Must bee Summer Cuz lots of Bees!

June is wrapping up and although I have not gone back through the blog to see what time of year the honey bees show up and commit suicide in the oriole feeders, it is probably about the same time as years before. I dread having to bee-proof the oriole feeders because most of them become oriole unfriendly. I will try, again this year,to find a way to exclude bees while feeding orioles.

A couple of photos to illustrate the problem..

Death by sugar water!

 

Goin' in. I had tried drilling out the openings to convert feeder to oriole friendly - too big!

Bee guards partially working, bees are not inside feeder - but bees are keeping away birds. 

On a more pleasant note, oriole population seems as high as last year. This includes what are likely several batches of youngsters, fledgling male for sure - so most likely females as well.

Also, continuing to see at least one pair of Allen's hummingbirds. Have not id'd a Rufus male yet. Of course, lots of Anna's, and a good quantity of Blackchinned and Costa's.

June Already!

It's June already, the birds all seem to be enjoying the cooler than typical weather this year. Have seen several juvenile male Hooded Orioles lately, so I imagine there are about as many young females. The adults must be doing a good job on the nest! Sad day a couple weeks ago - one of the very colorful adult males succumbed to something, seemingly not cat related. May have been a high speed crash, they often chase each other around the backyard at high speed just to land and begin chattering like crazy.

Just a week ago while filling the many feeders, I spotted a female hummer with lots of brown plumage. Since it was a female, I am not sure if it was a Rufus or Allens. I have not made a sighting of a male of either type yet. I don't usually expect to see either near the middle of the season since they are migratory and we somewhat in the middle of the route. I hope to see some this fall, did not see any this spring.

Other birds of note: LBB (wren from last year) is trying to lure a female back to the birdhouse but I don't think he has had much luck yet. He pops in and out of the house tidying up but no family yet.

This year, for some reason, the house finches are taking to the oriole feeders, but at least not in an overbearing fashion.