy to bee proof feeders, but then the orioles are proofed as well. Not the solution I am looking for.

I did not realize bunnies would be so fond of bird seed. I put out a large clay pot base with seed for the morning doves and whatever. Very soon after in the early mornings, bunnies would be sitting in the saucer munching away. I put the saucer on a 5 gallon paint tub ( a little over a foot off the ground) and the next day, bunny was up in saucer on tub. Need a new plan.

Not sure what happened to all of the Lesser Finches feeding on the finch sock. Shortly after putting up one, there were 8-10 buzzing around. Lately, only 2-4. Maybe a dud batch of nyger seed.

Fledglings Arrive at Backyard

All these many years, well maybe all these few years, I have been unable to tell if any fledgling hummingbirds have frequented the feeders in the backyard. I would suppose they have, but I am not aware of any visual characteristics of 1st year hummers that would distinguish them from 2nd or later year birds. However, the Hooded orioles that spend the spring and summer here are a different story. A month and a week from sighting the first returning oriole, I have seen the 1st fledgling male(s). They are quite easy to spot, having the same dull yellow coloring of the females but having the distinctive black 'bib' on the neck and top of chest. I am presuming that thee are fledgling females as well, but they would be very hard to tell apart from their mothers.

The first positive id was Saturday 21st, multiple times then and Sunday, the young males have been sighted. As an additional indicator,  the number of orioles seems to be up a bit. Also, an adult male will fly up to a feeder and, seemingly, cajole or coax another bird to the feeder. 

This morning early, I caught a glimpse of a possible family unit in the middle of a high speed game of chase. A bright yellow male was in the lead and following close behind were two 'non-adult-males' (best id I could make). They came from the left side of the yard to about the center and abruptly made a 180 and made for parts unknown.

Plenty of honey bees around - the new style feeder with lightly spring loaded balls that cover the feeding ports is not especially effective. Also, as suggested by an online source, cucumber peels do not a honey bee repellant make.

The 'Sugar Log' has been going since Jan 27th, and I conclude my calculator must be malfunctioning. In about 2 1/2 month's time 275 lbs of sugar has been purchased! The last 25 lb bag has not been opened yet, but the last gallon of premix is in use so the birds (and bees, for sure) have consumed over 200 pounds or roughly 96 gallons of sugar water.

Returning Orioles

Update March 22nd
Devil eye night feeding Hummers?

Just a shot too far for the flash (to get faster shutter speed), the sun had just set - but not as dark as the photo makes it look.

Update March 19th - Last day of Winter this year!
We had a cold rainy weekend, last blast from Ole Man Winter. The rain messed up the solution in many of the feeders so time to flush and refill. Hummers are picky about their food!
Also, first regular photo of the incoming Orioles. He looks a bit lonely sitting up on a branch announcing his presence. Hopefully he gets some buddies soon.

March 13th - The first Orioles were sighted March 9th, a week earlier than last year. As before, the first arrivals are adult males decked out in orange and black. One was even caught a few days later on the time lapse camera on the blog.

Soon the females should be arriving.

Also, a few new hummers are showing up. There is at least one male Allen's or maybe Rufus buzzing the feeders near the middle of the yard. The brown coat shows up clearly as he hovers in the sunlight.
Here is a shot of an Allen's on the left, two Anna's to the right. Remember, click any image for a bigger view.

A male Anna's playing peek a boo in the Monkeyflower bush just below the feeder.

A couple of perched male Anna's and a female Anna's with another male zooming in from the right - no spot to land!

 

We have just finished up with a nice rain storm - 1.45" over a couple days. Doesn't seemed to have bothered the birds any.

 Caught on tape trying to wash some bees away!

First Oriole of 2012

A week earlier than last year, first sighting of our spring/summer visiting orioles was Saturday, March 10. As last year, the first oriole to the backyard was a colorful male Hooded Oriole. He is probably scouting for  reliable food supply for his future family. Hooded Orioles are most likely sighted in most of San Diego county, Scott's orioles tend to be in the more arid parts of the county. Looking forward to the chatter and antics of several families of orioles spending the next few months hanging around.
I have a few feeders converted from hummingbird configuration to oriole friendly. Hopefully, there are still bee unfriendly. Seems as though this year may be more of a challenge regarding bees possibly due to the warmer than usual winter and much less than normal rain. We will see how the year progresses.
Speaking of spring visitors, I may have seen the first Rufus or Allen's hummingbirds at the feeders. The sighting was of a female so coloration is much more subtle and thus more difficult to ID, but there seemed to be a lot of brown on the chest to tail area. The non migrating Anna's have very little brown, being more green and gray with slight patches of red on the throat for the females. Of course, the male Anna's have the very striking head coloration that looks either black or brilliant red depending on the sun angle.

Update - March 11 Sunday
We saw 2 Hooded Orioles at the same time today, good evidence of the birds making their spring showing. Also, pretty confident sighting of a male Allen's hummingbird - notable for being one of the 2 hummers that are mostly brown.

September 11, 2010

A good day to look back and remember those gone...


It's almost the middle of September and the hooded orioles that stop by for the spring and summer are mostly gone now. I thought maybe they were all gone, but this afternoon I saw a female on the fence next to a feeder. Could not tell youngster or Mom. Update: Sunday morning - 2 females at feeder.

We are still having a cooler than normal summer, much to my pleasure, but this does not seem to be impacting the hummingbirds in any way I can see. There are plenty around, 2 gallons a day worth anyway!

The 2 feeders below hold 1/3 gallon each, they are emptied every day.

Just when I think the 'old guy' Anna's is not around, the feeder he guards starts draining very slowly and a male Anna's is chasing off all comers. But I can not tell if it is him, older for certain, but less bold toward me so I can not get too close.

This is the 'hummingbird tree' next to several feeders and behind the webcams. It's hard to see, but if you click on photo to enlarge, there are 30 or so hummers in the dead Ramona lilac bush. I would take it out but the hummers really like perching there.

I am waiting to see a few Rufus hummers as they make their way back south, none identified yet.

We have always had a few black phoebes flitting around, lately one has taken up bug patrol along a fence below several hummingbird feeders and flies back and forth between a coyote bush and a small Tacoma Stans (Yellow Bells) shrub. The coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) is blooming, such as they do, and there are extra bugs attracted to it.